Timer-based switching of multiple active bandwidth parts

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for full-duplex communication in wireless networks. Some implementations more specifically relate to simultaneous active multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs) for communication in a given direction (e.g., a downlink (DL) direction or an uplink (UL) direction) between a user equipment (UE) and a base station. For example, a first active BWP can be used for DL or UL communication in a half-duplex (HD) slot, while a second active BWP can be used for DL or UL communication in an adjacent full-duplex (FD) slot. In some implementations, the UE can further change the status of one or more active BWPs after a given amount of time has elapsed. For example, the UE can change the status of an active BWP by deactivating the active BWP, switching the active BWP to a default BWP, or changing a role assigned to the active BWP.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of Greek Provisional Patent Application No. 2020 / 0100422, filed on July 17, 2020, entitled “TIMER-BASEDSWITCHING FOR MULTIPLE ACTIVE BANDWIDTH PARTS (BWPS)”, which has been assigned to the assignee of this application and is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication, and more specifically to timer-based switching of multiple active bandwidth portions (BWPs) used in wireless communication. Background Technology

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services, such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. In some cases, wireless communication systems can employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple access technologies include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0005] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the municipal, national, regional, and even global levels. One example telecommunications standard is 5G New Radio (NR), which is part of the Continuous Mobile Broadband Evolution (CME) initiative released by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., scalability with the Internet of Things (IoT),) and others. In some cases, 5G NR includes services related to enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC). Some aspects of 5G NR can be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.

[0006] In some cases, 5G networks can support wider carrier bandwidth than legacy networks operating on older radio access technologies such as LTE. Wider bandwidth allows for higher achievable data rates in 5G networks. However, in some situations, increased bandwidth usage can also increase the power consumption of wireless communication devices, even during idle periods. Furthermore, data requirements may vary for different user equipment (UEs) at different times. For example, some UEs may not require or even support the maximum achievable data rates in 5G networks. Therefore, 5G networks can allocate a smaller portion of the carrier bandwidth to each UE based on their service profile.

[0007] A Bandwidth Component (BWP) is a set of contiguous resource blocks of carrier bandwidth. More specifically, a BWP represents a limited frequency range on which a UE can communicate with the 5G network. Each UE can be allocated up to four BWPs for wireless communication in a given direction (uplink or downlink). For example, a UE can be allocated four BWPs for uplink communication and another four BWPs for downlink communication. However, for each direction, only one BWP can be active at any given time. A UE typically cannot receive downlink communication outside of an active downlink BWP, nor can it transmit uplink communication outside of an active uplink BWP. This reduces the number of radio channels the UE can monitor, thereby reducing the UE's processing overhead and power consumption. As 5G NR technology continues to evolve, BWPs may need to be adjusted to support new wireless communication technologies. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 An example of a timer-based wireless communication system supporting multiple active bandwidth portions (BWPs) according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0009] Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C and Figure 2D Examples of supporting time-based handover for multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure are shown, including a first 5G NR frame, a downlink (DL) channel within a 5G NR slot, a second 5G NR frame, and an uplink (UL) channel within a 5G NR slot.

[0010] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example base station and user equipment (UE) in an access network supporting multiple active BWPs based on timer-based handover according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0011] Figure 4 An example slot configuration for a 5G NR frame supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5A A frequency diagram of a set of BWPs is shown, depicting timer-based handover communication between a base station and a UE that supports multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5B Another frequency diagram is shown depicting a set of BWPs that can be used for timer-based handover communication between a base station and a UE, supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 6 A sequence diagram is shown depicting an example communication of timer-based handover between a UE and a base station supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 7A A sequence diagram is shown depicting an example communication of timer-based handover between a UE and a base station supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7B Another sequence diagram is shown depicting example communication between a UE and a base station supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8A A sequence diagram is shown depicting an example communication of timer-based handover between a UE and a base station supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 8B Another sequence diagram is shown depicting example communication between a UE and a base station supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 9A A flowchart illustrating an example process for timer-based switching of wireless communication supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0020] Figure 9B A flowchart illustrating an example process for timer-based switching of wireless communication supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0021] Figure 9C A flowchart illustrating an example process for timer-based switching of wireless communication supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0022] Figure 9DA flowchart illustrating an example process for timer-based switching of wireless communication supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0023] Figure 9E A flowchart illustrating an example process for timer-based switching of wireless communication supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0024] Figure 10 A block diagram of an example UE supporting timer-based handover of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 11 and Figure 12 A block diagram of a device supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 13 A block diagram of a timer-based communication manager supporting multiple active BWPs is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 14 A diagram of a system including a timer-based switching device supporting multiple active BWPs is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0028] Figures 15 to 19 A flowchart illustrating a timer-based switching method for supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Summary of the Invention

[0029] The systems, methods, and apparatus disclosed herein each have several innovative aspects, and none of them are solely responsible for the desired properties disclosed herein.

[0030] An innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method may include: activating a first bandwidth portion (BWP), the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction; activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP; starting a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; and changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0031] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to: activate a first frequency range (BWP) representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction; activate a second frequency range (BWP) representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP; initiate a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; and change the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0032] Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include: components for activating a first BWP, the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction; components for activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP; components for initiating a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; and components for changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0033] One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: activate a first bandwidth portion (BWP), the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction; activate a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP; start a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; and change the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] For the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of this disclosure, the following description pertains to certain specific implementations. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented according to Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3G, 4G, or 5G (New Radio (NR)) standards published by the 3GPP, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, the IEEE 802.15 standard, or the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) standards. The described implementation can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to one or more of the following technologies or techniques: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), Single User (SU) Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), and Multiple User (MU) MIMO. The described implementation can also be implemented using other wireless communication protocols or RF signals suitable for use in one or more of Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN), Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), or Internet of Things (IoT) networks.

[0035] Some base stations are capable of sending downlink (DL) data to one or more user equipment (UEs) while simultaneously receiving uplink (UL) data from one or more UEs. Similarly, some UEs are capable of receiving DL data from a base station while simultaneously sending UL data to the base station. In some cases, time slots supporting simultaneous UL and DL communication can be called "full-duplex" (FD) time slots. Similarly, time slots supporting communication in only one direction (UL or DL) can be called "half-duplex" (HD) time slots. In some aspects, the frequency range used for DL ​​or UL communication in an HD time slot can differ from the frequency range used for UL or DL ​​communication in an adjacent FD time slot. Therefore, when switching between HD and FD time slots, it may be necessary to switch between different bandwidth portions (BWPs). As mentioned above, current versions of the 5G standard stipulate that at any given time, only one BWP can be active for communication in a given direction (such as in UL or DL). Changing the active BWP typically requires a considerable handover time, which may delay or interrupt communication when switching between HD and FD time slots.

[0036] Various implementations generally involve FD communication in wireless networks, and some implementations more specifically involve having multiple active BWPs simultaneously for communication between the UE and the base station in a given direction (such as DL or UL direction). In some cases, some implementations involve activating multiple active BWPs simultaneously for communication between the UE and the base station in a given direction. For example, a first active BWP may be used for DL ​​or UL communication in an HD time slot, while a second active BWP may be used for DL ​​or UL communication in an adjacent FD time slot. Because the first and second active BWPs can be active simultaneously, the UE may require little or no handover time to switch between HD and FD time slots. In some implementations, the UE may assign the first active BWP to a primary role (referred to herein as the "primary BWP") and may further assign the second active BWP to a secondary role (referred to herein as the "secondary BWP"). In some aspects, the UE may monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in the primary BWP, rather than other BWPs, including those not in the secondary BWP. The PDCCH may schedule the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in the primary BWP, secondary BWP, or both. Furthermore, the UE can change the state of one or more active BWPs after a given amount of time has elapsed. For example, the UE can start one or more timers in response to activating a first and a second active BWP. In some aspects, a single inactive timer can be associated with both the first and second active BWPs, wherein the expiration of the inactive timer triggers the UE to switch the first and second active BWPs to a default BWP. In other aspects, a corresponding inactive timer can be associated with each of the first and second active BWPs, wherein the expiration of each inactive timer triggers the UE to deactivate the associated active BWP or switch the active BWP to the default BWP. Additionally, in some aspects, a switching timer can be associated with a primary BWP, wherein the expiration of the switching timer triggers the UE to switch the primary BWP's role from the first active BWP to the second active BWP. The UE can also deactivate the first active BWP or reassign it to a secondary role in response to the expiration of a switching timer.

[0037] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. By maintaining multiple active BWPs, aspects of this disclosure can improve the efficiency of FD communication in networks such as 5G networks. For example, a UE can use a first active BWP for DL ​​(or UL) communication in an HD time slot, and a second active BWP for DL ​​(or UL) communication in an adjacent FD time slot. The first and second active BWPs can be active simultaneously, and the UE can switch between HD and FD time slots with minimal delay or interruption in communication with the base station. Furthermore, by changing the state of one or more active BWPs after a given amount of time, the UE can gradually revert to a lower power configuration. For example, once one or more timers expire, the UE can deactivate one or more active BWPs or reduce the frequency range associated with the active BWP (e.g., by switching the active BWP to the default BWP or reassigning the role of the primary BWP).

[0038] The various aspects of this disclosure are first described in the context of a wireless communication system. Then, they are described in the context of 5G NR frames, DL and UL channels within 5G NR frames, block diagrams, time slot configurations, frequency diagrams, and sequence diagrams. The various aspects of this disclosure are further illustrated and described with reference to device diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts relating to timer-based handover of multiple active BWPs.

[0039] Figure 1 An example of a timer-based handover wireless communication system 100 supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an Advanced LTE (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may support enhanced broadband communication, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communication, low-latency communication, communication with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

[0040] Base stations 105 can be distributed throughout a geographic area to form a wireless communication system 100 and can be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Base stations 105 and UE 115 can communicate wirelessly via one or more communication links 125. Each base station 105 can provide a coverage area 110, on which UE 115 and base station 105 can establish one or more communication links 125. Coverage area 110 can be an example of a geographic area over which base stations 105 and UE 115 can support signal communication according to one or more radio access technologies.

[0041] UE 115 can be distributed throughout the entire coverage area 110 of the wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile or both at different times. UE 115 can be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Figure 1 Some example UE 115s are shown in the document. The UE 115 described herein is capable of communicating with various types of devices, such as other UE 115s, base station 105, or network devices (e.g., core network nodes, relay devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or other network devices), such as Figure 1 As shown.

[0042] Base station 105 may communicate with core network 130, communicate with each other, or both. For example, base station 105 may interface with core network 130 via one or more backhaul links 120 (e.g., via S1, N2, N3, or other interfaces). Base station 105 may communicate with each other directly (e.g., directly between base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via core network 130) via backhaul links 120 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or other interfaces), or both. In some examples, backhaul link 120 may be or include one or more radio links.

[0043] One or more of the base stations 105 described herein may include, or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as, basic transceiver station, radio base station, access point, radio transceiver, NodeB, eNodeB, next-generation NodeB or giga-NodeB (any of which may be referred to as gNB), home NodeB, home eNodeB or other suitable terms.

