Systems, methods, and devices for optimizing radio access technology and resource selection

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for optimizing radio access technology and resource selection. The techniques described herein can enable a user equipment (UE) to optimize a radio access technology (RAT) and radio resources (e.g., bandwidth part (BWP)) when communicating with a network. This can be based on one or more factors or conditions, such as whether the UE is currently using a 4th generation (4G) RAT or a 5th generation (5G) RAT, whether the UE is in an active mode or an idle mode, a BWP used by the UE, whether an application or network service requires a certain throughput, a type of application used by the UE, an amount of network congestion, and the like. RAT optimization can also be based on whether the UE is using frequency range 1 (FR1) or frequency range 2 (FR2), whether the UE is stationary or mobile, whether the UE is experiencing beam failure, uplink (UL) switching, link quality measurement (LQM), reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication networks, including technologies for systems and devices used to manage wireless communication networks. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication networks may include user equipment (UEs) (e.g., smartphones, tablets, etc.) capable of communicating with base stations and other network nodes. Aspects of wireless communication networks include the ways, conditions, scenarios, and processes that enable wireless devices to connect to each other and otherwise communicate with one another. This may involve network capabilities, bandwidth availability, network congestion, device preferences, communication patterns, applications, the type of data being transmitted, the degree to which the data may be time-sensitive, and so on. Attached Figure Description

[0003] This disclosure will be readily understood and implemented through detailed description and accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may designate the same features and structural elements. The drawings and corresponding descriptions are provided as non-limiting examples of aspects, embodiments, etc., of this disclosure, and references to “a” or “an” aspect, embodiment, etc., may not necessarily refer to the same aspect, embodiment, etc., and may mean at least one, one, or more, etc.

[0004] Figure 1 This is a diagram of an exemplary network according to one or more specific implementations described herein.

[0005] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary overview of solutions for optimizing radio access technology (RAN) and radio resource selection according to one or more specific implementations described herein.

[0006] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process used to optimize RAN and radio resource selection.

[0007] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process for repricing standalone (SA) preemption from a 4th generation (4G) RAT to a 5th generation (5G) RAT.

[0008] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process of switching from 5G RAT to 4G RAT due to a lack of Bandwidth Partial (BWP) resources.

[0009] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process for continuing to use 5G SA RAT due to changes in BWP resources by the network.

[0010] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process for switching from 4G RAT to 5G SA RAT.

[0011] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a process for continuing to use 5G SA RAT regardless of network changes to BWP resources.

[0012] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process for optimizing RAT for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication sessions.

[0013] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating an example of optimizing a RAT for data streaming sessions.

[0014] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating an example of RAT optimization for uplink (UL) central data sessions.

[0015] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating examples of components of a device according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0016] Figure 13 This is a diagram of an exemplary interface of a baseband circuit according to one or more embodiments described herein. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following detailed description relates to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings can identify the same or similar features, elements, operations, etc. Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to the following description, as other specific embodiments and structural or logical changes can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0018] Wireless communication networks may include user equipment (UEs) capable of wirelessly communicating with base stations and other network nodes. These devices and communications may implement different types of radio access technologies (RATs), which may involve fourth-generation (4G) or Long Term Evolution (LTE) technologies, fifth-generation (5G) or New Radio (NR) technologies, sixth-generation (6G) technologies, etc., as defined in the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). As described herein, references to 5G technology, NR technology, 5G RAT, NR RAT, etc., refer to the 5G or NR RAT as described in 3GPP communication standards. Similarly, references to 4G technology, LTE technology, 4G RAT, LTE RAT, etc., refer to the 4G or LTE RAT as described in 3GPP communication standards.

[0019] 5G RAT can include two frequency ranges, Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and Frequency Range 2 (FR2). FR1 can include communications occurring at frequencies below a certain frequency (e.g., below 6 GHz (also known as sub-6 GHz frequencies or SUB6)), while FR2 can include communications occurring at frequencies above FR1 (e.g., above 6 GHz). FR2 can also be referred to as millimeter (mm) spectrum or mmWave. In some cases, FR1 can be designated for carrying traditional cellular traffic, while FR2 can be designated for shorter-range, higher data rate traffic. In contrast, 4G RAT LTE is typically designed to operate across frequency bands, such as those ranging from 450 MHz up to 3.8 GHz. In 4G RAT, the available bandwidth can also be flexible, starting from 1.4 MHz and going up to 20 MHz, where carrier aggregation (CA) allows for wider multiples.

[0020] In some implementations, one or more tools or metrics may be implemented to measure and / or ensure that a connection is suitable for an application or service (e.g., to determine whether a connection is suitable for a particular application or service). Examples of such tools may include specific implementations of Link Quality Metrics (LQM). As described herein, LQM may include a baseline metric that the UE may implement to determine whether a data-intensive application or service (such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application, a data streaming application, etc.) is achieving data throughput relative to a specified threshold representing sufficiently high quality and reliability. LQM may also, or alternatively, cause or indicate that background (BG) autonomous data exchange (e.g., time-insensitive data) may be blocked, rescheduled, or postponed while a data-intensive application or service is running, thereby helping to ensure a given target throughput.

[0021] 5G RAT can also implement Bandwidth Parts (BWPs). A BWP can include a common resource block within the channel bandwidth, or a subset of common resource blocks. A UE can be configured with up to four downlink (DL) BWPs per carrier and up to four uplink (UL) BWPs per carrier. In some implementations, a single BWP can be active in each direction (DL and UL) of each carrier, and the UE can receive Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUSCH) information via the active DL and UL BWPs. When accessing a base station, the UE can use an initial BWP. The initial DL BWP can be sent to the UE via a System Information Block (SIB) or via a set of resource blocks belonging to the Control Resource Set (CORESET) of the PDCCH common search space. During the RACH process, if a BWP inactivity timer is defined, BWP selection or switching can occur during the UL authorization period of the PDCCH due to this timer, and a particular BWP can become active depending on various circumstances in call processing.

[0022] Furthermore, 5G technology can be implemented in either non-standalone (non-SA or NSA) or standalone (SA) modes. In non-SA scenarios, the 5G radio access network (RAN) can be applied to 4G wireless communication networks (e.g., networks also implementing 4G RAN, 4G core networks, etc.). In this scenario, 5G-capable UEs can initially use the 4G RAT to establish connectivity to the network, and if the 5G RAT becomes available, 5G connectivity can be set up for one or more types of data or connections. However, devices cannot access 5G in non-SA scenario networks unless 4G is initially available. In 5G SA scenarios, the 5G RAN can be implemented together with the 5G core, providing a complete, end-to-end 5G wireless communication network. While 4G and 5G technologies can offer different frequency ranges, bandwidths, and RATs, currently available technologies do not provide appropriate solutions for optimizing the performance and efficiency of 4G RAT and 5G RAT. For example, currently available technologies do not provide solutions for enabling UEs to switch between 4G RAT and 5G RAT based on usage, availability, congestion, and the need to conserve battery power.

[0023] The techniques described herein enable a UE to select the optimal RAT and radio resources (e.g., BWP) when communicating with the network. As described below, this can be based on factors such as whether the UE is currently using a 4G RAT or a 5G RAT, the BWP the UE is using, whether the application or network service the UE is using requires a certain throughput, the congestion level in the 4G RAN or 5G RAN, the UE's operating mode (e.g., idle or active), and so on.

[0024] For example, a UE can connect to the network in a 5G SA environment. Typically, when a user is interacting with the UE or the UE is operating a data-intensive application or feature (e.g., a streaming application), the UE can remain on a 5G RAT with a BWP greater than or equal to 20 MHz. When the user is not interacting with the UE or the UE is not operating a data-intensive application or feature, the UE can be on a 5G RAT with a BWP less than 20 MHz or fall back to LTE. Furthermore, when the UE's preferences change and the availability of RATs and BWPs also changes, the UE switches between a 5G RAT, a 4G RAT, and an appropriate BWP. Therefore, the technology described herein enables the UE to maintain the optimal RAT and BWP selection by allowing the UE to switch between RATs and BWPs based on the use of available RATs and BWPs, data throughput requirements, etc.

[0025] The techniques described herein further enable a UE to select an effective RAT for high-data applications or services, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls or sessions, which may include VoIP-only audio calls or IP voice and video calls, or data streaming services. For example, a stationary UE can use FR2 to run high-data applications (e.g., VoIP calls), and once the UE begins to move, it can continue using FR2 unless or until one or more triggers occur, in which case the UE can switch to FR1 or LTE. Examples of such triggers can include consecutive beam failures exceeding a beam failure threshold. For example, if a UE experiences three consecutive beam failures, it can stop using FR2.

[0026] In another example, if the UE undergoes an uplink (UL) handover (e.g., the network switches the UE's UL from LTE to 5G, or from 5G to LTE). Other examples may include the UE experiencing a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) reordering timer expiration, or a combination of poor LQM (e.g., LQM = -107dB), low throughput (<0.5 Mbps) and good LTE LQM (e.g., LQM = -100dB). The UE can also switch back to a 5G RAT if / when it is using 4G RAT for high-data applications or services. For example, when the UE experiences network congestion or data flow bottlenecks (e.g., via a Redline Gear Shifter (RLGS) or another component), the UE can switch from 4G RAT to 5G RAT technology (e.g., 5G FR2). Therefore, the techniques described herein enable the UE to switch between RATs based on the applications and services it is using and the network conditions it is experiencing.

