Method and user equipment for wireless communication

Abstract

The present invention discloses an apparatus, system and method for a user equipment (UE) to report network resource and capability status to a network to coordinate network resource allocation. The UE is configured to establish a first connection with a first network based on a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE, and is further configured to establish a second connection with a second network based on a second SIM of the UE. The method includes: determining an upcoming first state change of the UE with respect to the first connection and transmitting an indication of the first state change of the UE to the first network. The method further includes: changing the state of the UE with respect to the first connection.

Description

Background Art

[0001] 5G New Radio (NR) is a radio access network (RAN) that is designed for high flexibility and wide support for various applications, thereby being subject to constraints on rate, latency, reliability, power, etc. A 5G NR user equipment (UE) can temporarily reduce its capabilities to conserve resources. For example, a UE that is capable of simultaneously connecting to multiple RANs or multiple different connections on the same RAN can temporarily disconnect from one of the connections. A base station that is unaware of the restricted / suspended connection may inefficiently allocate resources when the UE disconnects. Summary of the Invention

[0002] According to an exemplary embodiment, a method may be performed at a user equipment (UE) that is configured to establish a first connection with a first network based on a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE and is further configured to establish a second connection with a second network based on a second SIM of the UE. The method includes determining an upcoming first state change of the UE with respect to the first connection and transmitting an indication of the first state change of the UE to the first network. The method further includes changing the state of the UE with respect to the first connection.

[0003] According to another exemplary embodiment, a user equipment (UE) includes a transceiver that is configured to establish a first connection with a first network based on a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE and is further configured to establish a second connection with a second network based on a second SIM of the UE. The UE further includes a processor that is configured to determine an upcoming first state change of the UE with respect to the first connection, transmit an indication of the first state change of the UE to the first network, and change the state of the UE with respect to the first connection.

[0004] According to another exemplary embodiment, a method may be performed at a wireless network. The method includes receiving a first indication of a first state change of a user equipment (UE), where the first state change includes changing the capabilities of the UE with respect to a wireless connection between the UE and the wireless network. The method further includes changing the transmission operation of the UE based at least on the first indication and allocating resources for the UE to send status statistics based on the first indication. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] Figure 1 A network arrangement is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments.

[0006] Figure 2 An exemplary UE is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments.

[0007] Figure 3An exemplary system arrangement including a UE in a DSDS / DSDA mode of operation configured with a first network connection and a second network connection according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0008] Figures 4a - 4e A diagram showing a UE entering a restricted or suspended state.

[0009] Figures 5a - 5d A diagram showing network problems encountered during a state change.

[0010] Figure 6a A method for reporting UE status statistics to a network according to various exemplary embodiments described herein is shown.

[0011] Figure 6b Shown Figure 6a An exemplary illustration of data collection of an exemplary state change pattern.

[0012] Figure 6c Shown is the display from Figure 6a An exemplary illustration of CSI report generation for normal and restricted states.

[0013] Figure 7a A method for implementing fast CSI reporting including state change information according to a first exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0014] Figure 7b Shown Shown Figure 7a An exemplary illustration of the timing of entry / exit signaling and delivery of reports.

[0015] Figure 7c A method for implementing fast CSI reporting including state change information according to a second exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0016] Figure 7d Shown Shown Figure 7c An exemplary illustration of the timing of wake-up signaling and delivery of reports.

[0017] Figure 8a A method for reporting a semi-persistent tune-away pattern to a network according to a first exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0018] Figure 8b Shown Shown Figure 8a An exemplary illustration of a UE reporting tune-away pattern.

[0019] Figure 9a A method for reporting a dynamic tune-away mode to a network according to a second exemplary embodiment described herein is shown.

[0020] Figure 9b Shown Shown Figure 9a An exemplary illustration of a UE signaling a tune-away mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and associated drawings, wherein like elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments describe apparatus, systems, and methods for reporting user equipment (UE) network resource and capability status to a network to coordinate network resource allocation.

[0022] The exemplary embodiments are described with respect to a UE. However, reference to a UE is provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments may be used with any electronic component that can establish a connection to a network and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, the term UE as used herein is intended to represent any electronic component.

[0023] The UE may establish a connection with the network by camping on a cell of the network. In one example, the network may be a 5G New Radio (5G-NR) network, and the cell may be a next-generation Node B (gNB). However, references to specific networks or specific types of cells are provided for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that the network may be any type of network, and the cell may be any type of cell within the corresponding network.

[0024] Various exemplary embodiments are described with respect to a UE equipped with a first subscriber identity module (SIM) and a second SIM for dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) or dual SIM dual active (DSDA) functionality. When in DSDS or DSDA operating mode, the UE can use the first SIM to establish a first network connection and the second SIM to establish a second network connection. The first network connection and the second network connection can each be independent of each other and exist simultaneously. Therefore, each SIM can be associated with its own phone number and / or subscription to a cellular service provider. Thus, DSDS and DSDA enable a single UE to be associated with two different phone numbers and / or subscriptions. Throughout this specification, for the purpose of distinguishing SIMs, reference will be made to SIM 1 and SIM 2. However, this is merely intended to distinguish the two SIMs and is not intended to indicate any kind of priority / preference between SIM 1 or SIM 2.

