Coordinating multiple connections with a user equipment using multiple subscriptions

Abstract

This involves coordinating communication links associated with multiple subscriptions. For example, a base station may determine that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the user equipment (UE) using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively. At least one of the first communication link or the second communication link may be established between the UE and the base station. Based on this determination, the base station may coordinate communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first or second communication links. The base station may coordinate the communication of this information by selecting, based on this information, either the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or either the first or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The techniques discussed below generally relate to wireless communication systems, and more specifically, to the coordination and configuration of multiple connections for user equipment to utilize multiple subscriptions. Background Technology

[0002] User equipment (UE) typically connects to a serving network using subscriptions that provide one or more services, such as voice call services or data services. For example, the subscription used by the UE may be associated with a subscription module or device, such as a Subscription Identification Module (SIM) that the UE accesses to use the subscription. With the development of subscription-based services, UEs capable of using two or more subscriptions are increasingly being used. In one example, a UE may implement dual SIMs, allowing the UE to connect to the serving network using two different subscriptions provided by two separate SIMs. Various improvements are being investigated for UEs configured to use multiple subscriptions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following presents a brief overview of one or more aspects of this disclosure to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This overview is not an extensive summary of all intended features of this disclosure, and is neither intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects of this disclosure, nor to depict the scope of any or all aspects of this disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of this disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0004] This disclosure relates to coordinating communication using multiple communication links established between a user equipment (UE) and one or more base stations using multiple subscriptions. Depending on the information to be communicated, the use of communication links can be coordinated differently to optimize information communication. For example, depending on the information to be communicated, one communication link may be used without utilizing other communication links to communicate information, or multiple communication links may be used to communicate information.

[0005] In one example, a method for wireless communication by a base station is disclosed. The method includes: determining that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the user equipment (UE) using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station; based on the determination, coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first and second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and communicating the information with the UE via the selected first and / or second communication link.

[0006] In one aspect, determining that the first communication link and the second communication link have been established with the UE may include: receiving first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first communication link and the second communication link; and determining that the first communication link and the second communication link are associated with the UE in response to determining that the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information have been received via the first communication link and the second communication link.

[0007] In one aspect, the first UE identification information may include at least one of a first Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) or a first Serving Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI) associated with the first subscription, and the second UE identification information may include at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription. In one aspect, the first RNTI may be a first Cell RNTI (C-RNTI), and the second RNTI may be a second C-RNTI.

[0008] In one aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the base station and a second base station. In one aspect, the base station may be associated with a first primary cell (PCell), and the second base station may be associated with a second PCell. In one aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and a first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the first and second distribution units of the base station.

[0009] In one aspect, the information may include first data to be scheduled for the first communication link and second data to be scheduled for the second communication link. In this aspect, coordinating the information may include: scheduling the UE to communicate the first data via the first communication link during a first time period, and scheduling the UE to communicate the second data via the second communication link during a second time period different from the first time period.

[0010] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) signals or Radio Resource Management (RRM) information for the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending at least one of the RLM signals or the RRM information to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

[0011] In one aspect, the information may include a first handover command and a second handover command, the first handover command requesting the UE to perform a first handover from the base station to the target base station using a first subscription, and the second handover command requesting the UE to perform a second handover from the base station to the target base station using a second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include: sending the first handover command to the UE via a first communication link using the first subscription during a first time period, and sending the second handover command to the UE via a second communication link using the second subscription during a second time period substantially overlapping with the first time period. In one aspect, at least one of the first handover or the second handover may be a Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover. In one aspect, the first handover command and the second handover command are used for a conditional handover to the target base station.

[0012] In one aspect, the first communication link can use the first subscription to connect to a first secondary cell (SCell), and the second communication link can use the second subscription to connect to a second SCell different from the first SCell.

[0013] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a first configured grant (CG) or a first semipersistent scheduling (SPS) configuration associated with the first subscription, and at least one of a second CG or a second semipersistent scheduling (SPS) configuration associated with the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include: sending at least one of the first CG or the first SPS configuration to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription during a first time period, and sending at least one of the second CG or the SPS configuration to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription during a second time period different from the first time period.

[0014] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) information or a first Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription, and at least one of a second PUCCH information or a second SRS configuration associated with the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include: transmitting at least one of the first PUCCH or the first SRS configuration to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription, based on time division multiplexing; and transmitting at least one of the second PUCCH or the second SRS configuration to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription, based on time division multiplexing.

[0015] In one aspect, the information may include a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending the SRS configuration to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

[0016] In one aspect, the information may include system information associated with the base station. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending the system information via one of the first and second communication links.

[0017] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a Public Warning System (PWS) message or an In-Device Coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending at least one of the PWS message or the IDC indication to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

[0018] In one aspect, the first communication link can be established using the first protocol stack of the base station, which includes a first layer 1, a first layer 2 and a first layer 3. The second communication link can be established using the second protocol stack of the base station, which may be different from the first protocol stack. The second protocol stack includes a second layer 1, a second layer 2 and a second layer 3.

[0019] In another example, a base station for wireless communication may be disclosed. The base station may include at least one processor, a transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to: determine that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the UE using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link may be established between the UE and the base station; based on the determination, coordinate communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes, based on the information, selecting one of the following: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and communicating the information with the UE via the selected first communication link and / or second communication link.