[0027] The techniques described in this article also enable UEs to optimize data streaming by implementing enhanced buffering strategies. A typical buffering strategy allows the UE to buffer a given amount of data. For example, a buffering strategy for video services could allow the UE to buffer up to one minute of video, then wait until a good portion of the buffered data has been viewed, before buffering another one-minute video. When buffering video using a high-throughput band such as the FR2 band, buffering one minute of video might only take a few seconds, after which the UE can remain idle until more data is downloaded, and then continue, while maintaining the 5G RAT connection.

[0028] As described herein, enhanced buffering strategies enable UEs to optimize power consumption by disabling the 5G RAT connection when entering idle mode and returning to 5G RAT when needed (e.g., in response to one or more triggers). Examples of such triggers may include the UE detecting a data flow bottleneck (e.g., via a Redline Gear Shifter (RLGS) or another component), a new request or service requiring high bandwidth usage (e.g., from another application or service), or an indication that the UE should exit idle mode and re-buffer an ongoing streaming service. In some implementations, the UE may switch from 5G RAT to idle or from idle to 5G RAT based on a buffer level indication. For example, the buffer level indication for a live streaming service can be set to zero (0), in which case the UE may not disable the 5G RAT connection; a non-zero buffer level indication may indicate that buffering is in progress, in which case the UE may not disable the 5G RAT connection or may leave idle mode and re-establish the 5G RAT connection; and the maximum buffer level indication may cause the UE to release the 5G RAT connection and enter idle mode. Thus, the techniques described herein enable UEs to optimize power and RAT usage by releasing connections that may not be used for a period of time and re-establishing RAT connections when they are to be used again.

[0029] The techniques described herein also enable efficient use of UL and DL resources for UL central data sessions. UL central data sessions may include scenarios where the UE will upload large amounts of data (e.g., images, videos, etc.) without downloading large amounts of data. In this case, the UE connects to the network via a 5G RAT connection. Under certain conditions, such as when higher-order LTE UL carriers (or carrier aggregation scenarios) are possible, and when NR LQM is poor (e.g., -107dB) and LTE LQM is good (e.g., -100dB), the UE can discard the 5G RAT connection and use a 4G RAT connection. Conditions for switching from a 5G RAT connection to a 4G RAT connection may also include when the 5G RAT is undergoing frequent UL handovers (e.g., >2) and when LTE is the primary RAT being used, UL throughput is high. Thus, the techniques described herein enable the UE to switch from a 5G RAT connection to a 4G RAT connection for a more efficient and reliable UL process.

[0030] Figure 1This refers to an exemplary network 100 according to one or more specific implementations described herein. The exemplary network 100 may include UEs 110-1, 110-2, etc. (collectively referred to as "UE 110", and individually referred to as "UE 110"), a radio access network (RAN) 120, a core network (CN) 130, an application server 140, an external network 150, and satellites 160-1, 160-2, etc. (collectively referred to as "Satellite 160" and individually referred to as "Satellite 160"). As shown, network 100 may include a non-terrestrial network (NTN) comprising one or more satellites 160 communicating with UE 110 and RAN 120 (e.g., a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)).

[0031] The systems and devices of Exemplary Network 100 may operate according to one or more communication standards, such as 3GPP 2nd generation (2G), 3rd generation (3G), 4th generation (4G) (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE)) and / or 5th generation (5G) (e.g., New Radio (NR)) communication standards. Alternatively, one or more of the systems and devices of Exemplary Network 100 may operate according to other communication standards and protocols discussed herein, including future versions or generations of 3GPP standards (e.g., 6th generation (6G) standards, 7th generation (7G) standards, etc.), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards (e.g., Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN), Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), etc.), and more.

[0032] As shown in the figure, UE 110 may include a smartphone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device capable of connecting to one or more wireless communication networks). Alternatively, UE 110 may include other types of mobile or non-mobile computing devices capable of wireless communication, such as personal data assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptops, desktop computers, wireless handheld terminals, etc. In some implementations, UE 110 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device (or IoT UE) that may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with ephemeral UE connections. Alternatively, IoT UEs may utilize one or more types of technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) communication or machine-type communication (MTC) (e.g., to exchange data with an MTC server or other device via a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), Proximity Services (ProSe) or Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, sensor networks, IoT networks, and more. Depending on the scenario, the M2M or MTC exchange of data may be machine-initiated, and the IoT network may include IoT UEs interconnected with ephemeral connections (which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within an internet infrastructure). In some scenarios, IoT UEs can execute background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0033] UE 110 can communicate and establish connections (e.g., communicatively coupled) with RAN 120, which may involve one or more radio channels 114-1 and 114-2, each of which may include a physical communication interface / layer. In some implementations, the UE may be configured with dual connectivity (DC) as multiple radio access technology (multiple RAT) or multiple radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), where a UE capable of multiple receptions and transmissions (Rx / Tx) can use resources provided by different network nodes (e.g., 122-1 and 122-2), which may be connected via non-ideal backhaul connections (e.g., one network node provides NR access and another provides E-UTRA for LTE or NR access for 5G). In such scenarios, one network node may act as a primary node (MN) and the other as a secondary node (SN). MN and SN may be connected via a network interface, and at least MN may be connected to CN 130. Additionally, at least one of the MN or SN can operate using a shared spectrum channel, and the functionality specified for UE 110 can be used for Integrated Access and Backhaul Mobile Terminal (IAB-MT). Similar to UE 101, the IAB-MT can access the network using one network node or two different nodes with Enhanced Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) architecture, New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) architecture, etc. In some specific implementations, the base station (as described herein) can be an example of network node 122.

[0034] As shown in the figure, UE 110 can also, or alternatively, connect to access point (AP) 116 via connection interface 118, which may include an air interface enabling UE 110 to communicatively couple with AP 116. AP 116 may include a wireless local area network (WLAN), a WLAN node, a WLAN termination point, etc. Connection 1207 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 702.11 protocol, and AP 116 may include Wi-Fi. Router or other access point (AP). Although Figure 1While not explicitly described, AP 116 can connect to another network (e.g., the Internet) without connecting to RAN 120 or CN 130. In some scenarios, UE 110, RAN 120, and AP 116 can be configured to utilize LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) technology or LTE WLAN radio-level technology integrated with IPsec tunneling (LWIP). LWA may involve RAN 120 configuring UE 110, in RRC_CONNECTED state, to utilize LTE and WLAN radio resources. LWIP may involve UE 110 using WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection interface 118) via IPsec protocol tunneling to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) packets) transmitted through connection interface 118. IPsec tunneling transmission may include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header to protect the original IP packet header.

[0035] RAN 120 may include one or more RAN nodes 122-1 and 122-2 (collectively referred to as RAN node 122, and individually as RAN node 122), enabling the establishment of channels 114-1 and 114-2 between UE 110 and RAN 120. RAN node 122 may include a network access point configured to provide radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connectivity between the user and the network based on one or more of the communication technologies described herein (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, WiFi, etc.). Thus, as an example, a RAN node may be an E-UT RAN node B (e.g., enhanced node B, eNodeB, eNB, 4G base station, etc.), a next-generation base station (e.g., 5G base station, NR base station, next-generation eNB (gNB), etc.). RAN node 122 may include roadside units (RSUs), transmit / receive points (TRxPs or TRPs), and one or more other types of ground stations (e.g., ground access points). In some scenarios, RAN node 122 may be a dedicated physical device such as a macro cell base station and / or a low-power (LP) base station for providing a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to a macro cell, such as a femtocell, picocell, or other similar cell. As described below, in some specific implementations, satellite 160 may be used as a base station (e.g., RAN node 122) relative to UE 110. Therefore, references to base stations, RAN node 122, etc. herein may relate to specific implementations where base stations, RAN node 122, etc. are terrestrial network nodes, and also to specific implementations where base stations, RAN node 122, etc. are non-terrestrial network nodes (e.g., satellite 160).

[0036] Some or all of RAN nodes 122 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network that may be referred to as a Centralized RAN (CRAN) and / or a Virtual Baseband Unit Pool (vBBUP). In these specific implementations, CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN function partitioning such as Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) partitioning, where the Radio Resource Control (RRC) and PDCP layers can be operated by CRAN / vBBUP, while other Layer 2 (L2) protocol entities can be operated by the individual RAN nodes 122; Medium Access Control (MAC) / Physical (PHY) layer partitioning, where the RRC, PDCP, Radio Link Control (RLC), and MAC layers can be operated by CRAN / vBBUP, and the PHY layer can be operated by the individual RAN nodes 122; or “lower PHY” partitioning, where the upper portions of the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY layers can be operated by CRAN / vBBUP, while the lower portions of the PHY layer can be operated by the individual RAN nodes 122. This virtualization framework allows the idle processor cores of RAN node 122 to perform or execute other virtualization applications.