[0025] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the SIM contains the information required for the UE to establish a network connection. For example, the SIM may include an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) that can be used to authenticate the network provider. In the context of DSDS or DSDA, a user may have a first subscription to a cellular service provider enabled by SIM 1 and a second subscription to a cellular service provider enabled by SIM 2. In one example, the same cellular service provider is associated with both SIM 1 and SIM 2. In another example, different cellular service providers are associated with each SIM. The reference to any specific type of information included in the SIM is provided for illustrative purposes only. The SIM may include a wide variety of different types of information that different networks or entities may refer to by different names. Thus, the exemplary embodiments may be applicable to SIMs that contain any type of information used by the UE to establish a network connection.

[0026] Throughout this specification, the SIM may be described as being in a state such as the standby state, the active state, etc. It should be understood that this state refers to the state of the connection between the UE and the network associated with a particular SIM. The SIM may be characterized as being in the standby state. When the SIM is in the standby state, the UE generally does not exchange data through the corresponding network connection. However, the UE may listen for transmissions from the network through the corresponding network connection. Thus, the UE may perform various operations related to the network connection associated with the SIM. These operations may include, but are not limited to, monitoring paging messages, listening for emergency messages, collecting measurement data, performing operations related to mobility management, idle mode operations, etc. Thus, each SIM can be used by the UE to select for various network services. For example, when a UE with DSDS functionality puts SIM 1 and SIM 2 in the standby state, the UE can select one of SIM1 or SIM 2 to initiate / receive a voice call, utilize the Short Message Service (SMS), utilize the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), access data services, etc. As will be described below, when data exchange occurs between the UE and the network through the network connection associated with a particular SIM, that SIM may be characterized as being in the active state. A UE with DSDA functionality can select one or both of SIM 1 or SIM 2 to initiate one of the aforementioned services. However, as will be described below, putting both SIMs in the active state may result in a temporary reduction in the network capabilities of one of the two SIMs.

[0027] In addition to the above-described active state and standby state, the exemplary embodiments include a three-state model for further describing the UE resource / capability state. The additional three-state model, including a "normal" state, a "restricted" state, and a "suspended" state, will be explained in part with respect to the "active" state and the "standby" state. However, each of the states in the three-state model is different from the more generally defined active and standby states, which will be described in detail below, but there may be an overlap between them.

[0028] The UE can utilize the same hardware, software, and / or firmware components to perform operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 1 and the network connection associated with SIM 2. For example, the UE can be configured to use the same transceiver to perform operations related to the two network connections. Using the same components for the two network connections can result in a scenario where the UE cannot perform operations related to the network connection associated with one of SIM 1 or SIM 2 because the UE is currently using the component to perform operations related to the network connection associated with the other SIM. In other scenarios, the UE may be able to perform operations related to the network connections associated with both SIMs, but do so in a restricted manner for one of SIM 1 or SIM 2.

[0029] When both SIM 1 and SIM 2 are in the standby state, a UE with DSDS capabilities can transition between performing operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 1 and performing operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 2 (e.g., listening to communications such as on a page associated with the connection). As described above, sharing components between the two network connections can result in an instance where performing operations related to the network connection associated with one SIM can prevent the UE from performing operations related to the other network connection. However, due to the frequency and duration of performing operations related to the network connection associated with a standby SIM, the UE has sufficient time to transition between performing operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 1 and performing operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 2 without creating a poor user experience for the subscription associated with either SIM.

[0030] Throughout this specification, the SIM may also be characterized as being in an active state. When the SIM is in an active state, the UE exchanges information and / or data via the corresponding network connection. The exchange of information and / or data enables the UE to perform functionality that is normally available via the network connection. For example, when the UE is sending / receiving data via the corresponding network connection during a voice call, the SIM may be in an active state. In another example, when the UE is utilizing Internet Protocol (IP)-based services (e.g., sending / receiving payload data, streaming audio, streaming video, etc.) via the corresponding network connection, the SIM may be in an active state. Any reference to the standby state and the active state is provided for illustrative purposes only, as different networks and entities may refer to similar types of states of the SIM by different names.

[0031] When the SIM is in an active state, the UE utilizes hardware, software, and / or firmware components to perform operations related to the network connection associated with the SIM. As described above, this may cause a DSDS-enabled UE to be unable to perform operations related to the network connection associated with another SIM. A DSDA-enabled UE may maintain a simultaneous active state on SIM 1 and SIM 2. However, the UE may periodically transition between: fully-capacity performing operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 1 while temporarily ignoring operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 2; and resuming operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 2 while reducing the execution of operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 1 to a restricted capacity. Thus, when one SIM is in an active state, the user experience of the subscription associated with the other SIM may be negatively affected.

[0032] To provide a general example of conventional dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) operation, consider the following exemplary scenario. The UE is in DSDS operation mode and is camped on a cell of the corresponding network. SIM 1 is in the standby state, and SIM 2 is in the standby state. As described above, the network connection associated with SIM 1 and the network connection associated with SIM 2 are independent of each other. Thus, in some configurations, the UE may camp on a single cell for both network connections. In other configurations, the UE may camp on one cell for the network connection associated with SIM 1 and camp on a different cell for the network connection associated with SIM 2.

[0033] If one of the SIMs in a SIM becomes active, the user experience of the subscription associated with the other SIM may be negatively affected. For example, when SIM 1 is active, the UE may utilize its transceiver to send / receive data over the network connection associated with SIM 1. Consequently, the transceiver may not be available to perform operations related to the network connection associated with SIM 2 (e.g., monitoring paging, listening for emergency messages, receiving a voice call to the phone number associated with SIM 2, performing operations related to mobility management, etc.). From the user's perspective, if SIM 1 is active for a short duration, the user experience of the subscription associated with SIM 2 may not experience any significant adverse effects. For example, if SIM 1 transitions from the standby state to the active state to receive an SMS and then transitions back to the standby state after receiving the SMS, SIM 2 may be unavailable for a short duration.

