User equipment, network and method used therein in a communication system

Abstract

A user equipment in a communication system, a network and methods used thereby are disclosed. The user equipment comprises a receiver; and a transmitter, wherein the receiver is configured to receive first information and second information from the network, the first information indicating at least one parameter for cell selection, the second information indicating an offset value for a supplementary uplink carrier, SUL carrier, wherein a cell selection criterion for a cell is fulfilled in case the first parameter exceeds 0 and the second parameter exceeds 0, and the first parameter is obtained based on the first information and the second information in case the SUL carrier is supported by the UE.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application No. 201880062424.7, filed on September 25, 2018, entitled "Cell Selection Based on User Capabilities". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to communication systems. In particular, but not exclusively, this invention relates to wireless communication systems and apparatuses operating according to 3GPP standards or their equivalents or derivatives. In particular, but not exclusively, this invention relates to a mechanism for sharing the provision and use of supplementary uplink (SUL) carrier frequencies between so-called New Radio (NR) / Next Generation (NG) / 5G communication equipment and Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication equipment. Background Technology

[0003] The latest developments in 3GPP standards are known as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and the Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), also commonly referred to as "4G". Additionally, the terms "5G" and "New Radio" (NR) refer to evolving communication technologies expected to support a wide range of applications and services. For example, various details about 5G networks are described in the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance's "NGMN 5G White Paper" V1.0, which is available at https: / / www.ngmn.org / 5g-white-paper.html. 3GPP aims to support 5G through the so-called 3GPP Next Generation Radio Access Network (RAN) and 3GPP Next Generation Core (NGC) network.

[0004] According to 3GPP standards, a NodeB (or "eNB" in LTE, "gNB" in 5G) is a base station through which a communication device (User Equipment or "UE") connects to the core network and communicates with other communication devices or remote servers. The communication device can be, for example, a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, user equipment, personal digital assistant, laptop / tablet computer, web browser, and / or e-book reader. Such mobile (or even generally fixed) devices are typically operated by the user (but they can also connect so-called "Internet of Things" devices and similar machine-type communication devices to the network). For simplicity, this application will use the term "base station" to refer to any such base station, and the terms "mobile device" or "UE" to refer to any such communication device. The core network (e.g., EPC in the case of LTE or NGC in the case of NR / 5G) hosts functions such as subscriber management, mobility management, billing, security, and call / session management, and provides connectivity from the communication device to external networks such as the Internet.

[0005] 3GPP Technical Report (TR) 23.799 V14.0.0 describes the possible architecture and general process for NextGen (5G) systems planned for Release 14 of the 3GPP standard. 3GPP also studied the potential use of frequency bands up to 100 GHz for new (5G) radio access networks (using NR radio technology), where, in Rel-15, the maximum channel bandwidth for each NR carrier is 400 MHz. Directional beamforming and massive MIMO techniques can also be used to overcome the severe channel attenuation characteristics associated with certain high-frequency bands (e.g., millimeter-wave bands). The term "massive MIMO" refers to an antenna having a large number of antenna elements (e.g., 100 or more) arranged in an array. Effectively, such massive MIMO can be used to communicate with multiple users simultaneously, thereby facilitating multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) transmission. In the case of MU-MIMO, the base station can also be referred to as a transmit-receive point (TRP).

[0006] It has been proposed that a UE can be configured with multiple uplink (UL) carriers at different frequencies, including at least one LTE carrier at a first frequency and at least one NR carrier at a different second carrier frequency. In one supported example, the UE may (at a given time) be limited to operating on a single UL carrier of a given carrier pair including the LTE and NR carriers. However, it is also supported for the UE to operate on two (or more) UL carriers simultaneously.

[0007] In addition, it has been proposed that supplemental uplink (SUL) frequencies should be provided (e.g., on LTE frequencies) to support situations where, from the NR perspective (e.g., near the edge of an NR cell), the carrier only has downlink resources, or using NR frequencies would be less ideal (e.g., the UE cannot use the entire NR bandwidth or the UE does not need to do so).

[0008] 3GPP aims to support the coexistence of LTE UL and NR UL within the bandwidth of LTE component carriers (as well as the coexistence of LTE DL and NRDL). Therefore, applicable SUL frequencies can be frequencies shared between LTE and NR (at least for NR spectrum below 6 GHz). Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention seeks to provide methods and related devices that support or improve one or more of the above proposals / protocols in an efficient and effective manner.

[0010] Specifically, the inventors have recognized that, based on current assumptions, an asymmetry / imbalance may arise between the respective coverage areas of the NR downlink and NR uplink. In other words, due to the way the downlink and uplink operate in NR, the service area in the downlink may be much larger than the service area in the uplink (assuming all corresponding parameters are substantially the same). This could result in some UEs being able to receive DL communication from a particular base station but failing to successfully send UL communication to that base station. Furthermore, even if a UE is able to use NR UL resources to send to a base station, in some cases (at least for UEs that cannot use the entire NR bandwidth), UL resource utilization may still be relatively poor.

[0011] This asymmetry / imbalance can be illustrated, for example, in the case of a time-division duplex (TDD) deployment in the 3.5 GHz NR band, where the following assumptions apply:

[0012] -Using massive MIMO (typical structure 64T64R with 128 / 256 antenna elements);

[0013] - Due to beam scanning and / or other techniques (such as power boosting), it is expected that all NR physical common and control channels in the DL will match or exceed the coverage of the NR physical downlink shared channel (NR-PDSCH) at their maximum beamforming range.

[0014] - The UL / DL business asymmetry is expected to be severely biased by DL (e.g., 1:3 to 1:10);

[0015] - To support this business asymmetry, UL / DL transmission times will also be highly asymmetric (e.g., at least 1:3); and

[0016] -UE power is much lower than DL power and is fixed, while DL power can be scaled proportionally by the base station to the bandwidth used.

[0017] Based on the above, it is assumed that the coverage of UL (e.g., the NR physical uplink shared channel, i.e., "NR-PUSCH") can be 10 to 15 dB lower than that of DL (in TDD with a downlink-oriented UL / DL frame structure of 1:3 and a PUSCH / PDSCH data rate asymmetry of 1:10).

