UE capability signaling design in different versions of cellular communication specifications

Abstract

A UE capability signaling design in different releases of a cellular communication specification is disclosed. A method for optimized capability signaling for a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. Since the same level of control at the UE side in combining a previous release N and a new release N+m, the UE should be able to utilize the existing signaling in release N as well as the signaling in release N+m. Otherwise, if the UE utilizes only release N+m, the UE will not be able to have the benefit of the same level of control provided in release N.

Description

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Applications No. 63 / 068,709, 63 / 071,637, 63 / 133,581 and 17 / 356,138, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on August 21, 2020, August 28, 2020, January 4, 2021 and June 23, 2021, respectively, the contents of each of the above four applications being incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to a user equipment (UE), and more specifically to UE capability signaling in various versions of the cellular communication specification. Background Technology

[0003] UE capability signaling refers to a mechanism in which the UE notifies the g-Node B (gNB) of its ability to perform specific features. As an example of reporting UE capabilities, particularly in the 3GPP telecommunications standards, the following methods reflect the increasing level of control the UE has when reporting support, from the first method to the last.

[0004] The UE can report its ability to perform specific features in any scenario or under all conditions, giving the UE minimal granularity or control when reporting its capabilities. This reporting provides the UE with a low level of control and is referred to as per-UE reporting.

[0005] The UE can report its ability to perform specific features in a particular frequency band, regardless of other frequency band combinations that include that particular band. Compared to per UE, this reporting provides the UE with an increased level of control and more granularity, and is referred to as per frequency band reporting.

[0006] The UE can report its ability to perform specific features within a particular combination of frequency bands used to instruct the UE on carrier aggregation (CA). In this case, the UE can support the operation in any frequency band included in the combination, but does not have selective control over which frequency band in the combination is used to support the operation. Compared to per-band, this reporting provides the UE with an increased level of control and more granularity, and is referred to as per-band combination or per-BC reporting.

[0007] The UE can report its ability to perform specific features in a dedicated band within a specific frequency band combination used for CA, unlike report-by-BC. In this case, a mechanism called feature set can be used to allow the UE to selectively signal support for these features differently in each frequency band of the frequency band combination. This provides the UE with a greater level of control and more granularity compared to report-by-BC, and is referred to as report-by-feature set or report-by-FS.

[0008] The UE can report its ability to perform specific features in dedicated component carriers (CCs) within a specific frequency band combination used for CA. In this case, a mechanism known as per-CC feature set can be used to allow the UE to not only selectively signal support for these features differently in each frequency band of the frequency band combination, as per FS, but also selectively signal different levels of support within the component carriers of each frequency band. This reporting provides the UE with the maximum granularity of flexibility, representing the highest level of controllability at the aforementioned control levels, and is referred to as per-CC feature set or per-FSPC reporting.

[0009] As seen above, the flexibility a UE has in declaring support for specific features increases from per-UE to per-FSPC. For example, if features A and B are per-FSPC, the UE has full flexibility to support only one of features A and B in each CC. However, if these features are per-UE, the UE will always need to either support or not support them, and some UE misses may subsequently occur. That is, in a per-UE manner, if the UE cannot verify such support in all scenarios, then the UE cannot declare support. The trade-off for increased flexibility is the increased overhead in signaling incurred by the UE. Therefore, determining how to declare specific features must acknowledge the complexity of the features in the UE implementation and the associated signaling overhead.

[0010] In 3GPP, the aforementioned capability signaling typically depends on each specification release. In many cases, capability signaling designed for a specific function in one release subsequently creates challenging situations for the UE because the UE may not be able to provide capability indications for the covered type, such as in the UE-specific manner described above. Later releases tend to introduce more precise declarations of feature support, which prevents underreporting but also increases signaling overhead for the UE. Similarly, when considering simultaneous operation with another function, mandatory functionality subsequently supported by the UE creates challenging situations for the UE. In such cases, new capability signaling indicating support for this simultaneous operation can be introduced in later releases.

[0011] Prior art is flawed in how existing Rel-15 and Rel-16 signaling interact. In one mechanism, Rel-15 signaling still governs support for two Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) groups, while Rel-16 signaling provides additional, UE-preferred constraints. While this mechanism works well if the gNB receiving the capability indication has Rel-16 capability, the Rel-16 capability aspect is not acknowledged for gNBs with only Rel-15 capability. Therefore, the gNB will assume the UE has the capability for two PUCCH groups in any packet, which is inefficient if the UE has problems with any packet.

[0012] Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved UE capability method, wherein the improved UE capability method effectively takes into account the methods of previous specifications and adapts the methods of previous specifications to the current specifications to optimize UE performance. Summary of the Invention

[0013] This disclosure has been made to at least address the aforementioned problems and / or disadvantages and to at least provide the advantages described below.

[0014] Therefore, one aspect of this disclosure is to provide improved interaction between prior capability signaling and new capability signaling regarding the same or similar functions.

[0015] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling the capability signaling of a UE by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m (where m>0) includes: determining that the UE is capable of reporting the UE's capability signaling according to version N and version N+m, and controlling the UE to report the UE's capability signaling according to version N+m instead of version N, wherein the controllability level of the UE in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the UE in version N.

