Measurement gap enhancement

Abstract

This disclosure relates to measurement gap enhancement. Methods, systems, and storage media for enhancing the measurement gap of New Radio (NR) systems are described. Other embodiments are also described and / or protection is required thereto.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional of Chinese Patent Application No. 201980069869.2, filed October 22, 2019, entitled “Measurement Gap Enhancement,” and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 749,542, filed October 23, 2018, entitled “FURTHER MEASUREMENT GAP ENHANCEMENT,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Related Applications

[0003] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 749,542, filed October 23, 2018, entitled “FURTHER MEASUREMENT GAP ENHANCEMENT,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to measurement gap enhancement. BACKGROUND

[0005] In other aspects, the embodiments described herein relate to enhancements to measurement gaps for New Radio (NR) systems. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in conjunction with measurements performed by a user equipment (UE), including intra-frequency radio resource management (RRM) measurements. SUMMARY

[0006] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a user equipment (UE) is provided that includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit configured to enable wireless communication with an access node (AN), and a processor coupled with the RF circuit and configured to: receive, from the AN, a message including bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information, the BWP configuration information including a first measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with a first BWP and a second MG pattern associated with a second BWP, wherein the first MG pattern is a specific MG pattern and the second MG pattern indicates that no gap is to be configured; and apply the first MG pattern or the second MG pattern to intra-frequency measurements.

[0007] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a user equipment (UE) to: receive a message including bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information, the BWP configuration information including a first measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with a first BWP and a second MG pattern associated with a second BWP, wherein the first MG pattern is a specific MG pattern and the second MG pattern indicates that no gap is to be configured; and apply the first MG pattern or the second MG pattern to intra-frequency measurements.

[0008] According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method for wireless communication is provided that is performed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a message from an access node (AN), the message comprising bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information, the BWP configuration information comprising a first measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with a first BWP and a second MG pattern associated with a second BWP, wherein the first MG pattern is a specific MG pattern and the second MG pattern indicates that no gaps are to be configured; and applying the first MG pattern or the second MG pattern to intra- frequency measurements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Embodiments will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Like reference numerals designate like elements in the various figures. The embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the figures that are presented for various purposes as illustrative only, and should in no way be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 Figure 2 and Figure 3 shows an example of an operational flow / algorithmic structure, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 4 shows an example of a bandwidth part (BWP) scan, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 5 depicts an architecture of a system of a network, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 6 depicts an example of components of a device, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 7 depicts an example of interfaces of baseband circuitry, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 8 depicts a block diagram of components that can read instructions from a machine- or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein, in accordance with some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Embodiments discussed herein can relate to enhancements to measurement gaps for new radio (NR) systems. Other embodiments are also described and / or claimed.

[0017] ​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, technologies, etc., are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the aspects protected by the claims. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, who benefit from this disclosure, that various aspects of the invention protected by the claims 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 invention with unnecessary detail.

[0018] The exemplary embodiments will be described using terminology commonly used by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of the work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments may be practiced using only some of the aspects described. For purposes of explanation, many specific quantities, materials, and configurations are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternative embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may have been omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the exemplary embodiments.

[0019] Furthermore, the various operations will be described sequentially as multiple discrete operations in a manner most conducive to understanding the illustrative implementation; however, the order of description should not be interpreted as implying that these operations necessarily depend on the order. Specifically, these operations do not necessarily need to be performed in the order they are presented.

[0020] The phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” etc., may refer to the same or different embodiments. Unless the context otherwise specifies, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous. The phrase “A and / or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). The phrases “A / B” and “A or B” mean (A), (B), or (A and B), similar to the phrase “A and / or B.” For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrase “at least one of A and B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). Descriptions may use the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and / or “in various embodiments,” each of which may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., used in conjunction with embodiments of this disclosure are synonymous.

[0021] Examples of the implementations can be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart can describe operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel, concurrently, or in some cases in a different order than that shown. In addition, the order of the operations can be re-arranged. A process can be terminated when its operations are completed, but can also terminate in the middle of an operation upon receiving a cancellation or a message to abort, as a consequence of an event, or for other reasons. A process that can correspond to a function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function and / or the main function.