[0018] Due to beamforming, the coverage of the PDSCH at 3.5 GHz will be very similar to the UL coverage in lower frequency division duplex (FDD) bands (e.g., LTE bands operating below 2000 MHz), depending on the relative data rate considered.

[0019] Although this asymmetry / imbalance can be addressed by properly pairing the 3.5 GHz carrier with the low FDD band (or SUL band), cell management and cell selection may still remain issues when SUL is in place.

[0020] In one exemplary aspect, the present invention provides a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communication system, the method comprising: receiving cell selection information from a base station for selecting a cell operated by the base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication; measuring a signal transmitted on the first carrier; and determining, based on the measurement of the first carrier, the received cell selection information, and the UE's ability to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection; wherein the cell selection information includes: first cell selection information for determining whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection based on the measurement of the first carrier when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and second cell selection information for determining whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection based on the measurement of the first carrier when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0021] In another exemplary aspect, the present invention provides a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communication system, the method comprising: receiving a measurement configuration from a radio access network (RAN) for measuring a cell operated by a base station of the RAN, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication; measuring a signal transmitted on the first carrier based on the received measurement configuration; and determining whether to report the measurement result to the RAN based on the measurement of the first carrier and the UE's ability to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; wherein the measurement configuration includes: a first measurement configuration for determining whether to report the measurement result to the RAN based on the measurement of the first carrier when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and a second measurement configuration for determining whether to report the measurement result to the RAN based on the measurement of the first carrier when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0022] In one exemplary aspect, the present invention provides a method performed by a base station in a cellular communication system, the method comprising: sending cell selection information to a user equipment (UE) for selecting a cell operated by the base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication; wherein the cell selection information comprises: first cell selection information for determining, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and second cell selection information for determining, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0023] In another exemplary aspect, the present invention provides a method performed by a radio access network (RAN) device in a cellular communication system, the method comprising: sending a measurement configuration to a user equipment (UE) for measuring a cell operated by a base station of the RAN, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and receiving a measurement result corresponding to the measurement configuration; wherein the measurement configuration includes: a first measurement configuration for determining, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether to report the measurement result to the RAN device if the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and a second measurement configuration for determining, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether to report the measurement result to the RAN device if the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0024] Exemplary aspects of the present invention extend to corresponding devices, systems, and computer program products such as computer-readable storage media storing instructions operable to program a programmable processor to perform the methods described in the exemplary aspects and possibilities set forth above or in the claims, and / or to program a suitably adapted computer to provide the device described in any of the claims.

[0025] Features disclosed in this specification (the term includes claims) and / or illustrated in the drawings may be included in this invention separately (or in combination with) any other disclosed and / or illustrated features. Specifically, but not limitingly, features of any claim dependent on a particular independent claim may be introduced into the independent claim in any combination or individually. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram of a type of cellular telecommunications system to which this invention can be applied;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A simplified diagram of the supplementary uplink in the system shown;

[0029] Figure 3 It can be formed Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of user equipment, representing a portion of the system, is shown below.

[0030] Figure 4 It is formed Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of the radio access network equipment, which is a part of the system shown; and

[0031] Figure 5a It is possible Figure 1 The system provides a simplified diagram of some typical methods for supplementing uplink carriers.

[0032] Figure 5b It is possible Figure 1 The system provides a simplified diagram of some typical methods for supplementing uplink carriers. Detailed Implementation

[0033] summary

[0034] Figure 1A telecommunications network 1 is schematically illustrated, in which user equipment (UE) 3 (mobile phones and / or other communication devices) can communicate with each other via radio access network (RAN) equipment 5. In the illustrated example, RAN equipment 5 includes an LTE base station or “eNB” 5-1 and an NR / 5G base station or “gNB” 5-2 using appropriate radio access technologies (RATs). In this example, UE 3 is capable of communicating via the eNB 5 portion of RAN 5 as an LTE UE 3-1 supporting at least LTE radio access technology. UE 3 is also capable of communicating via the gNB 5-2 portion of RAN 5 as an NR / 5G UE 3-2 supporting one or more 5G radio access technologies. However, it should be understood that UE 3 does not need to have LTE capability and may only support 5G capability. UE 3 may be able to perform carrier aggregation (CA) to combine resources of more than one cell (including resources of LTE cells and NR cells) for parallel communication via aggregated cells (or “component carriers” as mentioned in CA). CA can be used to increase the bandwidth available to a given UE 3, and in this case, it can be used to provide supplementary uplink (SUL) resources to cells that are using downlinks via different cells.

[0035] As those skilled in the art will understand, although for illustrative purposes... Figure 1 The diagram shows a mobile device 3 (with three possible UE configurations) and a base station 5, but in practice, the system will typically include other base stations and mobile devices. For example, LTE and NR cells can be provided via their respective base stations where appropriate.

[0036] In this example, the RAN's eNB 5-1 and gNB 5-2 are located at the same location as the base stations operating one or more relevant cells. UE 3 connects to the appropriate cell by establishing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with base stations 5-1 and 5-2 that operate the appropriate cell (depending on UE 3's location and other possible factors such as signal conditions, subscription data, and / or capabilities).

[0037] RAN 5 is connected to core network 7 via a suitable interface. Core network 7 includes the NR / 5G functions required to support UE 3's communication via gNB 5-2. Core network 7 includes, for example, functions for providing control plane management, user plane management, mobility management, etc. Core network 7 also includes some or all of the EPC functions for supporting UE 3's communication via eNB 5-1.

[0038] UE 3 and RAN 5 are configured to use multiple carriers (or “component carriers”) for uplink (UL) communication from UE 3 to RAN 5 and downlink (DL) communication from RAN 5 to UE 3. These UL and DL carriers operate on multiple different carrier frequencies. In this example, the UL carriers include a SUL carrier on a supplementary uplink (SUL) frequency (F1 in the illustrated example) and a carrier on at least one other possible frequency (e.g., an NR UL carrier on a corresponding UL frequency (F2 and possibly F3, if F3 is configured for both DL and UL communication) different from the SUL carrier). In this example, the SUL carrier operates on a frequency within the range used in LTE, and therefore can be shared between LTE and NR where appropriate (e.g., where LTE UL and NR UL share UL subframes with LTE frequencies). However, it should be understood that the SUL carrier can be a dedicated NR UL carrier and can operate in frequency ranges not typically used for LTE, or the SUL carrier can be an LTE band / carrier dedicated to NR UL. The UL carrier may also include other UL carriers (e.g., LTE-dedicated UL carriers on other frequencies). In this example, the DL carrier includes at least one carrier for NR DL transmission on a frequency (F3) different from the uplink (UL) frequency, and at least one carrier for LTE DL transmission on a frequency (Fn) different from the NR DL frequency.