[0016] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device includes a memory and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the capability signaling of the electronic device by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m in such a way as to determine that the electronic device is configured to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N and version N+m (where m>0), and to control the electronic device to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N+m instead of version N, wherein the controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the electronic device in version N.

[0017] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform the following operations: control the capability signaling of the electronic device by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m in such a way as to determine that the electronic device is configured to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N and version N+m (where m>0), and to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N+m instead of version N, wherein the controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the electronic device in version N.

[0018] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a base station includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform the following operations: controlling the capability signaling of an electronic device by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m in such a way as to determine that the electronic device is configured to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N and version N+m (where m>0), and controlling the electronic device to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N+m instead of version N, wherein the controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the electronic device in version N. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C This disclosure illustrates the rel-15 UE capability signaling to which this disclosure applies;

[0021] Figure 2 This disclosure illustrates the rel-16UE capability signaling to which this disclosure applies;

[0022] Figure 3A A first feature group according to an embodiment is shown;

[0023] Figure 3B The second feature group according to the embodiment is shown;

[0024] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C , Figure 4D and Figure 4E This disclosure illustrates the UE capabilities in the downlink (DL) control channel and procedural characteristics of Rel-15 to which this disclosure applies;

[0025] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The feature group in feature 5 of Rel-15 to which this disclosure applies is shown;

[0026] Figure 6A and Figure 6B This demonstrates the Rel-16 capability to which the present disclosure applies the functionality of feature group 5-1a in Rel-15;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment; and

[0028] Figure 8This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the signaling capabilities of a UE based on telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m (where m>0) according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific embodiments and should be construed as including all modifications, alterations, equivalent apparatus and methods, and / or optional embodiments of the present disclosure. For clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and / or structures will be omitted.

[0030] As used herein, the expressions “have,” “may have,” “include,” and “may include” indicate the presence of the corresponding feature (such as a value, function, operation, or component) and do not exclude the presence of additional features. As used herein, the expressions “A or B,” “at least one of A and / or B,” or “one or more of A and / or B” include all possible combinations of the items listed therewith. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” means (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including both at least one A and at least one B.

[0031] Terms such as “first” and “second” as used herein may modify various elements regardless of the order and / or importance of the respective elements, and do not limit the respective elements. These terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another. For example, a first user device and a second user device may refer to different user devices regardless of their order or importance. Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0032] When the first element is "operably or communicatively coupled to" / "operably or communicatively coupled to" another element (such as the second element) or "connected to" another element (such as the second element), the first element may be directly coupled to / directly coupled to the second element, and an intermediate element, such as a third element, may exist between the first element and the second element. Conversely, when the first element is "directly coupled to" / "directly coupled to" the second element or "directly connected to" the second element, there is no intermediate third element between the first element and the second element.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless a term is explicitly defined herein as defined in a common dictionary, it shall be construed as having the same or similar meaning as in the context of the relevant art and shall not be construed as having an ideal or exaggerated meaning. Depending on the circumstances, even terms defined in this disclosure shall not be construed as excluding embodiments of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C This demonstrates the UE capability signaling based on existing technology. Specifically, Figure 1A This shows a portion of 3GPP Rel-15 (i.e., feature groups 6-7 (110) and 6-8 (120)). Figure 1B Feature groups 6-9 (130) of Rel-15 are shown, and Figure 1C Feature group 6-9a(140) of Rel-15 is shown.

[0035] In current 5G communication, PUCCHs are transmitted only in a few cells during CA (Carrier Action) scenarios, and a single cell will transmit the corresponding PUCCHs from the same PUCCH group for all cells. 3GPP Rel-15 supports up to two PUCCH groups for CA. Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C The corresponding UE capability signaling is described in the document.

[0036] exist Figure 1A In the second column shown for feature groups 6-7 (110), the first row of the fifth column provides the signaling name indicating support for feature group 6-7 (110) (i.e., "two NR PUCCH groups with the same numerology" or 2 PUCCH groups). The third column provides a detailed description of the 2 PUCCH groups. The sixth column provides the level or granularity of the signaling (i.e., feature set uplink or by FS).

[0037] In feature group 6-8 (120), “different parameter sets across NR PUCCH groups” are described, and in feature group 6-9 (130), “different parameter sets across NR carriers within the same NR PUCCH group, where the PUCCH is on a carrier with a smaller SCS” are described. Since these two feature groups, as well as feature group 6-9a, are related, they are grouped together in this paper for ease of description.

[0038] Feature group 6-8 (120) indicates that feature group 6-7 (110) is supported, but assumes different parameter sets across PUCCH groups. The fifth column in feature group 6-8 indicates that feature group 6-7 (110) is a prerequisite for feature group 6-8. As shown, feature groups 6-8 (120) and 6-9 (130) indicate “by BC” granularity. Feature group 6-9a (140) is also shown, and for the two PUCCH groups, feature group 6-9a (140) is a slightly different version from feature group 6-9.

[0039] However, as Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C The Rel-15 capability signaling specified in the document does not provide a way for the UE to indicate which combinations of PUCCH packets are supported.