[0022] Examples of the implementations can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, and / or functional processes, that are executed by one or more of the above-mentioned circuits. The program code, software modules, and / or functional processes can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular data types. The program code, software modules, and / or functional processes discussed herein can be implemented using existing hardware in existing communication networks. For example, the program code, software modules, and / or functional processes discussed herein can be implemented using existing hardware at existing network elements or control nodes.

[0023] In some implementations, the synchronization signal block based radio resource management timing configuration (SMTC) for intra-frequency RRM measurement can be configured outside the active BWP (bandwidth part) of the UE. In this case, the UE needs a measurement gap to make such intra-frequency measurement. Note that the active BWP of the UE can be changed by BWP scanning, which can be triggered by downlink control information (DCI) or timer expiry. The change of BWP can result in the change of bandwidth and / or center frequency, which means that after BWP scanning, the intra-frequency measurement with gap will become measurement without gap, or vice versa.

[0024] In an example of BWP scanning in Figure 4 When BWP1 is the active BWP, the UE makes intra-frequency measurement without gap, but when BWP2 is the active BWP, it needs a gap. To enable such measurement, the network can choose to configure the measurement gap for this UE regardless of whether it is operating on BWP1 or BWP2 subsequently. Thus, when operating in BWP1, the UE will still apply the measurement gap and can not perform data transmission and reception. This introduces interruption, which can be avoided in future releases.

[0025] In some embodiments, BWP scanning can be dynamic, and in some cases, the corresponding delay is about 0.6ms~2ms for both DCI-based BWP scanning and timer-based BWP scanning. However, currently, measurement gaps are configured through dedicated RRC signaling, which has a delay of up to tens of milliseconds. Therefore, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, interruption cannot be avoided by dynamic measurement gap (MG) mode change, but the previous gap configuration mechanism can not be properly effective when coupled with BWP scanning.

[0026] Some embodiments of the present disclosure can operate in conjunction with a gap sharing factor for intra-frequency measurement and inter-frequency measurement, which can be configured via RRC GapSharingConfig and can be used to indicate the gap ratio for intra-frequency measurement and inter-frequency measurement. Since after BWP scanning, intra-frequency measurement can change from gap-based / non-gap-based to non-gap-based / gap-based, it is necessary to update GapSharingConfig . Otherwise, the UE can be confused. In summary, in some embodiments, gap configuration and GapSharingConfig can be enhanced to make them more effective than existing systems.

[0027] Embodiments 1 : The network can be configured together with BWP : The network can be configured together with MG : The network can be configured together with .

[0028] In some embodiments, the MG mode can include one or more of the following: gap pattern id, measurement gap length (MGL), and measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

[0029] Currently in R15 NR, the MG mode is MeasGapConfig configured outside of BWP configuration. This means that the UE should apply this single MG mode regardless of which BWP the UE is operating on. To enhance this, embodiments of the present disclosure can include MG mode configuration in the network's BWP configuration. The following is an example of adding gap configuration in BWP. In some embodiments, gap configuration can also be configured under other BWP-specific RRC signaling.

[0030]

[0031] Therefore, in Figure 4 the depicted example, the network can configure a specific MG mode for BWP2 and no gap for BWP1. Therefore, when operating on BWP1, the UE should keep intra-frequency measurement, data transmission, and reception.

[0032] Embodiments 2 : the network can be configured together with BWP : the network can be configured together with MG : the network can be configured together with .

[0033] In some implementations, the MG mode configuration index can be used as an indicator to notify the UE to apply a specific MG mode from a pool of candidate MG modes pre-configured by the network. In some implementations, the network can pre-configure multiple MG modes for the UE via RRC, as follows:

[0034]

[0035] Then, the network can indicate the MG pattern configuration index in the BWP configuration, as follows :

[0036]

[0037] in measGapConfigindex In this context, 0 indicates that no gap is configured. 1 indicates that MG mode 1 is configured, and so on. Max is the maximum number of candidate MG modes supported by the UE, or a fixed number supported by the specification.

[0038] Therefore, in Figure 4 In the described scenario, the network can pre-configure a specific MG mode for the UE, then indicate index 0 for BWP1 and index 1 for BWP2. Therefore, when operating on BWP1, the UE can maintain in-frequency measurements, data transmission, and reception.

[0039] Embodiments 3 : UE Should apply patterns associated with the current activity BWP MG Should apply patterns associated with the current activity​ .

