Method and device for handling multi-SCell activation interruption

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining which portion or operation of one or more secondary cell (SCell) activation procedures to postpone or restart when attempting to perform multiple operations of the SCell activation procedure simultaneously would cause interference. For example, radio frequency (RF) tuning and / or automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for SCell activation can be postponed until after the UE sends a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) for SCell activation to the SCell. In another example, RF tuning and / or AGC stabilization corresponding to activation of a first SCell can be postponed until after RF tuning and / or AGC stabilization corresponding to activation of a second SCell is completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to handling multiple secondary cell (SCell) activation interruptions. Background Art

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless mobile devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols may include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is commonly referred to by industry organizations as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLANs), which is commonly referred to by industry organizations as Wi-Fi. In the 3GPP radio access network (RAN) in an LTE system, a base station may include a RAN node such as an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as an evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB) and / or a radio network controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicates with wireless communication devices called user equipment (UE). In the fifth generation (5G) wireless RAN, the RAN node may include a 5G node, a new radio (NR) node, or a gNodeB (gNB).

[0003] The RAN uses radio access technologies (RATs) to facilitate communication between RAN nodes and UEs. The RAN may include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and / or E-UTRAN, which provide access to communication services through the core network. Each RAN operates according to a specific 3GPP RAT. For example, GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RATs, UTRAN implements Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RATs or other 3GPP RATs, and E-UTRAN implements LTE RATs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit(s) in a reference number refers to the drawing number that first introduces the element.

[0005] Figure 1 Illustrated is the prioritization of radio frequency (RF) tuning / automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization according to one embodiment.

[0006] Figure 2 The prioritization of RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment is shown.

[0007] Figure 3 Shown is a secondary cell (SCell) activation that is interrupted due to other secondary component carriers (SCCs) according to one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 4 A method for prioritizing RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment is shown.

[0009] Figure 5 A method for prioritizing RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment is shown.

[0010] Figure 6 A method according to one embodiment is shown.

[0011] Figure 7 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0012] Figure 8 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0013] Figure 9 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0014] Figure 10 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0015] Figure 11 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0016] Figure 12 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0017] Figure 13 A method for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown.

[0018] Figure 14 An exemplary service-based architecture is shown in accordance with certain embodiments.

[0019] Figure 15 A UE according to one embodiment is shown.

[0020] Figure 16 A network node according to one embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Interrupt of multi-SCell activation

[0022] This disclosure discusses the principles that define the activation requirements for multiple secondary cells (SCells). When activating an SCell, if any other SCell is activated or deactivated, the user equipment (UE) can activate multiple SCells in parallel, provided that the synchronization signal block (SSB) subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the SCells activated on the same frequency band is the same, or the SSB SCS of the SCells activated on the same frequency band are different and the UE supports a combination of data and SCS of all component carriers (CCs) in the same frequency band. Exceptions may occur during MAC-CE processing and search.

[0023] When activating an unknown SCell, if any other unknown SCell is activated, the activation delay of the relevant SCell can further take into account the number of parallel cell detections performed by the UE on multiple secondary component carriers (SCCs). The number of retrievers is assumed to be two in Radio Resource Management (RRM requirements). If the UE misses receiving SSBs on the currently activated SCell due to an interruption caused by activating / deactivating another SCell, the activation delay can be increased.

[0024] In addition, there is the issue of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback priority, regarding whether the priority of HARQ feedback signals on other CCs can be higher or lower than the RF tuning / AGC stabilization of the target deactivated SCell in the activation procedure of the target deactivated SCell.

[0025] In short, there are at least two questions that need to be addressed regarding UE behavior or implementation: 1) Which UE behavior should be prioritized: RF tuning / AGC stabilization or HARQ feedback? And 2) What UE implementation can be used for the ongoing SCell activation procedure in the event of an interruption (e.g., due to RF tuning / AGC stabilization).

[0026] Furthermore, the SCell activation process or procedure may include multiple parts or operations. It may be beneficial for the UE to determine which part or operation of the SCell activation was interrupted (e.g., due to RF tuning / AGC stabilization). It may also be beneficial for the UE to determine which SCell (the current SCell or another SCell) is interrupting the part or operation so that it can react accordingly.

[0027] Priority of RF tuning / AGC stabilization

[0028] Figure 11 shows the prioritization of RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment. If the HARQ feedback is for the same SCell activation 108, the HARQ feedback 102 of the activation command 104 (e.g., MAC CE) may take priority over the deactivated SCell RF tuning / AGC stabilization 106. The HARQ feedback 102 may follow the activation command 104 for at least HARQ cycles 110, regardless of how soon the UE prepares the HARQ feedback 102 after receiving the activation command 104.

[0029] Figure 2 Figure 2 illustrates the prioritization of RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment. During the SCC activation procedure, deactivating SCell RF tuning / AGC stabilization on a particular secondary component carrier (SCC) can take precedence over any HARQ feedback on other SCCs or the primary component carrier (PCC). For example, the first activation command 202 (e.g., MAC CE) for the first SCell activation 208 can occur on time slot #n. The first HARQ feedback 204 for the first activation command 202 can be sent by the UE after the first HARQ cycle 206. The first SCell activation 208 can then proceed to the first RF tuning / AGC stabilization 210.

[0030] The first RF tuning / AGC stabilization 210 may not be scheduled to be performed before the first HARQ cycle 206+1 time slot. In some embodiments, the first HARQ cycle 206 is configured by the network for HARQ preparation time. In these cases, the UE may have faster preparation than this configuration, and the UE may still wait until the first HARQ cycle 206 has passed to send the first HARQ feedback 204 and proceed to the first RF tuning / AGC stabilization 210.