[0037] In some implementations, a single RAN node 122 may represent a individual gNB distributed unit (DU) connected to the gNB control unit (CU) via a respective F1 interface. In such implementations, the gNB-DU may include one or more remote radio headers or radio frequency (RF) front-end modules (RFEMs), and the gNB-CU may be operated by a server (not shown) located in RAN 120 or by a server pool (e.g., a group of servers configured to share resources) in a manner similar to CRAN / vBBUP. Alternatively, one or more of the RAN nodes 122 may be next-generation eNBs (i.e., gNBs) that can provide Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE 110 and can be connected to the 5G core network (5GC) 130 via an NG interface.

[0038] Any of the RAN nodes 122 can serve as the endpoint of the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for UE 110. In some implementations, any of the RAN nodes 122 can perform various logical functions of RAN 120, including but not limited to the functions of the Radio Network Controller (RNC), such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, data packet scheduling, and mobility management. UE 110 can be configured to communicate with each other or with any of the RAN nodes 122 on a multi-carrier communication channel using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals according to various communication technologies, such as, but not limited to, OFDMA communication technologies (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technologies (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink (SL) communication), but the scope of such implementations is not limited in this respect. OFDM signals may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0039] In some implementations, the downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from any of the RAN nodes in RAN node 122 to UE 110, and uplink transmissions can utilize similar techniques. This grid can be a time-frequency grid (e.g., a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid), representing the physical resources of the downlink in each time slot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is common practice for OFDM systems, making radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid comprises resource blocks that describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block may include a set of resource elements (REs); in the frequency domain, this can represent the minimum amount of resources currently available for allocation. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0040] Furthermore, RAN node 122 can be configured to wirelessly communicate with UE 110 and / or each other via licensed media (also referred to as “licensed spectrum” and / or “licensed bands”), unlicensed shared media (also referred to as “unlicensed spectrum” and / or “unlicensed bands”), or a combination thereof. Licensed spectrum may include channels operating in the frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 3.8 GHz, while unlicensed spectrum may include 5 GHz bands. Licensed spectrum may correspond to channels or bands selected, reserved, regulated, etc., for certain types of wireless activity (e.g., wireless telecommunications network activity), while unlicensed spectrum may correspond to one or more bands that are unrestricted for certain types of wireless activity. Whether a particular band corresponds to licensed or unlicensed media may depend on one or more factors, such as frequency allocations determined by public sector organizations (e.g., government agencies, regulatory bodies, etc.) or frequency allocations determined by private sector organizations involved in developing wireless communication standards and protocols.

[0041] To operate in unlicensed spectrum, UE 110 and RAN node 122 may use Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these specific implementations, UE 110 and RAN node 122 may perform one or more known media sensing or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmission in the unlicensed spectrum. Media / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to a Listen-After-Talk (LBT) protocol.

[0042] The LAA mechanism can be built on carrier aggregation (CA) technology in LTE-Advanced systems. In CA, each aggregated carrier is called a component carrier (CC). In some cases, individual CCs may have different bandwidths than other CCs. In Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC may be the same for DL ​​and UL. CA also includes individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of serving cells may differ, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses. The primary serving cell, or PCell, provides the primary component carrier (PCC) for both UL and DL and handles RRC and non-access stratum (NAS) related activities. Other serving cells are called SCells, and each SCell provides a single secondary component carrier (SCC) for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as needed, while changing the PCC may require UE 110 to undergo handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells can operate in unlicensed spectrum (called "LAA SCells"), and LAA SCells are assisted by PCells operating in licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured to have more than one LAA SCell, the UE can receive UL authorization on the configured LAA SCell, indicating the start position of different PUSCH within the same subframe.

[0043] The PDSCH can carry user data and higher-layer signaling to UE 110. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) can carry information such as the transmission format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. The PDCCH can also inform UE 110 about the transmission format, resource allocation, and Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (e.g., allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 110-2 within the cell) can be performed on any RAN node in RAN node 122 based on channel quality information fed back from any UE in UE 110. Downlink resource allocation information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used for (e.g., allocated to) each UE in UE 110.

[0044] PDCCH uses Control Channel Elements (CCEs) to convey control information. Many CCEs (e.g., 6, etc.) can be composed of Resource Element Groups (REGs), where REGs are defined as Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) in OFDM symbols. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged for rate matching, for example, using a sub-block interleaver. Each PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more of these CCEs, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets, each with four physical resource elements, called REGs. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. Depending on the DCI size and channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to transmit the PDCCH. In LTE, four or more different PDCCH formats with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L = 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16) can be defined.

[0045] Some implementations may use the concept of resource allocation for control channel information, which is an extension of the concept described above. For example, some implementations may utilize an extended (E)-PDCCH that uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more ECCEs may be used to transmit the EPDCCH. Similarly, each ECCE may correspond to a set of nine, each consisting of four physical resource elements, called an EREG. In some cases, an ECCE may have a different number of EREGs.

[0046] RAN nodes 122 can be configured to communicate with each other via interface 123. In a specific implementation where the system is an LTE system, interface 123 may be an X2 interface. This X2 interface may be defined between two or more RAN nodes 122 (e.g., two or more eNBs / gNBs or combinations thereof) connected to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or CN 130, and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In some implementations, the X2 interface may include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). X2-U may provide flow control mechanisms for user data packets transmitted via the X2 interface and may be used to transmit information regarding the delivery of user data between eNBs or gNBs. For example, X2-U can provide specific sequence number information about user data transmitted from the primary eNB (MeNB) to the secondary eNB (SeNB); information about the successful in-order delivery of PDCP Packet Data Units (PDUs) from the SeNB to the UE 110 for user data; information about PDCP PDUs not delivered to the UE 110; information about the current minimum expected buffer size at the SeNB for transmitting user data to the UE; and so on. X2-C can provide in-LTE access mobility functions (e.g., including context transfer from the source eNB to the target eNB, user plane transmission control, etc.), load management functions, and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0047] As shown in the figure, RAN 120 can be connected (e.g., communicatively coupled) to CN 130. CN 130 may include multiple network elements 132 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 110) connected to CN 130 via RAN 120. In some implementations, CN 130 may include an evolved packet core (EPC), a 5G CN, and / or one or more additional or alternative types of CNs. Components of CN 130 may be implemented in a physical node or separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media). In some implementations, network function virtualization (NFV) may be used to virtualize any or all of the aforementioned network node roles or functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical example of CN 130 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical example of a portion of CN 130 may be referred to as a network subslice. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) architectures and infrastructures can be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto physical resources, including a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (or alternatively, performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, NFV systems can be used to perform virtual or reconfigurable concrete implementations of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0048] As shown in the figure, CN 130, application server 140, and external network 150 can be interconnected via interfaces 134, 136, and 138, which may include IP network interfaces. Application server 140 may include one or more server devices or network elements (e.g., Virtual Network Function (VNF) that provides applications using IP bearer resources through CM 130 (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Packet Service (UMTS PS) domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). Application server 140 may also be configured, or alternatively, to support one or more communication services of UE 110 via CN 130 (e.g., IP-based voice (VoIP sessions, push-to-talk (PTT) sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.)). Similarly, external network 150 may include one or more of various networks, including the Internet, thereby providing network access to various additional services, information, interconnectivity, and other network features to the mobile communication network and UE 110.

[0049] As shown in the figure, exemplary network 100 may include an NTN that may include one or more satellites 160-1 and 160-2 (collectively, "Satellite 160"). Satellite 160 may communicate with UE 110 via a serving link or radio interface 162 and / or with RAN 120 via a feed link or radio interface 164 (depicted separately as 164-1 and 164). In some embodiments, Satellite 160 may operate as a passive or transparent network relay node regarding communication between UE 110 and a terrestrial network (e.g., RAN 120). In some embodiments, Satellite 160 may operate as an active or regenerative network node, such that Satellite 160 may operate as a base station to UE 110 (e.g., as a gNB of RAN 120) regarding communication between UE 110 and RAN 120. In some implementations, satellites 160 can communicate with each other via a direct radio interface (e.g., 166) or an indirect radio interface (e.g., via RAN 120 using interfaces 164-1 and 164-2).

[0050] Alternatively or concurrently, satellite 160 may include a GEO satellite, a LEO satellite, or another type of satellite. Satellite 160 may also or concurrently relate to one or more satellite systems or architectures, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), etc. In some specific implementations, satellite 160 may operate as a base station (e.g., RAN node 122) relative to UE 110. Therefore, references herein to base stations, RAN node 122, etc., may relate to implementations where base stations, RAN node 122, etc., are terrestrial network nodes, and to implementations where base stations, RAN node 122, etc., are non-terrestrial network nodes (e.g., satellite 160).