[0040] In some implementations, if the UE is configured with multiple BWPs, then according to claim 1 (or 2), the UE may be configured with multiple MG modes (or MG mode configuration indexes). Since the UE can only have one active BWP, the UE should apply the MG mode associated with the currently active BWP.

[0041] According to implementation schemes 1 and 2, if a UE is configured with multiple BWPs, then the UE can be configured with multiple MG modes (or indices). The UE can configure the MG mode indicated in the application activity BWP according to the BWP configuration.

[0042] Embodiments 4 : The network can configure the gap sharing factor together with BWP the configuration .

[0043] In some implementations, the gap sharing factor can be as defined for intra-frequency and inter-frequency measurements. GapSharingConfig Or it could be a new information element (IE) for intra-frequency measurements, inter-frequency measurements, and inter-RAT measurements (e.g., GapSharingConfigEnhanced ).

[0044] The gap sharing factor can be embodied in measGapConfig, or it can be a separate IE in the BWP configuration :

[0045]

[0046] Embodiments 5 : UE Application gap sharing factor associated with current activity BWP ​ .

[0047] In some embodiments, if the UE is configured with multiple BWPs, the UE can be configured with multiple gap sharing factors according to claim 1. Since the UE can only have one active BWP, the UE can apply the gap sharing factor associated with the current active BWP.

[0048] According to embodiment 4, if the UE is configured with multiple BWPs, the UE can be configured with multiple gap sharing factors. The UE shall apply the gap sharing factor indicated in the active BWP according to the BWP configuration.

[0049] Embodiments 6 : Network configurable gap sharing factor PHY (e.g., DCI ) or MAC

[0050] In some embodiments, the network can indicate the gap sharing factor via the physical layer (PHY). For example, when the network triggers a BWP scan via a DCI command, the network can also change the gap sharing factor by using, for example, additional bits in the DCI or the same DCI (just adding additional physical meaning to the DCI command).

[0051] Figure 5 An architecture of a system 500 of a network is shown in accordance with some embodiments. The system 500 is shown to include a user equipment (UE) 501 and a UE 502. The UEs 501 and 502 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices connectable to one or more cellular networks) but can also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as personal data assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptop computers, desktop computers, wireless handsets or any computing device including a wireless communications interface.

[0052] In some embodiments, any of the UEs 501 and 502 can comprise an Internet of Things (IoT) UE, which can comprise a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications utilizing short-lived UE connections. An IoT UE can utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) for exchanging data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), Proximity-based service (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. The M2M or MTC exchange of data can be a machine-initiated data exchange. IoT networks describe interconnecting IoT UEs, which can include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure), with short-lived connections. The IoT UEs can execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connections of the IoT network.

[0053] The UEs 501 and 502 can be configured to connect, e.g., communicatively couple, with a radio access network (RAN) 510— the RAN 510 can be, for example, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN. The UEs 501 and 502 utilize connections 503 and 504, respectively, with the RAN 510; each connection 503 and 504 comprises a physical communications interface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example, the connections 503 and 504 are illustrated as an air interface to enable communicative coupling, and can be consistent with cellular communications protocols, such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, a code-division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular (POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile

[0054] In this embodiment, the UEs 501 and 502 can also be configured to directly exchange communication data via a ProSe interface 505. The ProSe interface 505 can alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface comprising one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0055] The UE 502 is illustrated as being configured to access an access point (AP) 506 via connection 507. The connection 507 can comprise a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, Bluetooth® protocol, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) iXty, Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) A, mobile input / output (MO), etc. In this example, the AP 506 is shown to be connected to the Internet without connecting to the core network (further described below) of the wireless system. The UE 502 in this example is configured to access an eNB 515 via connection 513, and the eNB 515 is further ® connected to a core network 520. The core network 520 can comprise a 5G core network, a 4G (also referred to as “LTE” or “LTE core network”) core network, a 3G (also referred to as “3G core network”) core network, a 2G (also referred to as “2G core network”) core network, or some other type of core network.

[0056] The RAN 510 can include one or more access nodes that enable the connections 503 and 504. These access nodes (ANs) can be referred to as base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next Generation NodeBs (gNBs), RAN nodes, and so forth, and can comprise ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations providing coverage over a geographic area (e.g., a cell) or some other area. The RAN 510 can include one or more RAN nodes for providing macrocells, e.g., macro RAN node 511, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells or femitocells, e.g., low power (LP) RAN node 512.