[0031] The second activation command 212 (e.g., MAC CE) for the second SCell activation 218 may occur at time slot #n+m (e.g., a time slot later than time slot #n at which the first activation command 202 arrives). The UE may determine that the second HARQ feedback 214 should be sent by the UE after the second HARQ cycle 216. However, the second HARQ feedback 214 for the second activation command 212 may not have a higher priority than the first RF tuning / AGC stabilization 210 for the first SCell activation 208, and thus may be interrupted 220 by the first RF tuning / AGC stabilization 210.

[0032] SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs

[0033] Figure 3An interrupted SCell activation due to other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown. In some embodiments, the interruption from the activation of other SCCs (e.g., due to RF tuning and / or AGC stabilization) can interrupt or affect the reference signal (RS) used for AGC stabilization of the target SCell to be activated. In these cases, when all RSs of the active serving cell and the activated SCell are aligned in the time domain in the same frequency band, the UE can discard the interrupted and / or affected RS and wait for the next available RS. From the activation delay perspective, an additional SSB-based measurement timing (SMTC) maximum periodicity (T SMTC_MAX ) to determine the next available RS for AGC stabilization, where T SMTC_MAX It is the longest SSB-based Measurement Timing (SMTC) periodicity between the active serving cell and the activated SCell in the same frequency band.

[0034] Provides information about Figure 3 308 . During the first SSB opportunity 302, the first SCell activation 304 may attempt to perform AGC stabilization while the second SCell activation 306 is undergoing, for example, RF tuning 308 . Thus, the first SSB opportunity 302 may not be used for AGC stabilization of the first SCell activation 304 and may be discarded due to the interruption 310 . AGC stabilization of the first SCell activation 304 may instead be performed at the second SSB opportunity 312 , which may be the next available (or available) SSB opportunity for AGC stabilization . This may be in part because the second SSB opportunity 312 has all RSs of the active serving cell and the activated SCell aligned in time domain in the same frequency band, as described herein.

[0035] In some embodiments, interruptions from activation of other SCCs (e.g., due to RF tuning or AGC stabilization) may interrupt and / or affect the RS used for timing and / or frequency tracking of the target SCell to be activated. In these cases, the UE may discard the interrupted and / or affected RS and wait for the next available SSB. From an activation delay perspective, an additional SMTC periodicity (T SMTC ) to determine the next available RS for timing and / or frequency tracking.

[0036] In some embodiments, interruptions from other SCC activations (e.g., due to RF tuning or AGC stabilization) may interrupt and / or affect the RS used for the L1-reference signal received power (L1-RSRP) measurement opportunity of the target SCell to be activated. In these cases, the UE may discard the interrupted and / or affected RS and wait for the next available L1-RSRP measurement RS. In some embodiments, an additional SSB periodicity (T SSB ) to determine the next available RS for L1-RSRP measurement. Alternatively, from the activation delay perspective, an additional channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) periodicity (T CSI-RS ) to determine the next available RS for L1-RSRP measurement.

[0037] In some embodiments, interruptions from activation of other SCCs (e.g., due to RF tuning or AGC stabilization) may interrupt and / or affect the L1-RSRP / CSI reporting resources of the target SCell to be activated. In these cases, the UE may discard the interrupted and / or affected L1-RSRP / CSI reporting resources and wait for the next available L1-RSRP / CSI reporting resources.

[0038] In some embodiments, interruptions from other SCC activations (e.g., due to RF tuning or AGC stabilization) may interrupt and / or affect the CQI measurement and / or reporting timing of the target SCell to be activated. In these cases, the UE's response may vary based on whether the carrier aggregation (CA) situation is intra-band or inter-band.

[0039] In the case of intra-band CA (e.g., where the interruption is due to activation of another SCell in the same frequency band as the target SCell to be activated), the UE can restart CQI measurement on the target SCell to be activated with the updated AGC and then perform CQI reporting. In the case of intra-band CA, this can be used when it is the CQI measurement opportunity or CQI reporting opportunity that is interrupted and / or affected.

[0040] In the inter-band CA case (eg, where activation of other SCells from a different frequency band than the target activated SCell is interrupted), the UE's response may further differ based on whether it is a CQI measurement opportunity or a CQI reporting opportunity that is interrupted and / or affected.

[0041] If the CQI measurement opportunity is affected and / or interrupted, the UE may discard the affected and / or interrupted CQI measurement opportunity and then continue CQI measurement at the next available CQI measurement opportunity for the target SCell to be activated.

[0042] If the CQI reporting resource is affected and / or interrupted, the UE may discard the affected and / or interrupted CQI reporting resource and then continue CQI reporting on the next available CQI reporting resource for the target to-be-activated SCell.

[0043] Figure 4 A method 400 for prioritizing RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment is shown. In block 402, the method 400 receives an activation command for a secondary cell (SCell) in a first time slot. In block 404, the method 400 sends hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the activation command after a HARQ feedback period has expired. In block 406, the method 400 defers at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization of the SCell until after the HARQ feedback has been sent.

[0044] Figure 5 A method 500 is shown, illustrating a method for prioritizing RF tuning / AGC stabilization according to one embodiment. In block 502, the method 500 receives a first activation command for a first secondary cell (SCell) in a first time slot. In block 504, the method 500 sends first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the first activation command after a first HARQ feedback period has expired. In block 506, the method 500 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for the first SCell after sending the first HARQ feedback. In block 508, the method 500 receives a second activation command for a second SCell in a second time slot later than the first time slot. In block 510, the method 500 determines that the second HARQ feedback cannot be sent at the end of the second HARQ feedback period because the sending of the second HARQ feedback will be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 512, the method 500 defers sending of the second HARQ feedback until after at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell is completed.