[0040] To address this issue, in version N+m, the grouping mechanism and the declaration of supported groups were made public as a UE capability.

[0041] Figure 2 This illustrates the UE capability signaling to which this disclosure applies. Specifically, Figure 2 A portion of 3GPP document Rel-16 is shown, namely, feature group 22-7(210).

[0042] exist Figure 2 In this context, feature group 22-7 (210) is an introduced feature corresponding to feature group 6-7 (110) in Rel-15, which has a more granular level of UE control over grouping possibilities, where the UE can indicate support for a specific group in a more detailed manner in Rel-15.

[0043] When a version N+m-based UE sends version N+m signaling along with version N signaling, a Rel-16-based network may misinterpret the UE as supporting Rel-15 features without any restrictions. This is a misinterpretation because the primary motivation for feature group 22-7 (210) in Rel-16 is the overly broad control and operational difficulties for the UE caused by the inability to specify grouping probabilities in feature group 6-7 (110) in Rel-15. The signaling in feature group 22-7 (210) improves upon this shortcoming in feature group 6-7 (110) in Rel-15. That is, using feature group 22-7 (210), the UE can indicate which of the following carrier types—Frequency Range 1 (FR1) licensed Time Division Duplex (TDD), FR1 unlicensed TDD, FR1 licensed Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), and FR2—can be grouped together as a PUCCH group. Furthermore, the UE can indicate which of the following can be used as the PUCCH transmission carrier: FR1 licensed TDD, FR1 unlicensed TDD, FR1 licensed FDD, and FR2. In other words, the UE is given more flexibility regarding PUCCH packets and PUCCH carriers.

[0044] Furthermore, due to this operational difficulty for the UE, a UE supporting Rel-16 may also be unable to support feature groups 6-7 (110) in Rel-15. In other words, if the UE can support the signaling in feature groups 6-7 (110) in Rel-15, the new signaling in Rel-16 will be unnecessary. Therefore, due to the aforementioned risk of misunderstanding by Rel-15-based networks, the basic assumption is that a Rel-16-based UE cannot signal Rel-15 components. A Rel-15-based network will not know whether a Rel-16-based UE uses the Rel-16-based portion of the signal to signal additional restrictions. Therefore, a Rel-15-based network may misunderstand the actual capabilities of the UE.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, feature group 22-7(210) in Rel-16 and Figure 1AFeature groups 6-7 (110) in Rel-15 are closely related but provide more control over the UE. However, the nature of the signaling between these two feature groups is the same in different versions. When the UE sends its capability signaling, the network receives and attempts to interpret the signaling. It is necessary to have an indication of the version on which the capability signaling is based so that the network can accurately interpret the signaling and know the UE's capabilities. Furthermore, in Rel-15, feature group 6-7 (110) is associated with PUCCH packets, while feature groups 6-8 (120), 6-9 (130), and 6-9a (140) are associated with different things (i.e., packets with different parameter sets). Furthermore, in Rel-16, feature group 22-7 (210) is associated with packets, but the packet conditions do not describe the parameter set. Instead, feature group 22-7 (210) describes the properties of the carriers so that they can be grouped together.

[0046] Figure 3A A first feature group according to an embodiment is shown. Figure 3B A second feature set according to an embodiment is shown. Since the two feature sets describe whether the UE supports PUCCH over smaller and / or larger subcarrier spacings, an alternative approach is for one feature set to have either a larger or smaller component value, such that the UE can indicate one of these values.

[0047] In particular, Figure 3A The feature group 22-x(310) of version N+m(Rel-16) is shown, and Figure 3B The feature group 22-y(320) of version N+m is shown.

[0048] Since the same level of control is available on the UE side when combining versions N (Rel-15) and N+m, the UE should be able to utilize existing signaling in version N (such as feature groups 6-8 (120), 6-9 (130), and 6-9a (140) in Rel-15) as well as signaling in version N+m. Otherwise, if the UE only utilizes version N+m, the UE will not have the same benefits as the level of control provided in version N.

[0049] The UE can be assumed to declare the version N+m portion of the signaling, and the network will attempt to interpret and combine the signaling so that appropriate restrictions can be applied. However, the network source can be based on version N or version N+m, and similarly, the UE source can be based on version N or version N+m. Typically, the network does not reveal such an origin due to UE capability indications, and this may not be necessary. Furthermore, the network typically only interprets UE signaling corresponding to the version of the network source.

[0050] However, for example, when a UE based on version N+m sends version N+m signaling along with version N signaling, a Rel-16-based network may misunderstand that the UE is supporting Rel-15 features without any restrictions.

[0051] Therefore, if the UE declares further restricted capabilities in version N+m, the UE can be controlled in a way that the UE does not directly declare specific functions corresponding to the capabilities in version N. In this case, the UE will not be configured with specific functions in the case of a gNB with version N capabilities. The capability signaling in version N+m should be self-completing so as to fully implement the related operations of the capabilities in version N. In other words, the new capability signaling corresponds to feature groups such as 6-8 (120). 6-9 (130) and 6-9a (140) in Rel-15 should be transferred or reflected in the corresponding version N+m parts of the signaling. For example, when feature group 6-7 (110) is redefined with more restrictions in version N+m, the related functions in feature groups 6-8 (120), 6-9 (130), and 6-9a (140) should also be transferred to make version N+m self-completing. In this way, because separate and dedicated version N+m capability signaling is used to report feature groups 6-8, 6-9, and 6-9a functions, when capability signaling in version N+m is reported, the function corresponding to the UE's capability signaling in version N is indicated to the gNB with version N+m capability.