[0051] Figure 2 This is a diagram of an exemplary overview 200 of a solution for optimizing Radio Access Technology (RAN) and radio resource selection according to one or more specific implementations described herein. As shown, UE 110 can be in 4G RAT idle mode (at point 1) within the coverage area of ​​base station 122. A user can begin using UE 110, which can trigger high bandwidth (BW) usage, such as streaming data or downloading movies. UE 110 can exit idle mode and prioritize 5G RAT over 4G RAT, and switch to 5G SA RAT using FR1 or FR2 (at point 2). If UE 110 experiences 5G transmission difficulties, enters buffered idle mode, begins a UL central transmission session, or ends with high BW usage, UE 110 can reduce the priority of 5G RAT and switch to 4G RAT (at point 3). Subsequently, if UE 110 experiences another high BW usage scenario, detects significant 4G RAT congestion, etc., UE 110 can reprioritize the 5G RAT, making it take precedence over the 4G RAT, and switch back to the 5G RAT using FR1 or FR2. This document describes these and other features and procedures, and additional details and operations will be described below with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an overview process 300 for optimizing RAN and radio resource selection. Process 300 can be implemented by UE 110. In some specific implementations, part or all of process 300 may be performed by one or more other systems or devices, including Figure 1 One or more devices, such as base station 122, are included in the equipment. Additionally, process 300 may include... Figure 3The operations shown are fewer, additional, differently ordered, and / or arranged compared to one or more other operations. In some specific implementations, some or all of the operations of process 300 may be performed independently, sequentially, simultaneously, etc., relative to one or more other operations of process 300. Therefore, the techniques described herein are not limited to those described herein. Figure 3 The number, sequence, arrangement, timing, etc. of the operations or processes described. In addition, although process 300 can be described primarily from the perspective of a specific device (e.g., UE 110), the techniques described herein also include corresponding operations performed by the corresponding device (e.g., base station 122).

[0053] The overview process 300 provides a brief example of operations that can be performed using the techniques described herein. Further description follows with reference to the remaining figures. Figure 3 The operation presented includes additional and optional features and operational details. As shown in the figure, process 300 may include prioritizing the 5G SA connection over the 4G connection and establishing the 5G SA connection upon exiting 4G idle mode (box 310). For example, UE 110 may be in 4G idle mode, and upon exiting idle mode (e.g., by the user unlocking the screen of UE 110), UE 110 may prioritize the 5G connection over the 4G connection and continue to use the 5G RAT connection to base station 112.

[0054] As described herein, being in 4G RRC idle mode may allow UE 110 to operate in idle mode in a manner compliant with 3GPP 4G or LTE communication standards. For example, when in 4G RRC idle state, UE 110 may have an IP address and be known to the core network (e.g., EPC). However, base station 122 may not be aware of UE 110. UE 110 may receive broadcast or multicast data, monitor paging channels to detect incoming calls, perform neighbor cell measurements, perform cell selection and reselection, and collect system information. Conversely, in 4G RRC connected state, both the core network and base station 122 are aware of UE 110. Additionally, the RAN knows the location of UE 110, and UE mobility may be UE-assisted and network-controlled. In RRC connected state, UE 110 may monitor control channels associated with shared data channels to determine whether / when to schedule data for UE 110, and may provide channel quality feedback information by UE 110 after measurement. UE 110 may also perform various types of neighbor cell measurements.

[0055] Refer again Figure 3If UE 110 is assigned a high 5G BWP (e.g., 100MHz BWP) when a lower 5G BWP (e.g., 20MHz BWP) is more suitable, then at the end of the BWP handover time, UE 110 can reduce the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection and switch to the 4G connection (box 320). Subsequently, if / when UE 110 determines that the congestion level of the 4G connection has exceeded a predetermined congestion threshold for the 4G connection, UE 110 can reset the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection and switch to the 5G connection (at 330). Additionally, if UE 110 is using a 5G SA connection within FR2 and UE 110 begins a VoIP session, UE 110 can switch to either a 5G FR1 connection or a 4G connection based on certain conditions during the VoIP session (e.g., continuous beam failure, UL tributary handover, etc.) (box 340). Additionally or alternatively, if UE 110 is streaming data (e.g., a user is watching a movie), the 5G NSA connection can be used to buffer the streaming data. Once a portion of the streaming data has been buffered (e.g., for up to 60 seconds), UE 110 can enter idle mode until the subsequent portion of the streaming data is downloaded and buffered. After this, UE 110 can re-establish the 5G NSA connection, download the subsequent portion of the streaming data, and so on, until the streaming data session is complete (box 350). Additionally or alternatively, if UE 110 is participating in a UL central data session and UE 110 is connected to base station 122 via a 5G NSA connection using FR2, UE 110 can switch to a 4G connection during the UL central data session to save power and network resources, for example, during the UL central data session (box 360).

[0056] Figures 4 to 8 The figures include exemplary embodiments of the techniques described herein. As shown in the figures... Figures 4 to 8 Examples may include UE 110 and base station 122. Additionally, UE 110 may include components for performing... Figures 4 to 8 Examples include one or more parts of the device or component described herein, such as application circuitry 402 and baseband (BB) circuitry 404. Such components may correspond to one or more of the devices or components described herein, such as those referenced below. Figure 12 The application circuit 1202 and baseband circuit 1204 are described above. In some specific implementations, Figures 4 to 8 Some or all of the examples can be performed by one or more other systems, devices, or components besides those shown.

[0057] In some specific implementations, application circuit 402, operations performed by application circuit 402, and instructions stored by application circuit 402 may be part of BB circuit 404. Additionally or alternatively, changes to connectivity (e.g., 4G RRC connection and 5G connection, 5G SA connection, etc.) may involve one or more base stations, depending on the scenario or specific implementation. Figures 4 to 8 One or more examples may include fewer, additional, different sorting and / or arrangement operations compared to those shown. Additionally or alternatively, Figures 4 to 8 Some or all of the operations in the example can be performed independently, consecutively, simultaneously, etc. Figures 4 to 8 The example operations are one or more other operations. Therefore, the techniques described herein are not limited to... Figures 4 to 8 The number, sequence, arrangement, timing, etc. of the entities, operations, or processes described are not explicitly included, but their changes and rearrangements are also explicitly included.

[0058] Figure 4 This is a diagram of example 400 for a process of repricing a standalone (SA) pre-occupancy from a 4G RAT (e.g., LTE RAT) to a 5G RAT (e.g., NR RAT). As shown, BB circuit 404 can be in a 4G (or LTE) RCC idle state (at 410). As described herein, being in 4G RRC idle mode can include UE 110 operating in idle mode in a manner compliant with 3GPP 4G or LTE communication standards. For example, when in 4G RRC idle state, UE 110 may have an IP address and be known to the core network (e.g., EPC). However, base station 122 may not be aware of UE 110. UE 110 can receive broadcast or multicast data, monitor paging channels to detect incoming calls, perform neighbor cell measurements, perform cell selection and reselection, and collect system information. Conversely, in 4G RRC connected state, both the core network and base station 122 are aware of UE 110. Additionally, the RAN knows the location of UE 110, and UE mobility can be UE-assisted and network-controlled. In RRC connected state, UE 110 can monitor the control channel associated with the shared data channel to determine whether / when to schedule data for UE 110, and can provide channel quality feedback information by UE 110 after measurement. UE 110 can also perform various types of neighboring cell measurements.

[0059] When in RRC idle state, UE 110 can be in screen-locked state. In this state, the user can unlock the screen, which can trigger UE 110's Smart Data Mode (SDM). SDM can include tools or features of UE 110 that enable UE 110 to automatically select the appropriate or optimal RAT for UE 110. In some implementations, SDM can initiate a priority reset only under one or more conditions. For example, if UE 110 has data to be transmitted / received from base station 120, SDM can initiate a priority reset. However, if UE 110 does not have data to be transmitted / received from base station 120, SDM may not initiate a priority reset. In some implementations, the user can disable the SDM feature.

[0060] When a user unlocks the screen, the SDM feature can determine the presence of data to be transmitted and / or received from base station 122, which can trigger a priority reset from the current RAT (e.g., 4G RAT) to a more optimized RAT (e.g., 5G RAT) (at 420). Thus, application circuitry 402 can send an instruction to BB circuitry 404 to increase the priority of switching from the 4G RAT to the 5G RAT (e.g., repricing 5G SA preemption) (at 430). This can also, or alternatively, be an instruction from BB circuitry 404 to switch from the 4G RAT to the 5G RAT via reselection (e.g., Layer 2 (L2) NR reselection), and BB circuitry 404 can respond accordingly (at 440). As described herein, L2NR reselection can include L2NR reselection as described in 3GPP communication standards.

[0061] When a 4G RRC connection has already been established between UE 110 and base station 122, application circuitry 402 can pause the connection (at 450) during a priority reset and / or connection upgrade process. This may include initiating a pending connection establishment timer, which may include the duration associated with establishing a 5G connection with base station 122. Although in Figure 4Not shown, but once a new connection is established, the application circuitry can unsuspend and continue data communication using the 5G connection. BB circuitry 404 can perform 5G reselection (e.g., L2 5G reselection) (at 460) and send a 5G RRC connection request to base station 122 (at 470). Base station 122 can respond to this connection request, and the process can continue to establish 5G RRC coordination between UE 110 and base station 122, and register UE 110 with the 5G SA network (at 480). Thus, the techniques described herein enable UE 110 to rapidly switch from 4G (e.g., LTE) to 5G (e.g., NR) in response to, for example, exiting a 4G idle state and detecting data to be sent and / or received from the network.

[0062] Figure 5 This is a diagram of example 500 illustrating the process of switching from 5G RAT to 4G RAT due to a lack of Bandwidth Partial (BWP) resources. As shown, UE 110 may have already established a 5G RRC connection and registered with the network. To explain... Figure 5 Assume that UE 110 is using a relatively high BWP, such as a 100MHz BWP. It is also assumed that when UE 110 is in active mode (e.g., being used), UE 110 does not participate in activities closely associated with maintaining this high BWP. For example, instead of UE 110 being used solely for browsing the internet, a lower BWP, such as a 20MHz BWP, might be more suitable. In such a scenario, application circuitry 402 can initiate a BWP handover time that may include a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.) for UE 110 to switch from a higher BWP to a lower BWP (at 510).

