User equipment capability signaling for measurement gap enhancement

Abstract

This application relates to devices and components, including apparatuses, systems, and methods for measurement configuration and user equipment capability reporting in wireless networks.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] The 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) define the standards for wireless networks. These TSs describe aspects related to measurement and associated configuration within the wireless network. Attached Figure Description

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

[0003] Figure 2 The small-interval pattern of network configuration according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0004] Figure 3 The configuration and user equipment (UE) capability information are shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0005] Figure 4 User equipment (UE) capability information is shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0006] Figure 5 The signaling process according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0007] Figure 6 The configuration and user equipment (UE) capability information are shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0008] Figure 7 Another signaling process according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0009] Figure 8 The operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0010] Figure 9 Another operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0011] Figure 10 Another operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0012] Figure 11 User equipment according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0013] Figure 12 A base station according to some implementation schemes is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The following detailed description relates to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, specific details, such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, and techniques, are set forth for illustrative and non-limiting purposes to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various aspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examples departing from these specific details. In some cases, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various embodiments with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of this document, the phrase "A or B" refers to (A), (B), or (A and B).

[0015] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure.

[0016] As used herein, the term "circuit" refers to a portion of or includes said hardware component configured to provide the described functionality. Hardware components may include electronic circuitry, logic circuitry, processors (shared, dedicated, or grouped) or memories (shared, dedicated, or grouped), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable devices (FPDs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), structured ASICs, or programmable system-on-a-chip (SoCs)), or digital signal processors (DSPs). In some embodiments, a circuit may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the said functionality. The term "circuit" may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements and program code for performing the functionality (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system). In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuit.

[0017] As used herein, the term "processor circuit" means, is part of, or includes the following: a circuit capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations or recording, storing, or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuit" may also refer to an application processor, baseband processor, central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit, single-core processor, dual-core processor, triple-core processor, quad-core processor, or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, and / or functional procedures).

[0018] As used herein, the term "interface circuit" refers to, is part of, or includes a circuit that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term "interface circuit" can refer to one or more hardware interfaces, such as buses, I / O interfaces, peripheral component interfaces, and network interface cards.

[0019] As used herein, the term "user equipment" or "UE" refers to a device having radio communication capabilities that allow a user to access network resources within a communication network. The term "user equipment" or "UE" may be considered synonymous with and may be referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, or reconfigurable mobile device. Furthermore, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can include any type of wireless / wired device or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0020] As used herein, the term "computer system" means any type of interconnected electronic device, computer device, or component thereof. Additionally, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to the various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled to each other. Furthermore, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to multiple computer devices or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled to each other and configured to share computing resources or network resources.

[0021] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to physical or virtual devices, physical or virtual components within a computing environment, or physical or virtual components within a particular device, such as computer equipment, mechanical equipment, memory space, processor / CPU time, processor / CPU utilization, processor and accelerator load, hardware time or utilization, power supply, input / output operations, port or network sockets, channel / link allocation, throughput, memory utilization, storage, network, database, and application or workload units. "Hardware resource" can refer to computing, storage, or networking resources provided by physical hardware components. "Virtualized resource" can refer to computing, storage, or networking resources provided by virtualized infrastructure to applications, devices, or systems. The terms "network resource" or "communication resource" can refer to resources accessible by a computer device / system via a communication network. The term "system resource" can refer to any kind of shared entity providing a service and can include computing or network resources. System resources can be considered as a coherent set of functions, network data objects, or services accessible through a server, wherein such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

[0022] As used herein, the term "channel" refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium used for transmitting data or data streams. The term "channel" may be synonymous or equivalent with "communication channel," "data communication channel," "transmission channel," "data transmission channel," "access channel," "data access channel," "link," "data link," "carrier," "radio frequency carrier," or any other similar term indicating a path or medium through which data is transmitted. Additionally, as used herein, the term "link" refers to a connection between two devices used for transmitting and receiving information.

[0023] As used in this article, the terms "instantiate" and "instantiate" refer to the creation of an instance. "Instance" also refers to the concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

[0024] The term "connection" can mean that two or more elements at a common communication protocol layer have an established signaling relationship with each other through a communication channel, link, interface, or reference point.

[0025] As used herein, the term "network element" refers to physical or virtualized equipment or infrastructure used to provide wired or wireless communication network services. The term "network element" may be considered synonymous with or referred to as a networked computer, network hardware, network device, network node, or virtualized network function.

[0026] The term "information element" refers to a structural element that contains one or more fields. The term "field" refers to the individual content of an information element, or the data element that contains that content. An information element may include one or more additional information elements.

[0027] Figure 1 A network environment 100 according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. Network environment 100 may include a UE 104, which is communicatively coupled to a base station, such as base station 108. UE 104 and base station 108 may communicate via air interfaces compatible with 3GPP TS, such as those defining fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) system standards. Base station 108 may be a next-generation node B (gNB) to provide one or more 5G New Radio (NR) cells, thereby providing NR user plane and control plane protocol terminals to UE 104.

[0028] Base station 108 can provide one or more cells deployed using carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC). In a CA deployment, the cells may include: a primary serving cell (PCell) for providing some or all of the control signaling via signaling radio bearers (SRB); and one or more secondary serving cells (SCells) for providing one or more data radio bearers (DRB) to increase the system's throughput capacity. PCells may be configured on primary component carriers (PCC) and SCells may be configured on secondary component carriers (SCC).

[0029] In a DC deployment, multiple base stations can provide radio access simultaneously. One base station can be configured as the primary node (MN) to provide control plane connectivity to the core network. The MN can be associated with a CA serving cell group called the primary cell group (MCG). Another base station can be configured as the secondary node (SN), which may not have control plane connectivity to the core network. The SN can be used to provide additional resources to UE 104. The SN can be associated with a CA serving cell group called the secondary cell group (SCG). If the MN is a gNB and the SN is an eNB providing LTE cells, the configuration can be an NE-DC configuration; if the MN is an eNB and the SN is a gNB, the configuration can be an EN-DC configuration; and if both the MN and SN are gNBs, the configuration can be an NR-DC configuration.