[0057] Any of the RAN nodes 511 and the RAN nodes 512 can terminate the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for the UEs 501 and 502. In some embodiments, any of the RAN nodes 511 and 512 can fulfill various logical functions for the RAN 510 including, but not limited to, RNC functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0058] According to some embodiments, the UEs 501 and 502 can be configured to communicate using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with any of the RAN nodes 511 and 512 over a multicarrier communication channel, according to various communication techniques, such as, but not limited to, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technique (e.g., for downlink communications) or a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technique (e.g., for uplink communications), although the scope of the subject matter is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signals can comprise a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers.

[0059] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from any of the RAN nodes 511 and 512 to the UEs 501 and 502, while uplink transmissions can utilize a similar approach. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink for OFDM. This grid can be used to describe various physical channels in terms of their time and frequency resources. For OFDM systems, this is a common approach. Each time slot comprises a resource grid comprising a number of orthogonal subcarriers. In some embodiments, the grid can be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink for OFDM. This grid can be used to describe various physical channels in terms of their time and frequency resources. For OFDM systems, this is a common approach. Each time slot comprises a resource grid

[0060] A physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) can carry user data and higher layer signaling to the UEs 501 and 502. A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) can carry information about the resources allocated to the UEs 501 and 502 for the PDSCH, among other things. It can also notify the UEs 501 and 502 of a transmission format, a resource allocation, and an H-ARQ (Hybrid-ARQ) information related to the uplink shared channel. In general, downlink scheduling (assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to the UEs 501 and 502 within a cell) can be performed at any of the RAN nodes 511 and 512 based on channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 501 and 502. The downlink resource assignment information can be sent to a UE 501 and 502 on the PDCCH.

[0061] The PDCCH can use control channel elements (CCEs) to convey the control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be permuted using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. One or more CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as resource element groups (REGs). Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can have different number of CCEs (e.g., Aggregation Level (AL), L=l, 2, 4, or 8) depending on the size of the downlink control information (DCI) and the channel condition. There can be four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., AL = 1, 2, 4, or 8).

[0062] Some implementations can use concepts for resource allocation for control channel information that are an extension of the above-described concepts. For example, some implementations can utilize an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) using PDSCH resources for control information transmission. The EPDCCH can be transmitted using one or more enhanced control channel elements (ECCEs). Similar to above, each ECCE can correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as enhanced resource element groups (EREGs). In some cases, an ECCE can have other numbers of EREGs.

[0063] The RAN 510 is shown to include RAN nodes 511 and 512, which can each include one or more antennas 515 and 516, respectively. The RAN 510 is an example of a radio access network that can implement any suitable wireless communication technology. In one embodiment, the RAN 510 can operate as a 5G NR network. In another embodiment, the RAN 510 can operate as an LTE network. Other embodiments are also possible.

[0064] In this embodiment, the CN 520 includes a MME 521, a S-GW 522, a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 523, and a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 524. The MME 521 can be similar in function to a control plane entity of legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSN) and can manage mobility

[0065] The S-GW 522 can terminate the S1 interface 513 towards the RAN 510, and routes data packets between the RAN 510 and the CN 520. In addition, the S-GW 522 can be a local mobility anchor for inter-RAN node handovers and also can provide an anchor for inter-3 GPP mobility. Other responsibilities can include lawful intercept, charging, and some policy enforcement and implementation.

[0066] The P-GW 523 can terminate an SGi interface toward a PDN. The P-GW 523 can route data packets between a core network and external networks such as the Internet 530. The P-GW 523 can be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The P-GW 523 can also be a node for lawful interception and selected packet filtering. The P-GW 523 can further be a node for selecting a PGW 523 for a UE 501 and 502 based on load balancing needs of the network. The P-GW 523 can be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The P-GW 523 can also be a node for lawful interception and selected packet filtering. The P-GW 523 can further be a node for selecting a PGW 523 for a UE 501 and 502 based on load balancing needs of the network. The P-GW 523 can be coupled in the network communications via an IP communications interface 525 to an application server 530. The application server 530 can be an element