[0052] In this way, Figure 3A The embodiments reflect the capabilities and limitations indicated in feature group 6.9(130) of Rel-15, and Figure 3B The embodiments reflect the capabilities and limitations indicated in feature group 6-9a(140) of Rel-15.

[0053] Furthermore, regarding the specific capabilities required for migrating from an earlier version to a newer version, the same instructions should exist in the new version in a similar or more flexible manner. That is, for example, in Rel-15, feature groups 6-8(120), 6-9(130), and 6-9a(140) are BC-based. Therefore, Figure 3A and Figure 3B The signaling level is made public according to BC.

[0054] When these feature sets are migrated to a newer version (i.e., Rel-16) to enable Rel-16 self-completion, the granularity of Rel-16 for these feature sets (e.g., in...) Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figure 3BThe granularity (as shown in column 8) should be at least the same as that of Rel-15. In doing so, for example, controllability levels such as per BC should remain at least the same and should not degrade to per UE in newer versions. However, since newer versions involve further restrictions, controllability levels can be increased. Therefore, the granularity of relevant signaling (or the controllability level of the UE) in a newer version can be greater than or equal to the granularity in an earlier version.

[0055] Therefore, in general, if the capability in version N is a support / not support indication, then the capability signaling in version N+m should also have such an indication in the same or more flexible way as the capability in version N (per UE, per BC, per FS, per FSPC, etc.).

[0056] Furthermore, assume that the UE does not declare support for two PUCCH groups using Rel-15 signaling in the problematic scenario, and only declares the Rel-16 portion of the signaling used to support two PUCCH groups under appropriate constraints. However, in this case, under Rel-15gNB, the UE will not be configured with two PUCCH groups.

[0057] Typically, a specific function with capability signaling may be considered in version N. In a later version N+m (where m>0), capability signaling for that specific function may be reintroduced, allowing the UE to further restrict the scenarios that that specific function can support.

[0058] In some mechanisms, such support indications can be implicit. For example, an indication of support for a limited scenario using version N+m capabilities can be interpreted as support for a specific feature.

[0059] The UE can be provided with some indication from the network, allowing it to know the network's release version. In this case, the UE may exhibit two different behaviors in two different versions. For example, if the UE does not know which version the network should operate in when both behaviors are supported, the network may give incorrect information about how the UE should operate. When the UE knows the network release version is N+m, even if the UE only supports a limited (or modified) version of a specific function, the UE can use version N signaling to signal support for that specific function. Since the UE's behavior may differ between the two versions, this awareness of the network release version can also improve system performance. In other words, if the UE does not have explicit instructions on the behavior it should use, it may lead to system degradation.

[0060] In the example of two PUCCH groups, the grouping mechanism for Rel-16 capabilities can become an implicit indication. In this case, since Rel-15 capability feature groups 6-7 (110) are FS-based, the Rel-16 signaling will be either FS-based or FS-PC-based. Alternatively, for gNBs with Rel-16 capabilities, explicit indications supporting two PUCCH groups can be introduced using FS-based signaling to replace the capabilities in Rel-15. In this case, gNBs with Rel-16 capabilities will only consider the Rel-16 indications.

[0061] As another example for two PUCCH groups, in order to ensure the self-completeness of the Rel-16 signaling given by feature group 22-7(210), it can be respectively... Figure 3A The feature group 22-x(310) and Figure 3B The existing Rel-15 feature groups 6-9 (130) and 6-9a (140) are introduced in Rel-16 in the manner of feature group 22-y (320).

[0062] Another possible example for the case of two PUCCH groups is to include support for different parameter sets within the PUCCH group in the signaling of feature group 22-7 (210). In this case, each group in each configuration (such as the primary PUCCH group configuration and the secondary PUCCH group configuration) signaled in feature group 22-7 (210) may indicate support for such different parameter sets. Such indications may be smaller, larger, or both smaller and larger to cover cases similar to those in feature groups 6-9 (130) and 6-9a (140). Alternatively, such support for different parameter sets may be indicated once per BC, rather than for each configuration, meaning that for all indicated configurations, the UE may or may not support different parameter sets within the group.

[0063] In 3GPP document R1-2007022, it is discussed that in cellular communication, uplink signal / channel timing advance (TA) is used to align the reception of multiple UEs at the gNB. In CA, if multiple uplink cells belong to the same TA group (TAG), they share the same TA. Since this is not reflected in Rel-15 capabilities, different PUCCH groups belonging to the same TAG are possible in Rel-15. Therefore, Rel-16 capabilities are needed for this scenario.