[0030] Network environment 100 may further include base station 112 providing adjacent cells. Base station 112 may use the same radio access technology as base station 108 or a different radio access technology. For example, base station 112 may provide one or more NR cells or one or more LTE cells.

[0031] To adapt to changes in the radio environment and the relative positioning between UE 104 and the base station, UE 104 can be configured to perform various measurements on reference signals transmitted by base station 108 and one or more adjacent base stations, such as base station 112. Base station 108 can transmit measurement configurations to provide UE 104 with information for performing reference signal measurements.

[0032] The measurement configuration can instruct UE 104 to perform intra-frequency, inter-frequency, or inter-system measurements based on reference signals, including, for example, synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) and channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RS) resources. Measurements can be beam-level or cell-level. Intra-frequency SSB measurements can correspond to situations where both the serving cell and neighboring cells use the same SSB center frequency and subcarrier spacing. Intra-frequency CSI-RS measurements can correspond to situations where neighboring cells are configured with CSI-RS resource bandwidth limited to the bandwidth belonging to the serving cell's CSI-RS resources, and both CSI-RS use the same subcarrier spacing. Inter-system measurements can be performed when the serving cell is an NR cell and the neighboring cell is an LTE cell, or vice versa.

[0033] When UE 104 is in Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection mode, measurement configuration can be transmitted to UE 104 via dedicated signaling (such as RRC signaling, e.g., RRC reconfiguration message or RRC recovery message).

[0034] In some implementations, the measurement configuration may include (directly or by reference) a measurement identity, a measurement object, and a reporting configuration. The measurement identity associates the reporting configuration with the measurement object. The measurement identity may include a first pointer toward the reporting configuration and a second pointer toward the measurement object. UE 104 may provide the measurement results within an RRC message (e.g., an RRC measurement report) that includes the measurement ID as a reference.

[0035] The measurement object provides the time and frequency location of the SSB or CSI-RS resource to be measured. The measurement object can also provide information about subcarrier spacing, measurement offset, and beam-level to cell-level derived parameters.

[0036] Reporting configurations can provide periodic, event-triggered, or Cell Global Identity (CGI) configurations. Reporting configurations can include parameters such as reporting quantity, reporting interval, and, if the configuration is event-triggered, measurement reporting events. Reporting quantity and reporting interval can be Abstract Syntax Mark 1 (ASN.1) fields in the Reporting Configuration Information Element (IE). The reporting quantity describes the number of times a measurement report is transmitted based on a triggering event. A triggering event can be the consumption of a period (for periodic configurations) or the fulfillment of a triggering condition for a measurement reporting event (for event-triggered configurations). The reporting interval provides the time between consecutive transmissions of measurement reports. Reporting configurations can also describe the reference signal type (e.g., SS-PBCH or CSI-RS) that can be used for periodic or event-triggered configurations.

[0037] Base station 108 can utilize measurement gaps to configure UE 104 to perform configuration measurements that cannot be completed when UE 104 is tuned to the current serving cell. Measurement gaps for inter-frequency or inter-system measurements can provide UE 104 with time to retune its transceiver to the target carrier, complete the measurement, and retun its transceiver back to the original carrier. In some scenarios, UE 104 can also redirect its beam to perform measurements. If UE 104 is configured with an active bandwidth portion (BWP) but does not contain an intra-frequency target (e.g., SSB), measurement gaps can be provided for intra-frequency measurements. In this case, the measurement gap can provide UE 104 with time to retune its transceiver to the intra-frequency target, perform the measurement, and retun its transceiver back to the active BWP.

[0038] Measurement gaps can be configured by a Measurement Gap Configuration (MeasGapConfig) Information Element (IE) that specifies the measurement gap configuration and controls the setting / release of measurement gaps. The MeasGapConfig IE may include indications for measurement gap configurations applicable to: frequency range 1 only (FR1) (e.g., FR1 gap); frequency range 2 only (FR2) (e.g., FR2 gap); or for UEs at all frequencies (e.g., UE gap). The MeasGapConfig IE may be similar to that described in Section 6.3.2 of 3GPP TS 38.331v16.5.0 (2021-06).

[0039] Measurement gap (MG) capability information can be provided for each UE in the measurement and mobility parameters. This information may include the inter-frequency-measurement-no-gap field to indicate whether the UE can perform inter-frequency SSB-based measurements without a measurement gap if the SSB is fully included in the UE's active BWP.

[0040] The MG capability information may further include a supported-gap-pattern field to indicate the measurement gap patterns supported by the UE for NR standalone (SA) operation, NR DC for Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) measurements, and NR / E-UTRA Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements. Measurement gap patterns can be defined in 3GPP TS 38.133v17.2.0 (2021-07-09).

[0041] The MG capability information may further include the supported-gap-pattern-NR-only field to indicate the measurement gap pattern supported by the UE for NR SA and NR-DC when the frequencies to be measured within the measurement gap are all NR frequencies.

[0042] The MG capability information may further include the supported-gap-pattern-NR-only-NE-DC field to indicate whether the UE supports gap patterns 2, 3 and 11 in NE-DC when the frequencies to be measured within the measurement gap are all NR frequencies.

[0043] The MG capability information may further include the measurement-gap-patterns-NR-only-EN-DC field to indicate whether the UE supports gap modes 2, 3 and 11 in (NG)EN-DC when the frequencies to be measured within the measurement gap are all NR frequencies.

[0044] In existing signaling designs, the network (e.g., a base station) can provide need-for-gaps configuration information to the UE in the NeedForGapsConfigNR IE within the RRC reconfiguration message. The NeedForGapsConfigNR IE can include configuration information related to reporting gap requirement information. This can include an indication of the target frequency band used by the UE to report the gap requirement information.

[0045] The UE can then respond by reporting UE capability information in the RRC reconfiguration complete message based on the frequency band combination configured by the network. UE capability information can be transmitted via a need-for-gaps information (NeedForGapsInfoNR) IE, which indicates whether the UE requires a measurement gap to perform measurements on the NR target band. In existing designs, if any configured BWP requires a gap on a measurement frequency (e.g., intra-frequency serving cell or inter-frequency target band), the UE will report the need for a gap in the gap indication field of the NeedForGapsInfoNR IE.