[0020] In another example, a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having instructions for a base station may be disclosed. When executed by processing circuitry, the instructions cause the processing circuitry to: determine that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the UE using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link can be established between the UE and the base station; based on the determination, coordinate communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and communicate the information with the UE via the selected first communication link and / or second communication link.

[0021] In another example, a base station for wireless communication may be disclosed. The base station includes: components for determining that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the UE using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link can be established between the UE and the base station; components for coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and components for transmitting the information to the UE via the selected first communication link and / or second communication link.

[0022] In one example, a method for wireless communication by a UE may be disclosed. The method includes: establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription; establishing a second communication link with the base station or a second base station using a second subscription; coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first or second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and communicating the information via at least one of the first or second communication links based on the coordination.

[0023] In one aspect, the method may further include: transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links. In this aspect, coordinating the communication may be in response to transmitting the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information via the one of the first and second communication links.

[0024] In one aspect, the first UE identification information may include at least one of a first RNTI or a first S-TMSI associated with the first subscription, and the second UE identification information may include at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription. In another aspect, the first RNTI may be a first cell RNTI (C-RNTI), and the second RNTI may be a second C-RNTI.

[0025] In one aspect, the base station may be associated with a first primary cell (PCell), and the second base station may be associated with a second PCell. In another aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and a first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the first and second distribution units of the base station.

[0026] In one aspect, the information may include cell identification information associated with the second base station. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending the cell identification information to the base station via one of the first and second communication links.

[0027] In one aspect, the information may include an RRC status report associated with at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending the RRC status report via one of the first and second communication links.

[0028] In one aspect, the information may include UE Radio Access Network (RAN) capability information associated with the UE. In this aspect, communicating the information may include transmitting the UE RAN capability information via one of the first and second communication links.

[0029] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) signal for monitoring link quality or one or more reference signals associated with one or more beams. In this aspect, communicating the information may include receiving the RLM signal or at least one of the one or more reference signals via one of the first and second communication links. In one aspect, communicating the information may further include performing at least one of the following: monitoring the condition of at least one of the first or second communication links based on the RLM signal, or monitoring the condition of the one or more beams based on the one or more reference signals.

[0030] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a Public Alarm System (PWS) message, System Information (SI) associated with the base station, or In-Device Coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information may include receiving at least one of the PWS message, the SI, or the IDC indication from the UE via one of the first and second communication links. In one aspect, communicating the information may further include monitoring changes in the System Information or at least one of the PWS messages on one of the first and second communication links.

[0031] In one aspect, the information may include UE Assistance Information (UAI) associated with the UE. In this aspect, communicating the information may include sending the UAI via one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

[0032] In one aspect, the first communication link can be established using the first protocol stack of the UE, which includes a first layer 1, a first layer 2 and a first layer 3. The second communication link can be established using the second protocol stack of the UE, which is different from the first protocol stack and includes a second layer 1, a second layer 2 and a second layer 3.

[0033] In another example, a UE for wireless communication is disclosed. The base station may include at least one processor, a transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to: establish a first communication link with the base station using a first subscription; establish a second communication link with the base station or a second base station using a second subscription; coordinate communication of information via at least one of the first or second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and communicating the information via at least one of the first or second communication links based on the coordination.

[0034] In another example, a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having instructions for a UE may be disclosed. When executed by processing circuitry, the instructions cause the processing circuitry to: establish a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription; establish a second communication link with the base station or a second base station using a second subscription; coordinate communication of information via at least one of the first or second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and communicating the information via at least one of the first or second communication links based on the coordination.

[0035] In another example, a UE for wireless communication may be disclosed. The base station includes: components for establishing a first communication link with the base station using a first subscription; components for establishing a second communication link with the base station or a second base station using a second subscription; components for coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and components for communicating the information via at least one of the first communication or the second communication based on the coordination.

[0036] These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description. Other aspects, features, and embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of specific exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. While features may be discussed with respect to some embodiments and drawings below, all embodiments may include one or more advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more such features may also be used according to the various embodiments discussed herein. Similarly, while exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as embodiments of devices, systems, or methods, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram based on some aspects of wireless communication systems.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a 5G Wireless Communication System (5GS).

[0039] Figure 3 This is a conceptual diagram illustrating examples of radio access networks based on certain aspects.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating a wireless communication system that supports Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication.

[0041] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is an example diagram illustrating communication links associated with multiple subscriptions of the UE, according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 6A and Figure 6B This is an example diagram illustrating a communication link between the protocol stacks of two subscriptions and one or more base stations in a UE, according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 7 This is a block diagram that conceptually illustrates an example of a hardware implementation of a base station based on some aspects of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of wireless communication by a base station, based on some aspects of this disclosure.

[0045] Figure 9This is a block diagram that conceptually illustrates an example of a hardware implementation of a user equipment based on some aspects of this disclosure.

[0046] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of wireless communication by a user equipment according to some aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The specific embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are intended to describe various configurations and are not intended to represent only the configurations in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. The specific details of the embodiments are included to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring these concepts.