[0034] The active SIM may also experience adverse effects. Continuing with the example provided above, when SIM 1 is active, the UE may have to periodically tune away to monitor the connection associated with SIM 2, e.g., tune to the frequency of the connection associated with the connection to SIM 2. During this tuning-away time, the network associated with the active connection to SIM 1 may send communications over that connection. Since the UE has tuned away from the SIM 1 connection, the UE may miss that communication, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0035] In some conventional configurations, when one of the SIMs in a SIM is active and / or is configured to access a specific service for more than a predetermined amount of time, the other SIM may transition to a suspended state. When a SIM is in the suspended state, the network connection associated with the SIM is in a no-service state. The UE may transition one of the SIMs in the SIM to the suspended state and declare no service on the corresponding network connection to ensure that the shared components can be dedicated to the network connection associated with one of the SIMs in the SIM. For example, initially, both SIM 1 and SIM 2 may be in the standby state. Subsequently, the user may choose to use the phone number associated with SIM 1 to participate in a voice call. In this example, to ensure that the shared components can be used to perform operations related to the voice call being made over the network connection associated with SIM 1, the UE may transition SIM 2 to the suspended state. Any reference to a SIM being in the suspended state is provided merely for illustrative purposes, and different networks and entities may refer to similar types of states by different names.

[0036] To provide a general example of conventional Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) operation, consider the following exemplary scenario. The UE is in DSDA operation mode and camped on a cell of the corresponding network. SIM 1 is active and SIM 2 is in standby. If SIM 2 transitions to active, the subscribed user experience associated with SIM 1 may be negatively impacted. For example, when SIM 1 is active, the UE may utilize its transceiver to send / receive data over the network connection associated with SIM 1. In DSDA, the UE has at least two receive chains associated with the transceiver. Thus, at least two receive chains may be tuned to the network associated with SIM 1 while SIM 1 is active and SIM 2 is in standby, with no receive chain tuned to the network associated with SIM 2. When SIM 2 enters the active state, at least one of the receive chains is tuned to SIM 2. Consequently, at least one of the receive chains may not be available to perform operations related to either the network connection associated with SIM 1 or the network connection associated with SIM 2, and either or both of the network connections may experience a temporary adverse impact.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, a temporary reduction in UE resources / capabilities (specifically with respect to one of the multiple SIMs in a UE having DSDS / DSDA capabilities, but encompassing additional UE scenarios described below) is referred to as dynamic resources / capabilities. This reduction can cause a partial or complete loss of the network connection and can occur occasionally (e.g., due to implementing thermal control of the UE) or periodically (e.g., during a periodic detachment from SIM 1 to SIM 2 to check for pages or other communications).

[0038] The base station(s) with which SIM 1 and / or SIM 2 has established a connection may not be aware of when the UE enters the reduced state. In such a case, a number of problems and performance impairments may occur, more generally, for both the UE and the network. For example, as described above, during the detachment from the network connection associated with SIM 1 to the network connection associated with SIM 2, the base station associated with SIM 1 may continue to allocate DL / UL grants during the detachment, which causes various problems when a response is received from the UE.

[0039] Figure 1FIG. 100 shows a network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments. The network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a phablet, an embedded device, a wearable device, a Cat-M device, a Cat-M1 device, an MTC device, an eMTC device, other types of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. An actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Thus, the example of a single UE 110 is provided only for illustrative purposes.

[0040] The UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. As previously mentioned, exemplary embodiments will be described with respect to a UE capable of connecting to a 5G New Radio (NR) Radio Access Network (5G NR-RAN) 120. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments are also applicable to other RANs. In the example of the network configuration 100, the networks with which the UE 110 can communicate wirelessly are the 5G NR-RAN 120, a legacy RAN 122, and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) 124. Thus, the UE 110 can include a 5G NR chipset for communicating with the 5G RAN 120, a legacy chipset for communicating with the legacy RAN 122, and an ISM chipset for communicating with the WLAN 124. However, the UE 110 can also communicate with other types of wireless networks, and the UE 110 can also communicate with a network via a wired connection.

[0041] The UE 110 can be configured with DSDS or DSDA functionality. Thus, in certain operating modes, the UE 110 can use SIM 1 to establish a first network connection with a network and use SIM 2 to establish a second network connection. The first network connection and the second network connection can be independent of each other and exist simultaneously. In the example of the network configuration 100, the UE 110 camps on the gNB 120A for both the first network connection and the second network connection. However, this is provided only for illustrative purposes. In an actual network arrangement, the UE 110 can camp on a first cell corresponding to the first network for the first network connection and camp on a second cell corresponding to the second network for the second network connection, as further described below with respect to Figure 3 described further.

[0042] 5G-RAN 120 and traditional RAN 122 can be parts of a cellular network that can be deployed by a cellular service provider (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks 120, 122 can include, for example, cells or base stations (NodeB, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macro cell base stations, micro cell base stations, small cell base stations, femto cell base stations, etc.) configured to send and receive traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. WLAN 124 can include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, hotspots, IEEE 802.11x networks, etc.).

[0043] UE 110 can be connected to 5G-RAN 120 via a next-generation node B (gNB) 120A. Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant processes can be performed for UE 110 to connect to 5G NR-RAN 120. For example, as discussed above, 5GNR-RAN 120 can be associated with a specific cellular service provider where UE 110 and / or its user have contract and credential information (e.g., stored on the SIM). When detecting the presence of 5G NR-RAN 120, UE 110 can transmit the corresponding credential information to be associated with 5G NR-RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific cell (e.g., gNB 120A of 5G NR-RAN 120). As mentioned above, the use of 5G NR-RAN 120 is for illustrative purposes, and according to the exemplary embodiments described herein, other types of networks can be used. For example, UE 110 can also be connected to traditional RAN 122.