[0045] Figure 6A method 600 according to one embodiment is shown. In block 602, the method 600 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first secondary cell (SCell). In block 604, if the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using a component carrier (CC) from the same frequency band, the method 600 determines to perform blocks 606, 608, and 610. In block 606, the method 600 determines a first shared reference signal opportunity and a second shared reference signal opportunity, wherein each shared reference signal opportunity corresponds to a reference signal of a first SSB and a second SSB of each of the first SCell, the second SCell, and the primary cell (PCell), respectively, the first SCell, the second SCell, and the PCell being aligned and in the same frequency band. In block 608, the method 600 determines that AGC stabilization of the second SCell cannot be performed during the first shared reference signal opportunity because use of at least one reference signal corresponding to the first shared reference signal opportunity would be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 610 , the method 600 defers AGC stabilization of the second SCell to use a reference signal corresponding to a second shared reference signal opportunity.

[0046] In block 612, if the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using component carriers (CCs) from different frequency bands, the method 600 determines to perform blocks 614, 616, and 618. In block 614, the method 600 determines a first reference signal opportunity and a second reference signal opportunity, each of which corresponds to a reference signal for a first SSB and a second SSB of the second SCell, respectively. In block 616, the method 600 determines that AGC stabilization of the second SCell cannot be performed during the first reference signal opportunity because use of at least one reference signal corresponding to the first shared reference signal opportunity would be interrupted by at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 618, the method 600 postpones AGC stabilization of the second SCell to use the reference signal corresponding to the second reference signal opportunity.

[0047] Figure 7A method 700 for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown. In block 702, the method 700 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In block 704, the method 700 determines a first reference signal opportunity and a second reference signal opportunity corresponding to a first SSB and a second SSB of a second SCell, respectively. In block 706, the method 700 determines that timing and frequency tracking of the second SCell cannot be performed using the first reference signal during the first reference signal opportunity because the timing and frequency tracking will be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 708, the method 700 postpones timing and frequency tracking of the second SCell to use the reference signal corresponding to the second reference signal opportunity.

[0048] Figure 8 A method 800 for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown. In block 802, the method 800 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In block 804, the method 800 determines a first reference signal opportunity and a second reference signal opportunity corresponding to a first reference signal and a second reference signal of a second SCell. In block 806, the method 800 determines that an L1-reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement of the second SCell cannot be performed using the first reference signal during the first reference signal opportunity because the L1-RSRP measurement will be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 808, the method 800 postpones the L1-RSRP measurement of the second SCell to use the second reference signal corresponding to the second reference signal opportunity.

[0049] Figure 9A method 900 for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown. In block 902, the method 900 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In block 904, the method 900 determines a first reporting resource occasion and a second reporting resource occasion corresponding to a first reporting resource and a second reporting resource of a second SCell, respectively. In block 906, the method 900 determines that an L1-reference signal received power (RSRP) / channel state information (CSI) report cannot be sent to the second SCell using the first reporting resource during the first reporting occasion because the sending of the L1-RSRP / CSI report would be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 908, the method 900 postpones the L1-RSRP / CSI reporting of the second SCell to use the second reporting resource at the second reporting resource occasion.

[0050] Figure 10 A method 1000 for SCell activation interrupted by another SCC according to one embodiment is shown. In block 1002, the method 1000 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In block 1004, the method 1000 determines that the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using a component carrier (CC) from the same frequency band. In block 1006, the method 1000 determines a channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement opportunity for the second SCell. In block 1008, the method 1000 determines that a CQI measurement of the second SCell cannot be performed using the CQI measurement opportunity because the CQI measurement would be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 1010, the method 1000 obtains updated AGC data. In block 1012, the method 1000 restarts the CQI measurement using the updated AGC data. At block 1014, method 1000 performs CQI reporting after completing the restarted CQI measurement.

[0051] Figure 11A method 1100 for SCell activation interrupted by another SCC, according to one embodiment, is shown. In block 1102, the method 1100 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In block 1104, the method 1100 determines that the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using component carriers (CCs) from the same frequency band. In block 1106, the method 1100 determines a reporting resource opportunity for the second SCell. In block 1108, the method 1100 determines that a CQI report cannot be sent to the second SCell using reporting resources during the reporting resource opportunity because the sending of the CQI report would be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 1110, the method 1100 obtains updated AGC data. In block 1112, the method 1100 restarts CQI measurement using the updated AGC data. At block 1114, method 1100 can perform CQI reporting after completing the restarted CQI measurement.

[0052] Figure 12 A method 1200 for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown. In box 1202, the method 1200 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In box 1204, the method 1200 determines that the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using component carriers (CCs) from different frequency bands. In box 1206, the method 1200 determines a first channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement opportunity and a second CQI measurement opportunity for the second SCell. In box 1208, the method 1200 determines that a CQI measurement of the second SCell cannot be performed during the first CQI measurement opportunity because the CQI measurement will be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In box 1210, the method 1200 postpones the CQI measurement of the second SCell to use the second CQI measurement opportunity.

[0053] Figure 13A method 1300 for SCell activation interrupted by other SCCs according to one embodiment is shown. In block 1302, the method 1300 performs at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for a first SCell. In block 1304, the method 1300 determines that the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using component carriers (CCs) from different frequency bands. In block 1306, the method 1300 determines a first reporting resource opportunity and a second reporting resource opportunity corresponding to the first reporting resource and the second reporting resource of the second SCell, respectively. In block 1308, the method 1300 determines that a CQI report cannot be sent to the second SCell using the first reporting resource during the first reporting resource opportunity because the sending of the CQI report would be interrupted by the performance of at least one of RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell. In block 1310, the method 1300 postpones the CQI reporting of the second SCell to use the second reporting resource corresponding to the second reporting resource opportunity.