[0064] This application also discloses the introduction of Rel-16 capability for two PUCCH groups in the same frequency band, which is also possible in Rel-15. In cellular communication, the cancellation of uplink signals / channels can be dynamically indicated by the gNB. In this case, depending on the arrival time of such dynamic cancellation indication, the uplink signals / channels may not be completely cancelled as in Rel-15. However, partial cancellation will pose technical challenges to the UE. Therefore, this application discloses a Rel-16 capability for partial cancellation.

[0065] These capabilities are also restrictive compared to the PUCCH groupings mentioned above, and follow the general framework of the specific functions described above.

[0066] In 3GPP document R1-2007022, other scenarios involving simultaneous operation of multiple functions are discussed. In 3GPP Rel-15, support for AP-SRS is mandatory for the UE when the aperiodic probe reference signal (AP-SRS) and its triggering downlink control information (DCI) are not in the same time slot. The UE first decodes the DCI, then determines the request for AP-SRS, and subsequently transmits the AP-SRS.

[0067] Because AP-SRS and DCI are not in the same time slot (e.g., DCI may be in time slot n, and AP-SRS may be in time slot n+1), the UE is given a specific amount of time to prepare for AP-SRS transmission. However, if DCI is at the end of time slot n, the amount of time the UE can have for AP-SRS preparation is significantly reduced compared to when DCI is at the beginning of time slot n.

[0068] Figure 4A , 4B 4C, 4D, and 4E illustrate the UE capabilities in the DL control channel and process features of Rel-15 to which this disclosure applies.

[0069] Specifically, Figure 4A The feature group 3-1(410) of Rel-15 is shown. Figure 4B The feature group 3-2(420) of Rel-15 is shown. Figure 4C Feature groups 3-5 (430) of Rel-15 are shown. Figure 4D Feature group 3-5a(440) of Rel-15 is shown, and Figure 4E Feature group 3-5b(450) of Rel-15 is shown.

[0070] As mentioned above, compared to when the DCI is located at the beginning of slot n, the amount of time the UE can have for AP-SRS preparation is significantly reduced. This is possible if the UE declares support for Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring capabilities, as their descriptions may occur in addition to... Figure 4A In Rel-15 shown, feature group 3-1 (420) is not included. Figure 4B Feature group 3-2(420) Figure 4C Feature groups 3-5 (430) Figure 4D Feature group 3-5a(440) and Figure 4E In any of the feature groups 3-5b(450). Therefore, new capability signaling was created in Rel-16 to ensure a specific amount of offset between AP-SRS and DCI, so that the UE can reject Rel-15 version and support Rel-16 version.

[0071] If the UE cannot support AP-SRS when the DCI and AP-SRS interval is small, then such a UE cannot claim to support AP-SRS except... Figure 4A The PDCCH monitoring capability is shown in Rel-15, in addition to feature group 3-1 (410). In this case, even if the UE declares new capability signaling to ensure a specific amount of offset between AP-SRS and DCI, this may be useless because the only applicability of such signaling is when the UE declares support for features other than AP-SRS and DCI. Figure 4A When the PDCCH monitoring capability is other than feature group 3-1 (410) in the Rel-16, even with new signaling, the UE cannot declare support for any of the new capabilities in Rel-16 because the Rel-15 network may not be able to understand them. Figure 4A The PDCCH monitoring capability is not limited to feature group 3-1 (410) in Rel-15. Specifically, it is implemented in a more flexible manner (by UE, by BC, by FS, by FSPC, etc.) than feature groups 3-2 (420), 3-5 (430), 3-5a (440), and 3-5b (450) of Rel-15. Figure 4B Feature group 3-2(420) Figure 4C Feature groups 3-5 (430) Figure 4D Feature group 3-5a(440) Figure 4E The function of feature group 3-5b(450) in the middle is to create new Rel-16 capability signaling.

[0072] Typically, a specific function with capability signaling can be considered in version N, as well as function B which is mandatory to support in version N. In a later version N+m (where m>0), capability signaling for limited simultaneous support of the specific function and B can be introduced.

[0073] When a UE declares support for specific features in both versions N and N+m, the interpretation of capabilities in version N needs to be modified so that a gNB with version N capabilities can correctly understand the UE's limitations. In this case, the interpretation of capabilities in version N can be the most conservative among the capability signaling in version N+m.

[0074] If a UE does not declare capabilities for a specific function in version N, but declares further restricted capabilities in version N+m, then using a gNB with version N capabilities, the UE will not be configured with the specific function. In this case, the capability signaling in version N+m should be self-completing to fully implement the operations of the capabilities in version N. In other words, new capability signaling corresponding to the specific function will need to be created in version N+m in a manner that is the same as or more flexible than the capabilities in version N (per UE, per BC, per FS, per FSPC, etc.).

[0075] In some mechanisms, this support indication can be implicit. For example, an indication of support for limited scenarios using version N+m capabilities can be interpreted as support for a specific feature. In another mechanism, limited simultaneous support for features A and B may not be permitted in version N+m. In this case, applicability applies only to feature B and some other feature C that exists in version N+m.

[0076] Instructions from the network can be provided to the UE, enabling the UE to understand the network release version. In this case, if the UE knows that the network release version is N+m, even if it only supports limited simultaneous support for functions A and B, the UE can use version N signaling to signal support for specific functions.