[0039] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates a typical NR cell with both DL and UL portions on the NR band / high frequency (left) and SUL on the LTE band / low frequency (right). In this example, the SUL utilizes NR technology but operates on the LTE band (e.g., carrier F1). As shown, as a whole cell (both UL and DL), the cell with SUL has a larger coverage area compared to a cell without SUL (i.e., only the case shown in the left diagram), because NR coverage can only be fully utilized in areas with both DL and UL coverage (the smaller dotted area in the left diagram). It should be understood that although... Figure 2 For illustrative purposes, NR carriers and SULs are shown separately, but they are typically operated by the same base station equipment (e.g., gNB 5-2).

[0040] More specifically, the coverage of NR-PDSCH is approximately 10 to 15 dB higher than that of NR-PUSCH (under the same or similar conditions). In a deployed system, this means that UE 3 can receive NR-PDSCH at a greater distance relative to base station 5 than the maximum distance still required to ensure successful uplink transmission from UE 3 to base station 5 via NR-PUSCH within the same cell. This is due to the asymmetry / imbalance between the respective coverage areas of the NR downlink and NR uplink as explained above (e.g., due to beamforming on the downlink and / or power scaling performed by base station 5).

[0041] However, in this example, the SUL is provided via a different frequency (carrier), preferably via a frequency (carrier) that may provide better UL coverage for UE 3 compared to the NR-PDSCH frequency (carrier). Specifically, a lower frequency band (e.g., LTE carrier F1) can be used to provide the SUL, the coverage of which is comparable to that of the NR-PDSCH (e.g., they can be substantially the same). Therefore, as shown on the right-hand side, UE 3 can use the SUL to transmit its signal via (NR-)PUSCH and (NR-)PUCCH.

[0042] It should be noted that Figure 2 The so-called Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) is also shown, which is a reference signal transmitted by UE 3 in the uplink direction. In this example, the SRS is transmitted via SUL, although it can also be transmitted in the NR band. Base station 5 uses the SRS to estimate uplink channel quality over a wider bandwidth, and in some cases, the SRS is used for uplink timing estimation as part of the timing calibration process for UE 3 (e.g., in the absence of PUSCH / PUCCH transmission in the uplink).

[0043] In practice, base station 5 configures UE 3 to use a downlink carrier (e.g., NR) and a SUL carrier as a component / supplementary carrier (e.g., LTE), and uses both carriers to communicate with base station 5. Therefore, in this example, a UE supporting SUL may benefit from a relatively larger useful cell coverage (combined UL and DL) compared to a UE that does not support SUL. It should be understood that the provision of the SUL component of the NR cell is similar to carrier aggregation (CA) of the frequency band containing the NR cell's carrier and the SUL as a component carrier.

[0044] It should be understood that this SUL can be provided as a standalone SUL for use solely by NR radio access technology (in which case the uplink resources of the SUL are not shared with the LTE UE). However, the SUL can also be provided as a shared SUL for use by both NR and LTE UEs. In the case of a shared SUL, there are two options:

[0045] -UE 3 does not have both SUL and LTE UL configured simultaneously; and

[0046] -UE 3 is configured with both LTE and SUL (in this case, SUL and LTE UL can share the same spectrum via TDM / FDM).

[0047] Now back Figure 1 Base station 5 is configured to facilitate initial cell access for UEs within its coverage area, enabling UEs to benefit from the use of SUL (and / or potentially larger coverage).

[0048] In a 3GPP system, base station 5 broadcasts appropriate information (e.g., parameters to be used and / or UE measurements) to calculate a relevant cell selection criterion "S" to facilitate cell selection and initial cell access. Based on this cell selection criterion "S", UE 3 can evaluate whether to pre-occupy a specific cell (e.g., when UE 3 is operating in RRC idle or inactive mode). Similarly, this cell selection criterion S can be used when selecting a suitable handover cell (e.g., a neighboring cell). Cell selection criterion S includes a set of subcriterions, such as the "Srxlev" subcriterion for specifying the cell selection receiver (RX) level value (dB) and the "Squal" subcriterion for specifying the cell selection quality value (dB). Cell selection criterion S (for a given cell) is satisfied if Srxlev > 0 and Squal > 0 (for a given cell).

[0049] Advantageously, in this system, UE 3 (assuming it has SUL capability) is able to select an appropriate (NR) cell with SUL component (even if the cell selection criterion S of that cell is not met), and thus benefits from the relatively large uplink coverage that can be obtained via SUL (compared to uplink coverage obtained only via cell).

[0050] More specifically, base station 5 is configured to transmit (broadcast) appropriate cell selection criteria S to facilitate UE3's initial access to a cell among the base station's neighboring cells. In this case, cell selection criteria S includes SUL-related offsets and SUL information (e.g., frequency band and / or channel number, etc.) from the system information broadcast by base station 5. Therefore, in practice, UE 3 can be configured to relax cell selection criteria S (by the amount indicated by the offset) and select a cell that would otherwise not meet the minimum cell selection criteria (no offset according to cell selection criteria S). Figure 2 In the example shown, instead of the dotted area shown in the left-hand diagram (representing the coverage area of ​​gNB 5-2 that can provide both UL and DL via NR carriers, e.g., F2 / F3), UE 3 can advantageously select a cell within the larger dotted area shown in the right-hand diagram (representing the coverage area of ​​SUL, e.g., F1) and perform both UL and DL communication by combining (e.g., by carrier aggregation) carriers (F1+F3 in this example).

[0051] In other cases, the offset can be useful in helping UE 3 select a cell that (although it meets the minimum cell selection criterion, it would not be selected as the strongest cell without considering the SUL-related offset) (i.e., the offset can be used to increase the likelihood of a particular cell being selected by UE 3).

