Conditional cell change for transmission mitigation

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to conditional cell change for emission mitigation. The present application relates to apparatuses and components, including apparatuses, systems, and methods for early conditional handover based on body proximity sensing or maximum permissible exposure limits in wireless networks.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] The 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) define the standards for wireless networks. These TSs describe aspects related to mobility and power control for operation within such networks. Attached Figure Description

[0002] Figure 1 A network environment according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0003] Figure 2 Signaling diagrams according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0004] Figure 3 The operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0005] Figure 4 Another operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0006] Figure 5 Another operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0007] Figure 6 User equipment according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0008] Figure 7 A base station according to some implementation schemes is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0009] The following detailed description relates to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, specific details, such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, and techniques, are set forth for illustrative and non-limiting purposes to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various aspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examples departing from these specific details. In some cases, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various embodiments with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of this document, the phrase "A or B" refers to (A), (B), or (A and B).

[0010] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure.

[0011] As used herein, the term "circuit" refers to a portion of or includes said hardware component configured to provide the described functionality. Hardware components may include electronic circuitry, logic circuitry, processors (shared, dedicated, or grouped) or memories (shared, dedicated, or grouped), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable devices (FPDs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), structured ASICs, or programmable system-on-a-chip (SoCs)), or digital signal processors (DSPs). In some embodiments, a circuit may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the said functionality. The term "circuit" may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements and program code for performing the functionality (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system). In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuit.

[0012] As used herein, the term "processor circuit" means, is part of, or includes the following: a circuit capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations or recording, storing, or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuit" may also refer to an application processor, baseband processor, central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit, single-core processor, dual-core processor, triple-core processor, quad-core processor, or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, and / or functional procedures).

[0013] As used herein, the term "interface circuit" refers to, is part of, or includes a circuit that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term "interface circuit" can refer to one or more hardware interfaces, such as buses, I / O interfaces, peripheral component interfaces, and network interface cards.

[0014] As used herein, the term "user equipment" or "UE" refers to equipment having radio communication capabilities that allow a user to access network resources within a communication network. The term "user equipment" or "UE" may be considered synonymous with and may be 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. Furthermore, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can include any type of wireless / wired equipment or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0015] As used herein, the term "computer system" means any type of interconnected electronic device, computer device, or component thereof. Additionally, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to the various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled to each other. Furthermore, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to multiple computer devices or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled to each other and configured to share computing resources or network resources.

[0016] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to physical or virtual devices, physical or virtual components within a computing environment, or physical or virtual components within a particular device, such as computer equipment, mechanical equipment, memory space, processor / CPU time, processor / CPU utilization, processor and accelerator load, hardware time or utilization, power supply, input / output operations, port or network sockets, channel / link allocation, throughput, memory utilization, storage, network, database, and application or workload units. "Hardware resource" can refer to computing, storage, or networking resources provided by physical hardware components. "Virtualized resource" can refer to computing, storage, or networking resources provided by virtualized infrastructure to applications, devices, or systems. The terms "network resource" or "communication resource" can refer to resources accessible by a computer device / system via a communication network. The term "system resource" can refer to any kind of shared entity providing a service and can include computing or network resources. System resources can be considered as a coherent set of functions, network data objects, or services accessible through a server, wherein such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

[0017] As used herein, the term "channel" refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium used for transmitting data or data streams. The term "channel" may be synonymous or equivalent with "communication channel," "data communication channel," "transmission channel," "data transmission channel," "access channel," "data access channel," "link," "data link," "carrier," "radio frequency carrier," or any other similar term indicating a path or medium through which data is transmitted. Additionally, as used herein, the term "link" refers to a connection between two devices used for transmitting and receiving information.

[0018] As used in this article, the terms "instantiate" and "instantiate" refer to the creation of an instance. "Instance" also refers to the concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

[0019] The term "connection" can mean that two or more elements at a common communication protocol layer have an established signaling relationship with each other through a communication channel, link, interface, or reference point.

[0020] As used herein, the term "network element" refers to physical or virtualized equipment or infrastructure used to provide wired or wireless communication network services. The term "network element" may be considered synonymous with or referred to as a networked computer, network hardware, network equipment, network node, or virtualized network function.

[0021] The term "information element" refers to a structural element that contains one or more fields. The term "field" refers to the individual content of an information element, or the data element that contains that content. An information element may include one or more additional information elements.