[0054] Exemplary system architecture

[0055] In certain embodiments, the 5G system architecture supports data connectivity and services, enabling deployment using technologies such as network function virtualization and software-defined networking. The 5G system architecture can utilize service-based interactions between control plane network functions. Separating user plane functions from control plane functions allows independent scalability, evolution, and flexible deployment (e.g., centralized location or distributed (remote) location). Modular function design allows functional reuse and enables flexible and efficient network slicing. A network function and its network function service can interact with another NF and its network function service directly or indirectly via a service communication agent. Another intermediate function can help route control plane messages. The architecture minimizes the dependency between AN and CN. The architecture may include an aggregated core network with a public AN-CN interface that integrates different access types (e.g., 3GPP access and non-3GPP access). The architecture may also support a unified authentication framework, stateless NFs with decoupling of compute and storage resources, capability exposure, concurrent access to local and centralized services (to support low-latency services and access to local data networks, user plane functions may be deployed near the AN), and / or roaming in the visited PLMN with both home-routed traffic as well as local breakout traffic.

[0056] The 5G architecture can be defined as service-based, and the interactions between network functions can include service-based representations, where a network function within the control plane (e.g., AMF) enables other authorized network functions to access its services. The service-based representation can also include point-to-point reference points. The reference point representation can also be used to show the interactions between NF services in network functions described by a point-to-point reference point (e.g., N11) between any two network functions (e.g., AMF and SMF).

[0057] Figure 14 A service-based architecture 1400 in 5GS according to one embodiment is shown. As described in 3GPP TS 23.501, the service-based architecture 1400 includes NFs such as NSSF 1402, NEF 1404, NRF 1406, PCF 1408, UDM 1410, AUSF 1412, AMF 1414, and SMF 1416 for communicating with UE 1420, (R)AN 1422, UPF 1424, and DN 1426. NFs and NF services can communicate directly (referred to as direct communication) or indirectly via SCP 1418 (referred to as indirect communication). Figure 14 Also shown are the corresponding service-based interfaces including Nutm, Naf, Nudm, Npcf, Nsmf, Nnrf, Namf, Nnef, Nnssf and Nausf and reference points N1, N2, N3, N4 and N6. Figure 14 Some exemplary functions provided by NF are shown in FIG.

[0058] The NSSF 1402 supports functions such as: selecting a set of network slice instances to serve the UE; determining the allowed NSSAIs and, if required, the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAIs; determining the configured NSSAIs and, if required, the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAIs; and / or determining the set of AMFs to be used to serve the UE, or a list of candidate AMFs, possibly by querying the NRF based on the configuration.

[0059] NEF 1404 supports the exposure of capabilities and events. NF capabilities and events can be securely exposed by NEF 1404 (e.g., for 3rd parties, application functions, and / or edge computing). NEF 1404 can store / retrieve information as structured data using a standardized interface to UDR (Nudr). NEF 1404 can also securely provide information from external applications to the 3GPP network, and can provide application functions to securely provide information (e.g., expected UE behavior, 5GLAN group information, and service-specific information) to the 3GPP network, where NEF 1404 can authenticate and authorize and help restrict application functions. NEF 1404 can provide internal-external information conversion by converting between information exchanged with AF and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, NEF 1404 converts between AF service identifiers and internal 5G core information (such as DNN and S-NSSAI). NEF 1404 can handle the masking of network and user sensitive information of external AF according to network policy. NEF 1404 can receive information from other network functions (based on the exposed capabilities of other network functions) and store the received information as structured data using a standardized interface to the UDR. The stored information can be accessed by NEF 1404 and re-exposed to other network functions and application functions, and used for other purposes such as analysis. For external exposure of services related to a specific UE, NEF 1404 can reside in the HPLMN. Depending on the operator agreement, the NEF 1404 in the HPLMN may have an interface with the NF in the VPLMN. When the UE can switch between the EPC and 5GC, the SCEF+NEF can be used for service exposure.

[0060] The NRF 1406 supports service discovery functionality by receiving NF discovery requests from NF instances or SCPs and providing information about the discovered NF instances to the NF instances or SCPs. The NRF 1406 may also support P-CSCF discovery (a special case of SMF discovery of AFs), maintain NF profiles of available NF instances and their supported services, and / or notify subscribed NF service consumers or SCPs of newly registered / updated / deregistered NF instances along with their NF services. In the context of network slicing, multiple NRFs may be deployed at different levels based on network implementation, such as PLMN level (NRF configured with information about the entire PLMN), shared slice level (NRF configured with information belonging to a network slice set), and / or slice-specific level (NRF configured with information belonging to the S-NSSAI). In the context of roaming, multiple NRFs may be deployed in different networks, where the NRF in the visited PLMN (called vNRF) is configured with information about the visited PLMN, and where the NRF in the home PLMN (called hNRF) is configured with information about the home PLMN, referenced by the vNRF via the N27 interface.

[0061] The PCF 1408 supports a unified policy framework to govern network behavior. The PCF 1408 provides policy rules for control plane functions to enforce them. The PCF 1408 accesses subscription information related to policy decisions in the Unified Data Repository (UDR). The PCF 1408 can access the UDR located in the same PLMN as the PCF.