[0077] A similar scenario is discussed in 3GPP document R1-2007022. In Rel-15, support for Dynamic Slot Format Indicators (SFIs) is provided through capability signaling claims, as presented below.

[0078] As shown below in TS38.213, if the UE makes this statement and the SFI indicates the corresponding part as downlink or flexible symbol, the UE should cancel semi-static uplink transmission.

[0079]

[0080] A potential problem is that if the SFI does not arrive early enough, the UE may need to apply partial cancellation, and such partial cancellation can be challenging. That is, it can be assumed that stopping when cancellation is requested during transmission may be careless or disregard resource considerations. To address this issue, a new Rel-16 capability signaling supporting partial cancellation has been introduced.

[0081] The new Rel-16 capability signaling that supports partial cancellation may be applicable only to functions that cause cancellation introduced in Rel-16 or later versions (such as the uplink cancellation indication shown below), or a release indication from the network may be provided to the UE.

[0082] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This illustrates the feature group in feature 5 of Rel-15 to which this disclosure applies. Specifically, Figure 5A The feature group 5-1(510) of Rel-15 is shown, and Figure 5B Feature group 5-1a(520) of Rel-15 is shown.

[0083] In cancellations caused by DCI scheduling, as described above, the UE detection instructs the UE to receive DCI format 1_0, DCI format 1_1, or DCI format 0_1 ​​of CSI-RS or PDSCH from a subset of symbols in a set of symbols; this is mandatory. Figure 5B As shown, such functionality is declared as part of the Radio Resource Control (RRC) uplink / downlink (UL / DL) allocation for the UE via feature group 5-1a (520). Even with new capability signaling, due to Figure 5B Feature group 5-1a(520) in the code may not have been declared by the UE for use in the Rel-15 network, and therefore the UE cannot benefit from it. To address this issue, the following is introduced: Figure 6A and Figure 6B .

[0084] Figure 6A and Figure 6B This demonstrates Rel-16 capabilities for the functionality of feature group 5-1a (520) in Rel-15 to which this disclosure applies. Specifically, Figure 6A Feature groups 11-7 (610) in Rel-16 are shown, and Figure 6B Feature group 11-7a(620) in Rel-16 is shown.

[0085] Reference Figures 5A to 5B and Figures 6A to 6B Although feature groups 11-7(610) and 11-7a(620) were introduced, due to Figure 5AFeature group 5-1 (510) in Rel-15 is mandatory, therefore the functionality associated with component 7 in the description column of feature group 5-1 (510) in Rel-15 is problematic. In this case, new Rel-16 capability signaling corresponding to component 7 in the description column is disclosed. In this case, the UL partial cancellation behavior caused by scheduling DCI in Rel-15 when the UE does not support the RRC UL / DL configuration for the UE may become unspecified.

[0086] The aforementioned mechanism can lead to differences in UE behavior between two different networks with version N and version N+m capabilities. In this case, the situation can be ambiguous because the UE is unaware of which version the network can support. Therefore, to regulate appropriate UE behavior, it will be necessary to provide the network with indication of which part of the capability between version N and version N+m is being confirmed. Such indication can be UE-specific higher-layer signaling. For example, in the example above, the network could instruct the UE not to be configured with unsupported PUCCH packets and TAGs. Furthermore, in one example above, when an uplink signal / channel cancellation occurs, the network could instruct the UE not to be required to perform a partial cancellation.

[0087] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment. (Refer to...) Figure 7 In network environment 700, electronic device 701 can communicate with electronic device 702 via a first network 798 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or with electronic device 704 or server 708 via a second network 799 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). Electronic device 701 can communicate with electronic device 704 via server 708. Electronic device 701 may include processor 720, memory 730, input device 750, sound output device 755, display device 760, audio module 770, sensor module 776, interface 777, haptic module 779, camera module 780, power management module 788, battery 789, communication module 790, subscriber identification module (SIM) 796, or antenna module 797. In one embodiment, at least one component (e.g., display device 760 or camera module 780) may be omitted from electronic device 701, or one or more other components may be added to electronic device 701. Some of the components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC). For example, a sensor module 776 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be embedded in a display device 760 (e.g., a display).

[0088] Processor 720 can execute software (e.g., program 740) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of electronic device 701 connected to processor 720, and can perform various data processing or calculations. As at least part of the data processing or calculations, processor 720 can load commands or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 776 or communication module 790) into volatile memory 732, process the commands or data stored in volatile memory 732, and store the resulting data in non-volatile memory 734. Processor 720 may include a main processor 721 (e.g., central processing unit (CPU) or application processor (AP)) and an auxiliary processor 723 (e.g., graphics processing unit (GPU), image signal processor (ISP), sensor hub processor, or communication processor (CP)) that is operationally independent of or combined with the main processor 721. Additionally or optionally, auxiliary processor 723 may be adapted to consume less power than main processor 721, or adapted to perform specific functions. The auxiliary processor 723 can be implemented separately from the main processor 721 or as part of the main processor 721.