[0052] Advantageously, UE 3 can apply an offset to one of the two sub-standards of S (Srxlev or Squal) or both, where different offset values ​​can be applied to each sub-standard.

[0053] Therefore, UE 3 can select an appropriate cell (e.g., for pre-occupancy) by taking into account the impact of the SUL provided along with the selected cell. On the other hand, if no SUL is provided in the cell (or UE 3 cannot use a combination of SUL cells), UE 3 can apply the cell selection criterion S in the normal manner, thereby preventing UE 3 from selecting an NR cell outside the PUSCH of that cell (even if it is within the coverage of the PDSCH).

[0054] To facilitate appropriate cell selection by UE 3, the base stations of this system are configured to share their cell's applicable frequency configuration, including any relevant SUL information and applicable SUL offsets, by considering whether SULs are provided for a specific cell. This information (neighbor SUL information) can be broadcast by each base station 5 to assist UE 3 in idle mode cell (re)selection. Furthermore, when base station 5 configures UE 3 to perform cell measurements (e.g., as part of a connected mode mobility process), base station 5 can also include (or apply) any such neighbor SUL information (e.g., offsets) in the measurement configuration.

[0055] It should be understood that (SUL) offsets can include: frequency-specific offsets (e.g., where all NR cells on the frequency pair have the same / similar SUL); or cell-specific offsets (e.g., in other cases).

[0056] It should be understood that UE 3 may be configured to conditionally (e.g., only if UE 3 has SUL capability and supports that particular carrier combination, and / or UE 3 primarily has downlink (or uplink) data and / or depends on the priority associated with UE 3 and / or the services used by UE 3) apply SUL offset / information in its cell selection.

[0057] User equipment

[0058] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 The diagram shows a block diagram of the main components of UE 3 (e.g., a mobile phone or other user equipment). As shown, UE 3 has transceiver circuitry 31 that operatively transmits and receives signals from base stations 5-1 and 5-2 of RAN 5 via one or more antennas 33. Mobile device 3 has a controller 37 for controlling the operation of mobile device 3. Controller 37 is associated with memory 39 and coupled to transceiver circuitry 31. Although operation of mobile device 3 is not necessarily required, mobile device 3 can of course have all the common functions of conventional mobile phone 3 (such as user interface 35, etc.), and these functions can be appropriately provided through any one or any combination of hardware, software, and firmware. For example, software can be pre-installed in memory 39 and / or can be downloaded via a telecommunications network or from a removable data storage device (RMD).

[0059] In this example, controller 37 is configured to control the overall operation of UE 3 via program instructions or software instructions stored in memory 39. As shown, these software instructions include operating system 41, communication control module 43 containing multiple radio access technology modules (such as LTE module 44 and NR / 5G module 45) for accessing compatible radio access networks, supplementary uplink module 46, and mobility management module 47, etc.

[0060] The communication control module 43 is operable to control communication between UE 3 and base stations 5-1 and 5-2 (and other communication devices connected to base stations 5-1 and 5-2, such as other mobile devices and / or network nodes). The LTE module 44 is responsible for enabling the UE to operate as an LTE UE 3-1, and is specifically used to manage communication with the eNB 5-1 (e.g., a 3G / 4G base station) operating according to the current LTE standard, and other nodes / devices connected to such base stations. The NR / 5G module 45 is responsible for enabling the UE to operate as an NR / 5G UE 3-2, and is specifically used to manage communication with the gNB 5-2 operating according to the NextGen (5G) standard, and other nodes / devices connected to such NextGen base stations.

[0061] The supplementary uplink module 46 operatively controls UE 3 to configure and communicate via the appropriate SUL. Such communication may, for example, involve generating, sending, and receiving messages using PUSCH and / or PUCCH (including NR-PUSCH / NR-PUCCH). As described in more detail elsewhere, UE 3 can obtain the necessary parameters for the SUL using its supplementary uplink module 46 (e.g., from system information / cell selection criteria S broadcast by base station 5), including the offset associated with the specific cell for which the SUL is enabled.

[0062] Mobility management module 47 is operable to control processes (including measurement and reporting) related to UE 3's mobility (such as cell selection). Mobility management module 47 is operable to consider any SUL-specific parameters (offsets and / or other SUL information from supplementary uplink module 46) when considering whether a specific cell can be selected.

[0063] RAN equipment (base station)

[0064] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 The block diagram of the main components of the RAN device (base station 5) is shown. As shown, the RAN device 5 has a transceiver circuit 51 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a communication device (such as UE 3) via one or more antennas 53, at least one base station interface 55 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from a neighboring base station, and at least one core network interface 56 for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the core network 7.

[0065] RAN device 5 has a controller 57 for controlling the operation of RAN device 5. Controller 57 is associated with memory 59. Although Figure 4While not necessarily shown, RAN device 5 will certainly have all the common functions of a cellular telephone network base station, and these functions can be appropriately provided through any one or any combination of hardware, software, and firmware. For example, software may be pre-installed in memory 59 and / or can be downloaded via telecommunications network 1 or from a removable data storage device (RMD). In this example, controller 57 is configured to control the overall operation of RAN device 5 via program instructions or software instructions stored in memory 59. As shown, these software instructions include operating system 61, communication control module 63 containing multiple base station modules (such as eNB module 65 and gNB module 67, etc.) for providing the functions of the respective base stations, and supplementary uplink management module 68, etc.

[0066] The communication control module 63 is operable to control communication between the RAN device 5 and the UE 3 (and other network entities connected to the RAN device 5). The eNB module 65 is responsible for enabling the RAN device 5 to operate as an eNB 5-1, and is specifically used to manage communication with the UE 3 (and / or one or more LTE-dedicated UEs) operating according to the current LTE standard. The gNB module 67 is responsible for enabling the RAN device 5 to operate as a gNB 5-2, and is specifically used to manage communication with the UE 3 (and / or one or more NR-dedicated UEs) operating as an NR UE according to the NextGen (5G) standard.

[0067] The supplementary uplink management module 68 is operable to control UE 3 within the coverage area of ​​base station 5 for communication via appropriate SUL (including cell selection and associated measurement configuration). For example, the supplementary uplink management module 68 can generate, transmit, and receive messages using PUSCH and / or PUCCH (including NR-PUSCH / NR-PUCCH). Where applicable, the supplementary uplink management module 68 can provide the UE with SUL-related offsets and / or other information (for the base station itself and optional neighboring cells) via system information broadcast.