[0046] NeedForGapsConfigNR and NeedForGapsInfoNR IE may be similar to those described in Section 6.3.2 of 3GPP TS 38.331, unless otherwise described herein.

[0047] Version 17 network adds various RRM features. These include pre-configured MGs, multiple concurrent and independent MGs, and network control gaps (NCSG).

[0048] The pre-configured MG feature allows the network to indicate to the UE whether to activate the pre-configured MG for each BWP. Therefore, if the UE is operating on a particular BWP, it does not need to apply the MG to save scheduling opportunities. The pre-configured MG can be applied to all MOs. Thus, the UE can activate / deactivate the pre-configured MG only based on the BWP on which it is operating. The network can provide activation / deactivation instructions to the UE for each BWP, or the UE and network can perform a common criterion check that is decisive for when to activate / deactivate the pre-configured MG. Therefore, this design of the pre-configured MG requires the UE / NW to determine whether the pre-configured gap should be applied for each configured BWP. This determination can be done by the network, which can send an explicit indication with an on / off flag, or by the UE without an on / off flag.

[0049] Multiple concurrent and independent MGs can be associated with one or more use cases. For example, one or more MGs can be configured for the same or different Radio Access Technologies (RATs), each associated NR MG, or SSB / CSI-RS in a PRS.

[0050] The NCSG feature is provided for this situation: the UE only needs to retune the RF during measurement and the measurement length (ML) does not interrupt data transmission / reception.

[0051] Figure 2 An NCSG mode 200, which can be used in some implementations, is illustrated. NCSG mode 200 may include a Visible Interruption Length (VIL) 1 at the beginning of NCSG mode 200 and a VIL2 at the end of NCSG mode 200. Between VIL1 and VIL2, NCSG mode 200 may include a Medium Interruption (ML), where the UE can both communicate with the network and perform measurements on a target. Therefore, only tuning / retuning occurring at VIL1 / VIL2 requires an actual gap in communication. No gap in communication is required or provided during the ML.

[0052] With the current design, the network may not have enough information about whether the UE needs a gap in the BWP for each configuration. This can lead to a suboptimal "on / off" configuration, as the only determining factor is whether the BWP overlaps with the target frequency to be measured. However, in some cases, the UE can be able to perform measurements outside the measurement gap even if the BWP does not overlap with the target frequency. For example, the UE may have additional RF chains or other RF capabilities that allow it to perform measurements without interfering with communications.

[0053] Furthermore, for pre-configured measurement gaps, either NCSG or conventional gaps are possible. For example, if the BWP is adjacent to the carrier to be measured according to the MO, only NCSG may be needed because the UE can expand its bandwidth to cover the target reference signal. However, the network may not have this knowledge and may utilize conventional gaps to configure the UE.

[0054] Various implementation schemes provide measurement configuration signaling to take these and other situations into account.

[0055] In some implementations, the basic NeedForGap framework for intra-frequency and inter-frequency reporting can be updated to accommodate further flexibility and efficiency regarding the configured measurements. In some implementations, for each frequency to be measured, UE 104 can report its capabilities on NeedForGap for each configured BWP across serving cells (or portions of cells).

[0056] Figure 3 The configuration and UE capability information 300 according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0057] Information 300 may include UE configuration 304 provided by the serving cell of the network. UE configuration 304 can provide the band combination (BC) and bandpass windows (BWP) on which UE 104 will operate. As shown in the figure, UE 104 may be configured with a PCell with four BWPs and an SCell with four BWPs. Although UE configuration 304 typically illustrates a carrier aggregation scenario, other implementations are equally applicable to dual-connectivity scenarios.

[0058] UE configuration 304 may also include a dynamic NeedForGap configuration, which provides UE 104 with configuration information related to reporting measurement gap requirement information. The dynamic NeedForGap configuration can be provided in NeedForGapsConfigNR IE, which also includes a target band filter that provides an indication of the target band used by the requesting UE 104 to report gap requirement information.

[0059] Information 300 may also include UE capability information 308 for intra-frequency and inter-frequency configurations.

[0060] For intra-frequency configuration, UE 104 can be configured to measure serving cell 1 and serving cell 2. These serving cells to be measured may have been indicated by the target frequency band filter configured dynamically by NeedForGap.

[0061] UE 104 can determine that serving cell 1 requires at least one measurement gap and serving cell 2 does not require a gap. Therefore, UE 104 can generate a NeedForGapInfoIE for serving cell 1 that can be transmitted to base station 108. The NeedForGapInfoIE can indicate whether a gap is required individually for each BWP across the CC. For example, relative to UE configuration 304, UE 104 can indicate whether a gap is required in each of the eight BWPs (four for PCell and four for SCell). This NeedForGap information can be referred to herein as BWP-specific NeedForGap information.

[0062] Since BWPs do not require gaps to measure serving cell 2, UE 104 may not need to generate / transmit a NeedForGapInfo IE for serving cell 2. In some implementations, if none of the BWPs require gaps, or if all BWPs require gaps, UE 104 may generate a conventional, BWP-wide NeedForGapInfo IE that indicates a gap or no gap for all BWPs, depending on the situation.

[0063] For inter-frequency configuration, UE 104 can be configured to measure band 1 and band 2. These bands to be measured (which may be outside the serving cell frequency) may have been indicated by the target band filter configured by dynamic NeedForGap.

[0064] UE 104 can determine that measurement band 1 requires at least one measurement gap and measurement band 2 does not require a gap. Therefore, UE 104 can generate a NeedForGapInfo IE for band 1 that can be transmitted to gNB 108. The NeedForGapInfo IE can indicate whether a gap is required individually for each BWP across CCs. For example, relative to UE configuration 304, UE 104 can indicate whether a gap is required in each of the eight BWPs (four for PCell and four for SCell).

[0065] Since BWP does not require a gap to measure band 2, UE 104 may not need to generate / transmit a NeedForGapInfo IE for band 2, or UE 104 may generate / transmit a BWP-general NeedForGapInfo IE with a "no gap" indication.