[0063] If / when UE 110 does not participate in activities suitable for a high BWP before the BWP handover timer expires, and UE 110 does not switch to a more suitable (lower) BWP before the BWP handover timer expires, then application circuit 204 (and / or the SDM of application circuit 204) can continue to perform a local RRC release with respect to the 5G RRC connection and reduce the priority of the 5G SA connection (at 520). For example, application circuit 420 can send an instruction to BB circuit 404 to perform a local RRC release and reduce the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection (at 530).

[0064] In response, BB circuit 404 can trigger an NR2L redirection process (at 540) (e.g., toward establishing a 4G RRC connection with the network) and can enter a 4G RRC idle state (at 550). NR2L redirection can include NR2L redirection as described in the 3GPP communication standard. BB circuit 404 can also transmit an LTE RRC connection request with Tracking Area Update (TAU) to base station 122 (at 560) to establish a 4G RRC connection with the network, and BB circuit 404 can maintain a connection to the network via the 4G RRC connection until UE 110 reprices the 5G RRC connection, prioritizing it over the 4G RRC connection (at 570). Thus, when UE 110 connects via a 5G SA connection to a BWP that is considered too high (e.g., unwarranted) for the current data communication activity, if a more suitable BWP (e.g., a lower BWP) is not assigned to UE 110 before the BWP handover timer expires, UE 110 can optimize the use of RAT by switching to a 4G RRC connection.

[0065] Figure 6 This is a diagram of example 600 illustrating the process of continuing to use 5G SA RAT due to changes in network BWP resources. As shown, UE 110 may have already established a 5G RRC connection and registered with the network (at 610). To explain... Figure 6 Assume that UE 110 is using a relatively high BWP, such as a 100MHz BWP. It is also assumed that when UE 110 is in an active mode (e.g., being used), UE 110 does not participate in activities considered closely related to using such a high BWP. For example, instead, it is assumed that UE 110 is being used to browse the Internet, which could be considered or categorized as more suitable for a lower BWP, such as a 20MHz BWP or lower. In such a scenario, application circuitry 402 can initiate a BWP handover time that may include a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.) for UE 110 to switch from a higher BWP to a lower BWP (at 610).

[0066] As shown in the figure, assume UE 110 switches to a lower BWP (e.g., a 20MHz BWP) before the BWP handover timer expires (at 620). Upon detecting a handover, application circuitry 420 can determine that the handover occurred before the BWP handover timer expires and thus stop the timer (at 630). Since the current BWP is considered appropriate given the current activity (e.g., the data throughput specified for web browsing), UE 110 can remain in NR with the lower BWP until triggered to change (e.g., until activity with a higher BWP or 4G RAT is detected) (at 640). Thus, when UE 110 connects to a BWP that is too high for the current data communication activity via a 5G SA connection, if a more suitable BWP (e.g., a lower BWP) is assigned to UE 110 before the BWP handover timer expires, UE 110 can optimize RAT usage by continuing to use the 5G SA connection. Otherwise, as described above, UE 110 can switch to an LTE RRC connection.

[0067] Figure 7 This is a diagram of example 700 for a process of switching from 4G RAT to 5G SA RAT. As shown, UE 110 can connect to the network via a 4G RRC connection after switching from a 5G SA connection and the corresponding BWP handover timer expires (at 710). While communicating with the network, UE 110 can monitor the congestion level in the network and determine whether the congestion level exceeds a predefined threshold for congestion. At a certain point in time, application circuitry 402 can determine that the level of network congestion (e.g., bottleneck) exceeds a pre-specified or predefined threshold for an acceptable level of congestion for 4G (or LTE) communication with the network (at 720). Additionally or alternatively, application circuitry 402 can detect or determine that UE 110 will execute an application and / or participate in network services associated with a relatively high BWP (e.g., a BWP greater than or equal to 100MHz) in use, preference, etc. (at 720).

[0068] In response, application circuit 402 can signal BB circuit 404 with instructions regarding the local RRC release procedure for the 4G connection and reset the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection (box 730). In response, BB circuit 404 can trigger an L2NR redirection procedure (at 740) (e.g., toward establishing a 5G RRC connection with the network) and can enter a 5G RRC idle state (at 750). BB circuit 404 can also transmit a 5G RRC connection request and continue registering with the network via base station 122 (at 760). While connected to and registering with the network, BB circuit 404 can maintain the connection via the 5G SA connection until UE 110 lowers the priority of the 5G RRC connection relative to the 4G RRC connection (at 770). Thus, when UE 110 is connected via a 4G connection, and UE 110 detects 4G congestion or UE activity associated with high BWP and / or throughput, UE 110 can optimize the use of RAT by switching the 4G RRC connection to a more suitable 5G SA connection that may include higher BWP.

[0069] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the process for continuing to use 5G SA RAT regardless of network changes to BWP resources. As shown, UE 110 may have already established a 5G RRC connection and registered with the network (at 810). To explain... Figure 6 Assume that UE 110 is using a relatively high BWP, such as a 100MHz BWP. It is also assumed that when UE 110 is in an active mode (e.g., being used), UE 110 does not participate in activities considered closely related to using such a high BWP. For example, instead, it is assumed that UE 110 is being used to browse the Internet, which could be considered or categorized as more suitable for a lower BWP, such as a 20MHz BWP or lower. In such a scenario, application circuitry 402 can initiate a BWP handover time, which can include a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc.) for UE 110 to switch from a higher BWP to a lower BWP.

[0070] As shown in the figure, assume that UE 110 switches to a lower BWP (e.g., a 20MHz BWP) before the BWP handover timer expires (at 820). Upon detecting a handover, application circuitry 420 can determine that the handover occurred before the BWP handover timer expires and therefore stops the timer (at 830). Since the current BWP is considered appropriate, sufficient, etc., given the current data activity (e.g., web browsing), UE 110 can remain in NR with the lower BWP until triggered to change (e.g., until activity with a specified higher BWP or activity with a specified 4G RAT is detected) (at 840).

[0071] At a certain point in time, UE 110 can detect an event (such as UE 110 activity dropping below an activity threshold), prompting application circuitry 402 to lower the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection (at 850). As shown, application circuitry 402 can send a message or instruction to BB circuitry 404 for local RRC release and 5G SA connection priority reduction (at 860). As shown, this can trigger BB circuitry 404 to perform an NR2L redirection procedure (at 870) (e.g., toward establishing a 4G RRC connection with the network). BB circuitry 404 can also transmit an LTE RRC connection request with TAU to base station 122 (at 880) to establish a 4G RRC connection with the network, and BB circuitry 404 can maintain a connection to the network via the 4G RRC connection until UE 110 reprices the 5G SA connection, prioritizing it over the 4G RRC connection (at 890). Thus, when UE 110 is connected to an excessively high BWP via a 5G SA connection, if a more suitable BWP (e.g., a lower BWP) is assigned to UE 110 before the BWP handover timer expires, UE 110 can optimize RAT usage by continuing to use the 5G SA connection. UE 110 can further optimize RAT usage by reducing the priority of the 5G SA connection and switching to a 4G connection when, for example, UE activity further decreases.

[0072] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of process 900 for optimizing RAT (Real-Time Acquisition) for Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication sessions. Process 900 can be implemented by UE 110. In some specific implementations, some or all of process 900 can be performed by one or more other systems or devices, including... Figure 1 One or more devices, such as base station 122, are included in the equipment. Additionally, process 900 may include... Figure 9The operations shown are fewer, additional, of a different order, and / or arranged than one or more. In some specific implementations, some or all of the operations of process 900 may be performed independently, sequentially, simultaneously, etc., with one or more other operations of process 900. Therefore, the techniques described herein are not limited to those described herein. Figure 9 The number, sequence, arrangement, timing, etc. of the operations or processes described herein. In addition, although process 900 can be described primarily from the perspective of a specific device (e.g., UE 110), the techniques described herein also include corresponding operations performed by the corresponding device (e.g., base station 122).

[0073] As shown in the figure, process 900 may include initiating a VoIP session (box 910). For example, UE 110 may be executing an application, operating system features, and / or another type of service capable of VoIP communication. The VoIP session may be audio-only or audio / video (e.g., video call). VoIP sessions may occur between UE 110s, between UE 110s and a network server configured for appropriate data session communication, etc. In some specific implementations, the VoIP session may begin when UE 110 is stationary (e.g., not moving) and may involve a 5G connection using a BWP with FR2.

[0074] Process 900 may include detecting that UE 110 is in motion (box 920). For example, UE 110 may continuously or periodically monitor its location and location changes (or employ other methods to determine whether UE 110 is in motion). In some implementations, maintaining 5G FR2 beams with the network while UE 110 is in motion can be challenging, and therefore, determining whether / when UE 110 is in motion while communicating with base station 122 via 5G FR2 beams can help enable UE 110 to assess other connectivity conditions to ensure smooth and constant communication with the network throughout the VoIP session (e.g., by making connection changes if / when helpful).