[0044] UE 115 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, handheld device, or subscriber device, or some other suitable term, wherein "device" may also be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, etc. UE 115 may also include or be referred to as a personal electronic device, such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, laptop computer, or personal computer. In some examples, UE 115 may include or be referred to as a wireless local loop (WLL) station, Internet of Things (IoT) device, Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or machine-type communication (MTC) device, among other examples, which may be implemented in various objects such as appliances or vehicles, meters, etc.

[0045] The UE 115 described herein can communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115 that sometimes act as relays, as well as base station 105 and network devices including macro eNBs or gNBs, small cell eNBs or gNBs, or relay base stations, and other examples, such as Figure 1 As shown.

[0046] UE 115 and base station 105 can wirelessly communicate with each other via one or more communication links 125 using one or more carriers. The term "carrier" can refer to a set of radio spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communication link 125. For example, a carrier for communication link 125 may include a portion (e.g., a bandwidth portion (BWP)) of a radio spectrum band operating according to one or more physical layer channels for a given radio access technology (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR). Each physical layer channel may carry acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals, system information), control signaling coordinating carrier operation, user data, or other signaling. Wireless communication system 100 can support communication with UE 115 using carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation. Depending on the carrier aggregation configuration, UE 115 can be configured with multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers. Carrier aggregation can be used in conjunction with both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) component carriers.

[0047] In some examples (e.g., in a carrier aggregation configuration), a carrier may also have acquisition signaling or control signaling to coordinate the operation of other carriers. A carrier may be associated with a frequency channel (e.g., an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN)) and may be located according to a channel raster for discovery by UE 115. A carrier may operate in an independent mode where initial acquisition and connection can be performed by UE 115 via the carrier, or in a non-independent mode where connections are anchored using different carriers (e.g., the same or different radio access technologies).

[0048] The communication link 125 shown in the wireless communication system 100 may include uplink transmission from UE 115 to base station 105, or downlink transmission from base station 105 to UE 115. A carrier may carry either downlink or uplink communication (e.g., in FDD mode), or may be configured to carry both downlink and uplink communication (e.g., in TDD mode).

[0049] A carrier can be associated with a specific bandwidth of the radio spectrum, and in some examples, the carrier bandwidth can be referred to as the carrier or the “system bandwidth” of the wireless communication system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth can be one of several defined bandwidths of a carrier used for a particular radio access technology (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80 MHz). Devices of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., base station 105 or UE 115, or both) can have a hardware configuration that supports communication over a specific carrier bandwidth, or can be configured to support communication over one of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may include base station 105 or UE 115 that supports simultaneous communication via carriers associated with multiple carrier bandwidths. In some examples, each serving UE 115 can be configured to operate on a portion (e.g., subband, BWP) or all of the carrier bandwidth.

[0050] The signal waveform transmitted on a carrier can consist of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multicarrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) or Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM). In a system employing MCM, a resource element can consist of one symbol period (e.g., the duration of a modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element can depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme, the decoding rate of the modulation scheme, or both). Therefore, the more resource elements UE 115 receives and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate of UE 115. Wireless communication resources can refer to a combination of radio spectrum resources, temporal resources, and spatial resources (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and the use of multiple spatial layers can further improve the data rate or data integrity of communication with UE 115.

[0051] One or more parameter sets (numerologies) of a carrier can be supported, where the parameter sets may include subcarrier spacing (Δf) and cyclic prefix. A carrier can be divided into one or more BWPs with the same or different parameter sets. In some examples, UE 115 can be configured with multiple BWPs. In some examples, a single BWP for a carrier can be active at a given time, and communication for UE 115 can be restricted to one or more active BWPs.

[0052] The time interval between base station 105 or UE 115 can be expressed in a basic time unit (e.g., T). s =1 / (Δf) max ·N f The sampling period is a multiple of Δf (in seconds). maxThis can represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and N f This can represent the maximum supported Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) size. Communication resources can be organized into time intervals based on radio frames, each with a specified duration (e.g., 10 milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame can be identified by a System Frame Number (SFN) (e.g., ranging from 0 to 1023).

[0053] Each frame may include multiple consecutively numbered subframes or time slots, and each subframe or time slot may have the same duration. In some examples, a frame may be divided (e.g., in the time domain) into subframes, and each subframe may be further divided into multiple time slots. Alternatively, each frame may include a variable number of time slots, and the number of time slots may depend on the subcarrier spacing. Each time slot may include multiple symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix appended to each symbol period). In some wireless communication systems 100, time slots may be further divided into multiple micro-time slots containing one or more symbols. In addition to the cyclic prefix, each symbol period may contain one or more (e.g., N) f Sampling period. The duration of the symbol period can depend on the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0054] A subframe, time slot, micro-time slot, or symbol can be the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., in the time domain) and can be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the duration of the TTI (e.g., the number of symbol periods in the TTI) can be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 can be dynamically selected (e.g., in a burst of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)).

[0055] Physical channels can be multiplexed on a carrier using various techniques. For example, one or more of Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), or hybrid TDM-FDM techniques can be used to multiplex physical control channels and physical data channels on a downlink carrier. The control region (e.g., a control resource set (CORESET)) of the physical control channel can be defined by multiple symbol periods and can extend across the system bandwidth or a subset of the system bandwidth of the carrier. One or more control regions (e.g., CORESETs) can be configured for a group of UEs 115. For example, one or more of UEs 115 can monitor or search for control information based on one or more search space sets, and each search space set can include one or more control channel candidates in one or more aggregation levels arranged in a cascaded manner. The aggregation level of the control channel candidates can refer to the number of control channel resources (e.g., control channel elements (CCEs)) associated with coded information in a control information format with a given payload size. The search space set can include a common search space set configured to send control information to multiple UEs 115 and a UE-specific search space set for sending control information to a specific UE 115.

[0056] Each base station 105 can provide communication coverage via one or more cells (e.g., macro cells, small cells, hotspots, or other types of cells, or various combinations thereof). The term "cell" can refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with base station 105 (e.g., via a carrier) and can be associated with an identifier used to distinguish neighboring cells (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCI), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID), or other identifier). In some examples, a cell can also refer to a geographic coverage area 110 or a portion of geographic coverage area 110 (e.g., a sector) on which a logical communication entity operates. Depending on various factors such as the capabilities of base station 105, the range of such cells can range from small areas (e.g., structures, subsets of structures) to large areas. For example, a cell can be or include buildings, subsets of buildings, or external space between or overlapping geographic coverage areas 110, among other examples.

[0057] Macro cells typically cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access for UE 115 with a service subscription to a network provider supporting the macro cell. In contrast, small cells can be associated with a lower-power base station 105 and can operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed, etc.) frequency bands as macro cells. Small cells can provide unrestricted access to UE 115 with a service subscription to a network provider, or restricted access to UE 115 associated with a small cell (e.g., UE 115 in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UE 115 associated with a user in a home or office). Base station 105 can support one or more cells and can also support communication via one or more cells using one or more component carriers.

[0058] In some examples, a carrier can support multiple cells, and different cells can be configured based on different protocol types that can provide access for different types of devices (e.g., MTC, narrowband (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)).

[0059] In some examples, base station 105 may be mobile, and thus provide communication coverage for mobile geographic coverage areas 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may overlap, but the different geographic coverage areas 110 may be supported by the same base station 105. In other examples, overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may be supported by different base stations 105. Wireless communication system 100 may include, for example, a heterogeneous network, in which different types of base stations 105 use the same or different radio access technologies to provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110.

[0060] The wireless communication system 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, base stations 105 can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can be approximately time-aligned. For asynchronous operation, base stations 105 can have different frame timing, and in some examples, transmissions from different base stations 105 can be time-disaligned. The techniques described herein can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operation.

[0061] Some UE 115 devices, such as MTC or IoT devices, can be low-cost or low-complexity devices and can provide automated communication between machines (e.g., via machine-to-machine (M2M) communication). M2M communication or MTC can refer to data communication technologies that allow devices to communicate with each other or with base station 105 without human intervention. In some examples, M2M communication or MTC can include communication from devices that integrate sensors or instruments to measure or capture information and relay such information to a central server or application that uses the information or presents it to humans interacting with the application. Some UE 115 devices can be designed to collect information or automate the behavior of machines or other devices. Examples of applications for MTC devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather and geological event monitoring, fleet management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based service charging.

[0062] Wireless communication system 100 can be configured to support ultra-reliable communication or low-latency communication, or various combinations thereof. For example, wireless communication system 100 can be configured to support ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) or mission-critical communication. UE 115 can be designed to support ultra-reliable, low-latency, or mission-critical functions (e.g., mission-critical functions). Ultra-reliable communication can include private or group communication and can be supported by one or more mission-critical services, such as Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT), Mission-Critical Video (MCVideo), or Mission-Critical Data (MCData). Support for mission-critical functions can include service prioritization, and mission-critical services can be used for public safety or general business applications. The terms ultra-reliable, low-latency, mission-critical, and ultra-reliable low-latency are used interchangeably herein.

[0063] In some examples, UE 115 is also able to communicate directly with other UE 115 via device-to-device (D2D) communication link 135 (e.g., using peer-to-peer (P2P) or D2D protocols). One or more UE 115s utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 105. Other UE 115s in such a group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 105 or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from base station 105. In some examples, the group of UE 115s communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE 115 sends to every other UE 115 in the group. In some examples, base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between UE 115s without the involvement of base station 105.

[0064] Core network 130 can provide user authentication, access authentication, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Core network 130 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), which may include at least one control plane entity (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), access and mobility management function (AMF)) managing access and mobility, and at least one user plane entity (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or user plane function (UPF)) routing or interconnecting packets to external networks. The control plane entity can manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management, for UE 115 served by base station 105 associated with core network 130. User IP packets can be transmitted through the user plane entity, which can provide IP address allocation and other functions. The user plane entity can connect to one or more network operator IP services 150. IP services 150 may include access to the Internet, Intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or packet-switched streaming services.

[0065] Some network devices, such as base station 105, may include sub-components such as access network entity 140, which may be an example of an access node controller (ANC). Each access network entity 140 may communicate with UE 115 through one or more other access network transport entities 145, which may be referred to as a radio headend, smart radio headend, or transmit / receive point (TRP). Each access network transport entity 145 may include one or more antenna panels. In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity 140 or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio headends and ANCs) or combined into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

[0066] Wireless communication system 100 can operate using one or more frequency bands typically in the 300 MHz to 300 GHz range. The region from 300 MHz to 3 GHz is generally referred to as the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band because the wavelength range is from approximately 1 decimeter to 1 meter. UHF waves may be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, but these waves may penetrate structures sufficiently to allow a macrocell to serve UE 115 located indoors. Compared to transmission using smaller frequencies and longer waves in the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz, UHF wave transmission can be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than 100 km).

[0067] The wireless communication system 100 can also operate in a frequency band from 3 GHz to 30 GHz (also known as the centimeter band) or in the ultra-high frequency (SHF) or extremely high frequency (EHF) region of the spectrum (e.g., from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, also known as the millimeter wave band). In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 can support millimeter wave (mmW) communication between the UE 115 and the base station 105, and the EHF antennas of the individual devices can be smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some examples, this can be advantageous for using antenna arrays within the device. However, compared to SHF or UHF transmissions, EHF transmissions may suffer from greater atmospheric attenuation and shorter range. The techniques disclosed herein can be employed between transmissions using one or more different frequency regions, and the designated use of frequency bands across these frequency regions may vary by country or regulatory body.