[0066] Figure 4 The UE capability information 400 is shown according to some implementation schemes. The UE capability information 400 can be applied to intra-frequency configuration and inter-frequency configuration.

[0067] For intra-band configuration, UE 104 can be configured to measure serving cell 1 and serving cell 2. These serving cells to be measured may have been indicated by a target band filter in a dynamic NeedForGap configuration (such as that provided in UE configuration 304).

[0068] UE 104 can determine that serving cell 1 requires at least one measurement gap and serving cell 2 does not require a gap. Therefore, UE 104 can generate a NeedForGapInfoIE for serving cell 1 that can be transmitted to base station 108. The NeedForGapInfoIE can indicate whether a gap is required individually for each BWP across CCs. For example, relative to UE configuration 304, UE 104 can indicate whether a gap is required in each of the eight BWPs (four for PCell and four for SCell).

[0069] In addition to indicating the required gap, the NeedForGapInfo IE can also indicate whether the required gap is an NCSG, a conventional gap, or both. This provides UE 104 with additional flexibility to dynamically request only the specific gap required for each BWP based on UE 104's specific capabilities.

[0070] In some implementations, the NeedForGapInfo IE may also indicate the desired gap pattern. For example, UE 104 may request configuration for one or more specific gap patterns (such as those defined in TS 38.133). In some implementations, the desired gap pattern may not be BWP-specific, as it may be based on UE capabilities. Therefore, in some implementations, the desired gap pattern may be reported at a higher granularity and applicable to all BWPs.

[0071] Since BWP measurement serving cell 2 does not require gaps, UE 104 will not need to generate / transmit a NeedForGapInfo IE for band 2, or UE 104 will generate / transmit a BWP-general NeedForGapInfo IE with a "gapless" indication.

[0072] For inter-frequency configuration, UE 104 can be configured to measure band 1 and band 2. These bands to be measured may have been indicated by a target band filter in a dynamic NeedForGap configuration (such as that provided in UE configuration 304).

[0073] UE 104 can determine that measurement band 1 requires at least one measurement gap and measurement band 2 does not require a gap. Therefore, UE 104 can generate a NeedForGapInfo IE for band 1 that can be transmitted to base station 108. The NeedForGapInfo IE can indicate whether a gap is required individually for each BWP across CCs. For example, relative to UE configuration 304, UE 104 can indicate whether a gap is required in each of the eight BWPs (four for PCell and four for SCell).

[0074] In addition to indicating the required gap, NeedForGapInfo IE can also indicate whether the required gap is NCSG, conventional gap, or both; and can indicate the desired gap pattern.

[0075] Since BWP does not require a gap to measure band 2, UE 104 may not need to generate / transmit a NeedForGapInfo IE for band 2, or UE 104 may generate / transmit a BWP-general NeedForGapInfo IE with a "no gap" indication.

[0076] Figure 5 Signaling procedure 500 according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0077] Signaling procedure 500 may include, at 504, base station 108 transmitting a UE capability query to UE 104. This query may provide a set of radio access technologies for the requested UE capability information. This set of radio access technologies may include NR, EUTRA-NR, and EUTRA. EUTRA-NR technology may be associated with non-standalone NR dual connectivity. The query message may also specify a target operating frequency band.

[0078] The signaling procedure 500 may also include, at 508, UE 104 transmitting UE capability information to base station 108. The UE capability information transmitted at 508 may be related to radio access technology capabilities and may be transmitted in one or more instances of the UE capability RAT container.

[0079] Signaling procedure 500 may also include, at 512, base station 108 sending an RRC reconfiguration message or an RRC recovery message (RRC reconfiguration / recovery). The RRC reconfiguration / recovery message may include information on configuring carrier aggregation and BWP based on, for example, the capabilities indicated at 508.

[0080] In some implementations, the RRC reconfiguration / recovery message may also include an indication to UE 104 whether to report BWP-specific NeedForGap information or BWP-general NeedForGap information. BWP-general NeedForGap information may be the conventional Version 16 NeedForGap request described above. A BWP-specific NeedForGap request may also be referred to as a Rel17 NeedForGap request, as Version 17 will be the earliest 3GPP version to introduce this request.

[0081] In some implementations, at point 504, the indication in the UE capability query whether the UE 104 should report BWP-specific NeedForGap information or BWP-general NeedForGap information can be transmitted.

[0082] Signaling procedure 500 may also include, at 516, UE 104 transmitting an RRC reconfiguration complete message or an RRC recovery complete message (hereinafter referred to as "RRC reconfiguration / recovery complete"). The RRC reconfiguration / recovery complete message may include UE capability information regarding the gaps used to measure the target frequency for each BWP across the serving CC. This message may indicate whether a gap is required for each BWP. In some embodiments, the message may also indicate whether the required gap is an NCSG or a traditional gap. Furthermore, some embodiments may include an indication of the desired gap pattern for a particular gap.

[0083] Signaling procedure 500 may also include, at 520, base station 108 transmitting an RRC reconfiguration message to UE 104. The RRC reconfiguration message may include gap configuration information based on the UE capability information transmitted at 516.

[0084] Figure 6 The configuration and UE capability information 600 according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0085] Information 600 may include UE configuration 604 provided by the network. UE configuration 604 may provide the BC and BWP on which UE 104 will operate, similar to the BC and BWP described above with respect to UE configuration 304.

[0086] UE configuration 604 may also include a measurement configuration (MeasConfig), which has the function of configuring the MO configuration of UE 104 using one or more measurement objects. The measurement object may be inter-frequency MO, inter-frequency MO, or inter-RAT MO. For the purposes of this description, the MO configuration may configure a first measurement object (MO1) to be measured and a second measurement object (MO2) to be measured.

[0087] Information 600 may also include UE capability information 608. UE capability information 608 may include information about the capabilities of UE 104 for each measurement object configured for the MO. For example, UE capability information 608 may include gap information for MO1 and MO2 to be measured. For each of these MOs, the gap information may include a NeedForGapInfo IE, which indicates whether a gap is required individually for each BWP across CCs. For example, relative to UE configuration 604, UE 104 may indicate whether a gap is required in each of the eight BWPs (four for PCell and four for SCell). If a gap is required, the NeedForGapInfo IE may also indicate whether the required gap is an NCSG, a conventional gap, or both.