[0089] When the main processor 721 is inactive (e.g., in sleep mode), the auxiliary processor 723 (rather than the main processor 721) can control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device 701 (e.g., display device 760, sensor module 776, or communication module 790), or when the main processor 721 is active (e.g., running an application), the auxiliary processor 723 can work with the main processor 721 to control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device 701 (e.g., display device 760, sensor module 776, or communication module 790). The auxiliary processor 723 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) can be implemented as part of another component (e.g., camera module 780 or communication module 790) that is functionally associated with the auxiliary processor 723.

[0090] The memory 730 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 701 (e.g., processor 720 or sensor module 776). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., program 740) and input or output data for commands associated with it. The memory 730 may include volatile memory 732 or non-volatile memory 734.

[0091] The program 740 may be stored as software in the memory 730, and the program 740 may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 742, middleware 744, or application 746.

[0092] Input device 750 can receive commands or data from outside electronic device 701 (e.g., a user) that will be used by another component of electronic device 701 (e.g., processor 720). Input device 750 may include, for example, a microphone, mouse, or keyboard.

[0093] The sound output device 755 can output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device 701. The sound output device 755 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing records, and the receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. The receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0094] Display device 760 can visually provide information to the outside of electronic device 701 (e.g., to a user). Display device 760 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and control circuitry for controlling a respective one of the display, holographic device, and projector. Display device 760 may include touch circuitry adapted to detect touch or sensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure the intensity of the force caused by touch.

[0095] The audio module 770 can convert sound into electrical signals and vice versa. The audio module 770 can obtain sound via the input device 750, or output sound via the sound output device 755 or headphones of the external electronic device 702 that are directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 701.

[0096] Sensor module 776 can detect the operating state of electronic device 701 (e.g., power or temperature) or the environmental state outside electronic device 701 (e.g., user state), and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. Sensor module 776 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, gyroscope sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, magnetic sensor, accelerometer, grip sensor, proximity sensor, color sensor, infrared (IR) sensor, biometric sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, or illuminance sensor.

[0097] Interface 777 may support one or more specific protocols used to enable direct (e.g., wired) or wireless connection between electronic device 701 and external electronic device 702. Interface 777 may include, for example, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Secure Digital Card (SD) interface, or an audio interface.

[0098] Connection end 778 may include a connector, through which electronic device 701 can be physically connected to external electronic device 702. Connection end 778 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0099] The haptic module 779 can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimulation (e.g., vibration or motion) or electrical stimulation that can be recognized by a user through touch or kinesthesia. The haptic module 779 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0100] Camera module 780 can capture still or moving images. Camera module 780 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

[0101] The power management module 788 manages the power supply to the electronic device 701. The power management module 788 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0102] Battery 789 can power at least one component of electronic device 701. Battery 789 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable rechargeable battery, or a fuel cell.

[0103] Communication module 790 can support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) or wireless communication channel between electronic device 701 and external electronic devices (e.g., electronic device 702, electronic device 704, or server 708), and perform communication via the established communication channel. Communication module 790 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently of processor 720 (e.g., AP), and support direct (e.g., wired) or wireless communication. Communication module 790 may include wireless communication module 792 (e.g., cellular communication module, short-range wireless communication module, or Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) communication module) or wired communication module 794 (e.g., local area network (LAN) communication module or power line communication (PLC) module). One of these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 798 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard) or a second network 799 (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules can be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single IC) or as multiple components separate from each other (e.g., multiple ICs). The wireless communication module 792 can identify and verify the electronic device 701 in the communication network (such as the first network 798 or the second network 799) using user information (e.g., the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 796.

[0104] Antenna module 797 can transmit or receive signals or power to or from the outside of electronic device 701 (e.g., external electronic device). Antenna module 797 may include one or more antennas, and at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as a first network 798 or a second network 799) can be selected by, for example, communication module 790 (e.g., wireless communication module 792). Signals or power can then be transmitted or received between communication module 790 and external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna.

[0105] At least some of the aforementioned components can be interconnected and communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) between them via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., bus, general purpose input / output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industrial processor interface (MIPI)).

[0106] Commands or data can be sent or received between electronic device 701 and external electronic device 704 via server 708 connected to the second network 799. Each of electronic devices 702 and 704 can be a device of the same type as electronic device 701, or a device of a different type from electronic device 701. All or some operations to be performed on electronic device 701 can be performed on one or more of external electronic devices 702, external electronic devices 704, or server 708. For example, if electronic device 701 is required to automatically perform a function or service, or is required to perform a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, electronic device 701 may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service, instead of running the function or service, or electronic device 701 may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service in addition to running the function or service. Upon receiving the request, the one or more external electronic devices may perform at least a portion of the requested function or service, or perform additional functions or services related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to electronic device 701. Electronic device 701 may provide the result as at least a partial response to the request, either with further processing or without further processing. For this purpose, technologies such as cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing may be used.

[0107] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the signaling capabilities of a UE, taking into account telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m (where m>0), according to an embodiment.

[0108] In step 801, it is determined that the UE is configured to report UE capability signaling according to version N and version N+m. In step 803, the UE is controlled to report UE capability signaling according to version N+m instead of version N.

[0109] exist Figure 8 In this method, the controllability level of the UE in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the UE in version N. That is, as referred to above... Figure 3A and Figure 3B The controllability level of the relevant signaling in the new version for the UE can be greater than or equal to the granularity in the earlier version.