[0022] Figure 1 A network environment 100 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Network environment 100 may include a UE 104 and one or more access nodes, such as, for example, access nodes 108 and 112. UE 104 and access nodes 108 / 112 may communicate via air interfaces compatible with those 3GPP TS that define Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) system standards. Access nodes 108 / 112 may be base stations such as Next Generation Node B (gNB) or controlled by them. Access nodes 108 / 112 may provide one or more 5G NR cells to provide NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to UE 104.

[0023] As described in the implementation scheme herein, access node 108 can provide the serving cell to which UE 104 is initially communicatively coupled, and access node 112 can provide the target cell. UE 104 and access nodes 108 / 112 can cooperate to switch UE 104's communication session from the serving cell to the target cell.

[0024] In some implementations, access node 112 may be a neighboring base station providing coverage for adjacent geographical locations. In this implementation, access node 112 may provide neighboring cells that operate independently and differently from the serving cell.

[0025] In some implementations, access node 108 may be one of multiple access nodes providing services to UE 104 via dual connectivity (DC) operation. Access nodes may be coupled to each other via an X2 interface through ideal or non-ideal backhaul. Access nodes may include a primary node (MN) to provide control plane connectivity to the core network. The MN may be associated with a serving cell group called a primary cell group (MCG). Access nodes may also include secondary nodes (SNs), which may not have control plane connectivity to the core network. SNs may be used to provide additional resources to UE 104. SNs may be associated with a serving cell group called a secondary cell group (SCG). In these implementations, access node 108 may represent a first SN providing the primary cell (PSCell) of the SCG, and access node 112 may represent a second SN. Handover may then involve UE 104 transferring the PSCell from the first SN to the second SN.

[0026] In some implementations, the network can utilize Conditional Handover (CHO) or Conditional PSCell Change (CPC) to improve mobility robustness and reliability. This may involve access node 108 configuring UE 104 using handover assistance information relative to one or more candidate cells and providing information about UE 104 to the one or more candidate cells. UE 104 can then monitor link quality for various handover conditions and, if detected, perform a handover to a target cell selected from the candidate cells without requiring a handover command from access node 108. When the execution conditions are met and UE 104 can directly perform a handover to the target cell, the serving cell may not be notified.

[0027] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other regulatory agencies set limits on human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in wireless communication systems. Within the NR frequency range 2 (FR2), corresponding to the frequency range of 24,250 MHz–52,600 MHz, the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) is defined as the average power measured over a surface area in free space. MPE is expressed in milliwatts per square centimeter (mW / cm²) over a time period (according to the FCC). 2 ) is the unit of measurement.

[0028] 3GPP TS indicates that if the transmit power in the uplink reaches the MPE limit, the UE will reduce its transmit power. This can be done by directly reducing the power level used in uplink transmission or by reducing the duty cycle to reduce the average uplink transmit power. UE 104 can directly reduce its power level through the Power Management Maximum Power Reduction (P-MPR) value and can notify the network to reduce the power level. To reduce the duty cycle, the network can adjust the uplink scheduling to reduce the average transmit power within a given time unit.

[0029] When operating at higher frequency ranges, such as FR2 and above, UE 104 can perform beamforming by focusing the transmit beam in the direction toward the receiving access node. To ensure that the selected direction (and power) of the uplink transmit beam is appropriate and compliant with MPE requirements, UE 104 can perform body proximity sensing (BPS) operation to detect the presence of a nearby body. BPS operation may include transmitting a low-power sensing signal and using UE 104's receiver to measure the reflection of the sensing signal to determine human proximity. If UE 104 detects a body 116 in the direction of the access node 108 serving the cell, UE 104 may need to reduce its uplink transmit power based on MPE limits. This may impair the quality of uplink transmission.

[0030] The embodiments of this disclosure describe the use of pre-configuration performed for CHO / CPC to enable handover to the target cell in the event of a reduction in the uplink transmit power of UE 104 due to BPS / MPE. In some embodiments, handover to the target cell can occur even if the handover conditions associated with CHO / CPC are not met.

[0031] Figure 2 Signaling diagram 200 is shown according to some implementation schemes. Signaling diagram 200 may include measurement control 204 sent from a source (e.g., access node 108) to UE 104. Measurement control 204 may represent one or more messages including measurement configuration information that allows UE 104 to perform measurements on various neighboring cells. Measurement configuration information may include one or more measurement objects configured for measurements on various frequencies.