[0044] In addition to networks 120, 122, and 124, network arrangement 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network service backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 can be regarded as an interconnected collection of components that manage the operations and traffic of a cellular network. The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. IMS150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to UEs 110, 112 using IP protocols. IMS150 can communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to UE 110. The network service backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network service backbone 160 can generally be described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functions for UEs 110 to communicate with various networks.

[0045] The network arrangement 100 may also include a CMAS server 170, which may generate emergency messages and / or emergency message indications (e.g., alerts) to be broadcast to the UE 110 via the cellular networks 120, 122. Since CMAS messages are only broadcast via cellular networks, in order to comply with various rules and / or standards, the UE 110 may remain connected to the cellular network in a certain manner even if the UE 110 has established a connection to a non-cellular network such as the WLAN 124. The network arrangement 100 shows a CMAS server 170 directly connected to each cellular network (e.g., 5G NR-RAN 120 and legacy RAN 122). However, this is provided only for illustrative purposes, and the CMAS server 170 may be connected to the cellular networks via the cellular core network 130.

[0046] Figure 2 An exemplary UE 110 is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. The UE 110 will be described with reference to Figure 1 the network arrangement 100. The UE 110 may represent any electronic device and may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. The other components 230 may include, for example, a first SIM (SIM 1), a second SIM (SIM 2), an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery providing a limited power source, a data acquisition device, a port for electrically connecting the UE 110 to other electronic devices, sensors for detecting the condition of the UE 110, etc.

[0047] The processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of the UE 110. For example, the engines may include a status detection engine 245. The status detection engine 245 may monitor predetermined conditions indicating that the UE 110 has entered or is about to enter a specific state. Reporting the current or upcoming UE state to the connected gNB 120A may improve UE functionality and / or network performance. Therefore, when such a state condition is identified, the status detection engine 245 may signal or report the state to the gNB 120A. The manner of signaling / reporting and the associated operations will be described in more detail below.

[0048] The above engines, each as an application program (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 205, are merely exemplary. The functions associated with the engines can also be represented as separate integrated components of the UE 110, or can be modular components coupled to the UE 110, e.g., integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, an integrated circuit can include an input circuit for receiving signals and a processing circuit for processing the signals and other information. The engines can also be embodied as one application program or separate multiple application programs. Additionally, in some UEs, the functions described for the processor 205 are shared between two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an application processor. The exemplary embodiments can be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0049] The memory 210 can be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110. As will be described in further detail below, when determining a change in the stage of an operating mode, the memory 210 can store data associated with the status condition of the UE 110. The display device 215 can be a hardware component configured to display data to the user, while the I / O device 220 can be a hardware component that enables the user to make inputs. The display device 215 and the I / O device 220 can be separate components or can be integrated together (such as a touch screen). The transceiver 225 can be a hardware component configured to establish connections with the 5G NR-RAN 120, a legacy RAN 122, a WLAN 124, etc. Thus, the transceiver 225 can operate on multiple different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of contiguous frequencies).

[0050] Figure 3 An exemplary system arrangement 300 is shown that includes a UE 110 in a DSDS / DSDA operating mode configured with a first network connection and a second network connection, according to various exemplary embodiments. It will be described with respect to Figure 1 the network arrangement 100 of Figure 2 and the UE 110 of Figure 3 .

[0051] Exemplary system arrangement 300 shows a UE 110 configured with a network connection 302 to a 5G NR radio access network (RAN) 120 via a gNB 120A. The network connection 302 is associated with SIM 1. The UE 110 is also configured with another network connection 304 to a legacy network 122 via a cell 122a. The network connection 304 is associated with SIM 2. The legacy network 122 can be, for example, an LTE RAN, in which case the cell 122a would be an eNB. However, SIM 2 can be connected to other types of networks. According to DSDS / DSDA, both network connections 302, 304 are independent of each other and can be maintained simultaneously. System arrangement 300 shows connections to two different RANs via two different cells. However, both SIM 1 and SIM 2 can be connected to the same cell and the same RAN, as discussed above.

[0052] The reference to two separate networks 120, 122 is only intended to show that network connections 302, 304 are independent of each other. The networks to which the UE 110 can be connected can be based on the subscriptions corresponding to the SIMs. Thus, if the subscriptions associated with SIM 1 and the subscriptions associated with SIM 2 are allowed access to the same network and / or service, then network connections 302, 304 can be connections to the same network. For example, both subscriptions can be from the same cellular service provider and be allowed access to the same services, or from different network providers with a roaming agreement. However, the subscriptions can also be from different cellular service providers and / or be allowed access to different types of services. Thus, throughout this specification, any reference to a network connection or corresponding network associated with SIM 1 or SIM 2 having a particular feature or for a particular service is provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0053] In the following, various scenarios will be described in which the UE 110 is in or will enter one of three resource / capability states. The three exemplary states can be an overview of more complex states that share common attributes. However, other UE state models with more or fewer than three state definitions can be used without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0054] The first UE state may be referred to as the normal state. In the normal state, the UE 110 has access to all resources and capabilities on a particular network such as 5G NR-RAN 120. The normal state may coincide with the previously discussed "active" state. However, the network connection may be "active" while the UE 110 does not have access to all resources and capabilities. The second UE state may be referred to as the restricted state. In the restricted state, the resources and capabilities of the UE 110 are partially affected and the UE has a restricted ability of some form. For example, in multi-SIM DSDS or DSDA, when the UE 110 is cycled off to the other of the two SIMs periodically, SIM 1 or SIM 2 may lose a part (but not all) of its RF chains. Thus, for example, the connection on SIM 1 may be "active" but "restricted" as defined herein. This and additional examples will be described in further detail below. The third UE state may be referred to as the suspended state. In the suspended state, all UE resources are completely unavailable for a particular period of time. For example, in multi-SIM DSDS or DSDA, SIM 1 or SIM 2 may be turned off in order to cycle off to the other of the two SIMs. The suspended state may coincide with the previously mentioned "standby" state, i.e., there is no active data transfer. However, the "standby" name also implies a certain degree of attempted network interaction such as, for example, listening for pages from the network, while the "suspended" state as defined herein also covers scenarios where the network connection is turned off.