[0067] The P-GW 523 can also be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. A policy and charging rules function (PCRF) 526 is the policy and charging control element of the CN 520. In a non-roaming scenario, there can be a single PCRF 526 in the HPLMN associated with a UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with local breakout of traffic, there can be two PCRFs associated with a UE's IP-CAN session: a home PCRF (H-PCRF) in the HPLMN and a visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN). The PCRF 526 can be communicatively coupled to the application server 530 via the P-GW 523. The application server 530 can signal the PCRF 526 to indicate a new service flow and select the appropriate Quality of Service (QoS) and charging

[0068] Figure 6Exemplary components of the device 600 in accordance with some embodiments are shown. In some embodiments, the device 600 can include application circuitry 602, baseband circuitry 604, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 606, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 608, one or more antennas 610, and power management circuitry (PMC) 612 coupled together at least as shown. The components of the illustrated device 600 can be included in a UE or a RAN node. In some embodiments, the device 600 can include less functionality than illustrated. For example, an eNB can not include the application circuitry 602, and can include a processor / controller to process IP data

[0069] The application circuitry 602 can include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 602 can include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors can include a general-purpose processor, and a special- purpose processor, e.g., a graphics processor, a neural processor, a pl

[0070] The baseband circuitry 604 can include circuitry such as one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry 604 can include one or more baseband processors or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 606 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 606. The baseband processing circuitry 604 can interface with the application circuitry 602 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for control of the RF circuitry 606. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 can comprise a third generation (3G) baseband processor 604A, a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 604B, a fifth generation (5G) baseband processor 604C, or other like baseband processor(s) 604D (e.g., 2nd, 6th, etc.) for next generation or continued generations. The baseband circuitry 604 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors 604A-D) can handle various radio control functions

[0071] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 can include one or more audio digital signal processors (DSP) 604F. The audio DSP(s) 604F can include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, among other things, and in some embodiments can include other suitable processing elements. In some embodiments, the components of baseband circuitry can be combined on a single chip or set of chips (e.g., a system on a chip). In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 604 and the application circuitry 602 can be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0072] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 can provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 can support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 604 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol can be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0073] RF circuitry 606 can enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuitry 606 can include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 606 can include a receive signal path, which can include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 608 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 604. RF circuitry 606 can also include a transmit signal path, which can include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 604 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 608 for transmission.

[0074] In some embodiments, the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 606 can include mixer circuitry 606a, amplifier circuitry 606b and filter circuitry 606c. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 606 can include filter circuitry 606c and mixer circuitry 606a. The RF circuitry 606 can also include synthesizer circuitry 606d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path can be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 608 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 606d. The amplifier circuitry 606b can be configured to amplify the down-converted signals, and the filter circuitry 606c can be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Output baseband signals can be provided to the baseband circuitry 604 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals can be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a requirement. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path can include passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0075] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path can be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesis frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 606d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 608. The baseband signals can be provided by the baseband circuitry 604 and can be filtered by filter circuitry 606c.

[0076] In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path can include two or more mixers and can be arranged for superheterodye operation. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path can be arranged for direct-conversion operation.

[0077] In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals can be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals can be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the RF circuitry 606 can include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuitry and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry, and the baseband circuitry 604 can include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 606.

[0078] In some dual-mode embodiments, separate radio ICs can be provided for processing signals for the different spectrums, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0079] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 606d can be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers can be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 606d can be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer that includes a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0080] The synthesizer circuitry 606d can be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 606a of the RF circuitry 606 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 606d can be a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0081] In some embodiments, the frequency input can be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although this is not a requirement. The divider control input can be provided by the baseband circuitry 604 or the application processor 602 as a function of the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, the divider control input (e.g., N) can be determined from a look-up-table based on the channel indicated by the application processor 602.

[0082] Synthesizer circuitry 606d of the RF circuitry 606 can include a divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the divider can be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator can be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD can be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL can include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements can be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal phase segments. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help assure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0083] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 606d can be configured to generate a carrier frequency as an output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency can be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency can be a LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 606 can include an IQ / polar converter.