[0088] Figure 7 Signaling procedure 700 according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0089] Signaling procedure 700 may include, at 704, base station 108 sending an RRC reconfiguration / recovery message. The RRC reconfiguration / recovery message may include CA / BWP configuration information. The RRC reconfiguration / recovery message may also include measurement configuration information for configuring one or more MOs to be measured. In some implementations, the RRC reconfiguration / recovery message may also include an indication of whether to enable BWP-specific NeedForGap reporting or enable BWP-general NeedForGap reporting.

[0090] Signaling procedure 700 may also include, at 708, UE 104 transmitting an RRC reconfiguration / recovery complete message. The RRC reconfiguration / recovery complete message may include UE capability information regarding the gaps required for each BWP across serving CCs to perform measurements configured by the MO. This message may indicate whether a gap is required for each BWP on CC1 / CC2 for each MO. In some embodiments, the message may also indicate whether the required gap is an NCSG or a traditional gap. Furthermore, some embodiments may include an indication of the desired gap pattern for a particular gap.

[0091] The signaling procedure 700 may also include, at 712, base station 108 transmitting an RRC reconfiguration message to UE 104. The RRC reconfiguration message may include gap configuration information based on the UE capability information transmitted at 708.

[0092] Although not shown, signaling procedure 700 may also include RRC reconfiguration / recovery messages (similar to those mentioned above). Figure 5 The message described is the UE capability query and UE capability information message previously transmitted.

[0093] As mentioned above Figure 5 or Figure 7 The instructions described for enabling BWP-specific / generic NeedForGap reporting can be implemented by updating the RRC configuration message as follows:

[0094]

[0095] The NeedForGapsConfigNR-v17xy value can indicate whether Rel17 / BWP-specific NeedForGap requests are enabled.

[0096] For Rel 17 (or a higher version obtained by appropriately updating the R17 suffix), the following definition can be included in the NeedForGapsInfoNR IE in the RRC reconfiguration / restore completion message.

[0097]

[0098] Apart from gapIndicationIntraList-r17, gapIndicationList-r17, and gapindication-r17, the fields of NeedsForGapInfoNR IE can be similar to the fields with the same names described in section 6.3.2 of TS 38.331.

[0099] The `gapIndicationIntraList-r17` field indicates whether a measurement gap is required across the CC for each BWP so that the UE can perform in-frequency SSB-based measurements of the relevant serving cell. A sequence of `GapIndication-r17` fields can be provided, with one sequence corresponding to each BWP. Each sequence can indicate whether a traditional gap is required, whether an NCSG is required, or whether the corresponding BWP requires no gap.

[0100] The gapindicationList-r17 field indicates whether a measurement gap is required across CCs for each BWP individually so that the UE can perform SSB-based measurements on the relevant NR target band when NR-DC or NE-DC is not configured. A sequence of GapIndication-r17 fields can be provided, with one sequence corresponding to each BWP. Each sequence can indicate whether a traditional gap is required, whether an NCSG is required, or whether the corresponding BWP requires no gap.

[0101] In one implementation of the gap definition for MO, NeedForGapsInfoNR IE can be defined for Rel 17 (or a higher version obtained by appropriately updating the R17 suffix) as follows.

[0102]

[0103]

[0104] The NeedsForGapInfoNR IE can include the measObjectID, which identifies the object being measured and is configured in the MO configuration information for reporting the required gap. The gapindicationList-r17 field can indicate that a measurement gap is individually required across CCs for each BWP so that the UE can perform measurements as configured by the corresponding MO. A sequence of GapIndication-r17 can be provided, with one sequence corresponding to each BWP. Each sequence can indicate whether a conventional gap is required, whether an NCSG is required, or whether the corresponding BWP requires no gap.

[0105] Figure 8 An operational flow / algorithm structure 800 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 800 may be executed or implemented by a user equipment such as, for example, UE 104 or 1100; or by a component thereof such as baseband processor 1104A.

[0106] The operation procedure / algorithm structure 800 may include receiving configuration information for configuring the BWP at 804. The base station can use dedicated signaling to configure up to four downlink BWPs per serving cell. The serving cell can be configured as a CA serving cell or a DC serving cell.

[0107] In some implementations, the configuration information received from the base station may additionally / optionally include an indication of whether the UE should report BWP-specific need-for-gap information or BWP-general need-for-gap information.

[0108] Configuration information can be received from the base station in one or more configuration messages.

[0109] The operation flow / algorithm structure 800 may also include, at 808, determining whether each BWP in the configured BWP requires a measurement gap to measure the target frequency. Each BWP can be distributed across one or more component carriers based on CA / DC configuration.

[0110] The target frequency can be an intra-frequency serving cell or an inter-frequency NR band. In some implementations, the UE can determine the target frequency to be measured based on a target band filter received from the base station in a NeedForGap request. In other implementations, the UE can determine the target frequency to be measured based on a configured measurement object.

[0111] In some implementations, the UE can also determine the desired gap pattern for the required gap and whether the required gap is an NCSG or a conventional gap.

[0112] The operation flow / algorithm structure 800 may also include, at 812, generating a UE capability message that indicates whether each BWP requires a measurement gap. In some implementations, the UE capability message may also include an indication of the desired gap pattern and whether the required gap is an NCSG or a conventional gap.

[0113] Figure 9 An operational flow / algorithm structure 900 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 900 may be executed or implemented by a user equipment such as, for example, UE 104 or 1100; or by a component thereof such as baseband processor 1104A.

[0114] The operation flow / algorithm structure 900 may be included at 904, receiving configuration information for the BWP and the measurement object. The configuration of the BWP can be similar to that described above. Figure 8 The configuration described.

[0115] The configuration information for the measurement object can be transmitted as a measurement configuration IE, independent of the configuration information for the BWP. The measurement configuration IE can configure one or more MOs, which can be inter-frequency MOs, intra-frequency MOs, or RAT-inter-MOs. MOs can be configured to measure specific frequencies and reference signal targets.