[0062] The UDM 1410 supports the generation of 3GPP AKA authentication credentials, user identification processing (e.g., storage and management of the SUPI for each subscriber in the 5G system), unhiding of the privacy-preserving subscription identifier (SUCI), access authorization based on subscription data (e.g., roaming restrictions), UE registration with the serving NF (e.g., storing the service AMF for the UE and storing the service SMF for the UE's PDU session), service / session continuity (e.g., by maintaining SMF / DNN allocation for ongoing sessions), MT-SMS delivery, lawful intercept functionality (particularly in outbound roaming scenarios where the UDM is the sole point of contact for the LI), subscription management, SMS management, 5G LAN group management processing, and / or external parameter configuration (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters). To provide such functionality, the UDM 1410 uses subscription data (including authentication data) that may be stored in the UDR. In this case, the UDM implements the application logic and may not require internal user data storage, and several different UDMs may serve the same user in different transactions. The UDM 1410 may be located in the HPLMN of the subscriber it serves and may access information from UDRs located in the same PLMN.

[0063] AF 1428 interacts with the core network to provide services such as supporting application impact on traffic routing; access to NEF 1404; interaction with the policy framework for policy control; and / or IMS interaction with 5GC. Depending on the operator's deployment, application functions deemed trusted by the operator may be allowed to interact directly with relevant network functions. Application functions that are not permitted direct access by the operator may interact with relevant network functions using an externally exposed framework via NEF 1404.

[0064] The AUSF 1412 supports authentication for 3GPP access and untrusted non-3GPP access. The AUSF 1412 may also provide support for network slice-specific authentication and authorization.

[0065] The AMF 1414 supports termination of the RAN CP interface (N2), termination of NAS (N1) for NAS encryption and integrity protection, registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception (for AMF events and interfaces to the LI system), transport of SMS messages between the UE and SMF, transparent proxy for routing SM messages, access authentication, access authorization, transport of SMS messages between the UE and SMSF, SEAF, location service management for regulated services, transport of location service messages between the UE and LMF and between the RAN and LMF, EPS bearer ID allocation for interworking with EPS, UE mobility event notification, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, user plane CIoT 5GS optimization, configuration of external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters), and / or network slice-specific authentication and authorization. Some or all of the AMF functions may be supported in a single instance of the AMF 1414. Regardless of the number of network functions, in some embodiments, only one NAS interface instance per access network between the UE and the CN terminates at one of the network functions that implements at least NAS security and mobility management. AMF 1414 may also include policy-related functions.

[0066] In addition to the above functions, the AMF 1414 may also include the following functions to support non-3GPP access networks: support N2 interface with N3IWF / TNGF, on which some information (e.g., 3GPP cell identity) and procedures (e.g., handover related) defined on 3GPP access may not be applicable, and non-3GPP access specific information that is not applicable to 3GPP access may be applied; support NAS signaling with UE through N3IWF / TNGF, where some procedures supported by NAS signaling through 3GPP access may not be applicable to untrusted non-3GPP (e.g., paging) access; support verification of UEs connected through N3IWF / TNGF; management of mobility, authentication, and separate security context states for UEs connected via non-3GPP access or via both 3GPP access and non-3GPP access; support coordinated RM management context valid on 3GPP access and non-3GPP access; and / or support dedicated CM management context for UEs connected via non-3GPP access. It may not be necessary to support all of the above functions in the instance of network slicing.

[0067] The SMF 1416 supports session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and release, including tunnel maintenance between the UPF and AN nodes), UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization) (where the UE IP address may be received from the UPF or from an external data network), DHCPv4 (server and client) and DHCPv6 (server and client) functions, functions for responding to Address Resolution Protocol requests and / or IPv6 neighbor request requests based on locally cached information in Ethernet PDUs (e.g., the SMF responds to ARP and / or IPv6 neighbor request requests by providing a MAC address corresponding to the IP address sent in the request), selection and control of user plane functions (including controlling the UPF to proxy ARP or IPv6 neighbor discovery or forwarding all ARP / IPv6 neighbor request traffic to the SMF for Ethernet PDU sessions), traffic steering configuration at the UPF to route traffic to the appropriate destination, 5G VN group management (e.g., maintaining the topology of the involved PSA UPFs, in which case the SMF Establish and issue N19 tunnels between UPFs, configure traffic forwarding at UPF to apply local switching and / or N6-based forwarding or N19-based forwarding), terminate interfaces towards policy control function, lawful interception (for SM events and interfaces to LI system), charge for data collection and support billing interfaces, control and coordination of billing data collection at UPF, terminate SM part of NAS messages, downlink data notification, initiator of AN-specific SM information sent to AN via AMF over N2, determination of SSC mode for session, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, header compression, act as I-SMF in deployments where I-SMF can be inserted / removed / relocated, configure external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters), P-CSCF discovery for IMS services, roaming functions (e.g., handling local implementation to apply QoS SLA (VPLMN), charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN) and / or lawful interception (in VPLMN for SM events and interface to LI system), interaction with external DN to transmit signaling for PDU session authentication / authorization for external DN and / or instructing UPF and NG-RAN to perform redundant transmission on N3 / N9 interface. Some or all SMF functions may be supported in a single instance of SMF. However, in some embodiments, not all functions need to be supported in an instance of a network slice. In addition to the functions, SMF 1416 may include policy-related functions.

[0068] SCP 1418 includes one or more of the following functions: indirect communication; delegated discovery; message forwarding and routing to the destination NF / NF service; communication security (e.g., authorization of NF service consumers to access NF service manufacturer APIs), load balancing, monitoring, overload control, etc.; and / or optionally interacting with the UDR to resolve UDM group ID / UDR group ID / AUSF group ID / PCF group ID / CHF group ID / HSS group ID based on UE identity (e.g., SUPI or IMPI / IMPU). Some or all of the SCP functions may be supported in a single instance of the SCP. In certain embodiments, SCP 1418 may be deployed in a distributed manner and / or more than one SCP may be present in the communication path between NF services. SCPs may be deployed at the PLMN level, shared slice level, and slice-specific level. Operator deployment may be left to ensure that the SCP can communicate with the relevant NRFs.