[0075] Process 900 may include detecting one or more conditions during a VoIP session (box 930). For example, UE 110 may monitor and determine whether one or more beam faults have occurred during a VoIP session. Doing so may include determining whether multiple beam faults exceeding a predefined threshold for beam faults during a VoIP session have occurred within a predefined duration. In some specific implementations, the beam fault threshold may include three beam faults during a VoIP session. Other examples of conditions that the UE may monitor and determine may include whether one or more UL tributary (or connection) handovers have occurred during the duration of the VoIP session, whether a combination of poor LQM (e.g., LQM = -107 dB), low throughput (<0.5 Mbps) and good LTE LQM (e.g., LQM = -100 dB) has occurred during the VoIP session, or whether a PDCP reordering timer has expired during the VoIP session. The default number of UL tributary handovers may be 1, and the default number of PDCP recorder timer expirations may be 1. In addition, PDCP reordering timer cutoffs can include timer cutoffs due to a failure to receive data or packets within the duration defined by the timer.

[0076] Process 900 may also include switching from a 5G FR1 connection to a 5G FR2 connection or a 4G connection (block 940). For example, upon detecting that UE 110 is in motion and upon one or more of the conditions described in reference block 930 above, UE 110 may discard its current 5G FR2 connection with base station 122 and begin using a 5G FR1 connection or a 4G connection for the VoIP session. In some specific implementations, a 5G FR1 connection or a 4G connection may be more suitable for the VoIP session (e.g., by providing sufficient throughput, reduced power consumption, and / or improved reliability), so switching from a 5G FR2 connection can optimize data services for UE 110 with respect to the VoIP session.

[0077] Process 900 may include switching to 5G if / when 4G congestion is detected (block 950). For example, if / when UE 110 is communicating with base station 122 using a 4G connection, UE 110 (e.g., RLGS and / or another UE component) may monitor and determine the congestion level associated with the 4G connection and compare that congestion level with a pre-specified congestion threshold. In response to determining that the congestion level exceeds the congestion threshold for 4G communication, UE 110 may switch (e.g., switch back) to the 5G connection for the VoIP session. In this way, UE 110 can be configured to switch from a 5G connection to a 4G connection during a VoIP session if / when the 5G connection becomes unreliable, but similarly, switch from a 4G connection to a 5G connection if / when the 4G connection becomes unreliable, optimizing RAT usage and performance.

[0078] Figure 10 This is a diagram of Example 1000, which optimizes RAT for data streaming sessions. As shown, Example 1000 may include several data streaming events 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 presented along a timeline. For example, a data streaming session may begin (at 1010), and UE 110 may participate in buffering the first portion of streaming data. Once the first portion of the data has been buffered, UE 110 may stop buffering for a period of time and discard the 5G connection used to download the buffered data (at 1020). For example, within a few seconds, UE 110 may download the first 60 seconds of the streaming video, buffer the downloaded data, and discard the 5G connection used to download the data. While viewing the downloaded data, UE 110 may remain in 4GRRC connection mode for a period of time (at 1030) to avoid remaining in connection mode DRX (CDRX) state, and if data inactivity continues, UE 110 will eventually (e.g., within a few seconds) release the RRC connection (at 1040) and enter idle mode. In terms of timing, the user can approach the end of the buffered data, and in response, UE 110 can exit idle mode, re-establish the 5G RRC connection with base station 122, and download the remaining portion of the streaming data. Downloading this remaining portion can be completed within seconds and can involve up to 60 seconds of streaming content. After this, UE 110 can repeat steps 1020, 1030, and 1040 as described above. This series of operations can continue until the data streaming session has been completed or terminated.

[0079] At a certain point in time (e.g., when UE 110 is in idle mode), UE 110 may also re-establish the 5G connection in response to one or more other events. Examples of such events may include UE 110 having a 4G connection for another service, detecting a congestion level exceeding a congestion threshold, and switching the 4G connection to a 5G connection in response to the congestion level. Additionally or alternatively, UE 110 may also re-establish the 5G connection in response to UE 110 being involved in another process configured to involve the 5G connection (e.g., downloading a movie in the background). UE 110 may also re-establish the 5G connection in response to UE 110 exiting the aforementioned idle mode for other reasons (e.g., the user has initiated a program or process designed to use the 5G connection). Thus, the techniques described herein enable UE 110 to optimize RAT and resources in the context of accessing and buffering streaming services.

[0080] Figure 11 This is a diagram of Example 1100, which optimizes the RAT for a UL central data session. A UL central data session may include a scenario where UE 110 has a relatively large amount of information to communicate in the UL direction but not a large amount of information to receive in the DL direction. Example 1100 can be implemented by UE 110. In some specific implementations, some or all of Example 1100 may be performed by one or more other systems or devices, including... Figure 1 One or more devices, such as base station 122, are included in the device. Additionally, example 1100 may include devices related to... Figure 11 The operations shown are fewer, additional, differently ordered, and / or arranged compared to one or more others. In some specific implementations, some or all of the operations in Example 1100 may be performed independently, sequentially, simultaneously, exclusively, etc., in a manner similar to one or more other operations or portions thereof in Example 1100. Therefore, the techniques described herein are not limited to those described herein. Figure 11 The number, sequence, arrangement, timing, etc. of the operations or processes shown. Additionally, while Example 1100 can be described primarily from the perspective of a specific device (e.g., UE 110), the techniques described herein also include corresponding operations performed by corresponding devices (e.g., base station 122, satellite 160, etc.).

[0081] As shown in the figure, Example 1100 may include a UE 110 that is stationary but has a 5G connection configured to communicate with base station 122 (box 1110). For example, UE 110 may have FR2 coverage / connectivity with a 5G SA configured to communicate with the network. UE 110 may have a data volume (e.g., file size) greater than a threshold data volume (e.g., uploading data “X>25 megabytes (MB)”) to communicate with base station 122 or to make video calls, without heavy DL activity, etc. (box 1120). In such a scenario, UE 110 may check the 4G RSRP (e.g., 4G RSRP greater than or equal to -100 dBm and 5G RSRP less than -110 dBm); check whether the 5G transmission (Tx) power reaches the transmission power threshold (“Y”); and determine whether UE 110 has experienced multiple 5G retransmissions (reTx) (box 1130). If so, UE 110 can switch to a 4G connection and transmit UL data to base station 122, unless UE 122 determines that the 4G network is overloaded / congested, in which case UE 122 can remain on 5G to transmit UL data to base station 122 (box 1140). Otherwise, UE 110 can perform a secondary cell group (SCG) local release to disable 5G and an SCG failure to deconfigure 5G (e.g., to disable 5G and remain on 4G for UL data transmission) (box 1150).

[0082] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating examples of components of a device according to one or more embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, device 1200 may include at least application circuitry 1202, baseband circuitry 1204, RF circuitry 1206, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 1208, one or more antennas 1210, and power management circuitry (PMC) 1212 coupled together as shown. Components of the illustrated device 1200 may be included in a UE or RAN node. In some embodiments, device 1200 may include fewer components (e.g., the RAN node may not utilize application circuitry 1202, but instead include a processor / controller to process IP data received from a CN such as 5GC 130 or Evolved Packet Core (EPC). In some embodiments, device 1200 may include additional components such as memory / storage devices, displays, cameras, sensors (including one or more temperature sensors, such as a single temperature sensor, multiple temperature sensors at different locations in device 1200, etc.), or input / output (I / O) interfaces. In other implementations, the following components may be included in more than one device (e.g., the circuitry may be individually included in more than one device for a cloud-RAN (C-RAN) implementation).

[0083] Application circuitry 1202 may include one or more application processors. For example, application circuitry 1202 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processor may be coupled to or may include a memory / storage device and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to enable various applications or operating systems to run on device 1200. In some specific implementations, the processor of application circuitry 1202 may process IP data packets received from the EPC.

[0084] Baseband circuitry 1204 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. Baseband circuitry 1204 may include one or more baseband processors or control logic components to process baseband signals received from the receive signal path of RF circuitry 1206 and generate baseband signals for the transmit signal path of RF circuitry 1206. Baseband circuitry 1204 may interact with application circuitry 1202 to generate and process baseband signals and control the operation of RF circuitry 1206. For example, in some implementations, baseband circuitry 1204 may include a 3G baseband processor 1204A, a 4G baseband processor 1204B, a 5G baseband processor 1204C, or other baseband processors 1204D for other existing, developing, or future generations (e.g., 2G, 6G, etc.). Baseband circuitry 1204 (e.g., one or more baseband processors 1204A-D) may handle various radio control functions enabling communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry 1206. In other embodiments, some or all of the functions of the baseband processors 1204A-1204D may be included in modules stored in memory 1204G and may be executed via a central processing unit (CPU) 1204E. Radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, and radio frequency shifting. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 1204 may include Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping / demapping functions. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 1204 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or low-density parity-check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functions. Specific implementations of the modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functions in other respects.

[0085] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 1204 may include one or more audio digital signal processors (DSPs) 1204F. The audio DSP 1204F may include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, and in other embodiments may include other suitable processing elements. In some embodiments, components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on the same circuit board. In some embodiments, some or all components of the baseband circuitry 1204 and the application circuitry 1202 may be implemented together, for example, on a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0086] In some implementations, baseband circuit 1204 can provide communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some implementations, baseband circuit 1204 can support communication with NG-RAN, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN), or other Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN), etc. Implementations of baseband circuit 1204 configured to support radio communication with more than one radio protocol may be referred to as multimode baseband circuits.