[0032] UE 104 can perform measurements based on the measurement configuration in measurement control 204 and provide the measurement results to access node 108 in one or more measurement reports 208.

[0033] Based on measurement report 208, access node 108 can select one or more candidate access nodes (including access node 112) to potentially receive a handover. Access node 108 can utilize the candidate access nodes to transmit / receive various handover (HO) preparation messages. HO preparation message 212 may include a message including the context of UE 104 transmitted from access node 108 to access node 112. This context may include UE state information, security information, UE capability information, and the identity of the logical connection associated with the UE on the S1 interface between UE 104 and access node 108.

[0034] Signaling diagram 200 may also include access node 108 transmitting HO assistance information 216 to UE 104. HO assistance information may be transmitted in Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages (such as RRC reconfiguration messages). HO assistance information may be configuration information corresponding to one or more candidate cells selected by the access node. This may include the identity or frequency of one or more candidate cells. HO assistance information may also include execution conditions generated by access node 108. Execution conditions may define the conditions under which UE 104 can perform CHO / CPC.

[0035] Execution conditions may include events A3 or A5. An A3 event may indicate that the serving cell is worse in decibels (dB) than the target cell. An A5 event may indicate that the serving cell is worse than a first threshold and the target cell is better than a second threshold. The signal metric used to measure the serving / target cell may be one or more of the following: Reference Received Power (RSRP), Reference Received Quality (RSRQ), or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SINR). The decibel threshold / dB value may be configured by HO auxiliary information 216, another configuration message, or predefined by 3GPP TS.

[0036] At 220, UE 104 can detect MPE / BPS events. For example, UE 104 can determine that the uplink transmit power exceeds the MPE limit, or UE 104 can sense a body near UE 104. This may cause UE 104 to need to reduce its uplink transmit power.

[0037] Based on the detection of an MPE / BPS event at 220, UE 104 can continue to connect to the target cell at 224. To this end, UE 104 disconnects from access node 104, applies the stored corresponding configuration to the target cell, synchronizes it with the target cell, and completes the RRC handover process by sending an RRC reconfiguration complete message to access node 112. After successfully completing the RRC handover procedure, UE 104 can release the stored CHO configuration.

[0038] Even if the execution conditions for CHO / CPC are not met (e.g., A3 / A5), a connection to the target cell at 224 can still be completed. Therefore, based on the MPE / BPS event detected at 220, UE 104 can perform an early CHO / CPC. As used herein, "early CHO / CPC" can refer to performing a handover / PSCell change even if the configured execution conditions for CHO / CPC are not met. Early CHO / CPC can be based on MPE / BPS.

[0039] In some implementations, numerous early execution conditions can be configured for early CHO / CPC. Early execution conditions can be based on signaling conditions in the serving or target cell. For example, UE 104 may execute an early CHO / CPC if: the ratio between the reduced uplink transmit power to the serving cell (due to MPE limits) and the available uplink transmit power to the target cell is less than a predetermined threshold; the reduced uplink transmit power to the serving cell is less than the available uplink transmit power to the target cell by a predetermined threshold; or the reduced uplink transmit power is less than a first predetermined threshold, and the available uplink transmit power to the target cell is greater than a second threshold. While the above early execution conditions refer to uplink transmit power to the serving / target cell, similar conditions can be based on other factors that may be affected by reduced uplink transmit power, including, for example, uplink throughput or downlink throughput.

[0040] In some implementations, UE 104 can notify the serving cell or target cell that the reason for an early CHO / CPC is due to MPE mitigation or BPS. The target cell can be notified of the reason for the early CHO / CPC by adding an indication in the IE of the RRC reconfiguration completion message. Alternatively, the serving cell can be notified of the reason for the early CHO / CPC by an MPE Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) signal transmitted by UE 104 with an indication.

[0041] Figure 3 An operational flow / algorithm structure 300 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. The operational flow / algorithm structure 300 may be executed or implemented by a user equipment such as, for example, UE 104 or 600; or by components such as baseband processor 604A.

[0042] The operation flow / algorithm structure 300 may include, at 304, receiving configuration information for one or more candidate cells. The configuration information may be received in an RRC message such as an RRC reconfiguration message. In some implementations, the configuration information may include cell identifiers of candidate cells to be considered for CHO / CPC. Candidate cells may be identified by the serving cell based on measurement and measurement configuration consistency performed by the UE on neighboring cells.