[0068] Wireless communication system 100 can utilize licensed and unlicensed radio spectrum bands. For example, wireless communication system 100 can use Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), LTE Unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in unlicensed bands such as the 5 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. When operating in unlicensed radio spectrum bands, devices such as base station 105 and UE 115 can employ carrier sensing for collision detection and avoidance. In some examples, operation in unlicensed bands can be based on a combination of carrier aggregation configuration and component carriers operating in licensed bands (such as LAA). Operation in unlicensed spectrum can include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, P2P transmissions, or D2D transmissions, among other examples.

[0069] Base station 105 or UE 115 may be equipped with multiple antennas, which can be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or beamforming. The antennas of base station 105 or UE 115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels that can support MIMO operation or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may be located together at an antenna assembly, such as an antenna tower. In some examples, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with base station 105 may be located in different geographical locations. Base station 105 may have an antenna array with multiple rows and columns of antenna ports, which base station 105 can use to support beamforming for communication with UE 115. Similarly, UE 115 may have one or more antenna arrays that can support various MIMO or beamforming operations. Additionally or alternatively, the antenna panel may support radio frequency beamforming for signals transmitted via the antenna ports.

[0070] Base station 105 or UE 115 can use MIMO communication to utilize multipath signal propagation and improve spectral efficiency by sending or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers. Such a technique can be referred to as spatial multiplexing. Multiple signals can be transmitted, for example, by a transmitting device via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Similarly, multiple signals can be received by a receiving device via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Each of the multiple signals can be referred to as an independent spatial stream and can carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams (e.g., different codewords). Different spatial layers can be associated with different antenna ports used for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) in which multiple spatial layers are sent to the same receiving device, and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) in which multiple spatial layers are sent to multiple devices.

[0071] Beamforming, also known as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception, is a signal processing technique that can be used at transmitting or receiving devices (e.g., base station 105, UE 115) to shape or manipulate antenna beams (e.g., transmit beam, receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting and receiving devices. Beamforming can be achieved by combining signals transmitted via antenna elements of an antenna array such that some signals propagating in a specific direction relative to the antenna array experience constructive interference, while other signals experience destructive interference. The conditioning of signals transmitted via antenna elements can include the transmitting or receiving device applying amplitude shift, phase shift, or both to the signals carried via the antenna elements associated with that device. The conditioning associated with each antenna element can be defined by a set of beamforming weights associated with a specific direction (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting or receiving device, or relative to some other direction).

[0072] Figure 2A An example of the first time slot 200 within the 5G NR frame structure is shown. Figure 2B An example of DL channel 230 within a 5G NR timeslot is shown. Figure 2C An example of the second time slot 250 within the 5G NR frame structure is shown. Figure 2D An example of UL channel 280 within a 5G NR timeslot is shown. The 5G NR frame structure can be FDD, where, for a given set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), timeslots within that set are dedicated to either DL or UL. In other cases, the 5G NR frame structure can be TDD, where, for a given set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), timeslots within that set are dedicated to both DL and UL.

[0073] In other cases, the 5G NR frame structure can be location-division duplex, where spatial domain filters (e.g., beam, transmission direction, transmission location, coverage area) are dedicated to DL or UL or both for a specific set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth). In other words, by using location-division duplex, a device can use the spatial domain as another degree of freedom to multiplex communication with other devices. In some cases, the 5G NR frame structure can support cross-division duplex, where a device can combine TDD and FDD, while simultaneously operating UL and DL on the same TDD carrier but on different frequency resources, resulting in significant self-interference (e.g., interference between the first and second antenna panels at the device). Devices configured to use cross-division duplex can be configured to mitigate this self-interference, for example, by forming electromagnetic barriers between antenna panels, nonlinear channel estimation processes, etc.

[0074] exist Figure 2A and Figure 2C In the example shown, the 5G / NR frame structure is configured as TDD, with slot 4 configured in slot format 28 (primarily DL), where D indicates DL, U indicates UL, and X indicates flexible use of the slot between DL and UL, and slot 3 configured in slot format 34 (primarily UL). Although slots 3 and 4 are shown in slot formats 34 and 28 respectively, any particular slot can be configured in any of the various available slot formats 0-61. Slot formats 0 and 1 are full DL and full UL, respectively. Other slot formats 2-61 include a mixture of DL, UL, and flexible symbols. The UE is configured in this slot format (dynamically via DL control information (DCI) or semi-statically / statically via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling) via the received Slot Format Indicator (SFI). This format also applies to 5G NR frame structures belonging to FDD.

[0075] Other wireless communication technologies can have different frame structures and / or different channels. A frame (10 milliseconds) can be divided into 10 subframes of equal size (1 millisecond). Each subframe can include one or more time slots. Subframes can also include micro-time slots, which can contain 7, 4, or 2 symbols. Each time slot can include 7 or 14 symbols, depending on the time slot configuration. For time slot configuration 0, each time slot can include 14 symbols, while for time slot configuration 1, each time slot can include 7 symbols. Symbols on the DL can be Cyclic Prefix (CP) OFDM (CP-OFDM) symbols. Symbols on the UL can be CP-OFDM symbols (for high-throughput scenarios) or Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols (also known as Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols) (for power-constrained scenarios; limited to single-stream transmission). The number of time slots within a subframe is based on the time slot configuration and parameter set. For slot configuration 0, different parameter sets μ0 to 5 allow 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 slots per subframe, respectively. For slot configuration 1, different parameter sets 0 to 2 allow 2, 4, and 8 slots per subframe, respectively. Therefore, for slot configuration 0 and parameter sets, there are 14 symbols / slots and 2μ slots / subframes. Subcarrier spacing and symbol length / duration are functions of the parameter sets. The subcarrier spacing can be equal to 2^μ * 15kHz, where μ is a parameter set from 0 to 5. Therefore, parameter set μ = 0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15kHz, and parameter set μ = 5 has a subcarrier spacing of 480kHz. Symbol length / duration is inversely proportional to subcarrier spacing.

[0076] Figures 2A to 2D Examples of timer-based switching slot configurations supporting multiple active BWPs are provided according to various aspects of this disclosure. This slot configuration may have 14 symbols per slot and parameter set μ = 0, with one slot per subframe. The subcarrier spacing is 15 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 66.7 μs.

[0077] A resource grid can be used to represent the frame structure. Each slot consists of a resource block (RB) (also known as a physical RB (PRB)) that extends across 12 consecutive subcarriers and spans multiple symbols. The intersection of the subcarriers and symbols of the RB defines multiple resource elements (REs). The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0078] like Figure 2AAs shown, some REs carry reference (pilot) signals (RS) for UE 115. In some configurations, one or more REs may carry demodulation RS (DM-RS) (indicated as Rx for a particular configuration, where 100x is the port number, but other DM-RS configurations are also possible). In some configurations, one or more REs may carry channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) for channel measurements at the UE. REs may also include beam measurement RS (BRS), beam refinement RS (BRRS), and phase tracking RS (PT-RS).

[0079] Figure 2B Examples of various DL channels within a subframe of a frame are shown. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carries the DCI within one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs), each CCE comprising nine RE Groups (REGs), each REG comprising four consecutive REs in an OFDM symbol. The Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) may be located within symbol 2 of a specific subframe of the frame. UE 115 can use the PSS to determine subframe or symbol timing and physical layer identifiers. The Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) may be located within symbol 4 of a specific subframe of the frame. UE 115 can use the SSS to determine the Physical Layer Cell Identifier Group Number and radio frame timing. Based on the Physical Layer Identifier and Physical Layer Cell Identifier Group Number, UE 115 can determine the PCI. Based on the PCI, UE 115 can determine the location of the aforementioned DM-RS. The Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) carrying the Primary Information Block (MIB) can be logically grouped with the PSS and SSS to form a Synchronization Signal (SS) / PBCH block. The MIB provides several RBs within the system bandwidth and system frame number (SFN). The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) can carry user data, broadcast system information (such as System Information Blocks (SIBs)) and paging messages that are not transmitted via the PBCH.

[0080] like Figure 2C As shown, some REs carry DM-RS (denoted as R for a specific configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible) for channel estimation at the base station. UE 115 can transmit DM-RS for the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and DM-RS for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The PUSCH DM-RS can be transmitted in the first one or two symbols of the PUSCH. The PUCCH DM-RS can be transmitted in different configurations depending on whether a short or long PUCCH is transmitted and on the specific PUCCH format used. Although not shown, UE 115 can transmit a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The base station can use the SRS for channel quality estimation to implement frequency-dependent scheduling on the UL.

[0081] Figure 2D Examples of various UL channels within a subframe of a frame are shown. The location of the PUCCH can be the same as shown in one configuration. The PUCCH carries uplink control information (UCI), such as scheduling requests, channel quality indicators (CQI), precoding matrix indicators (PMI), rank indicators (RI), and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK) / negative ACK (NACK) feedback. The PUCCH carries data and can additionally be used to carry buffer status reports (BSR), power headroom reports (PHR), and / or UCI.

[0082] Figure 3 A block diagram of an example base station 310 and UE 350 in an access network supporting multiple active BWPs based on timer-based handover according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In the DL, IP packets from EPC160 can be provided to controller / processor 375. Controller / processor 375 implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions. Layer 3 includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and Layer 2 includes the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 375 provides the following functions: RRC layer functions associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., MIB, SIB), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), internal radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functions associated with transmission of upper-layer packet data units (PDUs), error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs to transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel prioritization.

[0083] Transmit (TX) processor 316 and receive (RX) processor 370 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) decoding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. TX processor 316 processes the mapping to the signal constellation based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The decoded and modulated symbols can then be segmented into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to OFDM subcarriers, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to generate a physical channel carrying the time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM streams are spatially pre-decoded to generate multiple spatial streams. The channel estimate from channel estimator 374 can be used to determine the decoding and modulation scheme, as well as for spatial processing. The channel estimate can be derived from the reference signal and / or channel condition feedback transmitted by UE 350. Each spatial stream can then be provided to a different antenna 320 via a separate transmitter 318TX. Each transmitter 318TX can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0084] At UE 350, each receiver 354RX receives signals through its corresponding antenna 352. Each receiver 354RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides this information to the receive (RX) processor 356. The TX processor 368 and RX processor 356 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. The RX processor 356 can perform spatial processing on this information to recover any spatial streams sent to UE 350. If multiple spatial streams are sent to UE 350, they can be combined by the RX processor 356 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The RX processor 356 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to convert the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal includes a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. By determining the most probable signal constellation points transmitted by base station 310, the symbols on each subcarrier and the reference signal are recovered and demodulated. These soft decisions can be based on a channel estimate calculated by the channel estimator 358. The soft decision is then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted by base station 310 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to controller / processor 359, which implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functionality.