[0087] RF circuit 1206 can communicate with a wireless network using modulated electromagnetic radiation over a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, RF circuit 1206 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with the wireless network. RF circuit 1206 may include a receive signal path that includes circuitry for down-converting the RF signal received from FEM circuit 1208 and providing a baseband signal to baseband circuit 1204. RF circuit 1206 may also include a transmit signal path that includes circuitry for up-converting the baseband signal provided by baseband circuit 1204 and providing an RF output signal to FEM circuit 1208 for transmission.

[0088] In some embodiments, the receive signal path of RF circuit 1206 may include mixer circuit 1206A, amplifier circuit 1206B, and filter circuit 1206C. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of RF circuit 1206 may include filter circuit 1206C and mixer circuit 1206A. RF circuit 1206 may also include synthesizer circuit 1206D for synthesizing the frequency used by mixer circuit 1206A in both the receive and transmit signal paths. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 1206A in the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert the RF signal received from FEM circuit 1208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuit 1206D. Amplifier circuit 1206B may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and filter circuit 1206C may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal can be provided to the baseband circuit 1204 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signal may be a zero-frequency baseband signal, but this is not required. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206A for the received signal path may include a passive mixer, but the scope of the implementation is not limited in this respect.

[0089] In some implementations, the mixer circuit 1206A of the transmit signal path can be configured to up-convert the input baseband signal based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 1206D to generate an RF output signal for the FEM circuit 1208. The baseband signal can be provided by the baseband circuit 1204 and can be filtered by the filter circuit 1206C.

[0090] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206A for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206A for the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers, and may be arranged respectively for quadrature down-conversion and up-conversion. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206A for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206A for the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers, and may be arranged for image suppression (e.g., Hartley image suppression). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206A for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206A may be arranged for direct down-conversion and direct up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206A for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206A for the transmit signal path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0091] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the RF circuit 1206 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry, and the baseband circuit 1204 may include a digital baseband interface for communication with the RF circuit 1206.

[0092] In some dual-mode implementations, separate radio IC circuits can be provided to process signals for each spectrum, but the scope of implementations is not limited in this respect.

[0093] In some specific implementations, the synthesizer circuit 1206D may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional-N / N+1 synthesizer, but the scope of implementation is not limited in this respect, as other types of frequency synthesizers may also be suitable. For example, the synthesizer circuit 1206D may be a Δ-∑ synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0094] Synthesizer circuit 1206D can be configured to synthesize an output frequency based on the frequency input and the divider control input for use by mixer circuit 1206A of RF circuit 1206. In some specific implementations, synthesizer circuit 1206D may be a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0095] In some implementations, the frequency input may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), although this is not mandatory. The divider control input may be provided by the baseband circuit 1204 or the application circuit 1202 according to the desired output frequency. In some implementations, the divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on the channel indicated by the application circuit 1202.

[0096] The synthesizer circuit 1206D of the RF circuit 1206 may include a frequency divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-mode divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by N or N+1 (e.g., based on carry output) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some exemplary embodiments, the DLL may include cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a set of D-type flip-flops. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to divide the VCO period into Nd equal phase groups, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. Thus, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO period.

[0097] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 1206D may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and may be used in conjunction with quadrature generator and frequency divider circuitry to generate multiple signals having multiple different phases relative to each other at that carrier frequency. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be the LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuit 1206 may include an IQ / polarity converter.

[0098] FEM circuit 1208 may include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 1210, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to RF circuit 1206 for further processing. FEM circuit 1208 may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuitry configured to amplify transmit signals provided by RF circuit 1206 for transmission through one or more of the one or more antennas 1210. In various specific implementations, amplification via the transmit signal path or the receive signal path may be performed only in RF circuit 1206, only in FEM circuit 1208, or in both RF circuit 1206 and FEM circuit 1208.

[0099] In some implementations, FEM circuit 1208 may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit and receive modes. The FEM circuit may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuit may include an LNA to amplify the received RF signal and provide the amplified received RF signal as an output (e.g., to RF circuit 1206). The transmit signal path of FEM circuit 1208 may include a power amplifier (PA) for amplifying (e.g., provided by RF circuit 1206) the input RF signal; and one or more filters for generating RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., through one or more antennas in one or more antennas 1210).

[0100] In some implementations, the PMC 1212 manages the power supplied to the baseband circuitry 1204. Specifically, the PMC 1212 can control power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion. The PMC 1212 is typically included when the device 1200 can be battery powered, for example, when the device is included in a UE. The PMC 1212 can improve power conversion efficiency while providing the desired implementation size and thermal characteristics.

[0101] Although Figure 12The PMC 1212 is shown coupled only to the baseband circuit 1204. However, in other specific implementations, the PMC 1212 may be additionally or alternatively coupled to other components (such as, but not limited to, application circuit 1202, RF circuit 1206, or FEM 1208) and perform similar power management operations.

[0102] In some implementations, the PMC 1212 can be controlled or otherwise integrated into various power-saving mechanisms of device 1200. For example, if device 1200 is in the RRC_Connected state, where the device is still connected to the RAN node because it expects to receive traffic immediately, it can enter a state called Discontinuous Receive Mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, device 1200 can be powered down for short intervals, thereby saving power.

[0103] If there is no data traffic activity during the extended period, device 1200 can transition to the RRC_Idle state, in which the device disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback or handover. Device 1200 enters a very low power state and performs paging, in which the device periodically wakes up again to listen to the network, and then powers off again. Device 1200 may not receive data in this state; to receive data, the device can transition back to the RRC_Connected state.

[0104] An additional power-saving mode allows the device to be unavailable from the network for periods exceeding the paging interval (ranging from seconds to hours). During this time, the device is completely unconnected to the network and can be completely powered off. Any data sent during this period will incur significant latency, which is assumed to be acceptable.

[0105] The processor of application circuit 1202 and the processor of baseband circuit 1204 can be used to execute elements of one or more instances of the protocol stack. For example, the processor of baseband circuit 1204 can be used alone or in combination to perform Layer 3, Layer 2, or Layer 1 functions, and the processor of baseband circuit 1204 can utilize data received from these layers (e.g., packet data) and further perform Layer 4 functions (e.g., Transport Communication Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) layers). As mentioned herein, Layer 3 may include the RRC layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, Layer 2 may include the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, Layer 1 may include the physical (PHY) layer of the UE / RAN node, which will be described in further detail below.

[0106] Figure 13This is a diagram of an exemplary interface of a baseband circuit according to one or more embodiments described herein. As discussed above, Figure 12 The baseband circuit 1204 may include processors 1204A-1204E and a memory 1204G utilized by the processors. Each of the processors 1204A-1204E may include a memory interface 1304A-1304E for sending / receiving data to / from the memory 1204G.

[0107] The baseband circuit 1204 may also include one or more interfaces for communicatively coupling to other circuits / devices, such as a memory interface 1312 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 1204) and an application circuit interface 1314 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 1204). Figure 12 Application circuit 1202 (interface for sending / receiving data), RF circuit interface 1316 (e.g., for sending / receiving data to / from...). Figure 12 RF circuit 1206 (interface for transmitting / receiving data), wireless hardware connection interface 13112 (e.g., for transmitting / receiving data to / from near field communication (NFC) components), Components (e.g.) LowEnergy) Interfaces for sending / receiving data to / from components and other communication components) and power management interface 1320 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving power or control signals to / from PMC 1212).

[0108] Examples in this document may include subjects such as methods, components for performing actions or blocks of methods, and at least one machine-readable medium including executable instructions that, when executed by a machine (e.g., a processor with memory, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.), cause the machine to perform actions of a method, apparatus, or system of concurrent communication using various communication technologies according to the specific implementations and examples described.

[0109] In Example 1, the user equipment (UE) may include: one or more processors configured to: operate in 4G idle mode; prioritize 5G standalone (SA) connections over 4G connections in response to a triggering of a 5G SA connection repricing; and establish 5G SA connections with base stations of wireless communication networks in response to the 5G SA connection being prioritized, the 5G SA connection including the high bandwidth portion (BWP) of frequency range 1 (FR1) or frequency range 2 (FR2).

[0110] In Example 2, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: initiate a BWP handover timer corresponding to the BWP; when the BWP handover timer expires, initiate a Radio Resource Control (RRC) release procedure for the 5G SA connection; reduce the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection; and establish a 4G connection with the base station of the wireless communication network.

[0111] In Example 3, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: detect that the network congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection is higher than the network congestion threshold; initiate an RRC release procedure for the 4G connection; reprioritize the 5G SA connection to take precedence over the 4G connection; and establish another 5G connection with the wireless communication base station.

[0112] In Example 4, the example may also include one or more of the examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: detect a request for high bandwidth (BW) network services; initiate an RRC release procedure for the 4G connection; reprioritize the 5G SA connection over the 4G connection; and establish another 5G connection with the wireless communication base station.

[0113] In Example 5, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: initiate a BWP switching timer corresponding to the BWP; switch to a 20 MHz BWP before the BWP timer expires; and stop the BWP switching timer in response to the switch to the 20 MHz BWP.