[0048] While aspects and embodiments have been described in this application by way of example, those skilled in the art will understand that additional implementations and use cases can occur in many different arrangements and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and packaging arrangements. For example, embodiments and / or uses can occur via integrated chip embodiments and other devices based on non-modular components (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail / purchasing devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). While some examples may or may not be specific to a particular use case or application, a wide variety of applicability to the described innovations is possible. The range of implementations can be from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations, and further to aggregated, distributed, or OEM devices or systems incorporating one or more aspects of the described innovations. In some practical settings, devices incorporating the described aspects and features may also have to include additional components and features for implementing and practicing the claimed and described embodiments. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals must involve multiple components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antennas, RF chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors(s), interleavers, adders, etc.). The aim is that the innovations described herein can be implemented in devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed arrangements, end-user equipment, etc., of various sizes, shapes, and configurations.

[0049] A UE capable of communicating using multiple subscriptions has been developed. For example, the UE may include multiple Subscription Identification Modules (SIMs), which can be used to communicate using multiple subscriptions separately. The UE can use multiple subscriptions to establish multiple communication links with one or more base stations. When multiple communication links associated with multiple subscriptions originate from the same UE, there may be areas for optimization when using one or more of these communication links to perform communication.

[0050] According to various aspects of this disclosure, when a base station determines that multiple communication links associated with multiple subscriptions originate from the same UE, the base station can coordinate the use of multiple communication links based on specific information to be communicated in order to optimize the communication of that specific information. In one aspect, depending on the information to be communicated, one communication link may be used without utilizing other communication links to communicate the information, or multiple communication links may be used to communicate the information. For example, a certain type of information may be substantially identical on multiple communication links / subscriptions, and therefore may be communicated once using one of the multiple communication links. For example, another type of information may require the use of multiple communication links to send, and may require the use of multiple communication links at different times to avoid data conflicts.

[0051] The various concepts presented in this disclosure can be implemented in a variety of telecommunications systems, network architectures, and communication standards. Reference is now made to... Figure 1 As a non-limiting illustrative example, reference is made to a wireless communication system 100 to illustrate various aspects of this disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 includes three interacting domains: a core network 102, a radio access network (RAN) 104, and a user equipment (UE) 106. With the aid of the wireless communication system 100, the UE 106 can perform data communication with an external data network 110 (such as, but not limited to, the Internet).

[0052] RAN 104 can implement any suitable one or more wireless communication technologies to provide radio access to UE 106. As an example, RAN 104 can be configured according to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). rdThe Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) specification (commonly referred to as 5G) operates. As another example, RAN 104 can operate under a hybrid of 5G NR and the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) standard (commonly referred to as LTE). 3GPP refers to this hybrid RAN as Next Generation RAN, or NG-RAN. Of course, many other examples can be utilized within the scope of this disclosure.

[0053] As illustrated, RAN 104 includes multiple base stations 108. In a broader sense, a base station is a network element in a radio access network responsible for transmitting radio signals to or receiving radio signals from a UE in one or more cells. In different technologies, standards, or contexts, a base station may be referred to by those skilled in the art as a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, Basic Service Set (BSS), Extended Service Set (ESS), Access Point (AP), Node B (NB), eNode B (eNB), gNode B (gNB), or some other suitable terminology.

[0054] The illustration further illustrates radio access network 104 supporting wireless communication for multiple mobile devices. In 3GPP standards, a mobile device may be referred to as a User Equipment (UE), but may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a Mobile Station (MS), Subscriber Station, Mobile Unit, Subscriber Unit, Radio Unit, Remote Unit, Mobile Device, Radio Device, Wireless Communication Device, Remote Device, Mobile Subscriber Station, Access Terminal (AT), Mobile Terminal, Radio Terminal, Remote Terminal, Handset, Terminal, User Agent, Mobile Client, Client, or some other suitable terminology. A UE may be a device (e.g., a mobile device) that provides users with access to network services.

[0055] In this document, a “mobile” device need not be mobile and can be stationary. The term mobile device or mobile equipment refers to a wide variety of devices and technologies. A UE may include multiple hardware structural components whose size, shape, and arrangement facilitate communication; these components may include antennas, antenna arrays, RF chains, amplifiers, one or more processors, etc., electrically coupled to each other. For example, some non-limiting examples of mobile devices include mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal computers (PCs), notebooks, netbooks, smartbooks, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and a wide variety of embedded systems, such as those corresponding to the “Internet of Things” (IoT). Mobile devices can also be automobiles or other vehicles, remote sensors or actuators, robots or robotic devices, satellite radios, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, object tracking devices, drones, multi-rotor aircraft, quadcopters, remote control devices, consumer and / or wearable devices (such as glasses, wearable cameras, virtual reality devices, smartwatches, health or fitness trackers), digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, etc. Mobile devices can also be digital home or smart home devices, such as home audio, video and / or multimedia equipment, appliances, vending machines, smart lighting, home security systems, smart meters, etc. Mobile devices can also be smart energy devices, security devices, solar panels or solar arrays, municipal infrastructure equipment controlling electricity (e.g., smart grids), lighting, water, etc.; industrial automation and enterprise equipment; logistics controllers; agricultural equipment; military defense equipment, vehicles, aircraft, ships, and weapons, etc. Furthermore, mobile devices can provide connected medical or telemedicine support, such as remote healthcare. Remote health devices can include remote health monitoring devices and remote health management devices. The communication of remote health devices can be given priority processing or priority access over other types of information, for example, priority access to critical service data transmission and / or QoS related to critical service data transmission.