[0068] In the above description, for ease of understanding, UE 3 and base station 5 are described as having multiple discrete modules (such as a communication control module and a SUL / SUL management module). While these modules may be provided in this manner for certain applications (e.g., where an existing system has been modified to implement the present invention), in other applications, such as systems designed from the outset with the features of the present invention in mind, these modules may be integrated into the entire operating system or code, and therefore these modules may not be identifiable as discrete entities.

[0069] Operation - Provide Supplemental Uplink (SUL)

[0070] Figure 5a This illustrates a typical scenario for providing SUL and NR carriers (at least for DL) to user equipment within the coverage area of ​​a base station. Specifically, in this example, an 80MHz DL (or DL / UL) carrier is provided via an appropriate NR cell (using TDD in this case, but FDD can also be used in other systems). Some UEs (referred to as "UE1" in this example), for example, are located within the NR-PUSCH coverage area of ​​base station 5 ( Figure 2 The UE within the smaller dotted circle can be configured to use NR carriers for both downlink and uplink communication.

[0071] However, some UEs (referred to as "UE2" in this example) can be configured to use an NR carrier for downlink communication (or both downlink and uplink communication) and an appropriate SUL carrier for uplink communication. In this example, the SUL is provided via an additional 10MHz carrier (using a suitable FDD band), and compatible UEs can be configured to combine or aggregate the SUL with the NR carrier (using CA) when communicating with base station 5.

[0072] Due to beamforming (and / or other techniques that gNB 5-2 may use), the coverage of the NR-PDSCH at 3.5 GHz may be very similar to the UL coverage in a low FDD (e.g., LTE) band (depending on relative data rates, etc.). Therefore, advantageously, this pairing of the 3.5 GHz carrier with the low FDD band (SUL band) may result in improved overall coverage for base station 5.

[0073] Figure 5b (Dashed lines) This illustrates some possible ways in which NR carriers can be combined with LTE carriers (or possibly different NR carriers in lower frequency bands) to provide an appropriate SUL for UE 3. In one option (denoted as "Scenario 1"), there is a standalone SUL for NR use only. In another option (in... Figure 5b In scenario 2 (referred to as "Scenario 2"), multiple radio access technologies (e.g., NR and LTE using TDM or FDM) can be used to share the SUL. This scenario can also be referred to as a shared or "non-standalone" SUL. However, it should be understood that... Figure 5b Any combination of the possibilities shown can also be within the same base station / RAN (for different UEs or UE groups).

[0074] Operation - Cell (re)selection with SUL in place

[0075] exist Figure 1In the typical system shown, when using a standalone SUL, base station 5 can be advantageously configured to transmit (broadcast) appropriate cell selection criteria S for facilitating UE 3's initial access to the base station's cell. Specifically, in this case, cell selection criteria S includes the SUL-related offset and SUL information (e.g., frequency band, absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN)) from the system information broadcast by base station 5. Thus, in practice, UE 3 can be configured (using its mobility management module 47) to relax cell selection criteria S (by the amount indicated by the offset) and select a cell that would otherwise not meet the minimum cell selection criteria (no offset according to cell selection criteria S).

[0076] Advantageously, UE 3 can apply an offset to one of the two sub-standards of S (Srxlev or Squal) or both, where different offset values ​​can be applied to each sub-standard.

[0077] Upon receiving the system information broadcast by base station 5, during cell selection as part of the mobility process, UE 3 is configured (using its SUL module 46) to perform one or more of the following actions:

[0078] - Apply offset (e.g., in the case where UE 3 has SUL capability and supports that particular carrier combination);

[0079] - Apply offset / relaxed S when UE 3 primarily has downlink data;

[0080] - Apply offset / relaxed S when UE 3 has higher priority, or the service used / requested by UE 3 has higher priority, or UE 3 uses a specific service.

[0081] Therefore, UE 3 can (using its mobility management module 47) select an appropriate cell for pre-occupancy by taking into account the impact of the SUL provided along with the selected cell. On the other hand, if no SUL is provided in the cell (or UE 3 cannot use a combination of SUL cells), UE 3 can apply the cell selection criterion S in the usual manner, thereby preventing UE 3 from selecting an NR cell outside the PUSCH of that cell (even if it is within the coverage of the PDSCH).

[0082] In the case of idle mode movement (in a standalone SUL scenario), UE 3 and base station 5 are configured to perform the following actions as part of the UE's cell selection / reselection process:

[0083] - Base station 5 (using its SUL management module 68) obtains the frequency configurations applied by its neighbors (cells / base stations), including any relevant SUL information and the applicable offsets of the SULs (this can be done, for example, via Operation and Maintenance (OAM) or a neighbor information exchange process);

[0084] - Base station 5 (using its communication control module 63 in the system information) broadcasts information related to its NR neighbor frequencies and cells, including any offset of SUL and / or SUL frequency information;

[0085] - In the case where a SUL exists in the candidate cell (and UE 3 has SUL capability / is able to use the specific SUL), UE 3 (e.g., after obtaining the necessary system information using its communication control module 43) (using its SUL module 46) applies the offset.

[0086] -UE 3 may also need to read the system information of the measured (neighboring) cell to obtain the applicable SUL information for that cell.

[0087] It should be understood that there are three main options for SUL configuration of a cell for a specific (neighboring) base station:

[0088] Scenario 1: All cells operating on a specific NR frequency (e.g., F3) do not have a relevant SUL (or SUL is disabled for at least some UEs);

[0089] Scenario 2: All cells have a SUL on the same frequency (e.g., F1) (in which case the SUL-related offset can be frequency-specific); and

[0090] Scenario 3: Some cells are operated with SUL, while some cells do not have SUL (in this case, the SUL-related offset can be cell-specific).

[0091] In the case of moving in connected mode, there are at least two options (which may apply to both standalone SUL scenarios and shared SUL scenarios).

[0092] In the first option, similar to the idle mode movement scenario described above, base station 5 obtains the frequency configuration applied by its neighbors, including any relevant SUL information and the applicable offset of the SUL (cases 1 to 3 above may apply).