[0055] In a first dynamic resource / capability example, the above DSDS / DSDA cycling-off scenarios will be described. A UE with multi-SIM DSDS / DSDA capabilities typically has at least two cycling-off modes: full cycling-off and partial cycling-off. In full cycling-off, all RF paths of SIM 1 are temporarily tuned to SIM 2, while in partial cycling-off, less than all RF paths of SIM 1 are temporarily tuned to SIM 2. For example, SIM 1 may be connected to 5G NR-RAN 120 and exchange data therewith, and SIM 2 may be connected to a legacy RAN 122 such as LTE-RAN. As previously mentioned, a UE with DSDS capabilities may cycle off from SIM 1 to listen for pages from the network associated with SIM 2, while a UE with DSDA capabilities may cycle off fully or partially, where partial cycling-off maintains data to and from both networks simultaneously. The following example corresponds to a UE with DSDA capabilities. Figure 4a An exemplary illustration 405 is shown that depicts both NR data traffic on SIM 1 and LTE voice on SIM 2, where the UE 110 is cycled off from SIM 1 periodically. As can be seen in 405, the two receive chains are periodically and temporarily tuned to SIM 2. Figure 4bAn exemplary illustration 410 is shown, which depicts NR data traffic on SIM 1 and LTE voice on SIM 2 simultaneously, where UE 110 is periodically partially detached from SIM 1. As can be seen in 410, only one of the receive chains in the receive chain is temporarily tuned to SIM 2, while one of the receive chains in the receive chain continuously remains resident on SIM 1. During partial detachment, SIM 1 is considered to be in a restricted state, and during full detachment, SIM 1 is considered to be in a suspended state. In a related example, as Figure 4c shown in illustration 415 of Figure 4c , a UE with four receive chains can detach two of the receive chains to SIM 2, while the other two receive chains remain resident on SIM 1. This scenario is also considered to be a partial detachment, where SIM 1 is considered to be in a restricted state. As can be seen from the example of

[0056] , the exemplary implementation can be applied to a UE with any number of receive chains.

[0057] In a second dynamic resource / capability example, two power control scenarios will be described. Due to the increased processing burden involved in handling directional antenna beams, 5G-enabled devices may be prone to overheating. Therefore, some 5G-enabled devices implement thermal control. Peak power control can also be implemented, where the peak power consumption of the device is restricted to maintain battery health. When any of these power controls is triggered, the UE can temporarily constrain the resources / capabilities of the UE for a certain period of time. The period of time can be predefined based on the device specifications or can vary according to, for example, the degree of device heat. In this case, based on the actions from thermal control and peak power control, the device capabilities can be partially or completely lost. For example, the UE can reduce its capabilities, such as reducing the number of receive chains (e.g., reducing to less than the full number of receive chains), reducing the usage times of multiple antenna elements in the RF panel, increasing the transmission power backoff, reducing the modem clock / voltage, or reducing the interference cancellation capability, etc. The reduction of any of these capabilities or any other capabilities of the UE can be considered as putting the UE in a restricted state. In another example, thermal control and peak power control can completely stop all transmission / reception activities for a certain period of time. In this case, the device can be considered to be in a suspended state. Although the device is described as having 5G capabilities, thermal control and peak power control can also be implemented on devices without 5G capabilities.In the third dynamic resource / capability example, coexistence issues may be caused by intermodulation interference across different radio access technologies (RATs) when multiple RATs are active simultaneously. For example, UE 110 may be connected to 5G NR-RAN 120 and a legacy RAN 122, such as LTE, Wifi, or Bluetooth, at the same time. This other RAT may be considered the aggressor RAT, while 5G NR-RAN 120 may be considered the victim RAT. Due to intermodulation, the transmission activity from the aggressor RAT may temporarily (e.g., for a few milliseconds) introduce interference on the 5G NR receive chain. The result of this interference is worse background noise, which is referred to as the de-sense problem. When the link quality of 5G NR-RAN 120 temporarily degrades due to an increase in the noise level (e.g., a decrease in the link SNR quality caused by coexistence), the UE may be considered to be in a restricted state. Figure 4d An exemplary illustration 420 showing the interference problem is presented. When there is interference caused by the aggressor RAT, the 5G NR connection of SIM 1 of UE 110 may be considered to be in a restricted state. When the interference has been eliminated, the 5G NR connection of SIM 1 of UE 110 is considered to be in a normal state.