[0085] The controller / processor 359 may be associated with a memory 360 that stores program code and data. The memory 360 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 359 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from the EPC 160. The controller / processor 359 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0086] Similar to the functionality described in conjunction with DL transmission of base station 310, controller / processor 359 provides the following functions: RRC layer functions associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connectivity, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions associated with transmission of upper-layer PDUs, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs to transport blocks, demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel prioritization.

[0087] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator 358 from the reference signal or feedback transmitted from the base station 310 can be used by the TX processor 368 to select an appropriate decoding and modulation scheme and facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 368 can be provided to different antennas 352 via a separate transmitter 354TX. Each transmitter 354TX can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate an RF carrier for transmission.

[0088] UL transmissions are processed at base station 310 in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with the receiver function at UE 350. Each receiver 318RX receives a signal via its corresponding antenna 320. Each receiver 318RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides that information to RX processor 370.

[0089] The controller / processor 375 may be associated with a memory 376 that stores program code and data. The memory 376 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller / processor 375 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from the UE 350. IP packets from the controller / processor 375 may be provided to the EPC 160. The controller / processor 375 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation. Information to be wirelessly transmitted (such as LTE- or NR-based communications) is encoded at the PHY layer and mapped to one or more wireless channels for transmission.

[0090] As described above, a BWP is a set of contiguous resource blocks of carrier bandwidth. More specifically, a BWP represents a limited frequency range on which a UE can communicate with the 5G network. Each UE can be allocated up to four BWPs for wireless communication in a given direction (UL or DL). For example, a UE can be allocated four BWPs for UL communication and another four BWPs for DL ​​communication. However, in some cases, one BWP can be active at any given time. In some cases, the UE may not receive DL communication outside of an active DL BWP, nor transmit UL communication outside of an active UL BWP. This reduces the number of radio channels the UE needs to monitor, thereby reducing the UE's processing overhead and power consumption.

[0091] Some base stations can send DL data to one or more UEs while simultaneously receiving UL data from one or more UEs. Similarly, some UEs can receive DL data from a base station while simultaneously sending UL data to the base station. As mentioned above, according to the 5G NR frame structure, a time slot that supports simultaneous UL and DL communication can be called a "full-duplex" (FD) time slot. Similarly, a time slot that supports communication in only one direction (UL or DL) can be called a "half-duplex" (HD) time slot. In some aspects, the frequency range used for DL ​​or UL communication in an HD time slot can be different from the frequency range used for UL or DL ​​communication in an adjacent FD time slot. In some cases, the device can be configured to switch between different BWPs when transitioning between HD and FD time slots. However, changing the active BWP can take a considerable amount of handover time, which may delay or interrupt communication when transitioning between HD and FD time slots.

[0092] The various implementations generally relate to FD communication in wireless networks. Some implementations more specifically involve the simultaneous activation of multiple Base Stations (BWPs) for communication between the UE and the base station in a given direction (e.g., DL or UL direction). For example, a first active BWP might be used for DL ​​or UL communication in an HD time slot, while a second active BWP might be used for DL ​​or UL communication in an adjacent FD time slot. Because the first and second BWPs can be active simultaneously, the UE may require little or no handover time to switch between HD and FD time slots. In some implementations, the UE can assign the first active BWP to a primary role (referred to herein as the "primary BWP") and further assign the second active BWP to a secondary role (referred to herein as the "secondary BWP"). In some aspects, the UE can monitor only the PDCCH in the primary BWP. The PDCCH can schedule PDSCH in the primary BWP, secondary BWP, or both. Therefore, in these aspects, the UE can access the secondary BWP only if the PDSCH is scheduled in the secondary BWP.

[0093] In some implementations, the UE can further change the state of one or more active BWPs after a certain amount of time has elapsed. For example, the UE can start one or more timers in response to the activation of a first BWP and a second BWP. In some aspects, a single inactive timer can be associated with the first BWP and the second BWP, wherein the expiration of the inactive timer triggers the UE to switch the first BWP and the second BWP to a default BWP. In some other aspects, a corresponding inactive timer can be associated with each of the first BWP and the second BWP, wherein the expiration of each inactive timer triggers the UE to deactivate the associated BWP or switch that BWP to the default BWP. Furthermore, in some aspects, a switching timer can be associated with a primary BWP, wherein the expiration of the switching timer triggers the UE to switch the role of the primary BWP from the first BWP to the second BWP. The UE can also deactivate the first BWP or reassign the first BWP to a secondary role in response to the expiration of the switching timer.

[0094] Specific implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following potential advantages. By maintaining multiple active BWPs, aspects of this disclosure can improve the efficiency of FD communication in 5G networks. For example, a UE can use a first BWP for DL ​​(or UL) communication in an HD time slot, and a second BWP for DL ​​(or UL) communication in an adjacent FD time slot. Because the first and second BWPs can be active simultaneously, the UE can switch between HD and FD time slots with minimal delay or interruption in communication with the base station. Furthermore, by changing the state of one or more active BWPs after a given amount of time, the UE can gradually revert to a lower power configuration. For example, when one or more timers expire, the UE can deactivate one or more BWPs or reduce the frequency range associated with the active BWP (e.g., by switching the active BWP to the default BWP or reassigning the role of the primary BWP).

[0095] Figure 4 An exemplary slot configuration of a 5G NR frame 400 supporting timer-based handover of multiple active BWPs is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. The example 5G NR frame 400 can be used for DL ​​and UL communication between the UE and the base station. For simplicity, only the example 5G NR frame 400 is depicted with three slots 410–430. Figure 4 In the example, the first time slot 410 is configured as an HD time slot for DL ​​communication, the second time slot 420 is configured as an FD time slot for simultaneous UL and DL communication, and the third time slot 430 is configured as an HD time slot for UL communication. As used herein, the term "DL bandwidth" may refer to the frequency range that can be used for DL ​​communication (including PDCCH and PDSCH, etc.), while the term "UL bandwidth" may refer to the frequency range that can be used for UL communication (including PUCCH and PUSCH, etc.).

[0096] like Figure 4 As shown, the first time slot 410 (also referred to as HD time slot 410) provides a DL bandwidth (BW) 412 spanning the frequency range associated with the first time slot 410. Similarly, the third time slot 430 (also referred to as HD time slot 430) provides a UL bandwidth 432 spanning the frequency range associated with the third time slot 430. In contrast, the second time slot 420 (also referred to as FD time slot 420) provides a UL bandwidth 424 spanning the central portion of the frequency range associated with the second time slot 420, and further provides DL bandwidths 422 and 426 (on either side of the UL bandwidth 424) spanning the remaining portion of the frequency range. A guard band (GB) further separates the UL bandwidth 424 from the DL bandwidths 422 and 426. Figure 4In the example, DL bandwidths 422 and 426 are allocated on opposite sides of UL bandwidth 424. However, other allocations of DL and UL bandwidths are also possible. For example, in some other implementations, the UL and DL bandwidth allocations can be reversed. Furthermore, in some implementations, the DL bandwidth can span the upper (or lower) portion of the frequency range associated with the second time slot 420, while the UL bandwidth can span the lower (or upper) portion of the frequency range associated with the second time slot 420.

[0097] Different time slots within a 5G NR frame can cover different frequency ranges. For example, although not drawn to scale, HD time slot 410 can span a different frequency range than FD time slot 420. Therefore, DL bandwidth 412 can be associated with the first BWP, while DL bandwidths 422 and 426 can be associated with the second BWP. In some cases, one BWP can be active for a given direction (such as DL or UL direction). Therefore, when transitioning from HD time slot 410 to FD time slot 420, the UE can switch its active BWP from the first BWP to the second BWP. Switching active BWPs may require reconfiguring or tuning the RF front-end (RFFE), which consumes significant time and resources. Therefore, switching active BWPs between HD time slot 410 and FD time slot 420 may delay or interrupt DL communication between the UE and the corresponding base station.

[0098] In some implementations, the UE can simultaneously activate multiple Base Stations (BWPs) for communication in a given direction (such as the DL direction, the UL direction, or both). For example, the UE can simultaneously activate a first BWP (associated with DL bandwidth 412) and a second BWP (associated with DL bandwidths 422 and 426) before the start of HD time slot 410, such that the first and second BWPs remain active during the transition between HD time slot 420 and FD time slot 410. Since the first and second BWPs can be active during the transition from HD time slot 410 to FD time slot 420, the UE may require little or no handover time to switch communication from the first BWP to the second BWP. Therefore, DL communication between the UE and the base station can be resumed with minimal delay or interruption.

[0099] The UE can also activate two (or more) BWPs for UL communication. For example, UL bandwidths 424 and 432 can be associated with the third and fourth BWPs, respectively. Therefore, in some respects, the UE can activate the third and fourth BWPs simultaneously before the start of FD time slot 420. In other respects, the UE can activate the fourth BWP during FD time slot 420 when the third BWP is already active. More specifically, the first, second, third, and fourth BWPs can be active simultaneously at any given time. Since the third and fourth BWPs can be active simultaneously during the transition from FD time slot 420 to HD time slot 430, the UE may require little or no handover time to switch communication from the third BWP to the fourth BWP. Therefore, UL communication between the UE and the base station can be resumed with minimal delay or interruption.

[0100] In some other implementations, the UE can use multiple active BWPs for DL ​​or UL communication in the same time slot. For example, Figure 4 As shown, the DL bandwidth can be divided into two parts by the UL bandwidth 424 (and the corresponding guard band). Therefore, the DL bandwidth 422 can be more accurately represented by the fifth BWP, which spans only the upper part of the frequency range associated with the FD time slot 420, and the DL bandwidth 426 can be more accurately represented by the sixth BWP, which spans only the lower part of the frequency range. By simultaneously activating the fifth and sixth BWPs for DL ​​communication in the FD time slot 420, the UE can reduce or minimize inter-channel interference between DL communication and UL communication in full-duplex operation.

[0101] In some implementations, the UE can monitor each active BWP for DL ​​data. For example, the UE can monitor all physical signals and channels in multiple active BWPs simultaneously. However, aspects of this disclosure recognize that monitoring multiple active BWPs can consume significant amounts of UE power and other resources. Therefore, in some other implementations, to reduce the number of active BWPs monitored by the UE, different roles can be assigned to different active BWPs. More specifically, one active BWP can be assigned a "primary" role, while one or more other active BWPs can each be assigned a "secondary" role. In some aspects, the UE can monitor only the PDCCH in the primary BWP. The PDCCH can be scheduled in the primary BWP, secondary BWPs, or both. Therefore, if the PDSCH is scheduled in a secondary BWP, the UE can access the secondary BWP.

[0102] In some implementations, a UE can further reduce its power consumption by changing the state of one or more active BWPs after a given amount of time has elapsed. For example, in some cases, a default BWP can be used to mitigate DCI errors (where the UE fails to decode a DCI containing a BWP activation command). More specifically, if the UE has not received an explicit BWP activation command before a threshold duration has elapsed, the UE can revert to the default BWP as its active BWP. For example, the default BWP may cover a narrower frequency range than any other BWP configured for a given UE. In some implementations, a UE with multiple active BWPs can switch one or more active BWPs to the default BWP after a threshold duration has elapsed. In some other implementations, a UE with multiple active BWPs can reduce the number of active BWPs after a threshold duration has elapsed. Additionally, in some implementations, a UE with multiple active BWPs can reassign the role of a primary BWP to another active BWP after a threshold duration has elapsed. For example, a BWP initially assigned to a primary role may cover a wider frequency range and thus consume more power compared to any BWP initially assigned to a secondary role.