[0093] For UE 3 with RRC connectivity, base station 5 is configured to transmit appropriate measurement configurations with one or more measurement objects for candidate NR frequencies (e.g., F3, if SUL is provided on F1). For example, a measurement object of type "B2" can be used to configure appropriate measurements for gNB addition (where measurement object B2 is defined by 3GPP as "PCell becomes worse than threshold 1, and RAT inter-neighbor becomes better than threshold 2"). However, it should be understood that any suitable measurement object can be used.

[0094] Assuming that base station 5 may not know whether UE 3 has SUL capability, base station 5 includes appropriate SUL-related offsets and SUL information in the measurement configuration / measurement object.

[0095] UE 3 is configured to apply a SUL offset to the measurement results of the cell being measured (e.g., if the UE 3 is able to use the indicated SUL while operating on the indicated measurement object (e.g., NR carrier F3 in this example).

[0096] For example, in the second option, if base station 5 knows whether UE 3 has SUL capability, base station 5 can include appropriate SUL-related offsets and SUL information in the measurement configuration / measurement object only if UE 3 supports the SUL (otherwise, base station 5 can configure measurements without SUL offsets / information). In other words, base station 5 can be configured to consider coverage differences when configuring UE 3's measurement / reporting events, i.e., to incorporate the SUL offset into any other existing offset. Therefore, in this case, UE 3 does not need to consider whether to apply offset / SUL information when considering the cell for selection (because base station 5 has already applied the offset / SUL information).

[0097] Modification and replacement

[0098] Detailed exemplary embodiments have been described above. As those skilled in the art will understand, various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above exemplary embodiments while still benefiting from the invention implemented therein. By way of illustration, only some of these substitutions and modifications will now be described.

[0099] For example, it should be understood that while a typical system describes a base station (RAN equipment) where eNBs and gNBs are located in one place and share multiple hardware and software modules, eNBs and gNBs can each have their own dedicated hardware and software. Based on known 5G developments, the functionality of the RAN equipment can be divided between at least one distributed (or “remote”) unit (DU) used for communication with the UE and a central unit (CU) between that DU and the core network. For example, the CU can provide higher-layer functions, while the DU can provide lower-layer functions.

[0100] It should be understood that the terms "component carrier" or "carrier" used in the specification to refer to UL carriers and DL carriers represent different communication (or "transmission") bandwidths that can be internally scheduled for a single time / frequency resource (e.g., a physical resource block (PRB)). In this context, the term "carrier" should not be confused with the term "subcarrier," which represents the smallest frequency unit used in systems such as the described cellular communication system and is typically allocated in groups (often called PRBs) within a given communication time interval (e.g., transmit time interval (TTI), microslot, time slot, or subframe, etc.). Therefore, a component carrier represents a transmission (UL, DL, or both) bandwidth comprising multiple (typically dozens) PRBs, where each PRB comprises multiple (typically many, e.g., 12) subcarriers. In other words, the transmission bandwidth associated with each carrier typically comprises hundreds of subcarriers.

[0101] In the exemplary embodiments described above, SUL is provided on a low LTE frequency band. However, it should be understood that SUL is actually an NR carrier, and therefore it can use NR radio access technology (but it can also use LTE radio access technology where appropriate). It should be understood that in some deployments, the frequency band used by SUL may be the same as the frequency band used by the NR carrier.

[0102] In the above description of connected mode mobility, inter-RAT measurement objects are used as an example. However, it should be understood that, depending on the radio access technology and the frequency bands used by different carriers, measurement objects may also include intra-RAT measurement objects or intra-frequency measurement objects.

[0103] SUL (Supplemental Frame Component) is essentially a supplementary component of a (NR) cell. Typically, a cell contains both DL (Deep Frame) and UL (Ultra Frame) carriers (for FDD, DL and UL are on different frequencies, while for TDD, DL and UL are different subframe sets on the same frequency). It should be understood that a cell with SUL can have the usual DL and UL components as well as an additional SUL component. In other words, SUL may not necessarily be a standalone cell. SUL can be provided in a cell-specific configuration, in which case system information broadcasting can be used (e.g., in DL system information) to indicate that a particular cell has an SUL component.

[0104] The UE is configured as the DL portion of the cell for detection / measurement and determines, based on measurements, whether it should select or report the cell for potential HO decisions. When the UE connects to a cell with a SUL, it can use either the SUL or the regular UL portion (or both) for uplink transmission.

[0105] It should be understood that when SUL is configured for a cell, the UE can perform cell selection / reselection / handover to that cell based on the measurements of the DL portion, and apply SUL-specific offsets (etc.) to the DL measurements.

[0106] In the exemplary embodiments described above, multiple software modules are described. As those skilled in the art will understand, software modules may be provided in compiled or uncompiled form and may be provided as signals to the devices in question (UE, RAN, eNB, gNB, etc.) via a computer network or on a recording medium. Furthermore, one or more dedicated hardware circuits may be used to perform some or all of the functions performed by the software. However, the use of software modules is preferred because it facilitates updating the base station or mobile device to update its functionality.

[0107] The controllers forming part of the devices described herein may include any suitable form of processing circuitry, including (but not limited to) such as: one or more hardware-implemented computer processors; microprocessors; central processing units (CPUs); arithmetic logic units (ALUs); input / output (I / O) circuitry; internal memory / cache (program and / or data); processing registers; communication buses (e.g., control buses, data buses, and / or address buses); direct memory access (DMA) functionality; and / or hardware or software-implemented counters, pointers, and / or timers, etc.

[0108] The UE can receive the above information in the system information broadcast (information for selecting the cell operated by the base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive UL communication on the first carrier used for UL and DL communication or the supplementary carrier used for UL communication).

[0109] The first cell selection information may include at least one cell selection parameter for comparing with a measurement of the first carrier when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, and the second cell selection information may include at least one offset to be applied to the cell selection parameter for comparing with a measurement of the first carrier when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0110] At least one offset may include (e.g., cell-specific offset and / or frequency-specific offset, depending on the cell and / or supplementary carriers).

[0111] At least one cell selection parameter may include at least one of a received signal level value (e.g., “Srxlev”) and a signal quality value (e.g., “Squal”).