[0056] Wireless communication between RAN 104 and UE 106 can be described as utilizing an air interface. Transmissions via the air interface from a base station (e.g., base station 108) to one or more UEs (e.g., UE 106) can be referred to as downlink (DL) transmissions. According to certain aspects of this disclosure, the term downlink can refer to point-to-multipoint transmissions originating from a scheduling entity (further described below; e.g., base station 108). Another way to describe this scheme is to use the term broadcast channel multiplexing. Transmissions from a UE (e.g., UE 106) to a base station (e.g., base station 108) can be referred to as uplink (UL) transmissions. According to a further aspect of this disclosure, the term uplink can refer to point-to-point transmissions originating from a scheduled entity (further described below; e.g., UE 106).

[0057] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled, where a scheduling entity (e.g., base station 108) allocates resources for communication between some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. In this disclosure, as further discussed below, the scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more scheduled entities. That is, for scheduled communication, UE 106 of the scheduled entity may utilize the resources allocated by the scheduling entity 108.

[0058] Base station 108 is not the only entity that can be used as a scheduling entity. That is, in some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity to schedule resources for one or more scheduled entities (e.g., one or more other UEs).

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, scheduling entity 108 can broadcast downlink service 112 to one or more scheduled entities 106. In a broader sense, scheduling entity 108 is a node or device responsible for scheduling services in the wireless communication network (including downlink service 112, and in some examples, uplink service 116 from one or more scheduled entities 106 to scheduling entity 108). On the other hand, scheduled entity 106 is a node or device that receives downlink control information 114 from another entity in the wireless communication network (such as scheduling entity 108), the downlink control information 114 including but not limited to scheduling information (e.g., permission), synchronization or timing information, or other control information.

[0060] Generally, base station 108 may include a backhaul interface 120 of a wireless communication system for communicating with the backhaul portion. Backhaul 120 provides a link between base station 108 and core network 102. Furthermore, in some examples, the backhaul network may provide interconnection between the respective base stations 108. Various types of backhaul interfaces may be employed, such as direct physical connections, virtual networks, or other types of backhaul interfaces using any suitable transport network.

[0061] The core network 102 may be part of the wireless communication system 100 and may be independent of the radio access technology used in the RAN 104. In some examples, the core network 102 may be configured according to a 5G standard (e.g., 5GC). In other examples, the core network 102 may be configured according to a 4G Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or any other suitable standard or configuration.

[0062] Now for reference Figure 2 The block diagrams illustrating various components of a 5G wireless communication system (5GS) 200 are provided by way of example rather than limitation. In some examples, the 5GS 200 may be the same as described above and Figure 1 The same wireless communication system 100 illustrated herein. 5GS 200 includes user equipment (UE) 202, NR RAN 204, and core network 206. With the aid of wireless communication system 200, UE 202 can perform data communication with external data networks 214, such as (but not limited to) the Internet, Ethernet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks, or local area networks.

[0063] Core network 206 may include, for example, an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 208, a Session Management Function (SMF) 210, and a User Plane Function (UPF) 212. AMF 208 and SMF 210 employ control plane (e.g., Non-Access Stratum (NAS)) signaling to perform various functions related to mobility and session management of UE 202. For example, AMF 208 provides connectivity, mobility management, and authentication for UE 202, while SMF 210 provides session management for UE 202 (e.g., handling signaling related to Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions between UE 202 and external DN 214). UPF 212 provides user plane connectivity for routing 5G (NR) packets to / from UE 202 via NR RAN 204.

[0064] The core network 206 may also include other functions, such as the Policy Control Function (PCF) 216, the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 218, the Unified Data Management (UDM) 220, the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 222, and other functions (not shown for simplicity). PCF 216 provides policy information (e.g., rules) for control plane functions such as network slicing, roaming, and mobility management. Furthermore, PCF 216 supports 5G Quality of Service (QoS) policies, network slicing policies, and other types of policies. AUSF 218 performs authentication for UE 202. UDM 220 assists in generating Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) certificates, performing user identification, and managing subscription information and UE context. In some examples, AMF 208 includes a Security Anchor Function (SEAF) for cooperative positioning, which allows UE 202 to be re-authenticated when the UE moves between different NR RANs 204, without having to perform the full authentication process with AMF 218. NSSF 222 redirects traffic to network slices. For example, network slices can be defined for different categories of subscribers or use cases, such as smart homes, the Internet of Things (IoT), connected cars, smart energy grids, etc. Each use case can receive a unique set of optimized resources and network topology (e.g., network slices) to meet the connectivity, speed, power, and capacity requirements of the use case.

[0065] To establish a connection to the 5G core network 206 via NR RAN 204, UE 202 can send registration requests and PDU session establishment requests to the 5G core network 206 via NR RAN 204. AMF 208 and SMF 210 can process the registration requests and PDU session establishment requests, and establish a PDU session between UE 202 and external DN 214 via UPF 212. A PDU session can include one or more sessions (e.g., a data session or a data flow) and can be served by multiple UPF 212s (only one is shown for convenience). Examples of data flows include, but are not limited to, IP flows, Ethernet flows, and unstructured data flows.