[0103] Figure 5A A frequency diagram 500 depicting a set of BWPs for timer-based handover communication between a base station and a UE, supporting multiple active BWPs, is shown, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 5A As shown, the carrier bandwidth (BW) 501 can be distributed across multiple BWPs 503, 502, and 504. BWP 503 spans the frequency range f0–f1, BWP 502 spans the frequency range f2–f4, and BWP 504 spans the frequency range f3–f7. Figure 5A In the example, the frequency range associated with BWP 502 overlaps with the frequency range associated with BWP 504. However, in some other implementations, BWP 502 and BWP 504 may not overlap. In some implementations, the UE can activate both BWP 502 and BWP 504 simultaneously for communication in a given direction (DL or UL) in HD and FD time slots, respectively, and BWP 503 can be used as the default BWP. (See reference...) Figure 4 BWP 502 can be associated with DL bandwidth 412, and BWP 504 can be associated with DL bands 422 and 426.

[0104] Figure 5B Another frequency diagram 510 is shown, which depicts a set of BWPs that can be used for communication between the base station and the UE according to some implementations. For example... Figure 5BAs shown, the carrier bandwidth 501 can be distributed across multiple BWPs 503, 512, and 514. For example, see Reference Figure 5A BWP 512 spans the frequency range f3–f5 that overlaps with the lower part of BWP 504, and BWP 514 spans the frequency range f6–f7 that overlaps with the upper part of BWP 504. Figure 5B In the example, the frequency range associated with BWP 512 does not overlap with the frequency range associated with BWP 514. However, in other implementations, BWP 512 and BWP 514 can overlap. In some implementations, the UE can activate both BWP 512 and BWP 514 simultaneously for communication in a given direction (DL or UL) within the FD slot, and BWP 503 can be used as the default BWP. (See reference...) Figure 4 BWP 512 can be associated with DL bandwidth 426, and BWP 514 can be associated with DL band 422.

[0105] Figure 6 Sequence diagram 600 illustrates example communication between UE 604 and base station 602, supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some implementations, base station 602 may be... Figure 1 As an example of base station 105, UE 604 can be Figure 1 This is an example of UE115, and the access network can be a 5G NR network. Base station 602 can be any suitable base station or node, including, for example, a gNB or eNB.

[0106] Base station 602 can select multiple bandwidth portions BWP1 and BWP2 to be activated for communication with UE 604 in a given direction (DL or UL). Figure 6 In the example, BWP1 and BWP2 are used for DL ​​communication. However, in some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used for UL communication in a manner substantially similar to that described herein. In some implementations, BWP1 can be used for DL ​​communication in HD time slots, while BWP2 can be used for DL ​​communication in FD time slots (such as regarding...). Figure 5A (as described above). In some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used simultaneously for downlink communication in the FD time slot (such as regarding...). Figure 5B The above).

[0107] Base station 602 sends one or more BWP activation commands to UE 604 to indicate which BWPs (BWP1 and BWP2) to activate. The BWP activation commands may be carried in an RRC message, a DCI message, a MAC control element (CE), or any combination thereof. UE 604 receives the BWP activation commands from base station 602 and activates BWP1 and BWP2 in response. In some aspects, UE 604 may activate BWP1 and BWP2 substantially simultaneously. In some other aspects, UE 604 may activate BWP1 and BWP2 at different times, such that the BWPs are active simultaneously for at least a given duration. In some implementations, UE 604 may monitor each active BWP simultaneously for DL ​​communication. In some other implementations, UE 604 may assign one active BWP to a primary role and another active BWP to a secondary role. Therefore, UE 604 may monitor only the PDCCH (such as those related to DL communication) in the primary BWP. Figure 4 The above).

[0108] In some implementations, UE 604 may initiate an inactivity timer in response to the activation of BWP1 and BWP2. The inactivity timer can be configured to expire after a threshold duration. As long as the inactivity timer has not expired, BWP1 and BWP2 can remain active for DL ​​communication between base station 602 and UE 604. When the inactivity timer expires, UE 604 may switch each of its active BWPs to the default BWP (BWP0). For example, UE 604 may deactivate BWP1 and BWP2 and activate BWP0 in response to the expiration of the inactivity timer. Thereafter, BWP0 is the only active BWP for DL ​​communication between base station 602 and UE 604 (until base station 602 sends a subsequent BWP activation command to UE 604).

[0109] Figure 7A Sequence diagram 700 illustrates example communication between UE 704 and base station 702, supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some implementations, base station 702 may be... Figure 1 As an example of base station 105, UE 704 can be Figure 1 This is an example of UE 115, and the access network can be a 5G NR network. Base station 702 can be any suitable base station or node, including, for example, a gNB or eNB.

[0110] Base station 702 can select multiple bandwidth portions BWP1 and BWP2 to be activated for communication with UE 704 in a given direction (DL or UL). Figure 7AIn the example, BWP1 and BWP2 are used for DL ​​communication. However, in some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used for UL communication in a manner substantially similar to that described herein. In some implementations, BWP1 can be used for DL ​​communication in HD time slots, while BWP2 can be used for DL ​​communication in FD time slots (such as regarding...). Figure 5A (as described above). In some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used simultaneously for downlink communication in the FD time slot (such as regarding...). Figure 5B The above).

[0111] Base station 702 sends one or more BWP activation commands to UE 704 to indicate which BWPs (BWP1 and BWP2) to activate. The BWP activation commands can be carried in an RRC message, a DCI message, a MAC CE, or any combination thereof. UE 704 receives the BWP activation commands from base station 702 and activates BWP1 and BWP2 in response. In some aspects, UE 704 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 substantially simultaneously. In some other aspects, UE 704 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 at different times, such that the BWPs are active simultaneously for at least a given duration. In some implementations, UE 704 can monitor each active BWP simultaneously for DL ​​communication. In some other implementations, UE 704 can assign one active BWP to a primary role and the other active BWP to a secondary role. Therefore, UE 704 can monitor only the PDCCH (such as those related to DL communication) in the primary BWP. Figure 4 The above).

[0112] In some implementations, UE 704 can initiate multiple inactive timers T1 and T2 in response to the activation of BWP1 and BWP2, respectively. Timer T1 can be configured to expire after a first threshold duration, and timer T2 can be configured to expire after a second threshold duration. Figure 7A In the example, the first duration is shorter than the second duration. In some implementations, UE 704 can deactivate BWP1 in response to the expiration of timer T1, and can deactivate BWP2 in response to the expiration of timer T2. As long as neither timer T1 nor T2 has expired, BWP1 and BWP2 can remain active simultaneously for DL ​​communication between base station 702 and UE 704.

[0113] exist Figure 7AIn the example, timer T1 expires earlier than timer T2. When timer T1 expires, UE 704 can deactivate BWP1 while keeping BWP2 active. Therefore, BWP2 is the only active BWP after timer T1 expires. When timer T2 expires, UE 704 can deactivate BWP2. Since there are no other active BWPs at this time, UE 704 can switch the active BWP to the default BWP (BWP0). Thereafter, BWP0 is the only active BWP used for DL ​​communication between base station 702 and UE 704 (until base station 702 sends a subsequent BWP activation command to UE 704).

[0114] Figure 7B Another sequence diagram 710 illustrates example communication between a UE 714 and a base station 712 supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some implementations, the base station 712 may be... Figure 1 As an example of base station 105, UE 714 can be Figure 1 This is an example of UE 115, and the access network can be a 5G NR network. Base station 712 can be any suitable base station or node, including, for example, a gNB or eNB.

[0115] Base station 712 can select multiple bandwidth portions BWP1 and BWP2 to be activated for communication with UE 714 in a given direction (DL or UL). Figure 7B In the example, BWP1 and BWP2 are used for DL ​​communication. However, in some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used for UL communication in a manner substantially similar to that described herein. In some implementations, BWP1 can be used for DL ​​communication in HD time slots, while BWP2 can be used for DL ​​communication in FD time slots (such as regarding...). Figure 5A (as described above). In some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used simultaneously for downlink communication in the FD time slot (such as regarding...). Figure 5B The above).

[0116] Base station 712 sends one or more BWP activation commands to UE 714 to indicate which BWPs (BWP1 and BWP2) to activate. The BWP activation commands can be carried in an RRC message, DCI message, MAC CE, or any combination thereof. UE 714 receives the BWP activation commands from base station 712 and activates BWP1 and BWP2 in response. In some aspects, UE 714 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 substantially simultaneously. In some other aspects, UE 714 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 at different times, such that the BWPs are active simultaneously for at least a given duration. In some implementations, UE 714 can monitor each active BWP simultaneously for DL ​​communication. In some other implementations, UE 714 can assign one active BWP to a primary role and another active BWP to a secondary role. Therefore, UE 714 can monitor only the PDCCH (such as those related to the primary BWP) in the primary BWP. Figure 4 The above).

[0117] In some implementations, UE 714 can initiate multiple inactive timers T1 and T2 in response to the activation of BWP1 and BWP2, respectively. Timer T1 can be configured to expire after a first threshold duration, and timer T2 can be configured to expire after a second threshold duration. Figure 7B In the example, the first duration is shorter than the second duration. In some implementations, UE 714 can switch BWP1 to the default BWP (BWP0) in response to the expiration of timer T1, and can switch BWP2 to the default BWP in response to the expiration of timer T2. As long as neither timer T1 nor T2 has expired, BWP1 and BWP2 can remain active simultaneously for DL ​​communication between base station 712 and UE 714.

[0118] exist Figure 7B In the example, timer T1 expires earlier than timer T2. When timer T1 expires, UE 714 can switch BWP1 to BWP0 while BWP2 remains active. Therefore, BWP0 and BWP2 are both active after timer T1 expires. When timer T2 expires, UE 714 can switch BWP2 to BWP0. Since BWP0 is already active and there are no other active BWPs at this time, UE 714 can simply deactivate BWP2. After this, BWP0 is the only active BWP used for DL ​​communication between base station 712 and UE 714 (until base station 712 sends a subsequent BWP activation command to UE 714).

[0119] Figure 8ASequence diagram 800 illustrates example communication between UE 804 and base station 802, supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some implementations, base station 802 may be... Figure 1 As an example of base station 105, UE 804 can be Figure 1 This is an example of UE 115, and the access network can be a 5G NR network. Base station 802 can be any suitable base station or node, including, for example, a gNB or eNB.

[0120] Base station 802 can be selectively activated for communication with UE 804 in a given direction (DL or UL). Figure 8A In the example, BWP1 and BWP2 are used for DL ​​communication. However, in some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used for UL communication in a manner substantially similar to that described herein. In some implementations, BWP1 can be used for DL ​​communication in HD slots, while BWP2 can be used for downlink communication in FD slots (such as regarding...). Figure 5A (as described above). In some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used simultaneously for downlink communication in the FD time slot (such as regarding...). Figure 5B The above).