[0069] UE 1420 may include a device with radio communication capabilities. For example, UE 1420 may include a smartphone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks). UE 1420 may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), a pager, a laptop, a desktop computer, a wireless handheld device, or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface. UE is also referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, or reconfigurable mobile device. UE 1420 may include an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connections. The IoT UE may exchange data with an MTC server or device via a PLMN, other UEs using ProSe or D2D communications, a sensor network, or an IoT network using technologies (e.g., M2M, MTC, or mMTC technologies). M2M or MTC data exchanges may be machine-initiated data exchanges. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure). The IoT UEs may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity to the IoT network.

[0070] The UE 1420 may be configured to connect or communicatively couple with the (R)AN 1422 via a radio interface 1430, which may be a physical communication interface or layer configured to operate with a cellular communication protocol such as a GSM protocol, a CDMA network protocol, a push-to-talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over cellular (POC) protocol, a UMTS protocol, a 3GPP LTE protocol, a 5G protocol, a NR protocol, etc. For example, the UE 1420 and the (R)AN 1422 may use a Uu interface (e.g., an LTE-Uu interface) to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack including a PHY layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer, a PDCP layer, and an RRC layer. DL transmissions may be from the (R)AN 1422 to the UE 1420, and UL transmissions may be from the UE 1420 to the (R)AN 1422. The UE 1420 may also use a side link to directly communicate with another UE (not shown) for D2D, P2P, and / or ProSe communication. For example, the ProSe interface may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), and a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0071] (R)AN 1422 may include one or more access nodes, which may be referred to as base stations (BSs), Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next-generation Node Bs (gNBs), RAN nodes, controllers, transmission reception points (TRPs), etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations, which provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). (R)AN 1422 may include one or more RAN nodes for providing macro cells, pico cells, femto cells, or other types of cells. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access to a UE with a service subscription. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access to a UE with a service subscription. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access to UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.).

[0072] Although not shown, multiple RAN nodes (such as (R)AN 1422) may be used, with an Xn interface defined between two or more nodes. In some implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and support / provide data forwarding and flow control functions. The Xn-C may provide management and error handling functions for managing the functions of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for the UE 1420 in connected mode (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected mode between one or more (R)AN nodes. This mobility support may include context transfer from an old (source) serving (R)AN node to a new (target) serving (R)AN node; and control of a user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving (R)AN node and the new (target) serving (R)AN node.

[0073] The UPF 1424 may serve as an anchor point for intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, an external PDU session point interconnected with the DN 1426, and a branch point to support multi-donor PDU sessions. The UPF 1424 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, enforce the user plane portion of policy rules, lawful interception of packets (UP collection); traffic usage reporting, perform QoS processing on the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic validation (e.g., SDF to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 1424 may include an uplink classifier to support routing of traffic flows to the data network. The DN 1426 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The DN 1426 may include, for example, an application server.

[0074] Figure 15 15 is a block diagram of an exemplary UE 1500 that can be configured according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including by executing instructions corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein on a computer-readable medium. The UE 1500 includes one or more processors 1502, a transceiver 1504, a memory 1506, a user interface 1508, and a control interface 1510.

[0075] The one or more processors 1502 may include, for example, an application processor, an audio digital signal processor, a central processing unit, and / or one or more baseband processors. Each of the one or more processors 1502 may include internal memory and / or may include an interface for communicating with external memory (including memory 1506). The internal or external memory may store software code, programs, and / or instructions for execution by the one or more processors 1502 to configure and / or facilitate the UE 1500 to perform various operations, including the operations described herein. For example, execution of the instructions may configure the UE 1500 to communicate using one or more wired or wireless communication protocols (including one or more wireless communication protocols standardized by 3GPP, such as those commonly referred to as 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, etc.) or any other current or future protocol that may be used in conjunction with the one or more transceivers 1504, the user interface 1508, and / or the control interface 1510. For another example, the one or more processors 1502 may execute program code stored in the memory 1506 or other memory corresponding to the MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP (e.g., for NR and / or LTE). For another example, the processor 1502 may execute program code stored in the memory 1506 or other memory that, together with the one or more transceivers 1504, implements corresponding PHY layer protocols such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA).

[0076] The memory 1506 may include a memory area for the one or more processors 1502 to store variables used in the protocols, configurations, controls, and other functions of the UE 1500 (including operations corresponding to or including any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein). In addition, the memory 1506 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), or a combination thereof. In addition, the memory 1506 may interact with a memory slot through which removable memory cards of one or more formats (e.g., SD card, memory stick, compact flash, etc.) may be inserted and removed.

[0077] The one or more transceivers 1504 may include radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that facilitates communication between the UE 1500 and other devices supporting similar wireless communication standards and / or protocols. For example, the one or more transceivers 1504 may include switches, mixer circuitry, amplifier circuitry, filter circuitry, and synthesizer circuitry. Such RF circuitry may include a receive signal path having circuitry for downconverting RF signals received from a front-end module (FEM) and providing a baseband signal to a baseband processor of the one or more processors 1502. The RF circuitry may also include a transmit signal path having circuitry for upconverting baseband signals provided by the baseband processor and providing an RF output signal to the FEM for transmission. The FEM may include a receive signal path having circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to the RF circuitry for further processing. The FEM may also include a transmit signal path having circuitry configured to amplify transmit signals provided by the RF circuitry for transmission via the one or more antennas. In various embodiments, amplification through the transmit or receive signal path may be accomplished in only the RF circuitry, only the FEM, or in both the RF circuitry and the FEM circuitry. In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit and receive mode operation.