[0114] In Example 6, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: detect a trigger that lowers the priority of the 5G SA connection relative to the 4G connection; initiate an RRC release procedure for the 5G connection; and establish another 4G connection with the wireless communication base station.

[0115] In Example 7, the example may also include one or more of the examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: participate in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication session using a 5G SA connection and an FR2 BWP; determine that the UE is in motion; and switch from an FR2 BWP to an FR1 BWP or a 4G connection in response to the detection of a predefined event.

[0116] In Example 8, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: continuously beam failures exceeding a beam failure threshold; uplink (UL) handover; termination of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) reordering timer; or 5G link quality metric (LQM) below a predefined 5G LQM threshold, or throughput measured below a predefined throughput threshold; and 4G LQM above a predefined 4G LQM threshold.

[0117] In Example 9, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to switch from a 4G connection to a 5G SA connection in response to detecting that the network congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection is higher than the network congestion threshold.

[0118] In Example 10, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: participate in a data streaming communication session using a 5G NSA connection; while buffering the initial portion of the data streaming communication session; enter a 4G idle mode or a 4G connected mode and disable the 5G NSA connection; and update the 5G NSA connection in response to at least one of the following: detecting that the network congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection exceeds a network congestion threshold, detecting a request for high BW network services, and exiting idle mode to buffer the subsequent portion of the data streaming communication session.

[0119] In Example 11, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, wherein one or more processors are further configured to: switch from a 5G SA connection to a 4G connection in response to: a UL central data session with minimal downlink (DL) activity; and at least one of the following: the frequency of UL handover exceeds a predefined UL handover threshold; the network congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection is lower than a network congestion threshold; the reference signal received power (RSRP) corresponding to the 4G connection exceeds a predetermined 4G RSRP threshold; the RSRP corresponding to the 5G SA connection is lower than a predetermined 5G beam RSRP threshold; the 4G LQM is higher than a predefined 4G LQM threshold; and the 5G LQM is lower than a predefined 5G LQM threshold.

[0120] In Example 12, the example may also include one or more examples of the examples described herein, wherein the user equipment (UE) may include: radio frequency circuitry configured to communicate with a base station of a wireless communication network; baseband circuitry coupled to application circuitry; and application circuitry coupled to the baseband circuitry, including one or more processors configured to cause the UE to perform the following operations: operate in 4G idle mode; prioritize 5G SA connections over 4G connections in response to a triggering of a repricing of 5G SA connections; and establish a 5G SA connection with a base station of the wireless communication network in response to the prioritization of 5G SA connections, the 5G SA connection including the high bandwidth portion (BWP) of frequency range 1 (FR1) or frequency range 2 (FR2).

[0121] In Example 12, the example may also include one or more examples described herein, and the method performed by the user equipment (UE) may include: operating in 4G idle mode; prioritizing 5G SA connections over 4G connections in response to a triggering of a repricing of 5G standalone (SA) connections; and establishing 5G SA connections with base stations of wireless communication networks in response to the prioritization of 5G SA connections, the 5G SA connections including the high bandwidth portion (BWP) of frequency range 1 (FR1) or frequency range 2 (FR2).

[0122] The above description of illustrative examples, embodiments, aspects, etc., of the subject matter of this disclosure, including the content described in the specification summary, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed aspects to the precise form disclosed. While specific examples, embodiments, aspects, etc., have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications may be considered within the scope of such examples, embodiments, aspects, etc., as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0123] In this regard, although the subject matter of this disclosure has been described in conjunction with various examples, embodiments, aspects, and corresponding drawings, it should be understood, where applicable, that other similar aspects may be used or that modifications and additions may be made to the disclosed subject matter to perform the same, similar, alternative, or substitute functions without departing from the disclosed subject matter. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any single example, embodiment, or aspect described herein, but should be interpreted in accordance with the breadth and scope of the appended claims.

[0124] In particular, regarding the various functions performed by the aforementioned components or structures (components, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), unless otherwise stated, the terminology used to describe such components (including references to "component") is intended to correspond to any component or structure that performs the specified function of the said component (e.g., functionally equivalent), even if it is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the exemplary embodiments shown herein. Furthermore, while certain features have been disclosed with respect to only one of the plurality of embodiments, it may be desirable and advantageous for any given or particular application to combine such features with one or more other features of other embodiments.

[0125] As used herein, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless otherwise stated or clearly apparent from the context, “X adopts A or B” is intended to mean any natural inclusive arrangement. That is, “X adopts A or B” is satisfied if X adopts A; X adopts B; or X adopts both A and B. Additionally, the articles “a” and “an” used in this application and the appended claims should generally be interpreted as meaning “one or more” unless otherwise stated or clearly apparent from the context to refer to the singular form. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “with,” or variations thereof are used in the Detailed Description and Claims, such terms are intended to be included in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Moreover, in the case of discussing one or more numbered items (e.g., “first X,” “second X,” etc.), generally, the one or more numbered items may be different or they may be the same, but in some cases, the context may indicate that they are different or that they are the same.

[0126] 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.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Radio frequency (RF) circuits; as well as One or more processors, coupled to the RF circuitry and configured to execute instructions stored in memory to cause the UE to: The radio frequency (RF) circuit is used to communicate with the base station of the wireless communication network via a 5G frequency range 2 FR2 connection. The 5G FR2 connection is used to buffer data corresponding to the first part of the data stream session; In response to the detection of one or more conditions, the connection is switched from the 5G FR2 connection to the 4G 4G connection; Switching from the 4G connection to the 5G FR2 connection; and After switching from the 4G connection to the 5G FR2 connection, data corresponding to the second part of the data stream session is buffered.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The continuous beam faults corresponding to the 5G FR2 connection exceed the predefined beam fault threshold.

3. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The uplink tributary handover corresponding to the 5G FR2 connection is occurring during the VoIP session.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) recorder timer expired during the VoIP session.

5. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; The 5G link quality metric LQM is below the predefined 5G LQM threshold. The throughput of the 5G FR2 connection is lower than a predefined throughput threshold; and The 4G LQM is higher than the predefined 4G LQM threshold.

6. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions include: The UE is stationary; The amount of uplink UL data exceeds the UL data threshold; The 4G reference signal received power (RSRP) exceeds the predetermined 4G RSRP threshold. 5G RSRP is below the predetermined 5G RSRP threshold; 5G transmission Tx power exceeds a predefined Tx power threshold; and The number of retransmissions (ReTX) exceeds the ReTx threshold.

7. The UE of claim 6, wherein one or more of the conditions further include: The network congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection is lower than the network congestion threshold.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions include: The UE is stationary; The 5G FR2 connection is being used for a video call session while downlink DL activity has not exceeded the DL activity threshold; The 4G reference signal received power (RSRP) exceeds the predetermined 4G RSRP threshold. 5G RSRP is below the predetermined 5G RSRP threshold; 5G transmission Tx power exceeds a predefined Tx power threshold; and The number of retransmissions (ReTX) exceeds the ReTx threshold.

9. The UE according to claim 8, wherein the one or more conditions further include: The network congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection is lower than the network congestion threshold.

10. The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE is in a 4G Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection mode when switching from the 5G FR2 connection to the 4G connection, and the one or more processors are configured to switch to an idle mode when an inactivity timer expires while in the RRC connection mode.

11. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further cause the UE to: In response to detecting that the congestion level corresponding to the 4G connection exceeds a predefined congestion threshold, the connection is switched from the 4G connection to the 5G FR2 connection.

12. The UE of claim 1, wherein one or more conditions include data corresponding to the first portion of the data stream session being buffered.

13. A method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Communicates with base stations of wireless communication networks via 5G frequency range 2 FR2 connection; In response to detecting one or more conditions, a switch is made from the 5G FR2 connection to a 5G frequency range 1 FR1 connection or a 4G 4G connection, wherein the one or more conditions include the number of consecutive beam faults corresponding to the 5G FR2 connection exceeding a predefined beam fault threshold; and In response to the congestion level corresponding to the 5G FR1 connection or the 4G connection exceeding a predefined congestion threshold, the connection is switched from the 5G FR1 connection or the 4G connection to the 5G FR2 connection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions further include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. as well as The UE is in motion.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions further include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The uplink UL tributary handover corresponding to the 5G FR2 connection is occurring during the VoIP session.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions further include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) recorder timer expired during the VoIP session.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium for user equipment (UE), comprising: One or more instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: Communicates with base stations of wireless communication networks via 5G frequency range 2 FR2 connection; In response to detecting one or more conditions, a switch is made from the 5G FR2 connection to a 5G frequency range 1 FR1 connection or a 4G 4G connection, wherein the one or more conditions include the number of consecutive beam faults corresponding to the 5G FR2 connection exceeding a predefined beam fault threshold; and In response to a congestion level corresponding to the 5G FR1 connection or the 4G connection exceeding a predefined congestion threshold, the connection is switched from the 5G FR1 connection or the 4G connection to the 5G FR2 connection.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein one or more of the conditions further include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. as well as The UE is in motion.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein one or more of the conditions include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The uplink tributary handover corresponding to the 5G FR2 connection is occurring during the VoIP session.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein one or more of the conditions further include: The 5G FR2 connection is being used for IP-based Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions. The UE is in motion; as well as The Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) recorder timer expired during the VoIP session.

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