[0112] The method performed by the UE may also include: based on a determination, performing at least one of the following operations: pre-occupying a cell; (re)selecting a cell; and adding the cell to the set of serving cells (e.g., carrier aggregation).

[0113] A cell may include (for example, a New Radio (NR) or 5G carrier with associated communication bandwidth not shared with a 4G carrier). In this case, the supplementary carrier may be a 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier used for aggregation with the NR or 5G carrier. The supplementary carrier may be shared among multiple user equipment and / or multiple cells.

[0114] The first carrier may operate on a frequency band associated with a first radio access technology (e.g., New Radio (NR) or 5G radio access technology), and the supplementary carrier may operate on a frequency band associated with a second radio access technology (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology). The first and second carriers may use the same radio access technology (regardless of the frequency band in which they operate).

[0115] The first measurement configuration described above may include information identifying at least one threshold for comparison with a measurement of the first carrier when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, and the second measurement configuration may include information identifying at least one offset to be applied to the at least one threshold for comparison with a measurement of the first carrier when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication. The method performed by the UE may further include receiving information identifying the offset from the base station.

[0116] Measurements of the first carrier may include at least one of a measurement of the received signal level and a measurement of the signal quality. The UE may receive at least the first measurement configuration in dedicated signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling).

[0117] The measurement configuration information may include at least one of the following: a measurement object for measuring neighboring cells between radio access technologies (RATs) (e.g., a "B2" measurement object), a measurement object for measuring neighboring cells within a RAT, and a measurement object for measuring neighboring cells within a frequency; and wherein the supplementary carrier includes the neighboring cell.

[0118] The base station can obtain information about the second measurement configuration from neighboring base stations and / or OAM entities. RAN equipment may include NR or 5G base stations (gNB) or LTE base stations (eNB).

[0119] Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail here.

[0120] Some or all of the exemplary embodiments described above may be described in the following supplementary descriptions, but are not limited to the following supplementary descriptions.

[0121] (Supplementary Note 1)

[0122] A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

[0123] Cell selection information is received from a base station for selecting the cell operated by the base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0124] The signal transmitted on the first carrier is measured; and

[0125] Based on the measurement of the first carrier, the received cell selection information, and the UE's ability to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, it is determined whether the base station's cell is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection;

[0126] The cell selection information includes:

[0127] First cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the base station's cell is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0128] The second cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0129] (Supplementary Note 2)

[0130] The method described in Supplementary Note 1 further includes: receiving the information in a system information broadcast.

[0131] (Supplementary Explanation 3)

[0132] According to the method described in Supplementary Note 1 or 2, the first cell selection information includes at least one cell selection parameter for comparing with a measurement of the first carrier when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, and the second cell selection information includes at least one offset to be applied to the cell selection parameter for comparing with a measurement of the first carrier when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0133] (Supplementary Note 4)

[0134] According to the method described in Supplementary Note 3, the at least one offset includes (e.g., depending on the cell and / or the supplementary carrier) a cell-specific offset and / or a frequency-specific offset.

[0135] (Supplementary Note 5)

[0136] According to the method described in Supplementary Note 3 or 4, the at least one cell selection parameter includes at least one of a received signal level value (e.g., "Srxlev") and a signal quality value (e.g., "Squal").

[0137] (Supplementary Note 6)

[0138] The method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5 further includes: based on the determination, performing at least one of the following operations: pre-occupying the cell; (re)selecting the cell; and adding the cell to the set of serving cells (e.g., carrier aggregation).

[0139] (Supplementary Note 7)

[0140] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, the cell includes (e.g., a New Radio (NR) or 5G carrier with associated communication bandwidth not shared with a 4G carrier).

[0141] (Supplementary Note 8)

[0142] According to the method described in Supplementary Note 7, the supplementary carrier is a 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier used for aggregation with a New Radio (NR) or 5G carrier.

[0143] (Supplementary Note 9)

[0144] According to any one of Supplementary Descriptions 1 to 8, the supplementary carrier is shared among multiple user equipments and / or multiple cells.

[0145] (Supplementary Note 10)

[0146] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 9, the method wherein the first carrier operates on a frequency band associated with a first radio access technology (e.g., New Radio (NR) or 5G radio access technology), and the supplementary carrier operates on a frequency band associated with a second radio access technology (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology).

[0147] (Supplementary Note 11)

[0148] A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

[0149] Receive measurement configuration from the radio access network (RAN) for measuring the cell operated by the base station of the RAN, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0150] The signal transmitted on the first carrier is measured based on the received measurement configuration; and

[0151] The decision to report the measurement results to the RAN is based on the measurement of the first carrier and the UE's ability to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0152] The measurement configuration includes:

[0153] A first measurement configuration is used to determine, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether to report the measurement result to the RAN when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0154] The second measurement configuration is used to determine whether to report the measurement results to the RAN based on the measurement of the first carrier, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0155] (Supplementary Note 12)

[0156] According to the method described in Supplementary Note 11, the first measurement configuration includes information identifying at least one threshold for comparing a measurement of the first carrier with the measurement of the first carrier when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, and the second measurement configuration includes information identifying at least one offset to be applied to the at least one threshold for comparing a measurement of the first carrier with the measurement of the first carrier when the UE can communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0157] (Supplementary Note 13)

[0158] The method described in Supplementary Note 12 further includes: receiving information identifying the offset from the base station.

[0159] (Supplementary Note 14)

[0160] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 13, the method wherein the measurement of the first carrier includes at least one of the measurement of the received signal level and the measurement of the signal quality value.

[0161] (Supplementary Note 15)

[0162] The method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 14 further includes: receiving at least the first measurement configuration in dedicated signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling).

[0163] (Supplementary Note 16)

[0164] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 15, the method wherein the measurement configuration information includes at least one of a measurement object (e.g., a “B2” measurement object) for measuring neighboring cells between radio access technologies (RATs), a measurement object for measuring neighboring cells within a RAT, and a measurement object for measuring neighboring cells within a frequency; and wherein the supplementary carrier includes the neighboring cells.