[0066] Now for reference Figure 3The RAN 300 is illustrated through examples rather than limitations. In some examples, the RAN 300 can be combined with the above description and... Figure 1 The RAN 104 illustrated in the figure and / or described above and in Figure 2 The NR RAN 204 shown in the diagram is the same. The geographical area covered by RAN 300 can be divided into cellular areas (cells), and user equipment (UE) can uniquely identify these cellular areas based on an identifier broadcast from an access point or base station. Figure 3 The diagram illustrates macro cells 302, 304, and 306, as well as small cell 308, each of which may comprise one or more sectors (not shown). A sector is a sub-area of ​​a cell. All sectors within a cell are served by the same base station. Radio links within a sector can be identified by a single logical identifier belonging to that sector. In a cell divided into sectors, multiple sectors within the cell can be formed by antenna groups, each antenna responsible for communicating with UEs within a portion of the cell.

[0067] exist Figure 3 In the illustration, two base stations 310 and 312 are shown in cells 302 and 304; and a third base station 314 is shown controlling the Remote Radio Head (RRH) 316 in cell 306. That is, the base stations can have integrated antennas, or they can be connected to an antenna or RRH via a feeder cable. In the illustrated example, cells 302, 304, and 316 can be referred to as macro cells because base stations 310, 312, and 314 support cells with large sizes. Furthermore, a base station 318 is shown in a small cell 308 (e.g., microcell, picocell, femtocell, home base station, home node B, home eNode B, etc.) that can overlap with one or more macro cells. In this example, cell 308 can be referred to as a small cell because base station 318 supports cells with relatively small sizes. Cell sizes can be determined based on system design and component constraints.

[0068] It should be understood that the radio access network 300 may include any number of wireless base stations and cells. Furthermore, relay nodes can be deployed to extend the size or coverage area of ​​a given cell. Base stations 310, 312, 314, and 318 provide wireless access points to the core network for any number of mobile devices. In some examples, base stations 310, 312, 314, and / or 318 may be used in conjunction with those described above and Figure 1 The base station / scheduling entity 108 shown in the figure is the same.

[0069] Figure 3It also includes quadcopters or drones 320, which can be configured to be used as base stations. That is, in some examples, the cell is not necessarily stationary, and the geographical area of ​​the cell can move depending on the location of a mobile base station such as a quadcopter 320.

[0070] Within RAN 300, a cell may include UEs capable of communicating with one or more sectors of each cell. Furthermore, each base station 310, 312, 314, 318, and 320 may be configured to provide access to the core network 102 (see [link to core network]) to all UEs within the corresponding cell. Figure 1 Access points. For example, UEs 322 and 324 can communicate with base station 310; UEs 326 and 328 can communicate with base station 312; UEs 330 and 332 can communicate with base station 314 via RRH 316; UE 334 can communicate with base station 318; and UE 336 can communicate with mobile base station 320. In some examples, UEs 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, 332, 334, 336, 338, 340, and / or 342 can communicate with the access points described above and... Figure 1 The UE / scheduled entity 106 shown in the figure is the same.

[0071] In some examples, a mobile network node (e.g., a quadcopter 320) can be configured to act as a UE. For example, the quadcopter 320 can operate within cell 302 by communicating with base station 310.

[0072] In another aspect of RAN 300, sidelink signaling can be used between UEs without relying on scheduling or control information from a base station. For example, two or more UEs (e.g., UEs 326 and 328) can communicate with each other using peer-to-peer (P2P) or sidelink signaling 327 without relaying the communication through a base station (e.g., base station 312). In another example, UE 338 is shown communicating with UEs 340 and 342. Here, UE 338 can act as a scheduling entity or a primary sidelink device, and UEs 340 and 342 can act as scheduled entities or non-primary (e.g., secondary) sidelink devices. In yet another example, UEs can act as scheduling entities in device-to-device (D2D), peer-to-peer (P2P), or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) networks, and / or mesh networks. In the mesh network example, in addition to communicating with scheduling entity 338, UEs 340 and 342 may optionally communicate directly with each other. Therefore, in a wireless communication system with scheduled access to time-frequency resources and with cellular, P2P, or mesh configurations, the scheduling entity and one or more scheduled entities can communicate using the scheduled resources.

[0073] In the radio access network 300, the UE's ability to communicate independently of its location while moving is referred to as mobility. Various physical channels between the UE and the radio access network are typically used in the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF, not shown). Figure 1 Under the control of the core network 102, access and mobility management functions can be established, maintained, and released. These functions may include a Security Context Management Function (SCMF) that manages the security context for both control plane and user plane functions, and a Security Anchor Function (SEAF) that performs authentication.

[0074] In various aspects of this disclosure, radio access network 300 can utilize DL-based mobility or UL-based mobility to achieve mobility and handover (i.e., transferring the UE's connection from one radio channel to another). In a network configured for DL-based mobility, during a call with a scheduling entity, or at any other time, the UE can monitor various parameters of the signal from its serving cell and various parameters of neighboring cells. Depending on the quality of these parameters, the UE can maintain communication with one or more neighboring cells. During this time, if the UE moves from one cell to another, or if the signal quality from a neighboring cell exceeds the signal quality from the serving cell for a given amount of time, the UE can perform a handover or handover from the serving cell to a neighboring (target) cell. For example, UE 324 (illustrated as a vehicle, although any suitable form of UE can be used) can move from a geographic area corresponding to its serving cell 302 to a geographic area corresponding to a neighboring cell 306. When the signal strength or quality from the neighboring cell 306 exceeds the signal strength or quality of its serving cell 302 for a given amount of time, UE 324 can send a report message indicating this situation to its serving base station 310. In response, UE 324 can receive a handover command and can perform a handover to cell 306.