[0043] The operation flow / algorithm structure 300 may also include identifying the execution conditions for CHO / CPC at 308. In some implementations, the execution condition may be an A3 or A5 event. In some implementations, the threshold corresponding to the execution condition may be included in the RRC message identifying multiple candidate cells.

[0044] The operation flow / algorithm structure 300 may further include detecting a trigger event at 312 to reduce uplink transmit power based on an MPE limit. The trigger event may be based on the uplink transmit power exceeding the MPE limit. In some embodiments, the MPE limit may be set based on an assumed body proximity. In other / alternative embodiments, one or more MPE limits may correspond to conditions where a body proximity to the UE is detected or not detected. For example, a first MPE limit may be defined for use when no body is detected, and a lower second MPE limit may be defined for use when a body is detected. In some embodiments, the second MPE limit may be limited to the direction in which the body is detected, while the first MPE limit may correspond to the direction in which no body is detected. Therefore, in some cases, the detection of a body by the UE may cause the UE to reduce its uplink transmit power to meet the lower MPE limit.

[0045] The operation flow / algorithm structure 300 may also include, at 316, initiating a handover to a target cell among the candidate cells based on detecting a triggering event when the execution conditions are not met. A reduction in the uplink transmit power required in the serving cell may impair the uplink or downlink throughput of the serving cell. However, it can be associated with one of the candidate cells without necessarily reducing the uplink transmit power or reducing it by a smaller amount than required in the serving cell. This may be the case when the UE is able to perform uplink beamforming and the directional MPE provides a higher MPE limit in a direction not towards the detected body.

[0046] The UE can identify a target cell from the candidate cell list provided in the RRC message based on signaling conditions associated with the target cell. Signaling conditions may include available uplink transmit power, uplink transmit beam, uplink signaling quality, or downlink signal quality.

[0047] In some implementations, the UE can initiate a handover to an identified target cell based on early CHO / CPC enforcement conditions. These conditions can be configured together with or separately from the CHO / CPC enforcement conditions. Early CHO / CPC enforcement conditions can be based on a level of reduction in uplink transmit power in the serving cell to meet MPE limits. For example, the signaling conditions of the serving cell (based on reduced uplink transmit power) can be compared with the signaling conditions of the target cell. This comparison can serve as the basis for initiating an early handover.

[0048] Initiating this handover may include starting synchronization with the target cell. Once the UE starts synchronization with the target cell, the UE may no longer monitor the source cell.

[0049] Figure 4An operational flow / algorithm structure 400 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 400 may be executed or implemented by a user equipment such as, for example, UE 104 or 600; or by components such as baseband processor 604A.

[0050] The operation flow / algorithm structure 400 may include receiving configuration information for one or more candidate cells at 404. Similar to that described above, the configuration information may be received in an RRC message and may include cell identifiers of candidate cells that will be considered for CHO / CPC. Candidate cells may be identified by the serving cell based on the consistency of measurement and measurement configuration performed by the UE on neighboring cells.

[0051] The operation flow / algorithm structure 400 may also include identifying the execution conditions for CHO / CPC at 408. In some implementations, the execution condition may be an A3 or A5 event. In some implementations, the threshold corresponding to the execution condition may be included in the RRC message identifying candidate cells.

[0052] The operation procedure / algorithm structure 400 may also include detecting body proximity based on BPS operation at 412. BPS operation may involve transmitting a BPS signal and monitoring the reception of BPS signals, such as those reflected from a nearby body. If the reflected signal is greater than a predetermined threshold, the BPS operation may indicate that a body is approaching the UE.

[0053] If the UE includes more than one antenna panel or is otherwise capable of performing uplink beamforming, the UE can transmit uplink signals in directions away from a detected body. In some implementations, the UE can perform directional BPS operation, wherein beamformed BPS signals are transmitted during BPS operation. This allows the UE to determine that uplink signals can be transmitted in directions not toward a detected body.

[0054] The operation process / algorithm structure 400 may also include, at 416, initiating a handover to the target cell among the candidate cells based on detecting a triggering event when the execution conditions of CHO / CPC are not met.

[0055] In some implementations, the UE can identify the target cell from a list of candidate cells based on the target cell's orientation. For example, the UE can perform receive beam sweep while measuring reference signals from candidate cells. This allows the UE to determine the approximate orientation of various candidate cells. Candidate cells in directions away from the detected body can be identified as the target cell.

[0056] Detecting target cells from candidate cells and determining whether they meet early CHO / CPC conditions can be based on similar principles described above. Figure 3The signaling conditions in the serving cell and the target cell described in the signaling conditions.