[0058] In the fourth dynamic resource / capability example, the UE may prevent coexistence issues by implementing a scheduling algorithm to avoid simultaneous activities between conflicting RATs. In this time-sharing scenario, 5G NR-RAN is periodically turned off to avoid conflicting with the transmission / reception activities of the conflicting RAT. During the temporary shutdown due to time-sharing, the NR connection of SIM 1 of UE 110 is considered to be in a suspended state. Figure 4e An exemplary illustration 425 showing time-sharing is presented, where the 5G NR connection of SIM 1 of UE 110 is temporarily disconnected.

[0059] The various examples provided above enable scenarios or operations in which the UE may operate with restricted capabilities with respect to the network connection. Those skilled in the art will understand that this is not an exhaustive list of scenarios that may cause the UE to operate with restricted capabilities, and the exemplary embodiments may equally apply to any scenario that may cause such restricted capabilities, including the complete inability to maintain a connection.

[0060] When the network connection is restricted or suspended, various network issues and UE issues may arise. The following examples are described with respect to the DSDS / DSDA detachment scenario described above; however, the same or similar issues may arise due to other scenarios in which the UE enters a restricted or suspended state as described above.

[0061] In a first exemplary problem, a UE with DSDS capabilities has a first network connection associated with SIM 1 and a second network connection associated with SIM 2, where the first network connection is active and exchanging data with the first network, while the UE 110 periodically detaches to the second network connection, e.g., to listen for pages from the second network. During the detachment period, the first network may continue to allocate DL / UL grants, and since the UE 110 detaches from the first network, the first network will not receive responses. This may cause the first network to reduce the characteristics associated with the first connection. For example, the first network may reduce the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) used for the first connection (e.g., such that a more robust MCS is used because the first network may assume that the UE is not receiving communications due to problems with the first connection), may reduce the physical resource block (PRB) allocation for the first connection, may reduce the scheduling rate for the first connection, etc. After these capabilities are reduced with respect to the first connection, depending on, e.g., the duration of the detachment period and the current network conditions, the first network connection may take a relatively long time to recover from these connectivity reductions. Figure 5a An exemplary illustration 505 representing an example of a first network problem is shown.

[0062] In a second exemplary problem, in a scenario similar to the first example, an inactivity timer for a connected discontinuous reception (CDRX) cycle may be implemented before detaching to the second network. In other words, a CDRX state mismatch may exist between the UE of the first connection and the base station. During the detachment period, the first network may allocate DL grants missed by the UE, similar to the first example. Additionally, after the missed DL grant, the inactivity timer may expire, and SIM 1 may enter the sleep mode. Thus, even if the UE tunes back to the first network, the UE continues to miss grants from the network, and the network may take appropriate actions, e.g., reducing the capabilities associated with the first connection as described above. Figure 5b An exemplary illustration 510 representing an example of a second network problem is shown.

[0063] In a third exemplary problem, in a scenario similar to the first example, the first network encounters unexpected UE behavior (i.e., no response to UL / DL grants), and does not schedule any additional UL / DL traffic to the UE until the start of the on - duration of the next long CDRX cycle, thus significantly reducing network throughput. Figure 5c An exemplary illustration 515 representing an example of a third network problem is shown.

[0064] In a fourth exemplary problem, in a scenario similar to the second example, the first network is 5GNR - RAN 120, where 5G NR is particularly vulnerable to detachment because its downlink control information (DCI) may carry sensitive information such as bandwidth part (BWP) switches, slot format information, etc.Figure 5d An exemplary diagram 520 representing a fourth network problem example is shown.

[0065] The aforementioned dynamic resource / capability scenarios and related issues are intended only as examples, and other scenarios where the UE enters restricted or suspended mode may arise. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the three-state model (normal, restricted, suspended) is used for exemplary purposes only. The model used may be more or less granular.

[0066] To alleviate the aforementioned issues, UE 110 may notify the network (e.g., 5G NR-RAN 120) of changes in the resource / capability status of the connected UE, thereby allocating resources more efficiently and achieving performance benefits for both the UE and the network. As will be described below, UE 110 may interact with gNB 120A corresponding to 5G NR-RAN 120 using various reporting or signaling mechanisms.

[0067] Figure 6a A method 600 for reporting UE state statistics to a network according to various exemplary embodiments described herein is shown. UE state statistics can be used in various ways by a network, such as 5G NR-RAN 120, via a base station (e.g., gNB 120A), to improve network scheduling and link adaptation. For example, the state statistics can help 5G NR-RAN 120 understand changes in the state of connected UEs, such as UE 110, and adjust network behavior to improve network performance.

[0068] At 605, example UE 110 changes state. The state change may be triggered when any of the aforementioned scenarios occur. For example, UE 110 may support DSDS and enter active mode on SIM 1 while SIM 2 remains in standby. In another example, UE 110 may support DSDA and enter active mode on SIM 2 when SIM 1 is already in active mode. In yet another example, UE 110 may implement thermal control or peak power control.

[0069] At 610, UE 110 generates a report including status information of the state change. The status information may include collected statistics (e.g., data collected on the connection) or other data (e.g., current state, such as normal, restricted, or standby). In one exemplary embodiment, the report may be generated when a state change occurs. For example, UE 110 may enter a tune-away mode that is previously known to UE 110. In another embodiment, UE 110 may collect information over a predetermined time span (e.g., 500 ms, 1 s, or longer) and include the collected data in the report. In this exemplary embodiment, the report may be generated periodically or aperiodically.

[0070] In one exemplary embodiment, the report may be formatted similarly to a mobility report. The report may include information such as status (restricted, suspended, normal), status duration (including the maximum, minimum, or average duration of the status), duty cycle of the status (e.g., the percentage of time the status occurs in a phase with a pre-determined pattern change), and timing of status entry and exit (e.g., the UE 110 enters the reporting status on subframe index T with a high probability P). Figure 6b An exemplary illustration 650 of data collection showing Figure 6a an exemplary state change pattern is shown.