[0075] In a network configured for UL-based mobility, the UL reference signal from each UE can be used by the network to select a serving cell for each UE. In some examples, base stations 310, 312, and 314 / 216 can broadcast unified synchronization signals (e.g., a Unified Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), a Unified Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and a Unified Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH)). UEs 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, and 332 can receive the unified synchronization signal, derive the carrier frequency and time slot timing from the synchronization signal, and transmit uplink pilot or reference signals in response to the derived timing. The uplink pilot signal transmitted by a UE (e.g., UE 324) can be received concurrently by two or more cells (e.g., base stations 310 and 314 / 216) within the radio access network 300. Each cell can measure the strength of the pilot signal, and the radio access network (e.g., one or more of base stations 310 and 314 / 216 and / or a central node within the core network) can determine the serving cell of UE 324. As UE 324 moves through radio access network 300, the network can continue to monitor the uplink pilot signal transmitted by UE 324. When the signal strength or quality of the pilot signal measured by a neighboring cell exceeds the signal strength or quality measured by the serving cell, network 300 can, with or without notification to UE 324, hand over UE 324 from the serving cell to a neighboring cell.

[0076] Although the synchronization signals transmitted by base stations 310, 312, and 314 / 216 can be uniform, the synchronization signals may not identify a specific cell, but rather may identify an area of ​​multiple cells operating on the same frequency and / or at the same timing. The use of this area in 5G networks or other next-generation communication networks enables an uplink-based mobility framework and improves the efficiency of both the UE and the network by reducing the number of mobility messages that need to be exchanged between the UE and the network.

[0077] The air interface in the radio access network 300 can utilize one or more duplex algorithms. Duplex refers to a point-to-point communication link in which two endpoints can communicate bidirectionally with each other. Full-duplex means that two endpoints can communicate with each other simultaneously. Half-duplex means that only one endpoint can send information to the other endpoint at a time. In wireless links, full-duplex channels typically rely on physical isolation between the transmitter and receiver, as well as appropriate interference cancellation techniques. Full-duplex simulations often implement wireless links using Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) or Time Division Duplex (TDD). In FDD, transmissions in different directions operate on different carrier frequencies. In TDD, transmissions in different directions on a given channel are separated using time-division multiplexing. That is, at some times, the channel is dedicated to transmissions in one direction, and at other times, the channel is dedicated to transmissions in the other direction, where the direction can change very rapidly, for example, several times per time slot.

[0078] In some aspects of this disclosure, the scheduling entity and / or the scheduled entity can be configured for beamforming and / or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques. Figure 4 An example of a MIMO-enabled wireless communication system 400 is illustrated. In the MIMO system, transmitter 402 includes multiple transmit antennas 404 (e.g., N transmit antennas), and receiver 406 includes multiple receive antennas 408 (e.g., M receive antennas). Therefore, there are N×M signal paths 410 from the transmit antennas 404 to the receive antennas 408. Each of transmitter 402 and receiver 406 can be implemented within, for example, a scheduling entity 108, a scheduled entity 106, or any other suitable wireless communication device.

[0079] The use of this multi-antenna technology enables wireless communication systems to leverage the spatial domain to support spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and transmit diversity. Spatial multiplexing can be used to simultaneously transmit different data streams on the same time-frequency resources, also known as layers. Data streams can be sent to a single UE to increase the data rate, or to multiple UEs to increase overall system capacity; the latter is called Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO). This is achieved by spatially precoding each data stream (i.e., multiplying the data stream by different weights and phase shifts) and then transmitting each spatially precoded stream through multiple transmit antennas on the downlink. The spatially precoded data streams arrive at (multiple) UEs with distinct spatial signatures, allowing each UE to recover one or more data streams destined for that UE. On the uplink, each UE transmits a spatially precoded data stream, enabling the base station to identify the source of each spatially precoded data stream.

[0080] The number of data streams or layers corresponds to the transmission rank. Generally, the rank of a MIMO system 400 is limited by the number of transmit antennas 404 or receive antennas 408, whichever is less. Furthermore, channel conditions at the UE and other considerations, such as available resources at the base station, can also affect the transmission rank. For example, the rank assigned to a UE on the downlink (and therefore, the number of data streams) can be determined based on a Rank Indicator (RI) sent from a particular UE to the base station. The RI can be determined based on antenna configuration (e.g., the number of transmit and receive antennas) and the measured Signal-to-Interference-And-Noise Ratio (SINR) on each receive antenna. The RI can indicate, for example, the number of layers that can be supported under the current channel conditions. The base station can use the RI, along with resource information (e.g., available resources and the amount of data to be scheduled for the UE), to assign transmission ranks to the UE.