[0057] In some implementations, upon detecting an approaching body, the UE can determine an adjustment to the serving cell throughput based on various available exposure mitigation techniques. For example, to mitigate exposure sufficiently to meet MPE limits, the UE can reduce absolute uplink transmit power, reduce average uplink transmit power, or change the uplink transmit beam by decreasing the uplink duty cycle. While these techniques may enable the UE to meet MPE limits, they may also reduce the serving cell's UL / DL throughput. In some implementations, the reduced throughput can be compared to a predetermined threshold or the corresponding throughput of a target cell. This comparison can serve as the basis for initiating a handover at point 416.

[0058] Figure 5 An operational flow / algorithm structure 500 according to some embodiments is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 500 may be executed or implemented by a base station such as, for example, access node 108 or base station 700; or by components thereof such as baseband processor 704A.

[0059] The operation flow / algorithm structure 500 may include transmitting measurement configurations to the UE at 504. The measurement configurations may configure measurements relative to the UE for neighboring cells. These measurement configurations may include inter-frequency measurement objects (MOs), intra-frequency MOs, radio access technology (RAT) MOs, or RAT MOs. Measurements may be configured to be performed within or outside of measurement intervals.

[0060] The operation procedure / algorithm structure 500 may also include identifying candidate cells for CHO / CPC at 508. Candidate cells can be identified based on the results of measurements performed and reported by the UE. The base station can provide UE context to candidate cells to facilitate CHO / CPC.

[0061] The operation procedure / algorithm structure 500 may also include, at 512, configuring the UE using a first execution condition for CHO / CPC and a second execution condition for early CHO / CPC. The first execution condition may be the A3 / A5 condition of the standard CHO / CPC. The second execution condition may be based on BPS or MPE limits. Similar to what is discussed elsewhere in this document, the second execution condition may be based on signaling conditions in the serving cell (where uplink transmit power is reduced to meet MPE limits) and the target cell.

[0062] Figure 6 A UE 600 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The UE 600 may be similar to... Figure 1 The UE 104 is essentially interchangeable with it.

[0063] UE 600 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, computer, tablet, industrial wireless sensor (e.g., microphone, carbon dioxide sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, thermometer, motion sensor, accelerometer, laser scanner, fluid level sensor, stock sensor, voltmeter / ammeter, or actuator), video surveillance / monitoring device (e.g., camera or camcorder), wearable device (e.g., smartwatch), or Internet of Things device.

[0064] UE 600 may include a processor 604, RF interface circuitry 608, memory / storage device 612, user interface 616, sensor 620, drive circuitry 622, power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 624, antenna structure 626, and battery 628. The components of UE 600 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of integrated circuits, discrete electronic devices or other modules, logic components, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. Figure 6 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of the UE 600. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other specific implementations.

[0065] The components of UE 600 can be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 632, which can represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmission line, trace, or optical connector, allowing various circuit components (on common or different chips or chipsets) to interact with each other.

[0066] Processor 604 may include processor circuitry such as baseband processor circuitry (BB) 604A, central processing unit circuitry (CPU) 604B, and graphics processing unit circuitry (GPU) 604C. Processor 604 may include any type of circuitry or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, or functional processes from memory / storage device 612, to cause UE 600 to perform the operations described herein.

[0067] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuitry 604A can access the communication protocol stack 636 in the memory / storage device 612 to communicate over a 3GPP-compliant network. Generally, the baseband processor circuitry 604A can access the communication protocol stack to perform the following operations: user plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, and PDU layers; and control plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and non-access layers. In some implementations, PHY layer operations may additionally / optionally be performed by components of the RF interface circuitry 608.

[0068] The baseband processor circuit 604A can generate or process baseband signals or waveforms carrying information in a 3GPP-compliant network. In some implementations, the waveforms used for NR can be based on cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) in the uplink or downlink, and Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the uplink.

[0069] Memory / storage device 612 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions (e.g., communication protocol stack 636) that can be executed by one or more processors in processor 604 to cause UE 600 to perform the various operations described herein. Memory / storage device 612 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that can be distributed throughout UE 600. In some embodiments, some memory / storage devices 612 may be located on processor 604 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage devices 612 may be located external to processor 604 but accessible via a memory interface. Memory / storage device 612 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0070] The RF interface circuitry 608 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front-end module (RFEM), which allows the UE 600 to communicate with other devices via a radio access network. The RF interface circuitry 608 may include various components arranged in the transmit or receive path. These components may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuitry, control circuitry, etc.