[0165] (Supplementary Note 17)

[0166] A method performed by a base station in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

[0167] Cell selection information is sent to the user equipment (UE) to select the cell in which the base station operates, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0168] The cell selection information includes:

[0169] First cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the base station's cell is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0170] The second cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0171] (Supplementary Note 18)

[0172] A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) device in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

[0173] Sending measurement configuration to the user equipment (UE) for measuring the cell operated by the RAN's base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0174] Receive the measurement results corresponding to the measurement configuration;

[0175] The measurement configuration includes:

[0176] A first measurement configuration is used to determine, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether to report the measurement result to the RAN device when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0177] The second measurement configuration is used to determine whether to report the measurement result to the RAN device based on the measurement of the first carrier, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0178] (Supplementary Note 19)

[0179] The method described according to Supplementary Note 18 further includes obtaining information used in the second measurement configuration from neighboring base stations and / or operation and maintenance (OAM) entities.

[0180] (Supplementary Note 20)

[0181] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 19, the method wherein the RAN equipment includes a New Radio (NR) or a 5G base station (gNB).

[0182] (Supplementary Note 21)

[0183] According to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 20, the method wherein the RAN equipment includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) base station (eNB).

[0184] (Supplementary Note 22)

[0185] A user equipment (UE) for use in a cellular communication system, the UE comprising:

[0186] Transceivers and controllers;

[0187] The transceiver is configured to receive cell selection information from a base station for selecting the cell operated by the base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0188] The controller is configured to measure the signal transmitted on the first carrier and, based on the measurement of the first carrier, the received cell selection information, and the UE's ability to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication, determine whether the base station's cell is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection.

[0189] The cell selection information includes:

[0190] First cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the base station's cell is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0191] The second cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0192] (Supplementary Note 23)

[0193] A user equipment (UE) for use in a cellular communication system, the UE comprising:

[0194] Transceivers and controllers;

[0195] The transceiver is configured to receive measurement configuration from a radio access network (RAN) for measuring the cell operated by a base station of the RAN, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0196] The controller is configured to measure the signal transmitted on the first carrier based on the received measurement configuration, and to determine whether to report the measurement results to the RAN based on the measurement of the first carrier and the UE's ability to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0197] The measurement configuration includes:

[0198] A first measurement configuration is used to determine, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether to report the measurement result to the RAN when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0199] The second measurement configuration is used to determine whether to report the measurement results to the RAN based on the measurement of the first carrier, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0200] (Supplementary Note 24)

[0201] A base station for a cellular communication system, the device comprising:

[0202] A transceiver and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

[0203] Cell selection information is sent to the user equipment (UE) to select the cell in which the base station operates, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0204] The cell selection information includes:

[0205] First cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the base station's cell is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0206] The second cell selection information is used to determine, based on measurements of the first carrier, whether the cell of the base station is a suitable candidate for cell (re)selection, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0207] (Supplementary Note 25)

[0208] A radio access network (RAN) device for use in a cellular communication system, the device comprising:

[0209] A transceiver and a controller, wherein the transceiver is configured to:

[0210] Sending measurement configuration to the user equipment (UE) for measuring the cell operated by the RAN's base station, wherein the base station is configured to receive uplink (UL) communication on a first carrier used for UL and DL communication or a supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0211] Receive the measurement results corresponding to the measurement configuration;

[0212] The measurement configuration includes:

[0213] A first measurement configuration is used to determine, based on a measurement of the first carrier, whether to report the measurement result to the RAN device when the UE cannot communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication; and

[0214] The second measurement configuration is used to determine whether to report the measurement result to the RAN device based on the measurement of the first carrier, if the UE is able to communicate using the supplementary carrier used for UL communication.

[0215] (Supplementary Note 26)

[0216] A cellular communication system, the device comprising at least one base station as described in Supplementary Description 24 or at least one device as described in Supplementary Description 25, and at least one user equipment as described in Supplementary Description 22 or 23.

[0217] (Supplementary Note 27)

[0218] A computer-implementable instruction product includes computer-implementable instructions for causing a programmable device to be configured as a base station according to Supplementary Description 24 or a device according to Supplementary Description 25, or as a user equipment according to Supplementary Description 22 or 23.

[0219] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority to UK patent application 1715921.1 filed on 29 September 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) in a communication system, the UE comprising: Receiver; as well as transmitter, The receiver is configured to receive system information from the network, the system information including offset values ​​for cells with supplementary uplink SUL carriers. Wherein, when both the first parameter and the second parameter are greater than zero, the cell selection criterion for a cell with the SUL carrier is satisfied, wherein the first parameter is related to the cell selection RX level value Srxlev, and the second parameter is related to the cell selection quality value Squal. If the UE supports the SUL carrier, the offset value is added to the first parameter.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein, The system information is broadcast via the network.

3. A method used by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, the method comprising: System information is received from the network, including offset values ​​for cells with supplementary uplink SUL carriers. Wherein, when both the first parameter and the second parameter are greater than zero, the cell selection criterion for a cell with the SUL carrier is satisfied, wherein the first parameter is related to the cell selection RX level value Srxlev, and the second parameter is related to the cell selection quality value Squal. If the UE supports the SUL carrier, the offset value is added to the first parameter.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The system information is broadcast via the network.

5. A network node in a communication system, the network node comprising: Receiver; as well as transmitter, The transmitter is configured to send system information to the user equipment (UE), the system information including offset values ​​for cells with supplementary uplink SUL carriers. Wherein, when both the first parameter and the second parameter are greater than zero, the cell selection criterion for a cell with the SUL carrier is satisfied, wherein the first parameter is related to the cell selection RX level value Srxlev, and the second parameter is related to the cell selection quality value Squal. If the UE supports the SUL carrier, the offset value is added to the first parameter.

6. The network node according to claim 5, wherein, The system information is broadcast via the network.

7. A method used by a network node in a communication system, the method comprising: System information is sent to the User Equipment (UE), including offset values ​​for cells with supplementary uplink SUL carriers. Wherein, when both the first parameter and the second parameter are greater than zero, the cell selection criterion for a cell with the SUL carrier is satisfied, wherein the first parameter is related to the cell selection RX level value Srxlev, and the second parameter is related to the cell selection quality value Squal. If the UE supports the SUL carrier, the offset value is added to the first parameter.

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