[0116] The configuration information received from the base station may additionally / optionally include an indication of whether the UE should report BWP-specific need-for-gap information or BWP-general need-for-gap information.

[0117] The operation process / algorithm structure 900 may also include at 908 determining whether each BWP of the configured BWP needs a measurement gap to perform measurements as provided by the configured MO.

[0118] By providing NeedForGap information at the MO level, gap information for UE capability information can be customized more specifically for measurements of a particular configuration. For example, the UE can determine whether a measurement gap is required not only for a specific target frequency but also for a specific reference signal. For instance, a first MO might indicate that a measurement should be performed on a first frequency on a first reference signal (e.g., the first of the SSB or CSI-RS), while a second MO might indicate that a measurement should be performed on a first frequency on a second reference signal (e.g., the second of the SSB or CSI-RS). In some cases, the UE may require a measurement gap for one or more BWPs for one of these MOs instead of the other, and can notify the network of this measurement gap through the disclosed reporting procedure.

[0119] In some implementations, the UE may also determine the desired gap pattern for the required gap and whether the required gap is an NCSG or a conventional gap, similar to NCSG or conventional gaps described elsewhere in this document.

[0120] The operation flow / algorithm structure 900 may also include, at 912, generating a UE capability message that indicates whether each BWP requires a measurement gap for performing measurements on the MO. In some implementations, the UE capability message may also include an indication of the desired gap pattern and whether the required gap is an NCSG or a conventional gap.

[0121] Figure 10 An operational flow / algorithm structure 1000 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 1000 may be executed or implemented by a base station such as, for example, base station 108 or 1200 or its components such as baseband processor 1204A.

[0122] The operation flow / algorithm structure 1000 may include, at 1004, transmitting configuration information for configuring multiple BWPs to the UE. BWPs can be configured as described elsewhere in this document.

[0123] The operation flow / algorithm structure 1000 may include, at 1008, receiving a UE capability message containing indications as to whether each BWP requires a measurement gap (MG). These indications may be BWP-specific, indicating whether each BWP requires a measurement gap to perform measurements at the target frequency. These indications may be bit strings in a NeedForGapInfo IE. The indications in the UE capability message may also include whether the required gap is a conventional gap or an NCSG, and the desired gap mode.

[0124] The operation flow / algorithm structure 1000 may include, at 1012, transmitting gap configuration information to the UE based on the UE capability message. The gap configuration can schedule the required gaps in the BWP, as indicated by the NeedForGapInfo report.

[0125] Figure 11 A UE 1100 according to some implementation schemes is shown. UE 1100 may be similar to Figure 1 The UE 114 is essentially interchangeable with it.

[0126] UE 1100 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, computer, tablet, industrial wireless sensor (e.g., microphone, carbon dioxide sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, thermometer, motion sensor, accelerometer, laser scanner, fluid level sensor, stock sensor, voltmeter / ammeter, or actuator), video surveillance / monitoring device (e.g., camera or camcorder), wearable device (e.g., smartwatch), or Internet of Things device.

[0127] UE 1100 may include a processor 1104, RF interface circuitry 1108, memory / storage device 1112, user interface 1116, sensor 1120, drive circuitry 1122, power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 1124, antenna structure 1126, and battery 1128. Components of UE 1100 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of integrated circuits, discrete electronic devices or other modules, logic components, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. Figure 11 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of UE 1100. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other specific implementations.

[0128] Components of UE 1100 can be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 1132, which can represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmission line, trace, or optical connector, allowing various circuit components (on common or different chips or chipsets) to interact with each other.

[0129] Processor 1104 may include processor circuitry, such as, for example, baseband processor circuitry (BB) 1104A, central processing unit circuitry (CPU) 1104B, and graphics processing unit circuitry (GPU) 1104C. Processor 1104 may include any type of circuitry or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, or functional processes from memory / storage device 1112) to cause UE 1100 to perform the operations described herein.

[0130] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuit 1104A can access the communication protocol stack 1136 in the memory / storage device 1112 to communicate over a 3GPP-compliant network. Generally, the baseband processor circuit 1104A can access the communication protocol stack to perform the following operations: user plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, and PDU layers; and control plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and non-access layers. In some implementations, PHY layer operations may additionally / optionally be performed by components of the RF interface circuit 1108.

[0131] The baseband processor circuit 1104A can generate or process baseband signals or waveforms carrying information in a 3GPP-compliant network. In some implementations, the waveforms used for NR can be based on cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) in the uplink or downlink, and Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the uplink.

[0132] The memory / storage device 1112 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions (e.g., a communication protocol stack 1136) that can be executed by one or more processors in processor 1104 to cause UE 1100 to perform the various operations described herein. The memory / storage device 1112 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that can be distributed throughout UE 1100. In some embodiments, some of the memory / storage devices 1112 may be located on processor 1104 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage devices 1112 may be located external to processor 1104 but accessible via a memory interface. The memory / storage device 1112 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0133] RF interface circuitry 1108 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front-end module (RFEM), which allows UE 1100 to communicate with other devices via a radio access network. RF interface circuitry 1108 may include various components arranged in the transmit or receive path. These components may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuitry, and control circuitry.

[0134] In the receiving path, the RFEM can receive the radiated signal from the air interface via antenna structure 1126 and continue to filter and amplify the signal (using a low-noise amplifier). This signal can be provided to the receiver of the transceiver, which downconverts the RF signal into a baseband signal that is provided to the baseband processor of processor 1104.

[0135] In the transmission path, the transceiver's transmitter upconverts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM amplifies the RF signal using a power amplifier before it is radiated across the air interface via antenna 1126.

[0136] In various implementations, the RF interface circuit 1108 can be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technology.

[0137] Antenna 1126 may include antenna elements to convert electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and to convert received radio waves back into electrical signals. These antenna elements may be arranged in one or more antenna panels. Antenna 1126 may have omnidirectional, directional, or combinations thereof antenna panels to enable beamforming and multiple-input multiple-output communication. Antenna 1126 may include: a microstrip antenna; a printed antenna fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards; a patch antenna; or a phased array antenna. Antenna 1126 may have one or more panels designed for a specific frequency band, including the frequency bands in FR1 or FR2.