[0071] In the receive path, the RFEM can receive a radiated signal from the air interface via the antenna structure 626 and continue to filter and amplify the signal (using a low-noise amplifier). The signal can be provided to the receiver of the transceiver, which down-converts the RF signal into a baseband signal that is provided to the baseband processor of the processor 604.

[0072] In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM can amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier before the signal is radiated across the air interface via the antenna 626.

[0073] In various embodiments, the RF interface circuit 608 can be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technologies.

[0074] The antenna 626 can include antenna elements to convert an electrical signal into a radio wave to travel through the air and convert the received radio wave into an electrical signal. These antenna elements can be arranged into one or more antenna panels. The antenna 626 can have antenna panels with omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to enable beamforming and multiple-input / multiple-output communications. The antenna 626 can include microstrip antennas, printed antennas fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, patch antennas, phased array antennas, etc. The antenna 626 can have one or more panels that are designed for specific frequency bands within FR1 or FR2.

[0075] The user interface circuit 616 includes various input / output (I / O) devices that are designed to enable a user to interact with the UE 600. The user interface 616 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. The input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual device for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., reset buttons), physical keyboards, keypads, mice, touchpads, touchscreens, microphones, scanners, headsets, etc. The output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual device for displaying information or otherwise communicating information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). The output device circuitry can include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly including one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary state indicators such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), where the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. is generated or produced by the operation of the UE 600.

[0076] The sensor 620 may include a device, module, or subsystem aimed at detecting events or changes in its environment and sending information about the detected events (sensor data) to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors include: inertial measurement units including accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems or nanoelectromechanical systems including three-axis accelerometers, three-axis gyroscopes, or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless apertures); light detection and ranging sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.); depth sensors; ambient light sensors; ultrasonic transceivers; and microphones or other similar audio capture devices.

[0077] The drive circuit 622 may include software elements and hardware elements operable to control a particular device embedded in the UE 600, attached to the UE 1100, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 600. The drive circuit 622 may include respective drivers, thereby allowing other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present within or connected to the UE 600. For example, the drive circuit 622 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings of the sensor circuit 620 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor circuit 620, a driver for obtaining the actuator position of an electromechanical component or controlling and allowing access to an electromechanical component, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0078] The PMIC 624 may manage the power provided to various components of the UE 600. Specifically, with respect to the processor 604, the PMIC 624 may control power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0079] The battery 628 may power the UE 600, but in some examples, the UE 600 may be installed in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the power grid. The battery 628 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, the battery 628 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0080] Figure 7 A base station 700 is shown according to some embodiments. The base station 700 may be similar to Figure 1 the base station 78 and may be substantially interchangeable therewith.

[0081] The base station 700 may include a processor 704, an RF interface circuit 708, a core network (CN) interface circuit 712, a memory / storage device circuit 716, and an antenna structure 726.

[0082] The components of base station 700 can be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 728.

[0083] The processor 704, RF interface circuit 708, memory / storage device circuit 716 (including communication protocol stack 710), antenna structure 726, and interconnector 728 are similar to those in the reference citation. Figure 6 Similar named elements are shown and described.

[0084] The CN interface circuit 712 can provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a 5G core network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol such as Carrier Ethernet or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity can be provided to / from base station 700 via fiber optic or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 712 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 712 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0085] In some implementations, base station 700 may be coupled to transmit-receive point (TRP) using antenna structure 726, CN interface circuitry or other interface circuitry.

[0086] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0087] 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, or methods as described in the Examples section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples below. Similarly, 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 examples shown in the Examples section below.

[0088] Example

[0089] Further exemplary implementations are provided in the following sections.

[0090] Example 1 includes a method for operating user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving configuration information of one or more candidate cells from a serving cell; identifying one or more execution conditions for conditional handover (CHO) or conditional primary / secondary cell change (CPC) relative to the one or more candidate cells; detecting a triggering event to reduce the uplink transmit power in the serving cell based on a maximum allowed exposure (MPE) limit; and initiating a handover to a target cell among the one or more candidate cells based on detecting the triggering event in the event that the one or more execution conditions are not met.

[0091] Example 2 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: determining that the uplink transmit power will be reduced from a first level to a second level to comply with the MPE limit; and performing a handover to the target cell based on the second level.