[0078] In some exemplary embodiments, the one or more transceivers 1504 include transmitters and receivers that enable the device 1200 to communicate with various 5G / NR networks in accordance with various protocols and / or methods proposed for standardization by 3GPP and / or other standards bodies. For example, such functionality may operate in cooperation with the one or more processors 1502 to implement a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA techniques, such as described herein with reference to other figures.

[0079] User interface 1508 may take various forms depending on the particular embodiment, or may not be present in UE 1500. In some embodiments, user interface 1508 includes a microphone, a speaker, a slidable button, a depressible button, a display, a touchscreen display, a mechanical or virtual keypad, a mechanical or virtual keyboard, and / or any other user interface features typically present on mobile phones. In other embodiments, UE 1500 may comprise a tablet computing device with a larger touchscreen display. In such embodiments, one or more of the mechanical features of user interface 1508 may be replaced with comparable or functionally equivalent virtual user interface features (e.g., a virtual keypad, virtual buttons, etc.) implemented using a touchscreen display, as will be familiar to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, UE 1500 may be a digital computing device, such as a laptop, desktop computer, workstation, etc., that includes a mechanical keyboard, which may be integrated, detachable, or removable, depending on the particular exemplary embodiment. Such digital computing devices may also include a touchscreen display. Many exemplary embodiments of UE 1500 with a touchscreen display are capable of receiving user input, such as input related to the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein or known to those skilled in the art.

[0080] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, UE 1500 includes an orientation sensor that can be used in various ways by the features and functions of UE 1500. For example, UE 1500 can use the output of the orientation sensor to determine when a user has changed the physical orientation of the touch screen display of UE 1500. The indication signal from the orientation sensor can be used for any application executed on UE 1500, so that the application can automatically change the orientation of the screen display (e.g., from portrait to landscape) when the indication signal indicates an approximately 90-degree change in the physical orientation of the device. In this way, regardless of the physical orientation of the device, the application can maintain the screen display in a user-readable manner. In addition, the output of the orientation sensor can be used in conjunction with various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] The control interface 1510 can take various forms depending on the particular implementation. For example, the control interface 1510 can include an RS-232 interface, an RS-485 interface, a USB interface, an HDMI interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE ("FireWire") interface, an I 2 C interface, PCMCIA interface, etc. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control interface 1260 may include an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface, such as described above. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control interface 1510 may include an analog interface circuit, which includes, for example, one or more digital-to-analog (D / A) converters and / or analog-to-digital (A / D) converters.

[0082] One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the above list of features, interfaces, and radio frequency communication standards is merely exemplary and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Figure 15 The UE 1500 may include further functionality, including, for example, a video and / or still image camera, a microphone, a media player and / or recorder, and the like. Furthermore, the one or more transceivers 1504 may include circuitry for communicating using additional radio frequency communication standards, including Bluetooth, GPS, and / or others. Furthermore, the one or more processors 1502 may execute software code stored in the memory 1506 to control such additional functionality. For example, the directional velocity and / or position estimate output from the GPS receiver may be used by any application executing on the UE 1500, including various exemplary methods and / or computer-readable media according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0083] Figure 16 is a block diagram of an example network node 1600 that may be configured according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including by executing instructions on a computer-readable medium corresponding to any of the example methods and / or processes described herein.

[0084] The network node 1600 includes one or more processors 1602, a radio network interface 1604, a memory 1606, a core network interface 1608, and other interfaces 1610. The network node 1600 may comprise, for example, a base station, an eNB, a gNB, an access node, or components thereof.

[0085] The one or more processors 1602 may include any type of processor or processing circuit and may be configured to perform one of the methods or processes disclosed herein. The memory 1606 may store software code, programs, and / or instructions executed by the one or more processors 1602 to configure the network node 1600 to perform various operations, including the operations described herein. For example, the execution of such stored instructions may configure the network node 1600 to communicate with one or more other devices using protocols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure (including one or more methods and / or processes described above). In addition, the execution of such stored instructions may also configure and / or facilitate the network node 1600 to communicate with one or more other devices using other protocols or protocol layers (such as one or more of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or NR, or any other higher layer protocols used in conjunction with the radio network interface 1604 and the core network interface 1608). By way of example and not limitation, the core network interface 1608 includes an S1 interface, and the radio network interface 1604 may include a Uu interface, such as standardized by 3GPP. The memory 1606 may also store variables used in protocols, configuration, control, and other functions of the network node 1600. Thus, the memory 1606 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), network-based (e.g., "cloud") storage, or a combination thereof.

[0086] The radio network interface 1604 may include a transmitter, a receiver, a signal processor, an ASIC, an antenna, a beamforming unit, and other circuits that enable the network node 1600 to communicate with other equipment (in some embodiments, such as multiple compatible user equipment (UE)). In some embodiments, the network node 1600 may include various protocols or protocol layers, such as PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G / NR. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the radio network interface 1604 may include a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technology. In some embodiments, the functionality of such a PHY layer may be provided collaboratively by the radio network interface 1604 and the one or more processors 1602.