[0121] Base station 802 sends one or more BWP activation commands to UE 804 to indicate which BWPs (BWP1 and BWP2) to activate. The BWP activation commands can be carried in an RRC message, DCI message, MAC CE, or any combination thereof. UE 804 receives the BWP activation commands from base station 802 and activates BWP1 and BWP2 in response. In some aspects, UE 804 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 substantially simultaneously. In some other aspects, UE 804 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 at different times, such that the BWPs are active simultaneously for at least a given duration. In some implementations, UE 804 can assign one active BWP to a primary role and the other active BWP to a secondary role. Figure 8A In the example, BWP1 is the primary BWP, while BWP2 is the secondary BWP. Therefore, UE 804 can monitor only the PDCCH (such as information about) in BWP1. Figure 4 The above).

[0122] In some implementations, UE 804 may initiate a handover timer in response to the activation of BWP1 and BWP2. The handover timer may be configured to expire after a threshold duration. In some implementations, UE 804 may reassign the role of the primary BWP in response to the expiration of the handover timer. More specifically, UE 804 may reassign a secondary BWP to a primary role. In some aspects, UE 804 may deactivate a BWP previously assigned to a primary role. As long as the handover timer has not expired, BWP1 and BWP2 remain simultaneously active for DL ​​communication between base station 802 and UE 804.

[0123] When the handover timer expires, UE 804 can deactivate BWP1 and reassign BWP2 to the primary role. Therefore, UE 804 can then monitor the PDCCH in BWP2 for DL ​​communication from base station 802. After this, BWP2 is the only active BWP for DL ​​communication between base station 802 and UE 804 (until base station 802 sends a subsequent BWP activation command to UE 804).

[0124] Figure 8B Another sequence diagram 810 illustrates example communication between a UE 814 and a base station 812 supporting multiple active BWPs, according to various aspects of this disclosure. In some implementations, the base station 812 may be... Figure 1 As an example of base station 105, UE 814 can be Figure 1 This is an example of UE 115, and the access network can be a 5G NR network. Base station 812 can be any suitable base station or node, including, for example, a gNB or eNB.

[0125] Base station 812 can select multiple bandwidth portions BWP1 and BWP2 to be activated for communication with UE 814 in a given direction (DL or UL). Figure 8B In the example, BWP1 and BWP2 are used for DL ​​communication. However, in some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used for UL communication in a manner substantially similar to that described herein. In some implementations, BWP1 can be used for DL ​​communication in HD slots, while BWP2 can be used for downlink communication in FD slots (such as regarding...). Figure 5A (as described above). In some other implementations, BWP1 and BWP2 can be used simultaneously for downlink communication in the FD time slot (such as regarding...). Figure 5B The above).

[0126] Base station 812 sends one or more BWP activation commands to UE 814 to indicate which BWPs (BWP1 and BWP2) to activate. The BWP activation commands can be carried in an RRC message, DCI message, MAC CE, or any combination thereof. UE 814 receives the BWP activation commands from base station 812 and activates BWP1 and BWP2 in response. In some aspects, UE 814 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 substantially simultaneously. In other aspects, UE 814 can activate BWP1 and BWP2 at different times, such that the BWPs are active simultaneously for at least a given duration. In some implementations, UE 814 can assign one active BWP to a primary role and the other active BWP to a secondary role. Figure 8B In the example, BWP1 is the primary BWP, while BWP2 is the secondary BWP. Therefore, UE 814 can monitor only the PDCCH (such as information about) in BWP1. Figure 4 The above).

[0127] In some implementations, UE 814 may initiate a handover timer in response to the activation of BWP1 and BWP2. The handover timer may be configured to expire after a threshold duration. In some implementations, UE 814 may reassign the role of the primary BWP in response to the expiration of the handover timer. More specifically, UE 814 may reassign a secondary BWP to a primary role. In some aspects, UE 814 may further reassign BWPs previously assigned to a primary role to secondary roles.

[0128] When the handover timer expires, UE 814 can switch the roles of BWP1 and BWP2. More specifically, BWP2 is reassigned to the primary role, while BWP1 is reassigned to the secondary role. Therefore, UE 814 can then monitor the PDCCH in BWP2 for DL ​​communication from base station 812. Thereafter, BWP1 and BWP2 remain simultaneously active for DL ​​communication between base station 812 and UE 814 (until base station 812 sends a subsequent BWP activation command to UE 814).

[0129] Figure 9A A flowchart illustrating an example process 900 of wireless communication supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In some implementations, process 900 may be performed by a wireless communication device acting as a UE or operating within a UE, such as regarding... Figure 1 and Figure 3 One of the UEs described, either 115 or 350.

[0130] In some implementations, process 900 begins in block 902 by activating a first BWP, which represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, wherein the first direction is either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. In block 904, process 900 continues by activating a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, wherein the activation of the second BWP is simultaneous with the activation of the first BWP. In block 906, process 900 continues by initiating a first timer in response to the activation of either the first or second BWP, wherein the first timer is configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. In block 908, process 900 continues by changing the state of at least one of the first or second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0131] Figure 9B A flowchart illustrating an example process 910 of wireless communication supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In some implementations, process 910 may be performed by a wireless communication device acting as a UE or operating within a UE, such as regarding... Figure 1 and Figure 3 One of the UEs described, either 115 or 350.

[0132] For example, refer to Figure 9A Process 910 can be a more detailed implementation of the operation used to change the state of the first BWP or the second BWP in block 908 of process 900. For example, process 910 may begin after the first timer is started in block 906. In some implementations, process 910 may begin in block 912, i.e., in response to the expiration of the first timer, deactivating each of the first and second BWPs. In block 914, process 910 continues, i.e., activating the default BWP, which represents the third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction.

[0133] Figure 9C A flowchart illustrating an example process 920 of wireless communication supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In some implementations, process 920 may be performed by a wireless communication device acting as a UE or operating within a UE, such as regarding... Figure 1 and Figure 3 One of the UEs described, either 115 or 350.

[0134] For example, refer to Figure 9AProcess 920 can be a more detailed implementation of the operation for changing the state of the first BWP or the second BWP in block 908 of process 900. For example, process 920 may begin after starting a first timer in block 906. In some implementations, process 920 may begin in block 922, i.e., starting a second timer in response to the activation of the first BWP and the second BWP, wherein the second timer is configured to expire after a second elapsed duration. In block 924, process 920 continues, i.e., deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer. In block 926, process 920 continues, i.e., deactivating the second BWP in response to the expiration of the second timer. In some implementations, process 920 may proceed to block 928, i.e., activating a default BWP in response to the deactivation of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, wherein the default BWP represents a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction.

[0135] Figure 9D A flowchart illustrating an example process 930 of wireless communication supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In some implementations, process 930 may be performed by a wireless communication device operating as a UE or within a UE, such as regarding... Figure 1 and Figure 3 One of the UEs described, either 115 or 350.

[0136] For example, refer to Figure 9A Process 930 can be a more detailed implementation of the operation used to change the state of the first BWP or the second BWP in block 908 of process 900. For example, process 930 can begin after starting the first timer in block 906. In some implementations, process 930 can begin in block 932, i.e., assigning the first BWP and the second BWP to the primary role and the secondary role, respectively, where the UE is configured to monitor only the PDCCH in the BWP assigned to the primary role. In block 934, process 930 continues, i.e., reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer. In block 936, process 930 continues, i.e., deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0137] Figure 9E A flowchart illustrating an example process 940 of wireless communication supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In some implementations, process 940 may be performed by a wireless communication device acting as a UE or operating within a UE, such as regarding... Figure 1 and Figure 3 One of the UEs described, either 115 or 350.

[0138] For example, refer to Figure 9A Process 940 can be a more detailed implementation of the operation used to change the state of the first BWP or the second BWP in block 908 of process 900. For example, process 940 can begin after starting the first timer in block 906. In some implementations, process 940 can begin in block 942, i.e., assigning the first BWP and the second BWP to the primary role and the secondary role, respectively, where the UE is configured to monitor only the PDCCH in the BWP assigned to the primary role. In block 944, process 940 continues, i.e., reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer. In block 946, process 940 continues, i.e., reassigning the first BWP to the secondary role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0139] Figure 10 A block diagram of an example UE 1000 supporting timer-based handover of multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. In some implementations, the UE 1000 is configured to perform the functions described in the reference above separately. Figure 9A , Figure 9B , Figure 9C , Figure 9D and Figure 9E The described process is any one of 900, 910, 920, 930, or 940. UE 1000 may be referenced above. Figure 3 The example implementation of UE 350 described. For example, UE 1000 may be a chip, SoC, chipset, package, or device that includes at least one processor and at least one modem (e.g., a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) modem or a cellular modem).

[0140] UE 1000 includes a receiving component 1010, a communication manager 1020, and a transmission component 1030. The communication manager 1020 further includes a first BWP activation component 1022, a second BWP activation component 1024, a timer startup component 1026, and a BWP management component 1028. A portion of one or more of components 1022 to 1028 may be implemented at least partially in hardware or firmware. In some implementations, at least some of components 1022, 1024, 1026, or 1028 are at least partially implemented as software stored in memory (e.g., memory 360). For example, a portion of one or more of components 1022, 1024, 1026, and 1028 may be implemented as non-transitory instructions (or "code") executable by a processor (such as a controller / processor 359) to perform the function or operation of the respective component.

[0141] The receiving component 1010 is configured to receive an RX signal representing DL communication from the base station. The transmitting component 1030 is configured to transmit a TX signal representing UL communication to the base station. The communication manager 1020 is configured to control or manage DL and UL communication with the base station. In some implementations, a first BWP activation component 1022 can activate a first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, wherein the first direction is either the DL direction or the UL direction; a second BWP activation component 1024 can activate a second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, wherein the activation of the second BWP and the first BWP are activated simultaneously; a timer starting component 1026 can start a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, wherein the first timer is configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; and a BWP management component 1028 can change the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0142] Figure 11 A block diagram of a device 1105 supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to aspects of this disclosure is shown. Device 1105 may be an example of aspects of UE 115 as described herein. Device 1105 may include a receiver 1110, a transmitter 1115, and a communication manager 1120. The communication manager 1120 may be implemented at least in part by one or both of a modem and a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0143] Receiver 1110 may provide components for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs). The information may be passed to other components of device 1105. Receiver 1110 may utilize a single antenna or a group of multiple antennas.

[0144] Transmitter 1115 may provide components for transmitting signals generated by other components of device 1105. For example, transmitter 1115 may transmit information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs), such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, transmitter 1115 may be co-located with receiver 1110 in a transceiver module. Transmitter 1115 may utilize a single antenna or a group of multiple antennas.

[0145] The communication manager 1120, receiver 1110, transmitter 1115, or various combinations thereof, or various components thereof, may be examples of components for performing various aspects of timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs as described herein. For example, the communication manager 1120, receiver 1110, transmitter 1115, or various combinations thereof, or components thereof, may support methods for performing one or more functions described herein.

[0146] In some examples, the communication manager 1120 may be configured to cooperate with the receiver 1110, the transmitter 1115, or both, or in other ways, to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting). For example, the communication manager 1120 may receive information from the receiver 1110, send information to the transmitter 1115, or integrate with the receiver 1110, the transmitter 1115, or both to receive information, send information, or perform various other operations described herein.