[0138] User interface circuitry 1116 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable users to interact with UE 1100. User interface circuitry 1116 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a scanner, a headset, etc. Output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for displaying information or otherwise conveying information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). Output device circuitry may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly including one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary status indicators such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and multi-character visual outputs), or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, and projectors), wherein the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc., is generated or produced by the operation of UE 1100.

[0139] Sensor 1120 may include devices, modules, or subsystems designed to detect events or changes in their environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to other devices, modules, or subsystems. Examples of such sensors include: inertial measurement units including accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) including triaxial accelerometers, triaxial gyroscopes, or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless aperture sensors); light detection and ranging sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.); depth sensors; ambient light sensors; ultrasonic transceivers; and microphones or other similar audio capture devices.

[0140] The driving circuit 1122 may include software and hardware elements for controlling specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 1100. The driving circuit 1122 may include various drivers that allow other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may exist within or be connected to the UE 1100. For example, the driving circuit 1122 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device; a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface; a sensor driver for acquiring sensor readings of the sensor circuit 1120 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor circuit 1120; a driver for acquiring actuator positions of electromechanical components or controlling and allowing access to electromechanical components; a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device; and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0141] The PMIC 1124 manages the power supplied to various components of the UE 1100. Specifically, relative to the processor 1104, the PMIC 1124 controls power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0142] In some implementations, the PMIC 1124 may control or otherwise become part of various power-saving mechanisms of the UE 1100, including DRX, as discussed herein.

[0143] Battery 1128 can power UE 1100, but in some examples, UE 1100 may be mounted in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the mains. Battery 1128 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, battery 1128 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0144] Figure 12 A base station 1200 according to some embodiments is shown. The base station 1200 may be similar to... Figure 1 The base station 108 is basically interchangeable with it.

[0145] Base station 1200 may include processor 1204, RF interface circuit 1208, core network (CN) interface circuit 1212, memory / storage device circuit 1216 and antenna structure 1226.

[0146] The components of base station 1200 can be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 1228.

[0147] The processor 1204, RF interface circuit 1208, memory / storage device circuit 1216 (including communication protocol stack 1210), antenna structure 1226, and interconnect 1228 are similar to those in the reference. Figure 11 Similar named elements are shown and described.

[0148] The CN interface circuit 1212 can provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a 5G core network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol (such as Carrier Ethernet) or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity can be provided to / from base station 1200 via fiber optic or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 1212 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 1212 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0149] In some implementations, base station 1200 may be coupled to transmit-receive point (TRP) using antenna structure 1226, CN interface circuitry or other interface circuitry.

[0150] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0151] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods as described in the Examples section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples below. As another example, circuitry associated with the UE, base station, or network element described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Examples section below.

[0152] Example

[0153] Further exemplary implementations are provided in the following sections.

[0154] Example 1 includes a method for operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving configuration information configuring a plurality of bandwidth portions (BWPs); determining whether each of the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap to measure a target frequency; and generating a UE capability message having an indication of whether each of the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap.

[0155] Example 2 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: receiving a target frequency band filter to indicate a target frequency for the requesting UE to report gap requirement information; and determining, based on the target frequency band filter, whether a plurality of BWPs need to measure gaps.

[0156] Example 3 includes the method according to Example 2, wherein the target frequency includes one or more target new radio (NR) bands.

[0157] Example 4 includes the method according to Example 2, wherein receiving the target frequency band filter includes: processing a need-for-gap request received from a base station to obtain the target frequency band filter.

[0158] Example 5 includes the method according to Example 1, wherein the configuration information is to configure component carriers having multiple BWPs, and the method further includes: generating a UE capability message having a first indication that a measurement gap is required for a first BWP among the multiple BWPs and a second indication that a measurement gap is not required for a second BWP among the multiple BWPs.

[0159] Example 6 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: determining whether a first BWP among a plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap to perform intra-frequency measurements on a first serving cell; and generating a UE capability message to include a first indication of whether the first BWP requires a measurement gap.

[0160] Example 7 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: determining whether a first BWP among a plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap to perform inter-frequency measurement on a first frequency band; and generating a UE capability message to include a first indication of whether the first BWP requires a measurement gap.

[0161] Example 8 includes the method according to Example 1, wherein the configuration information is to configure a first component carrier having a first group of BWPs among a plurality of BWPs and to configure a second component carrier having a second group of BWPs among a plurality of BWPs, wherein the first component carrier and the second component carrier are configured for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity.

[0162] Example 9 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: determining whether a first BWP among a plurality of BWPs requires a first measurement gap to perform a measurement; and generating a UE capability message to include a first indication that the first BWP requires a measurement gap to perform a measurement and a second indication that the first measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG) or a conventional gap.

[0163] Example 10 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: receiving information from a base station that configures BWP-specific need-for-gap information in the UE report; and generating a UE capability message based on the information that configures BWP-specific need-for-gap information in the UE report.

[0164] Example 11 includes the method according to Example 1, further comprising: determining whether a first BWP among a plurality of BWPs requires a first measurement gap to perform a measurement; and generating a UE capability message to include a first indication that the first BWP requires the first measurement gap to perform a measurement and a second indication of a gap pattern for the first measurement gap.

[0165] Example 12 includes a method for operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving configuration information configuring a plurality of bandwidth portions (BWPs) and a measurement object; determining whether each of the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap to perform a measurement based on the measurement object; and generating a UE capability message having an indication of whether each of the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap.

[0166] Example 13 includes the method according to Example 12, wherein the measurement object is a first measurement object, the configuration information further configures a second measurement object, and the method includes: determining whether each of the plurality of BWPs needs a measurement gap to perform a measurement based on the second measurement object; and generating a UE capability message having a first indication of whether each of the plurality of BWPs needs a measurement gap to perform a measurement based on the first measurement object and a second indication of whether each of the plurality of BWPs needs a measurement gap to perform a measurement based on the second measurement object.