[0092] Example 3 includes the method according to Example 1 or 2, further comprising: determining the signaling conditions in the target cell; and further performing a handover to the target cell based on the signaling conditions.

[0093] Example 4 includes the method according to Example 3, wherein determining the signaling conditions includes: determining the available uplink transmit power to the target cell or the signal quality of the downlink signal of the target cell.

[0094] Example 5 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: calculating throughput relative to the serving cell or the target cell; and performing the handover based on the throughput.

[0095] Example 6 includes the method according to Example 1, wherein detecting the triggering event includes: sensing body proximity.

[0096] Example 7 includes the method according to Example 1, wherein the target cell is a neighboring cell or the primary cell of the secondary cell group.

[0097] Example 8 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: identifying the target cell from the one or more candidate cells based on measurements of the target cell.

[0098] Example 9 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: transmitting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the target cell, the RRC message including an indication that the handover has been completed in the absence of one or more execution conditions; or transmitting a Media Access Control (MAC) element (CE) to the serving cell, the MAC CE including an indication that the handover has been completed in the absence of one or more execution conditions.

[0099] Example 10 includes a method for operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving configuration information of a target cell from a serving cell; identifying one or more execution conditions for a conditional handover (CHO) or conditional primary / secondary cell (PSCell) change (CPC) to the target cell; detecting an approaching body based on body proximity sensing (BPS) operation; and initiating a handover to the target cell based on detecting the approaching body in the absence of the one or more execution conditions being met.

[0100] Example 11 includes the method according to Example 10, further comprising: comparing the serving cell throughput adjusted based on available exposure mitigation techniques with a threshold or target cell throughput; and initiating the handover to the target cell based on the comparison of the adjusted serving cell throughput with the threshold or the target cell throughput.

[0101] Example 12 includes the method according to Example 11, wherein the available exposure mitigation techniques include: reducing uplink transmit power; reducing average uplink transmit power by reducing uplink duty cycle; or changing uplink transmit beam.

[0102] Example 13 includes the method according to Example 11, wherein an exposure mitigation technique is used to reduce directional exposure based on a maximum permissible exposure limit.

[0103] Example 14 includes the method according to Example 10, further comprising: determining signaling conditions in the target cell; and further performing a handover to the target cell based on the signaling conditions.

[0104] Example 15 includes the method according to Example 10, wherein the target cell is a neighboring cell or the primary cell of the secondary cell group.

[0105] Example 16 includes the method according to Example 10, further comprising: receiving configuration information of a plurality of candidate cells; and identifying a target cell from the plurality of candidate cells based on measurements of the target cell.

[0106] Example 17 includes the method according to Example 10, further comprising: transmitting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the target cell, the RRC message including an indication that the handover has been completed in the absence of one or more execution conditions; or transmitting a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) to the serving cell, the MAC CE including an indication that the handover has been completed in the absence of one or more execution conditions.

[0107] Example 18 includes the method according to Example 10, wherein initiating the handover includes: initiating synchronization with the target cell.

[0108] Example 19 includes a method of operating a base station, the method comprising: transmitting a measurement configuration relative to one or more neighboring cells to a user equipment (UE); identifying at least one candidate cell from the one or more neighboring cells based on a measurement report received from the UE; transmitting information to the UE to configure a first execution condition for a conditional handover (CHO) or conditional primary / secondary cell change (CPC) to a target cell among the at least one candidate cell, and configuring a second execution condition for an early CHO or early CPC based on body positioning sensing or a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limit.

[0109] Example 20 includes the method according to Example 19, further comprising: receiving a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) from the UE, the MAC CE including an indication that the UE will switch to the target cell if the first execution condition is not met.

[0110] Example 21 may include an apparatus comprising one or more elements for performing the method or any other method or process described herein, as described in or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0111] Example 22 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including 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 any other method or process described herein, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0112] Example 23 may include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of the method described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20 or any other method or process described herein.

[0113] Example 24 may include a method, technique, or process, or a part or component thereof, described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0114] Example 25 may include an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process, or a portion thereof, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0115] Example 26 may include a signal, or a portion thereof, described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0116] Example 27 may include a datagram, information element, packet, frame, segment, PDU or message, or a portion or component thereof, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0117] Example 28 may include a signal encoded with data according to or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20, or a portion or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0118] Example 29 may include a signal, or a portion or component thereof, encoded as a datagram, IE, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0119] Example 30 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process, or a portion thereof, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0120] Example 31 may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform, or in part with, the methods, techniques or processes described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0121] Example 32 may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0122] Example 33 may include methods for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0123] Example 34 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0124] Example 35 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0125] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the examples above may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In light of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be derived from practice of various embodiments.