[0087] The core network interface 1608 may include transmitters, receivers, and other circuits that enable the network node 1600 to communicate with other equipment in the core network (in some embodiments, such as a circuit-switched (CS) and / or packet-switched core (PS) network). In some embodiments, the core network interface 1608 may include an S1 interface standardized by 3GPP. In some embodiments, the core network interface 1608 may include one or more interfaces to one or more SGWs, MEEs, GSNs, GSNs, and other physical devices, including functions known to those of ordinary skill in the art that exist in GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN, and CDMA2000 core networks. In some embodiments, these one or more interfaces may be multiplexed together on a single physical interface. In some embodiments, the lower layers of the core network interface 1608 may include one or more of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Internet Protocol (IP) over Ethernet, SDH over fiber, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0088] Other interfaces 1610 may include transmitters, receivers, and other circuits that enable network node 1600 to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for operation, management, and maintenance of network node 1600 or other network equipment operably connected thereto.

[0089] Example

[0090] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes and / or methods as described in the following embodiments. For example, the baseband circuitry or other processors or processing circuitry described herein may be configured to operate according to one or more of the following embodiments. For another example, the circuitry associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the embodiments described in the following embodiments.

[0091] Embodiment 1 may include an apparatus comprising means for performing one or more elements of the methods described herein.

[0092] Embodiment 2 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the method or process described herein.

[0093] Embodiment 3 may include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuits for executing one or more elements of the methods or processes described herein.

[0094] Embodiment 4 may include a method, technique or process according to or related to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, or a portion or component thereof.

[0095] Example 5 may include a device comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, wherein the one or more computer-readable media include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any method, technique, or process described in or related to any embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] Unless expressly stated otherwise, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the various embodiments.

[0097] Embodiments and implementations of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations that may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. A computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). A computer system may include hardware components that include specific logic components for performing the operations, or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0098] It should be understood that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific embodiments. These embodiments can be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, separated into multiple systems, or otherwise divided or combined. In addition, it is contemplated that parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. of one embodiment can be used in another embodiment. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. are described only in one or more embodiments, and it should be understood that unless otherwise stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc. can be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, etc. of another embodiment.

[0099] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for purposes of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing both the processes and the apparatus described herein. The embodiments of the present invention are therefore to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the description is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receiving, at the UE, a first activation command for a first secondary cell (SCell); receiving, at the UE, a second activation command for a second SCell; In response to the first activation command for the first SCell, performing a first operation corresponding to a first activation procedure of the first SCell, wherein the first operation is one of a radio frequency (RF) tuning operation and an automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization operation; determining, for a second activation procedure for the second SCell that is started after the first activation procedure for the first SCell is started, whether execution of a second operation corresponding to the second activation procedure for the second SCell in response to the second activation command for the second SCell will be interrupted by the first operation corresponding to the first activation procedure for the first SCell, wherein the second operation includes at least one of a channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement and a CQI report; deferring the second operation in response to determining that the second operation corresponding to the second activation procedure for the second SCell will be interrupted by the first operation corresponding to the first activation procedure for the first SCell, wherein the second operation is deferred at least until updated AGC data is obtained based on determining that the first SCell and the second SCell are each activated to communicate with the UE using a component carrier CC from the same frequency band; Restarting CQI measurement of the second SCell using the updated AGC data; and After completing the restarted CQI measurement of the second SCell, CQI reporting is performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second operation further comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second operation further comprises AGC stabilization.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second operation is postponed to a subsequent reference signal opportunity, wherein reference signals from a synchronization signal block (SSB) for each of the first SCell, the second SCell, and the primary serving cell (PCell) are time-aligned in the same frequency band. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second operation further comprises timing or frequency tracking.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second operation is postponed until a next available reference signal opportunity corresponding to a reference signal from a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the second SCell. 7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second operation further comprises an L1-reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement operation.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second operation is postponed to a reference signal timing corresponding to one of a reference signal of a synchronization signal block (SSB) from the second SCell and a reference signal of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) of the second SCell. 9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second operation further comprises an L1-reference signal received power (RSRP) / channel state information (CSI) reporting operation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second operation is deferred to a subsequent reporting resource opportunity corresponding to a next available L1-RSRP / CSI reporting resource.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein: The second operation includes CQI measurement, and; Based on the determination that the first SCell and the second SCell are each activated to communicate with the UE using component carriers CC from different frequency bands, the second operation is postponed to a next available CQI measurement opportunity to be used for CQI measurement of the second SCell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein: The second operation is a CQI reporting operation, and Based on the determination that the first SCell and the second SCell are each activated to communicate with the UE using component carriers CC from different frequency bands, the second operation is postponed to a next available reporting resource opportunity of a reference signal to be used for CQI reporting of the second SCell.

13. A method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: performing at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for the first SCell; Determining that the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using a component carrier CC from the same frequency band; Determining a channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement timing of the second SCell; determining that the CQI measurement of the second SCell cannot be performed using the CQI measurement opportunity because the CQI measurement will be interrupted by the performance of the at least one of the RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell; Get updated AGC data; Restarting the CQI measurement of the second SCell using the updated AGC data; as well as After completing the restarted CQI measurement of the second SCell, CQI reporting is performed.

14. A method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: performing at least one of radio frequency (RF) tuning and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization for the first SCell; Determining that the first SCell and the second SCell will communicate with the UE using a component carrier CC from the same frequency band; determining a reporting resource timing of the second SCell; determining that a CQI report cannot be sent to the second SCell using reporting resources during the reporting resource opportunity because sending of the CQI report would be interrupted by the performance of the at least one of the RF tuning and AGC stabilization of the first SCell; Get updated AGC data; as well as Restarting the CQI measurement of the second SCell using the updated AGC data; as well as After completing the restarted CQI measurement of the second SCell, CQI reporting is performed.

15. An electronic device comprising means for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14. 16 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1 .

17. An electronic device comprising a logic component, a module or a circuit for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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