[0147] For example, the communication manager 1120 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a first BWP, the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. The communication manager 1120 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. The communication manager 1120 may be configured or otherwise support components for initiating a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. The communication manager 1120 may be configured or otherwise support components for changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0148] By including or configuring the communication manager 1120 according to the examples described herein, device 1105 (e.g., a processor that controls or is otherwise coupled to receiver 1110, transmitter 1115, communication manager 1120, or a combination thereof) can support techniques for maintaining multiple active BWPs, thereby causing the UE to reduce handover time, reduce processing power, reduce latency, etc., associated with switching from FD to HD communication.

[0149] Figure 12A block diagram of a device 1205 supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to aspects of this disclosure is shown. Device 1205 may be an example of aspects of device 1105 or UE 115 as described herein. Device 1205 may include receiver 1210, transmitter 1215, and communication manager 1220. Communication manager 1220 may be implemented at least in part by one or both of a modem and a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0150] Receiver 1210 may provide components for receiving information (such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof) associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs). The information may be passed to other components of device 1205. Receiver 1210 may utilize a single antenna or a group of multiple antennas.

[0151] Transmitter 1215 may provide components for transmitting signals generated by other components of device 1205. For example, transmitter 1215 may transmit information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, information channels related to timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs), such as packets, user data, control information, or any combination thereof. In some examples, transmitter 1215 may be co-located with receiver 1210 in a transceiver module. Transmitter 1215 may utilize a single antenna or a group of multiple antennas.

[0152] Device 1205 or its various components may be examples of parts for performing various aspects of timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs as described herein. For example, communication manager 1220 may include BWP activation component 1225, timer activation component 1230, BWP status manager 1235, or any combination thereof. Communication manager 1220 may be examples of various aspects of communication manager 1120 as described herein. In some examples, communication manager 1220 or its various components may be configured to use receiver 1210, transmitter 1215, or both, or otherwise cooperate with them to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting). For example, communication manager 1220 may receive information from receiver 1210, send information to transmitter 1215, or be integrated in combination with receiver 1210, transmitter 1215, or both to receive information, send information, or perform various other operations as described herein.

[0153] BWP activation component 1225 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a first BWP, the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. BWP activation component 1225 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. Timer activation component 1230 may be configured or otherwise support components for starting a first timer in response to activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. BWP state manager 1235 may be configured or otherwise support components for changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0154] Figure 13 A block diagram of a communication manager 1320 supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs according to aspects of this disclosure is shown. The communication manager 1320 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 1120, communication manager 1220, or both as described herein. The communication manager 1320 or its various components may be examples of parts for performing aspects of timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs as described herein. For example, the communication manager 1320 may include a BWP activation component 1325, a timer activation component 1330, a BWP state manager 1335, a BWP deactivation component 1340, or any combination thereof. Each of these components may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0155] BWP activation component 1325 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a first BWP, which represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. In some examples, BWP activation component 1325 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. Timer activation component 1330 may be configured or otherwise support components for starting a first timer in response to activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. BWP state manager 1335 may be configured or otherwise support components for changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0156] In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first or second BWPs, the BWP deactivation component 1340 may be configured or otherwise support components for deactivating each of the first and second BWPs in response to the expiration of a first timer. In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first or second BWPs, the BWP deactivation component 1340 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a default BWP, which represents a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction. In some examples, the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first and second frequency ranges.

[0157] In some examples, the timer activation component 1330 may be configured or otherwise supported as a component for activating a second timer in response to the activation of the first BWP and the second BWP, the second timer being configured to expire after a second elapsed duration.

[0158] In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the BWP deactivation component 1340 may be configured or otherwise support components for deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of a first timer. In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the BWP deactivation component 1340 may be configured or otherwise support components for deactivating the second BWP in response to the expiration of a second timer.

[0159] In some examples, the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP remains active after the first timer expires.

[0160] In some examples, in order to support changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the BWP activation component 1325 may be configured or otherwise support a component for activating a default BWP in response to the deactivation of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the default BWP representing a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction.

[0161] In some examples, the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first and second frequency ranges. In some examples, the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP and the default BWP are active simultaneously after the first timer expires.

[0162] In some examples, the second timer expires before the first timer expires, and the first BWP and the default BWP are active simultaneously after the second timer expires. In some examples, the default BWP is the only active BWP after both the first and second timers have expired. In some examples, the UE is configured to monitor the PDCCH in each active BWP.

[0163] In some examples, the BWP state manager 1335 can be configured or otherwise support components for assigning a first BWP and a second BWP to a primary role and a secondary role, respectively, and the UE is configured to monitor only the PDCCH in the BWP assigned to the primary role.

[0164] In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the BWP state manager 1335 can be configured or otherwise support a component for reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0165] In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the BWP deactivation component 1340 may be configured or otherwise support a component for deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0166] In some examples, to support changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the BWP state manager 1335 can be configured or otherwise support a component for reassigning the first BWP to a minor role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0167] In some examples, the second frequency range is narrower than the first frequency range. In some examples, the first frequency range overlaps with the second frequency range. In some examples, the first frequency range does not overlap with the second frequency range.

[0168] Figure 14A diagram of a system 1400 including a device 1405 supporting timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs is shown according to aspects of this disclosure. Device 1405 may be an example of device 1105, device 1205, or UE 115 as described herein, or include components thereof. Device 1405 may wirelessly communicate with one or more base stations 105, UE 115, or any combination thereof. Device 1405 may include components for bidirectional voice and data communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as a communication manager 1420, an input / output (I / O) controller 1410, a transceiver 1415, an antenna 1425, a memory 1430, code 1435, and a processor 1440. These components may communicate electronically or be otherwise coupled (e.g., operatively, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically) via one or more buses (e.g., bus 1445).

[0169] I / O controller 1410 can manage the input and output signals of device 1405. I / O controller 1410 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device 1405. In some cases, I / O controller 1410 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 1410 can utilize, for example... Operating systems such as those described above or other known operating systems. Additionally or alternatively, the I / O controller 1410 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, or similar device. In some cases, the I / O controller 1410 may be implemented as part of a processor (such as processor 1440). In some cases, a user may interact with device 1405 via the I / O controller 1410 or via hardware components controlled by the I / O controller 1410.

[0170] In some cases, device 1405 may include a single antenna 1425. However, in other cases, device 1405 may have more than one antenna 1425, which may be able to transmit or receive multiple wireless transmissions simultaneously. As described herein, transceiver 1415 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 1425, a wired or wireless link. For example, transceiver 1415 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 1415 may also include a modem for modulating packets, providing modulated packets to one or more antennas 1425 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 1425. Transceiver 1415, or transceiver 1415 and one or more antennas 1425, may be examples of transmitter 1115, transmitter 1215, receiver 1110, receiver 1210, or any combination thereof or components thereof, as described herein.

[0171] Memory 1430 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 1430 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1435, which includes instructions that, when executed by processor 1440, cause device 1405 to perform the various functions described herein. Code 1435 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or other types of memory. In some cases, code 1435 may not be directly executable by processor 1440, but may instead cause a computer (e.g., at compile and execution time) to perform the functions described herein. In some cases, among others, memory 1430 may contain a basic I / O system (BIOS) that controls basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0172] Processor 1440 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 1440 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 1440. Processor 1440 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 1430) to cause device 1405 to perform various functions (e.g., timer-based switching functions or tasks supporting multiple active BWPs). For example, device 1405 or components of device 1405 may include processor 1440 and memory 1430 coupled to processor 1440, processor 1440 and memory 1430 being configured to perform the various functions described herein.

[0173] For example, the communication manager 1420 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a first BWP, the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. The communication manager 1420 may be configured or otherwise support components for activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. The communication manager 1420 may be configured or otherwise support components for initiating a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. The communication manager 1420 may be configured or otherwise support components for changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0174] By including or configuring the communication manager 1420 according to the examples described herein, device 1405 can support techniques for maintaining multiple active BWPs, thereby enabling the UE to reduce handover time associated with switching from FD to HD communication, improve communication reliability, reduce latency, reduce power consumption, utilize communication resources more effectively, improve coordination between devices, and extend battery life, etc.

[0175] In some examples, the communication manager 1420 may be configured to perform various operations (e.g., receiving, monitoring, transmitting) using transceiver 1415, one or more antennas 1425, or any combination thereof, or otherwise cooperating with them. Although the communication manager 1420 is shown as a separate component, in some examples, one or more functions described with reference to the communication manager 1420 may be supported or performed by processor 1440, memory 1430, code 1435, or any combination thereof. For example, code 1435 may include instructions executable by processor 1440 to cause device 1405 to perform various aspects of timer-based switching of multiple active BWPs as described herein, or processor 1440 and memory 1430 may be otherwise configured to perform or support such operations.

[0176] Figure 15 A flowchart illustrating a timer-based switching method 1500 supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1500 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1500 can be performed by UE 115, as referenced... Figures 1 to 14 As described above. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0177] At 1505, the method may include activating a first BWP, where the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. The operation of 1505 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1505 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0178] At 1510, the method may include activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. Operation of 1510 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1510 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0179] At 1515, the method may include initiating a first timer in response to activation of a first BWP or a second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. Operation of 1515 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1515 may be performed by timer activation component 1330, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0180] At 1520, the method may include changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1520 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1520 can be performed by the BWP state manager 1335, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0181] Figure 16 A flowchart illustrating a timer-based switching method 1600 supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1600 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1600 can be performed by UE 115, as referenced... Figures 1 to 14 As described above. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0182] At 1605, the method may include activating a first BWP, where the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. The operation of 1605 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1605 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0183] At 1610, the method may include activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. Operation of 1610 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1610 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0184] At 1615, the method may include initiating a first timer in response to activation of a first BWP or a second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. The operation of 1615 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1615 may be performed by the timer activation component 1330, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0185] At 1620, the method may include deactivating each of the first BWP and the second BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1620 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1620 may be performed by the BWP deactivation component 1340, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0186] At 1625, the method may include activating a default BWP, which represents a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction. The operation at 1625 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1625 may be performed by the BWP deactivation component 1340, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0187] Figure 17 A flowchart illustrating a timer-based handover method 1700 supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1700 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1700 can be performed by UE 115, as referenced... Figures 1 to 14 As described above. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0188] At 1705, the method may include activating a first BWP, where the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. Operation of 1705 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1705 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0189] At 1710, the method may include activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. Operation of 1710 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1710 can be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0190] At 1715, the method may include initiating a first timer in response to activation of a first BWP or a second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. The operation of 1715 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1715 may be performed by the timer activation component 1330, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0191] At 1720, the method may include initiating a second timer in response to activation of the first BWP and the second BWP, the second timer being configured to expire after a second elapsed duration. The operation of 1720 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1720 may be performed by the timer activation component 1330, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0192] At 1725, the method may include deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1725 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1725 may be performed by the BWP deactivation component 1340, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0193] At 1730, the method may include deactivating the second BWP in response to the expiration of the second timer. The operation at 1730 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1730 may be performed by the BWP deactivation component 1340, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0194] In some examples, at 1735, the method may include activating a default BWP in response to the deactivation of at least one of the first or second BWPs, the default BWP representing a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction. Operation at 1735 may be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of operation at 1735 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0195] Figure 18 A flowchart illustrating a timer-based handover method 1800 supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1800 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1800 can be performed by UE 115, as referenced... Figures 1 to 14As described above. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0196] At 1805, the method may include activating a first BWP, where the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, which is either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. The operation at 1805 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1805 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0197] At 1810, the method may include activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. Operation at 1810 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of operation at 1810 can be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0198] At 1815, the method may include initiating a first timer in response to activation of a first BWP or a second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. The operation of 1815 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1815 may be performed by the timer activation component 1330, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0199] At 1820, the method may include assigning a first BWP and a second BWP to a primary role and a secondary role, respectively, with the UE configured to monitor the PDCCH only in the BWP assigned to the primary role. The operation at 1820 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1820 may be performed by the BWP state manager 1335, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0200] At 1825, the method may include reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1825 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1825 may be performed by the BWP state manager 1335, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0201] At 1830, the method may include deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1830 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1830 may be performed by the BWP deactivation component 1340, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0202] Figure 19 A flowchart illustrating a timer-based switching method 1900 supporting multiple active BWPs according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1900 can be implemented by a UE or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1900 can be performed by UE 115, as referenced... Figures 1 to 14 As described above. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the UE's functional elements to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0203] At 1905, the method may include activating a first BWP, where the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction. The operation at 1905 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1905 may be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0204] At 1910, the method may include activating a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with the base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP. The operation at 1910 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1910 can be performed by the BWP activation component 1325, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0205] At 1915, the method may include initiating a first timer in response to activation of a first BWP or a second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration. The operation at 1915 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1915 may be performed by the timer activation component 1330, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0206] At 1920, the method may include assigning a first BWP and a second BWP to a primary role and a secondary role, respectively, with the UE configured to monitor the PDCCH only in the BWP assigned to the primary role. The operation at 1920 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1920 can be performed by the BWP state manager 1335, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0207] At point 1925, the method may include reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1925 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1925 can be performed by the BWP state manager 1335, as referenced. Figure 13 As stated above.