[0081] In Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, UL and DL are reciprocal because they each use different time slots with the same frequency bandwidth. Therefore, in a TDD system, the base station can assign rank to DL MIMO transmissions based on UL SINR measurements (e.g., based on sounding reference signals (SRS) or other pilot signals transmitted from the UE). Based on the assigned rank, the base station can then transmit CSI-RS with separate C-RS sequences for each layer to provide multi-layer channel estimation. According to the CSI-RS, the UE can measure channel quality across layers and resource blocks and feed back CQI and RI values ​​to the base station for updating the rank and assigning REs for future downlink transmissions.

[0082] In the simplest case, such as Figure 4 As shown, rank-2 spatial multiplexing transmission on a 2x2 MIMO antenna configuration will send a data stream from each transmit antenna 404. Each data stream arrives at each receive antenna 408 along a different signal path 410. The receiver 406 can then reconstruct the data stream using the received signals from each receive antenna 408.

[0083] A UE can communicate with a serving network using a subscription to a service provided by that network (e.g., data service, voice service). The UE can implement a subscription module, such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), to connect to the serving network. A UE can be configured to communicate using two or more subscriptions. For example, a UE implementing multiple SIMs associated with multiple subscriptions can communicate using multiple subscriptions via multiple SIMs. A UE can use multiple subscriptions to establish communication links to perform communication using multiple subscriptions. Communication links can be established with a common base station or different base stations. For example, for a UE with two SIMs and Dual SIM, Dual Active (DSDA) capability, both SIMs can maintain a connection (or activity) to the network simultaneously, and therefore can be used to perform communication concurrently. In another example, for a UE with two SIMs and Dual SIM, Dual Standby (DSDS) capability, when one SIM is used to actively perform communication, the other SIM is placed in standby mode. Multiple SIMs can operate independently of each other. For example, each of the multiple SIMs can have its own Layer 1 (L1), Layer 2 (L2), and Layer 3 (L3) connections to the base station. Therefore, the UE can treat the multiple communication links as independent of each other.

[0084] When multiple SIMs are implemented within the same UE, enhancements can be used to coordinate communications using multiple communication links associated with each SIM. For example, the optimal use of communication links may differ depending on the type of information to be communicated. Therefore, optimization can be performed when utilizing multiple communication links originating from the same UE.

[0085] According to one aspect of this disclosure, for a UE configured to communicate using multiple subscriptions (e.g., via multiple SIMs), when communication links originate from the same UE, the base station and / or the UE can optimize the coordination of communication links associated with the multiple subscriptions respectively. The coordination of communication links can be performed based on information to be communicated between the base station and the UE. In one aspect, depending on the type of information to be communicated between the base station and the UE, more than one of the multiple communication links can be used to communicate the information, or only one of the multiple communication links can be used to communicate the information. In one aspect, all communication links can be between the UE and the base station, or between the UE and multiple base stations.

[0086] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is an example diagram illustrating communication links associated with multiple subscriptions of a UE, according to one aspect of this disclosure. Figure 5A and Figure 5BIn this UE 502, there are two SIMs: a first SIM 504 associated with a first subscription and a second SIM 506 associated with a second subscription. The UE 502 uses these two SIMs to establish two communication links respectively. Figure 5A Figure 500 illustrates an example of multiple communication links established between a UE and a single base station. Figure 5A In this configuration, UE 502 utilizes a first SIM 504 to establish a connection with the first base station 512 via a first communication link 532 using a first subscription. Furthermore, UE 502 utilizes a second SIM 506 to establish a connection with the first base station 512 via a second communication link 534 using a second subscription. Therefore, in... Figure 5A In this system, the first communication link 532 and the second communication link 534 are connected to the same base station, and the first base station 512 can coordinate the use of the first communication link 532 and the second communication link 534. Figure 5B Figure 550 illustrates an example of multiple communication links established between a UE and multiple base stations. Figure 5B The first communication link 532 in the middle can be with Figure 5A The first communication link 532 is the same. Therefore, in Figure 5B In this process, UE 502 utilizes the first SIM 504 to establish a connection with the first base station 512 via the first communication link 532 using the first subscription. Figure 5A The examples shown in the figure are different, in Figure 5B In this process, UE 502 utilizes the second SIM 506 to establish a connection with the second base station 564 via the second communication link 584 using the second subscription. Therefore, in Figure 5B In this configuration, the first communication link 582 and the second communication link 584 are connected to different base stations. Therefore, in order to coordinate the use of the first communication link 532 and the second communication link 534, the first base station 512 and the second base station 564 can communicate with each other.

[0087] Figure 6A and Figure 6B This is an example diagram illustrating a communication link between the protocol stacks of two subscriptions and one or more base stations in a UE, according to one aspect of this disclosure, wherein the UE is configured to communicate using the two subscriptions. Figure 6A Figure 600 illustrates an example of the first communication link between the protocol stack of the UE's first SIM and the protocol stack of the base station. Figure 6AIn this configuration, the first SIM protocol stack 602 may include a Physical (PHY) layer 612, a Media Access Control (MAC) layer 614, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer 616, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer 618, and an RRC layer 620. The PHY layer 612 and MAC layer 614 may be referred to as Layer 1, the RLC layer 616 and PDCP layer 618 as Layer 2, and the RRC layer 620 as Layer 3. The UE may use a first subscription of the first SIM to establish a first communication link 610 with a base station (e.g., base station A) having a base station protocol stack 606. The base station protocol stack 606 of base station A may include a PHY layer 632, a MAC layer 634, an RLC layer 636, a PDCP layer 638, and an RRC layer 640. PHY layer 632 and MAC layer 634 can be referred to as L1 layers, RLC layer 636 and PDCP layer 638 can be referred to as L2 layers, and RRC layer 640 can be referred to as L3 layers. For example... Figure 6A As shown, each of the PHY layer 612, MAC layer 614, RLC layer 616, PDCP layer 618 and RRC layer 620 in the first SIM protocol stack 602 can communicate individually with a corresponding one of the PHY layer 632, MAC layer 634, RLC layer 636, PDCP layer 638 and RRC layer 640 via the first communication link 610.