[0084] FEM circuitry 608 can include a receive signal path, which can include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 610, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 606 for further processing. FEM circuitry 608 can also include a transmit signal path, which can include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 606 and provide the amplified transmission signals to one or more of the antennas 610 for transmission. In various embodiments, the amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths can be done solely in the RF circuitry 606, solely in the FEM 608, or in both the RF circuitry 606 and the FEM 608.

[0085] In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 608 can include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry 608 can include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry 608 can include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 606). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 608 can include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by the RF circuitry 606), and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 610).

[0086] In some embodiments, the PMC 612 can manage power provided to the baseband circuitry 604. In particular, the PMC 612 can control power-source selection, voltage scaling, battery-charging, or DC-to-DC conversion. The PMC 612 can typically be included on the device 600 when the device is capable of being powered by a battery, for example when the device is included in a UE. The PMC 612 can increase the power conversion efficiency in providing the desired implementation size and heat dissipation characteristics.

[0087] Figure 6 The PMC 612 is shown to be coupled to the baseband circuitry 604 only. However, in other embodiments, the PMC 612 can be additionally or alternatively coupled to, and perform similar power management operations for, other components such as, but not limited to, the application circuitry 602, RF circuitry 606, or FEM 608.

[0088] In some embodiments, the PMC 612 can control, or otherwise be part of, various power saving mechanisms of the device 600. For example, if the device 600 is in an RRC_Connected state, where it is still connected to a RAN node as it expects to receive traffic shortly, then it can enter a state known as Discontinuous Reception, DRX, after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 600 can power down for brief intervals of time and thus save power. The device 600 wakes up periodically over a page-occasion to listen to the paging channel.

[0089] If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time, then the device 600 can transition off to an RRC_Idle state, where it disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc. The device 600 in this state wakes up periodically to listen to the paging channel for notifications that it has been paged. When there is no paging message, it powers down again. While in RRC_Idle state, the device 600 can transition quickly into an RRC_Connected state, when there is traffic to exchange.

[0090] An additional power-saving mode allows the device to be unavailable from the network for periods exceeding the paging interval (ranging from seconds to hours). During this time, the device is completely unconnected to the network and can be completely powered off. Any data sent during this period will incur significant latency, which is assumed to be acceptable.

[0091] The processors of application circuitry 602 and baseband circuitry 604 are elements that can be used to execute one or more instances of the protocol stack. For example, the processor of baseband circuitry 604 can be used alone or in combination to execute layer 3, layer 2, or layer 1 functions, while the processor of application circuitry 602 can utilize data received from these layers (e.g., packet data) and further execute layer 4 functions (e.g., Transport Communication Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) layers). As mentioned herein, layer 3 may include the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 2 may include the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 1 may include the physical (PHY) layer of the UE / RAN node, which will be described in further detail below.

[0092] Figure 7 An exemplary interface of a baseband circuit according to some embodiments is shown. As discussed above, Figure 6 The baseband circuit 604 may include processors 604A-604E and a memory 604G utilized by the processors. Each of the processors 604A-604E may include a memory interface 704A-704E for sending / receiving data to / from the memory 604G.

[0093] The baseband circuit 604 may further include: one or more interfaces for communicatively coupling to other circuits / devices, such as a memory interface 712 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 604); and an application circuit interface 714 (e.g., for sending / receiving data to / from a memory external to the baseband circuit 604); Figure 6 Application circuit 602 is an interface for sending / receiving data; RF circuit interface 716 (e.g., for sending / receiving data to / from...). Figure 6 RF circuit 606 is an interface for transmitting / receiving data; wireless hardware connection interface 718 (e.g., for sending / receiving data to / from near field communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth). ® Components (e.g., Bluetooth) ® Low power consumption, Wi-Fi ® Interfaces for sending / receiving data to / from components and other communication components); and power management interface 720 (e.g., an interface for sending / receiving power or control signals to / from PMC 612).

[0094] Figure 8 is a block diagram that illustrates a component capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and of performing any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, according to some example embodiments. Specifically, Figure 8 A diagram is shown illustrating a schematic of the hardware resources 800 including one or more processors (or processor cores) 810, one or more memory / storage devices 820, and one or more communication resources 830, each of which can be communicatively coupled via a bus 840. For embodiments wherein node virtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 802 can be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 800.

[0095] The processors 810 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) such as a baseband processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) can include, for example, a processor 812 and a processor 814.