[0071] In another exemplary embodiment, the status information may be included in a modified CSI report. In 5G NR, CSI results typically diverge and may be affected when a state change occurs, and it is difficult for the base station to distinguish the hidden UE state behind the CSI report. In this exemplary embodiment, a signal field is added to the CSI report to indicate the UE state. For example, this field may indicate whether the CSI report is sent from a UE operating in a normal state or a restricted state. Figure 6c An exemplary illustration 655 showing CSI report generation Figure 6a from normal and restricted states is shown.

[0072] In 615, the report is transmitted to gNB 120A. As previously described with respect to 605, the report may be transmitted as follows: periodically, irregularly, upon a state change, or a combination of the foregoing. Once the report is received at gNB 120A, the 5G NR-RAN 120 can use the data therein in various ways. By sending the report in this manner, gNB 120A can independently track CSI for different UE states.

[0073] Figure 7a An exemplary method 700 for implementing a fast CSI report including state change information according to the first exemplary embodiment described herein is shown. In a scenario where the UE remains in a suspended state for a long duration, CSI information reporting stops and eventually becomes obsolete. Considering the importance of CSI in 5G NR, it may be preferable to send a fast CSI report once returning from the suspended state to the normal mode. Therefore, method 700 can be used to generate and send a fast CSI report once returning to the normal mode. Method 700 may be an example of a network (e.g., gNB 120A) triggering a CSI report. Methods 700 and 800 to be described below may include coordination between the UE 110 and the base station such that the BS can allocate CSI resources.

[0074] At 705, the UE 110 changes its state. Similar to 605, the state change can be triggered by any of the scenarios discussed above. In this exemplary implementation, at 710, the UE 110 sends an indication signal to the gNB 120A, which is triggered upon the state change. The signal can be sent via PUCCH. For example, the UE 110 can send an enter-SUSPEND signal. At 715, the UE sends an indication signal that is triggered when the state has returned to normal. For example, the UE 110 can send an exit-SUSPEND signal. Given the timing of the signal, the gNB 120A calculates the duration of the suspended state at 720. If the duration is less than a given threshold, the gNB 120A takes no action and the method ends. The threshold can be based on the network determining how long the current CSI data can be used.

[0075] If the duration is greater than the given threshold, then at 725, the gNB 120A allocates CSI resources for the UE 110 to send a fast CSI report. At 730, the UE sends the fast CSI report to the gNB 120A. In method 700, the indication signals (enter-SUSPEND, exit-SUSPEND) sent by the UE can utilize the design of 5G NR PUCCH format 0, which is a short PUCCH with 1 - 2 bits. Thus, the indication signals will use minimal data resources. Figure 7b Illustrates shows Figure 7a An exemplary illustration 740 of the enter / exit signaling and delivery timing of the reports shown.

[0076] In another exemplary implementation, the UE 110 performs a determination of whether the suspended state continues to extend for a duration. Figure 7c Illustrates a method 750 for implementing a fast CSI report including state change information according to the second exemplary implementation described herein. At 755, the UE 110 changes its state, similar to step 705. At 760, the UE 110 returns to the normal state and determines the duration of the suspended state. If the duration is less than a given threshold, the method ends. However, if the duration is greater than the given threshold, then at 765, the UE 110 triggers a wake-up SRS, which will trigger the gNB 120A to allocate CSI resources. At 770, the UE 110 sends a fast CSI report in the allocated resources. Both the wake-up SRS and the threshold can be pre-configured by the gNB120A. Following the same framework / logic, after the transition from the suspended to the normal state, the gNB 120A can also configure tracking reference signal (TRS) resources for fast time and frequency tracking, thereby helping the UE to quickly resynchronize after a long duration of the suspended state. Figure 7d Illustrates shows Figure 7cExemplary illustration 790 of the wake-up signaling and delivery timing of the report.

[0077] Returning to the previously described DSDS scenario, other methods can be used to notify the network of the status change of UE 110. For example, UE 110 can be active on the network implemented via SIM 1 and connected to the network implemented via SIM 2 that is initially in the idle mode. As previously described, in this case, UE 110 can know the disengagement duration and mode of the paging opportunity. The status change and mode can be communicated to the network at various layers, as will be described in more detail below.

[0078] Figure 8a Method 800 for reporting a semi-static disengagement mode to the network according to the first exemplary embodiment described herein is shown. At 805, UE 110 determines that a status change is upcoming and will have a known disengagement mode. For example, UE 110 knows the periodicity of the mode, which can be aligned with the specified DRX cycle configuration enumeration. UE 110 further knows the disengagement start time (e.g., absolute subframe number or subframe count, subframe offset, etc.) and the disengagement duration. The fixed disengagement mode can be considered semi-static and is triggered upon a status change.

[0079] At 810, UE 110 reports the upcoming disengagement mode to the network. In this exemplary embodiment, a message can be used at the RRC or MAC layer, which includes the periodicity, start time, and duration of the disengagement mode. Those skilled in the art will understand that this is an example of a message that can be used to report semi-static disengagement scheduling, but other types of messages can also be used. The report is performed before the first disengagement period, so that the network can adjust its resource allocation for the first disengagement period and avoid the problems discussed above.