[0126] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media (CRMs), said one or more CRMs having instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, equip a user (UE): Receive configuration information for one or more candidate cells from the serving cell; Identify one or more execution conditions for a conditional handover (CHO) or conditional primary / secondary cell (PSCell) change (CPC) relative to the one or more candidate cells; The detection triggers an event to reduce the uplink transmit power in the serving cell based on the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limit; as well as A handover to a target cell among the one or more candidate cells is initiated based on the detection of the triggering event when one or more execution conditions are not met.

2. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, When the instruction is executed, it further causes the UE to: The uplink transmit power is determined to be reduced from a first level to a second level to comply with the MPE limit; and The handover to the target cell is performed based on the second level.

3. One or more CRMs according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, When the instruction is executed, it further causes the UE to: Determine the signaling conditions in the target cell; and The handover to the target cell is then performed based on the signaling conditions.

4. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, To determine signaling conditions, the UE is used to: Determine the available uplink transmit power to the target cell or the signal quality of the downlink signal to the target cell.

5. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, When the instruction is executed, it further causes the UE to: Calculate throughput relative to the serving cell or the target cell; and The switching is performed based on the said throughput.

6. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, In order to detect the triggering event, the UE is configured to: Detects body proximity.

7. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, The target cell is either an adjacent cell or the main cell of the auxiliary cell group.

8. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, When the instruction is executed, it further causes the UE to: The target cell is identified from one or more candidate cells based on measurements of the target cell.

9. One or more CRMs according to claim 1, wherein, When the instruction is executed, it further causes the UE to: Transmit a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the target cell, the RRC message including an indication that the handover has been completed even if one or more of the execution conditions have not been met; or The serving cell is transmitted a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), the MAC CE including an indication that the handover has been completed in the absence of one or more of the execution conditions.

10. An apparatus comprising: Memory; and Processing circuitry, coupled to the memory and configured to: Receive configuration information of the target cell from the serving cell and store the configuration information in the memory; Identify one or more execution conditions for a conditional handover (CHO) or conditional primary / secondary cell change (CPC) to the target cell; Detecting approaching bodies based on Body Proximity Sensing (BPS) operation; as well as A handover to the target cell is initiated based on the detection of an approaching body in the absence of one or more of the aforementioned execution conditions.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The processing circuit is further used for: Compare the serving cell throughput adjusted based on available exposure mitigation techniques with a threshold or target cell throughput; as well as The handover to the target cell is initiated based on a comparison between the adjusted serving cell throughput and the threshold or the target cell throughput.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The available exposure mitigation techniques include: Reduce uplink transmit power; The average uplink transmit power is reduced by decreasing the uplink duty cycle; or Change the uplink transmit beam.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The available exposure mitigation techniques are used to reduce directional exposure based on the maximum permissible exposure limit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The processing circuit is further used for: Determine the signaling conditions in the target cell; and The handover to the target cell is then performed based on the signaling conditions.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The target cell is either an adjacent cell or the main cell of the auxiliary cell group.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The processing circuit is further used for: Receive configuration information from multiple candidate cells; and The target cell is identified from the plurality of candidate cells based on measurements of the target cell.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein, The processing circuit is further used for: Transmit a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the target cell, the RRC message including an indication that the handover has been completed even if one or more of the execution conditions have not been met; or The serving cell is transmitted a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), the MAC CE including an indication that the handover has been completed in the absence of one or more of the execution conditions.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, In order to initiate the switching, the processing circuit is used to: Initiate synchronization with the target cell.

19. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising: Transmit measurement configurations relative to one or more neighboring cells to the user equipment (UE); Identify at least one candidate cell from the one or more neighboring cells based on the measurement report received from the UE; as well as The system transmits information to the UE to configure a first execution condition for a conditional handover (CHO) or conditional primary / secondary cell change (CPC) to a target cell in at least one of the candidate cells, and configures a second execution condition for an early CHO or early CPC based on body positioning sensing or a maximum allowable exposure (MPE) limit if one or more of the first execution conditions are not met.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: The UE receives a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), the MAC CE including an indication that the UE wants to hand over to the target cell if the first execution condition is not met.

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