[0096] The memory / storage devices 820 can include main memory, disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage devices 820 can include, but are not limited to, any type of volatile or nonvolatile memory such as 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 storage, etc.

[0097] The communication resources 830 can include interconnection devices or network interface components or other suitable devices to communicate with one or more peripheral devices 804 or one or more databases 806 via a network 808. For example, the communication resources 830 can include wired communication devices (e.g., for coupling via a universal serial bus (USB)), cellular communication devices, NFC devices, Bluetooth ® devices (e.g., Bluetooth ® Low Energy), Wi-Fi ® devices, and other communication devices.

[0098] The instructions 850 can include software, programs, applications, applets, app, or other executable code for causing at least one of the processors 810 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The instructions 850 can reside completely, or a portion thereof, within at least one of the processors 810 (e.g., within the cache memory of the processor), the memory / storage devices 820, or any suitable combination thereof. Further, any of the instructions 850 can be transferred to the hardware resources 800 from any combination of the peripheral devices 804 or the databases 806. Accordingly, the memory of processors 810, the memory / storage devices 820, the peripheral devices 804, and the databases 806 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0099] In various embodiments, Figure 5 to Figure 8 the devices / components of Figure 7 the baseband circuitry of Figure 1 to Figure 3 any of the depicted operational flow / algorithmic structures.

[0100] Figure 1 One example of an operational flow / algorithmic structure is depicted in FIG. 10, which can be performed by a next generation NodeB (gNB) according to some embodiments. In this example, the operational flow / algorithmic structure 100 can include retrieving, from memory, bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information including an indication of a measurement gap (MG) pattern, at 105. The operational flow / algorithmic structure 100 can also include encoding a message including the BWP configuration information for transmission to a user equipment (UE), at 110.

[0101] Figure 2 Another example of an operational flow / algorithmic structure is depicted in FIG. 20, which can be performed by a UE according to some embodiments. In this example, the operational flow / algorithmic structure 200 can include receiving a message including bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information including an indication of a measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with an active BWP, at 205. The operational flow / algorithmic structure 200 can also include applying the MG pattern associated with the active BWP to intra-frequency measurements, at 210.

[0102] Figure 3 Another example of an operational flow / algorithmic structure is depicted in FIG. 30, which can be performed by a gNB according to some embodiments. In this example, the operational flow / algorithmic structure 300 can include retrieving, from memory, bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information including an indication of a measurement gap (MG) pattern configuration index, at 305. The operational flow / algorithmic structure 300 can also include encoding a message including the BWP configuration information for transmission to a user equipment (UE), at 310.

[0103] Embodiments

[0104] Some non-limiting embodiments are provided below.

[0105] Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising: a memory to store bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information, the bandwidth part configuration information including an indication of a measurement gap (MG) pattern; and a processing circuit coupled with the memory to: retrieve, from the memory, the BWP configuration information; and encode a message including the BWP configuration information for transmission to a user equipment (UE).

[0106] Example 2 includes the apparatus of Example 1 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern includes a gap pattern identifier.

[0107] Example 3 includes the apparatus of Example 1 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern includes a measurement gap length (MGL).

[0108] Example 4 includes the apparatus of Example 1 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern includes a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

[0109] Example 5 includes the apparatus of Example 1 or some other example herein, wherein the BWP configuration information further includes an indication of a gap sharing factor.

[0110] Example 6 includes the apparatus of Example 5 or some other example herein, wherein the gap sharing factor is for intra-frequency measurements or inter-frequency measurements.

[0111] Example 7 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1-6 or some other example herein, wherein the message is encoded for transmission to the UE via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0112] Example 8 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 1-6 or some other example herein, wherein the apparatus is a next generation NodeB (gNB) or a portion thereof.

[0113] Example 9 includes one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a user equipment (UE) to: receive a message including bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information, the bandwidth part configuration information including an indication of a measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with an active BWP; and apply the MG pattern associated with the active BWP for intra-frequency measurements.

[0114] Example 10 includes the one or more computer-readable media of example 9 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern comprises a gap pattern identifier.

[0115] Example 11 includes the one or more computer-readable media of example 9 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern comprises a measurement gap length (MGL).