[0167] Example 14 includes the method according to Example 12, wherein the configuration information is to configure component carriers having multiple BWPs, and the method further includes: generating a UE capability message having a first indication that a measurement gap is required for a first BWP among the multiple BWPs and a second indication that a measurement gap is not required for a second BWP among the multiple BWPs.

[0168] Example 15 includes the method according to Example 12, wherein the measurement object is configured to perform intra-frequency measurements of the first serving cell or inter-frequency measurements of the first frequency band.

[0169] Example 16 includes the method according to Example 12, further comprising: determining whether a first BWP among a plurality of BWPs requires a first measurement gap to perform a measurement; and generating a UE capability message to include a first indication that the first BWP requires a measurement gap to perform a measurement and a second indication that the first measurement gap is a network-controlled small gap (NCSG) or a conventional gap.

[0170] Example 17 includes the method according to Example 12, further comprising: determining whether a first BWP among a plurality of BWPs requires a first measurement gap to perform a measurement; and generating a UE capability message to include a first indication that the first BWP requires the first measurement gap to perform a measurement and a second indication of a gap pattern for the first measurement gap.

[0171] Example 18 includes a method of operating a base station, the method comprising: transmitting configuration information configuring a plurality of bandwidth portions (BWPs) to a user equipment (UE); receiving a UE capability message from the UE having an indication of whether each of the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap; and transmitting gap configuration information to the UE based on the UE capability message.

[0172] Example 19 includes the method according to Example 18, further comprising: transmitting information configuring the UE to report BWP-specific need-for-gap information.

[0173] Example 20 includes the method according to Example 18, further comprising: transmitting to the UE an indication that the UE needs to report BWP-specific need-for-gap information.

[0174] Example 21 may include an apparatus comprising one or more elements for performing the method or any other method or process described herein, as described in or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0175] Example 22 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the method or any other method or process described herein, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0176] Example 23 may include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of the method described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20 or any other method or process described herein.

[0177] Example 24 may include a method, technique, or process, or a part or component thereof, described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0178] Example 25 may include an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process, or a portion thereof, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0179] Example 26 may include a signal, or a portion thereof, described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0180] Example 27 may include a datagram, information element, packet, frame, segment, PDU or message, or a portion or component thereof, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0181] Example 28 may include a signal encoded with data according to or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20, or a portion or component thereof, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0182] Example 29 may include a signal, or a portion or component thereof, encoded as a datagram, IE, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0183] Example 30 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process, or a portion thereof, as described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0184] Example 31 may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform, or in part with, the methods, techniques or processes described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 20.

[0185] Example 32 may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0186] Example 33 may include methods for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0187] Example 34 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0188] Example 35 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0189] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the examples above may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In light of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be derived from practice of various embodiments.

[0190] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a device to perform the following operations: Receive configuration information for configuring multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs); Determining the BWP among the plurality of BWPs requires measuring the gap to measure the target frequency; as well as A UE capability message is generated to include a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication indicates that the BWP requires the measurement gap, and the second indication indicates whether the measurement gap should be a network-controlled small gap (NCSG) or a conventional gap.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to: Receive target frequency band filter to indicate the target frequency for which the UE is requesting the report of gap requirement information; and The required measurement gap for the plurality of BWPs is determined based on the target frequency band filter.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the target frequency comprises one or more target new radio (NR) bands.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein, in order to receive the target frequency band filter, the device is configured to: Process the need-for-gap request received from the base station to obtain the target frequency band filter.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is used to configure component carriers having the plurality of BWPs, and the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to: The UE capability message is generated to further include an indication that another BWP among the plurality of BWPs does not require a measurement gap.

6. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to: Determining that the BWP requires the measurement gap to perform intra-frequency measurements on the first serving cell; and The UE capability message is generated to include another indication that the BWP requires the measurement gap to perform the intra-frequency measurement.

7. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to: It is determined that the BWP requires the measurement gap to perform inter-frequency measurements on the first frequency band; and The UE capability message is generated to include another indication that the BWP requires the measurement gap to perform the inter-frequency measurement.

8. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the configuration information is used to configure a first component carrier having a first group of BWPs among the plurality of BWPs and to configure a second component carrier having a second group of BWPs among the plurality of BWPs, wherein the first component carrier and the second component carrier are configured for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity.

9. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to: Receive information from the base station for configuring the UE report BWP-specific need-for-gap information; and The UE capability message is generated based on the information used to configure the UE report BWP-specific need-for-gap information.

10. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the device to: The UE capability message is generated to further include another indication of the gap pattern used for the measurement gap.

11. An apparatus for communication, the apparatus comprising: A memory for storing configuration information for multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) and measurement objects; and Processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being coupled to the memory to: The BWP among the plurality of BWPs needs to be measured to perform a measurement based on the measurement object; as well as Generate a UE capability message with a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication indicates that the BWP requires the measurement gap, and the second indication indicates whether the measurement gap should be a network-controlled small gap (NCSG) or a conventional gap.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement object is a first measurement object, the configuration information is further configured to configure a second measurement object, and the processing circuit is further configured to: Determine that another BWP among the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap to perform a measurement based on the second measurement object; and The UE capability message is generated to further include another indication that another BWP among the plurality of BWPs requires the measurement gap to perform a measurement based on the second measurement object.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration information is used to configure component carriers having the plurality of BWPs, and the processing circuitry is further used to: The UE capability message is generated to further include another indication that another BWP among the plurality of BWPs does not require a measurement gap.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement object is configured to perform intra-frequency measurement of the first serving cell or inter-frequency measurement of the first frequency band.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The UE capability message is generated to further include an indication of the gap pattern used for the measurement gap.

16. A method of operating a base station, the method comprising: Transmit configuration information for configuring multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) to the user equipment (UE); The UE receives a UE capability message with a first indication and a second indication, wherein the first indication indicates that one of the plurality of BWPs requires a measurement gap, and the second indication indicates whether the measurement gap should be a network-controlled small gap (NCSG) or a conventional gap; as well as Based on the UE capability message, gap configuration information is transmitted to the UE.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: Transmit information for configuring the UE to report BWP-specific need-for-gap information.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising: Transmit an indication to the UE that the UE needs to report BWP-specific need-for-gap information.

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