[0208] At 1930, the method may include reassigning the first BWP to a secondary role in response to the expiration of the first timer. The operation at 1930 can be performed according to the examples disclosed herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1930 may be performed by the BWP state manager 1335, as referenced... Figure 13 As stated above.

[0209] The following provides an overview of the various aspects of this disclosure:

[0210] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication by a UE, comprising: activating a first bandwidth portion (BWP), the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction; activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with a base station in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP; in response to the activation of the first BWP or the activation of the second BWP, starting a first timer, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; and changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer.

[0211] Aspect 2: According to the method of aspect 1, wherein changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP includes: deactivating each of the first BWP and the second BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer; and activating the default BWP, the default BWP representing a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction.

[0212] Aspect 3: According to the method of aspect 2, the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

[0213] Aspect 4: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 3 further includes: activating a second timer in response to the activation of the first BWP and the second BWP, the second timer being configured to expire after a second elapsed duration.

[0214] Aspect 5: According to the method of aspect 4, changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP includes: deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer; and deactivating the second BWP in response to the expiration of the second timer.

[0215] Aspect 6: According to the method described in aspect 5, the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP remains active after the first timer expires.

[0216] Aspect 7: The method described in any one of Aspects 5 and 6, wherein the second timer expires before the first timer expires, and the first BWP remains active after the second timer expires.

[0217] Aspect 8: The method according to any one of aspects 5 to 7, wherein changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP further includes: activating a default BWP in response to the deactivation of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP, the default BWP representing a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the base station in the first direction.

[0218] Aspect 9: According to the method described in aspect 8, the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

[0219] Aspect 10: The method described in any one of Aspects 8 to 9, wherein the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP and the default BWP are active simultaneously after the first timer expires.

[0220] Aspect 11: The method described in any of Aspects 8 to 10, wherein the second timer expires before the first timer expires, and the first BWP and the default BWP are active simultaneously after the second timer expires.

[0221] Aspect 12: The method described in any of Aspects 8 to 11, wherein the default BWP is the only active BWP after the expiration of the first timer and the second timer.

[0222] Aspect 13: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the UE is configured to monitor the PDCCH in each active BWP.

[0223] Aspect 14: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 13 further includes: assigning a first BWP and a second BWP to a primary role and a secondary role, respectively, and configuring the UE to monitor only the PDCCH in the BWP assigned to the primary role.

[0224] Aspect 15: According to the method of aspect 14, changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP includes: reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0225] Aspect 16: The method according to aspect 15, wherein changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP further includes: deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0226] Aspect 17: The method according to any one of aspects 15 to 16, wherein changing the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP further includes: reassigning the first BWP to a minor role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

[0227] Aspect 18: The method described according to any one of aspects 14 to 17, wherein the second frequency range is narrower than the first frequency range.

[0228] Aspect 19: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 18, wherein the first frequency range overlaps with the second frequency range.

[0229] Aspect 20: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 19, wherein the first frequency range does not overlap with the second frequency range.

[0230] Aspect 21: An apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 20.

[0231] Aspect 22: An apparatus comprising at least one component for performing the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 20.

[0232] Aspect 23: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code including instructions that can be executed by a processor to perform the methods described in any one of aspects 1 to 20.

[0233] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are also possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods can be combined.

[0234] As used herein, the phrase “at least one” or “one or more” in the list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b or c” is intended to cover the following possibilities: only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b and c.

[0235] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. The interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0236] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0237] Furthermore, the various features described in this specification within the context of individual implementations can also be implemented in combination within a single implementation. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented individually in multiple implementations or in any suitable sub-combination. Therefore, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination, and even initially claimed to be so, in some cases, one or more features from the claimed combination can be removed from the combination, and the claimed combination can be for sub-combinations or variations thereof.

[0238] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or that all shown operations must be performed to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the drawings may schematically depict another exemplary process in the form of a flowchart or work diagram. However, other operations not shown may be combined with the schematically shown exemplary process. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the shown operations. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the above implementations should not be construed as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Activate a first bandwidth portion (BWP), whereby the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with network entities in a first direction, which is either a downlink direction or an uplink direction, wherein the first BWP is used for communication in a half-duplex HD time slot. Activate a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with the network entity in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP, wherein the second BWP is used for communication in a full-duplex FD time slot; In response to the activation of the first BWP or the activation of the second BWP, a first timer is started, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; as well as Based on the expiration of the first timer and if there is a transition between adjacent HD and FD time slots, at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP is deactivated.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to the expiration of the first timer, each of the first BWP and the second BWP is deactivated; as well as Activate the default BWP, which represents a third frequency range that will be used for subsequent communication with the network entity in the first direction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a second timer in response to the activation of the first BWP and the second BWP, the second timer being configured to expire after a second elapsed duration.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: The first BWP is deactivated in response to the expiration of the first timer; as well as The second BWP is deactivated in response to the expiration of the second timer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP remains active after the first timer expires.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising activating a default BWP, the default BWP representing a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the network entity in the first direction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP and the default BWP are active simultaneously after the first timer expires.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the default BWP is the only active BWP after the expiration of the first timer and the second timer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) in each active BWP.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the first BWP and the second BWP to a primary role and a secondary role respectively, wherein the UE is configured to monitor only the PDCCH in the BWP assigned to the primary role.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising reassigning the second BWP to the primary role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising deactivating the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising reassigning the first BWP to the secondary role in response to the expiration of the first timer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the second frequency range is narrower than the first frequency range.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency range overlaps with the second frequency range.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency range does not overlap with the second frequency range.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising: processor, Memory coupled to the processor; as well as Instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the device to perform the following operations: Activate a first bandwidth portion (BWP), whereby the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with network entities in a first direction, which is either a downlink direction or an uplink direction, wherein the first BWP is used for communication in a half-duplex HD time slot. Activate a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with the network entity in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP, wherein the second BWP is used for communication in a full-duplex FD time slot; In response to the activation of the first BWP or the activation of the second BWP, a first timer is started, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; as well as Based on the expiration of the first timer and if there is a transition between adjacent HD and FD time slots, the state of at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP is deactivated.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions may also be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to: In response to the expiration of the first timer, each of the first BWP and the second BWP is deactivated; and Activate the default BWP, which represents a third frequency range that will be used for subsequent communication with the network entity in the first direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to start a second timer in response to activation of the first BWP and the second BWP, the second timer being configured to expire after a second elapsed duration.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: Deactivate the first BWP in response to the expiration of the first timer; and The second BWP is deactivated in response to the expiration of the second timer.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP remains active after the first timer expires.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions may also be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to activate a default BWP, the default BWP representing a third frequency range to be used for subsequent communication with the network entity in the first direction.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the third frequency range is narrower than each of the first frequency range and the second frequency range.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first timer expires before the second timer expires, and the second BWP and the default BWP are active simultaneously after the first timer expires.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the default BWP is the only active BWP after the expiration of the first timer and the second timer.

29. An apparatus for communication, comprising: Components for activating a first bandwidth portion (BWP), the first BWP representing a first frequency range to be used for communication with a network entity in a first direction, the first direction being either a downlink direction or an uplink direction, wherein the first BWP is used for communication in a half-duplex HD time slot. Components for activating a second BWP, the second BWP representing a second frequency range to be used for communication with the network entity in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP, wherein the second BWP is used for communication in a full-duplex FD time slot; A component for starting a first timer in response to the activation of the first BWP or the activation of the second BWP, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; as well as A component for activating at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP based on the expiration of the first timer and if a transition exists between adjacent HD and FD time slots.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a component for performing the method of any one of claims 2-18.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code, said code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the following operations: Activate a first bandwidth portion (BWP), whereby the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with network entities in a first direction, which is either a downlink direction or an uplink direction, wherein the first BWP is used for communication in a half-duplex HD time slot. Activate a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with the network entity in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP, wherein the second BWP is used for communication in a full-duplex FD time slot; In response to the activation of the first BWP or the activation of the second BWP, a first timer is started, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; as well as Based on the expiration of the first timer and if there is a transition between adjacent HD and FD time slots, at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP is deactivated.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions may also be executed by the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 2 to 18.

33. A computer program product containing stored instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: Activate a first bandwidth portion (BWP), whereby the first BWP represents a first frequency range to be used for communication with network entities in a first direction, which is either a downlink direction or an uplink direction, wherein the first BWP is used for communication in a half-duplex HD time slot. Activate a second BWP, which represents a second frequency range to be used for communication with the network entity in the first direction, the second BWP being active simultaneously with the first BWP, wherein the second BWP is used for communication in a full-duplex FD time slot; In response to the activation of the first BWP or the activation of the second BWP, a first timer is started, the first timer being configured to expire after a first elapsed duration; as well as Based on the expiration of the first timer and if there is a transition between adjacent HD and FD time slots, at least one of the first BWP or the second BWP is deactivated.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the instructions may also be executed by the processor to perform the method of any one of claims 2-18.

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