[0116] Example 12 includes the one or more computer-readable media of example 9 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern comprises a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

[0117] Example 13 includes the one or more computer-readable media of example 9 or some other example herein, wherein the BWP configuration information further comprises an indication of a gap sharing factor associated with the active BWP.

[0118] Example 14 includes the one or more computer-readable media of example 13 or some other example herein, wherein the medium further stores instructions for causing the UE to apply the gap sharing factor associated with the active BWP to an intra-frequency measurement or an inter-frequency measurement.

[0119] Example 15 includes the one or more computer-readable media of any of examples 9-14 or some other example herein, wherein the message is received via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0120] Example 16 includes an apparatus comprising: a memory to store bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information including an indication of a measurement gap (MG) pattern configuration index; and a processing circuit coupled with the memory to: retrieve the BWP configuration information from the memory; and encode a message including the BWP configuration information for transmission to a user equipment (UE).

[0121] Example 17 includes the apparatus of example 16 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern configuration index is to indicate that no gap is to be configured.

[0122] Example 18 includes the apparatus of example 16 or some other example herein, wherein the indication of the MG pattern configuration index is to indicate that a first MG pattern from a plurality of preconfigured MG patterns is to be configured.

[0123] Example 19 includes the apparatus of any of examples 16-18 or some other example herein, wherein the message is encoded for transmission to the UE via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

[0124] Example 20 includes the apparatus of any of Examples 16-18 or some other example herein, wherein the apparatus is a next generation NodeB (gNB) or portions thereof.

[0125] Example 21 can include an apparatus comprising means for performing one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples 1-20, or any other method or process described herein.

[0126] Example 22 can include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions to cause an electronic device, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of the electronic device, to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples 1-20, or any other method or process described herein.

[0127] Example 23 can include an apparatus comprising logic, modules, and / or circuitry to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples 1-20, or any other method or process described herein.

[0128] Example 24 can include a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of examples 1-20, or portions or parts thereof.

[0129] Example 25 can include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of examples 1-20, or portions thereof.

[0130] Example 26 can include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0131] Example 27 can include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0132] Example 28 can include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0133] The description of the specific implementations shown herein, including the specific implementations described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. While specific implementations and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes, various alternative or equivalent implementations or specific implementations can be implemented according to the above detailed description, to achieve the same objectives, with the scopes defined by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: a radio frequency (RF) circuit configured to enable wireless communication with an access node (AN); and a processor coupled with the RF circuit and configured to: receive a message from the AN, the message including bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information including a first measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with a first BWP and a second MG pattern associated with a second BWP, wherein the first MG pattern is a specific MG pattern and the second MG pattern indicates that no gap is to be configured; and apply the first MG pattern or the second MG pattern to an intra-frequency measurement.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first MG pattern includes a gap pattern identifier.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first MG pattern includes a measurement gap length (MGL).

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the first MG pattern includes a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the BWP configuration information further includes an indication of a gap sharing factor.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the gap sharing factor is for the intra-frequency measurement.

7. The UE of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the message is received via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

8. The UE of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the AN is a next generation node B (gNB).

9. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a user equipment (UE) to: receive a message including bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information including a first measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with a first BWP and a second MG pattern associated with a second BWP, wherein the first MG pattern is a specific MG pattern and the second MG pattern indicates that no gap is to be configured; and apply the first MG pattern or the second MG pattern to an intra-frequency measurement.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the first MG pattern includes a gap pattern identifier.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the first MG pattern includes a measurement gap length (MGL).

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the first MG pattern includes a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the BWP configuration information further includes an indication of a gap sharing factor.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the one or more computer-readable media further store instructions to cause the UE to apply the gap sharing factor to the measurement. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 15. The one or more computer-readable media of any of claims 9-14, wherein the message is received via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

16. A method for wireless communication performed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a message from an access node (AN), the message comprising bandwidth part (BWP) configuration information, the BWP configuration information comprising a first measurement gap (MG) pattern associated with a first BWP and a second MG pattern associated with a second BWP, wherein the first MG pattern is a specific MG pattern and the second MG pattern indicates that no gaps are to be configured; applying the first MG pattern or the second MG pattern to intra-frequency measurements.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first MG pattern is used to indicate that the first MG pattern is from a plurality of preconfigured MG patterns.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein the message is received via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

19. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein the AN is a next generation node B (gNB). ​

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