[0080] Due to the dynamic nature of DSDS connectivity, the network to which SIM 1 or SIM 2 is connected can change at any time when UE 110, for example, changes its location. At 815, UE 110 determines that a change to a second state is upcoming and will have a disengagement mode different from the first disengagement mode. For example, the first disengagement mode can correspond to SIM 2 being in the LTE idle mode, while the second disengagement mode can correspond to SIM 2 being in the WCDMA idle mode. In this example, the WCDMA idle mode has a disengagement mode with a longer disengagement duration.

[0081] At 820, UE 110 reports the updated disengagement mode to the network. gNB 120A can adjust the resource allocation mode based on the adjusted disengagement duration. Figure 8b Shows showing Figure 8a Exemplary illustration 850 of UE 110 reporting the disengagement mode.

[0082] Figure 9a Shown is a method 900 for reporting a dynamic detachment mode to a network according to a second exemplary embodiment described herein. Generally, the detachment mode is dynamic depending on the pending activity on the second SIM. Thus, method 900 provides a way to signal a pause state at the PHY layer.

[0083] At 905, the UE 110 determines that a state change is upcoming. The state change may be to a paused state. In this embodiment, the UE 110 may not know the upcoming duration of the detachment period. At 910, the UE 110 signals the upcoming state change to the network. The UE 110 can perform signaling in various ways. In one exemplary embodiment, the UE 110 may use a new format in the PUCCH for pause / resume signaling. For example, the format may be similar to the 1-bit ACK / NACK in format 1A with a different coding scheme. In a second exemplary embodiment, the UE 110 may use a redefined legacy PUCCH format, such as format 1. In a third exemplary embodiment, the UE 110 may use a dedicated channel.

[0084] At 915, the UE 110 determines that a state change back to the active state is upcoming. At 920, the UE 110 uses the same signaling format as the pause signal to resume indicating the upcoming state change to the network. For both the pause signal and the active signal, the network may use the margin to adjust scheduling after receiving the signal such that the signal is sent within a predetermined time span before the state change to allow the network time to adjust. Figure 9b Shown is an exemplary illustration 950 showing the UE 110 signaling Figure 9a of the detachment mode.

[0085] In another exemplary embodiment, UE 110 may use methods 800 and 900 in combination, i.e., report the semi-static mode and also signal the dynamic detachment mode, depending on the known / unknown duration of the upcoming suspended state. The suspend / resume signaling discussed above with reference to method 900 may overwrite the previously reported mode discussed above with reference to method 800. For example, SIM 1 may be active and SIM 2 may be idle, where the detachment mode is known. Occasionally, SIM2 may make a neighboring cell search pending and the detachment will be longer than the predefined mode. Thus, while SIM 1 is in the predefined detachment mode, a suspend signal may be sent according to method 900 to overwrite the previously reported mode. A resume signal may be sent later according to method 900. If necessary, the predefined mode may be reported again after the active state has been resumed. Alternatively, once the active state has been resumed, the network may use the previously reported detachment mode without any further reporting.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software configuration or hardware configuration or a combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. In other examples, the exemplary embodiments of the above methods may be embodied as a program comprising lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0087] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly explained to the user.

[0088] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure provided that these modifications and variations come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: at a user equipment (UE), the UE having a first connection with a first network based on a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE and further being configured with a second connection with a second network based on a second SIM of the UE: determining an upcoming first state change of the UE with respect to the first connection; transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) message to the first network, the RRC message including an indication of the first state change of the UE and a plurality of deactivation modes, the plurality of deactivation modes including at least one semi-static deactivation mode and at least one dynamic deactivation mode; and changing the state of the UE with respect to the first connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission occurs before the first state change.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first state change includes changing the capabilities of the UE with respect to the first connection.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein changing the capabilities includes one of the following: tuning all receive chains of the UE from the first connection to the second connection, tuning some of the receive chains of the UE from the first connection to the second connection, turning off all the receive chains of the UE, or turning off some of the receive chains of the UE.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: after the first state change, determining an upcoming second state change of the UE with respect to the first connection; and transmitting an indication of the second state change of the UE to the first network.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the indication of the first state change includes a pause signal, and the indication of the second state change includes a resume signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: when a duration between the pause signal and the resume signal is greater than a predetermined threshold, sending a channel state indication (CSI) report after the second state change, wherein the first network determines the duration and allocates CSI resources for the UE to send the CSI report.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a duration of a state corresponding to the first state change, wherein the transmitted indication of the first state change includes a wake-up sounding reference signal (SRS) signal requesting the network to allocate CSI resources.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the first state change includes a deactivation mode of the UE, wherein the deactivation mode includes an indication of when the UE will deactivate one or more receive chains from the first connection to the second connection.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the indication of the first state change is transmitted on the RRC layer.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the first state change includes i) one of a restricted state or a suspended state, ii) a state duration, iii) a duty cycle of the state, and iv) state entry and exit timing.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Collect state statistics over a predetermined duration, wherein the indication of the first state change is transmitted after the predetermined time duration.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network comprise the same network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network comprise one of the same network or different networks.

15. A user equipment (UE), comprising: a transceiver configured to have a first connection to a first network based on a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE and further configured to have a second connection to a second network based on a second SIM of the UE; and A processor configured to: determining an upcoming first state change of the UE relative to the first connection; transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) message to the first network, the RRC message including an indication of the first state change of the UE and a plurality of tune away modes, the plurality of tune away modes including at least one semi-static tune away mode and at least one dynamic tune away mode; as well as Changing the state of the UE relative to the first connection. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the transmission occurs before the first state change. The UE of claim 15 , wherein the first state change comprises changing capabilities of the UE with respect to the first connection.

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