[0110] Embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium, wherein the computer-readable recording medium may be non-transitory. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device capable of storing data that can subsequently be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium can also be distributed across a network-connected computer system, such that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner. Furthermore, programmers in the art to which this disclosure pertains will readily interpret programs, code, and code segments used to implement the functions of this disclosure as belonging to the scope of this disclosure.

[0111] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, which is defined not by the detailed description and embodiments but by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the capability signaling of a user equipment (UE) by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m, comprising: Determine that the UE is able to report the UE's capability signaling according to version N and version N+m; and Control the UE to report UE capability signaling based on version N+m instead of version N. Specifically, the controllability level of the UE in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the UE in version N. Where m is greater than 0, Specifically, when a UE reports capability signaling in version N+m, the function corresponding to the UE's capability signaling in version N is indicated to the g node B gNB as capability signaling in version N+m, and The capability signaling in version N is different from that in version N+m.

2. The method as described in claim 1, in, The UE's capability signaling is reported by the UE to the gNB.

3. The method as described in claim 2, in, The controllability level of the UE in version N+m is determined by the UE reporting its capability signaling in version N+m, and The controllability level of the UE in version N is determined by the UE reporting its capability signaling in version N.

4. The method as described in claim 3, in, The way a UE reports capability signaling in versions N and N+m includes at least one of the following: by UE, by frequency band, by frequency band combination BC, by feature set FS, and by feature set FSPC for each component carrier.

5. An electronic device comprising: Memory; as well as processor, The processor is configured to control the electronic device’s capability signaling by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m in the following manner: Determine that the electronic device is configured to report the electronic device's capability signaling according to version N and version N+m; The electronic device is controlled to report its capability signaling according to version N+m instead of version N. Wherein, the controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the electronic device in version N. Where m is greater than 0, Specifically, when the electronic device reports capability signaling in version N+m, the function corresponding to the capability signaling of the electronic device in version N is indicated to g node B gNB as capability signaling in version N+m, and The capability signaling in version N is different from that in version N+m.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, in, The capability signaling of the electronic device is reported by the electronic device to the gNB.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 6, in, The controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is determined by the electronic device reporting its capability signaling in version N+m, and The controllability level of the electronic device in version N is determined by the electronic device reporting its capability signaling in version N.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, in, The electronic device reports capability signaling in versions N and N+m in a manner that includes at least one of the following: by user equipment (UE), by frequency band, by frequency band combination (BC), by feature set (FS), and by feature set (FSPC) for each component carrier.

9. An electronic device comprising: processor; as well as A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, wherein, when executed, the instructions cause a processor to control the electronic device by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m in such a way as signaling: Determine that the electronic device is configured to report the electronic device's capability signaling according to version N and version N+m; The capability signaling of the electronic device should be reported according to version N+m instead of version N. Wherein, the controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the electronic device in version N. Where m is greater than 0, When executed, the instruction further causes the processor to perform the following operations: when the electronic device reports capability signaling in version N+m, it instructs the g node B gNB to provide the function corresponding to the capability signaling of the electronic device in version N+m as capability signaling in version N+m, and The capability signaling in version N is different from that in version N+m.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, in, When the instruction is executed, it also causes the processor to report the capability signaling of the electronic device to the gNB.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, in, The controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is determined by the electronic device reporting its capability signaling in version N+m, and The controllability level of the electronic device in version N is determined by the electronic device reporting its capability signaling in version N.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, in, The electronic device reports capability signaling in versions N and N+m in a manner that includes at least one of the following: by user equipment (UE), by frequency band, by frequency band combination (BC), by feature set (FS), and by feature set (FSPC) for each component carrier.

13. A base station, comprising: processor; as well as A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, wherein, when executed, the instructions cause a processor to control an electronic device by considering telecommunications standard version N and telecommunications standard version N+m signaling in such a way as follows: Determine that the electronic device is configured to report the capability signaling of the electronic device according to version N and version N+m; The control electronic device reports its capability signaling according to version N+m instead of version N. Wherein, the controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is greater than or equal to the controllability level of the electronic device in version N. Where m is greater than 0, When executed, the instructions also cause the processor to control the electronic device to perform the following operations: when the electronic device reports capability signaling in version N+m, the processor instructs the base station to provide the function corresponding to the capability signaling of the electronic device in version N as capability signaling in version N+m, and The capability signaling in version N is different from that in version N+m.

14. The base station as described in claim 13, wherein, When executed, the instruction also causes the processor to control the electronic device to report the capability signaling of the electronic device to the base station, and when the base station has version N capability, to avoid reporting capability signaling in version N.

15. The base station as described in claim 14, in, The controllability level of the electronic device in version N+m is determined by the electronic device reporting its capability signaling in version N+m, and The controllability level of the electronic device in version N is determined by the electronic device reporting its capability signaling in version N.

16. The base station as described in claim 15, in, The electronic device reports capability signaling in versions N and N+m in a manner that includes at least one of the following: by user equipment (UE), by frequency band, by frequency band combination (BC), by feature set (FS), and by feature set (FSPC) for each component carrier.

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