[0088] Figure 6B Figure 650 illustrates an example of a second communication link between the protocol stack of the UE's second SIM and the protocol stack of the base station. This base station can be... Figure 6A The base station is the same as the base station or a different base station. Figure 6B In the second SIM protocol stack 652, the second SIM may include a PHY layer 662, a MAC layer 664, an RLC layer 666, a PDCP layer 668, and an RRC layer 670. The PHY layer 662 and MAC layer 664 can be referred to as L1 layers, the RLC layer 666 and PDCP layer 668 as L2 layers, and the RRC layer 670 as L3 layers. The second SIM can establish a second communication link 660 with a base station, which is... Figure 6AThe base station in the diagram (e.g., base station A) is the same base station, or it is a different base station (e.g., base station B), wherein the base station has a base station protocol stack 656. The base station protocol stack 656 of base station A or base station B may include a PHY layer 682, a MAC layer 684, an RLC layer 686, a PDCP layer 688, and an RRC layer 690. The PHY layer 682 and MAC layer 684 may be referred to as L1 layers, the RLC layer 686 and PDCP layer 688 may be referred to as L2 layers, and the RRC layer 690 may be referred to as L3 layers. Figure 6B As shown, each of the PHY layer 662, MAC layer 664, RLC layer 666, PDCP layer 668, and RRC layer 670 in the second SIM protocol stack 652 can communicate individually with a corresponding one of the PHY layer 682, MAC layer 684, RLC layer 686, PDCP layer 688, and RRC layer 690 via the second communication link 660.

[0089] As discussed above, when a base station knows that multiple communication links associated with multiple subscriptions originate from the same UE, the base station can determine to coordinate the use of multiple communication links to optimize communication using the multiple communication links. Coordination of multiple communication links associated with multiple subscriptions can be applied to the RAN, but not to the core network. Thus, for example, the core network might treat multiple SIMs associated with multiple subscriptions as separate devices, unaware that the multiple SIMs reside in the same UE. Throughout this disclosure, a dual-SIM UE with a first SIM (e.g., first SIM 504) and a second SIM (e.g., second SIM 506) respectively associated with a first subscription and a second subscription is used as an example, where the UE has established a first communication link (e.g., first communication link 532) using the first subscription of the first SIM and a second communication link (e.g., second communication link 534 or 584) using the second subscription of the second SIM. However, this disclosure is not limited to the case of a UE with two SIMs and can be applied to the case of a UE with three or more SIMs.

[0090] In one aspect, to enable a base station to determine whether a communication link originates from the same UE, the UE can use one of the communication links to send UE identification information associated with different communication links / subscriptions to (or more) base stations. If the base station determines that it has received multiple UE identification information associated with different communication links, it can determine that these communication links were received from the same UE. For example, if the base station receives both first UE identification information associated with the first communication link / first subscription and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link / second subscription via one of the first and second communication links, the base station can determine that the two communication links originate from the same UE. In another aspect, each UE identification information associated with a corresponding communication link can be sent via the corresponding communication link and / or via another communication link. Thus, for example, the UE can send UE identification information associated with the first communication link via the first communication link using the first subscription, and send UE identification information associated with the second communication link via the second communication link using the second subscription. In another example, the UE can use the first communication link using the first subscription to send both UE identification information associated with the first communication link and UE identification information associated with the second communication link.

[0091] Subsequently, if the UE identification information associated with the first communication link matches the UE identification information associated with the second communication link, the base station can determine that the first and second communication links originate from the same UE. If the second communication link is used to transmit the UE identification information associated with the second communication link, and the second communication link is with a different base station, then the different base station can transmit the UE identification information associated with the second communication link to that base station, allowing that base station to compare the UE identification information associated with the first and second communication links.

[0092] In one aspect, UE identification information can be sent to a base station using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. For example, when a UE initiates an RRC procedure such as RRC connection establishment, RRC connection recovery, or RRC connection reconstruction, the UE can send a report to the base station using a first communication link. This report includes the RRC status and UE identification information associated with a second communication link. In this way, the base station can be aware of the second communication link, even if it is idle and / or connected to another base station. In one aspect, the UE identification information can be a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), such as a Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) or an Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI). In another aspect, if multiple communication links from the UE are connected to different base stations, the UE can also send cell IDs associated with different base stations. For example, if a first communication link is connected to a first base station and a second communication link is connected to a second base station, the UE can send the cell ID of the second base station to the first base station via the first communication link.

[0093] In one aspect, UE identification information can be a Serving Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI). In some cases, one communication link can be active (e.g., in connected mode), while the other can be idle. If the first communication link is active and the second is idle, the UE can use the first communication link to report the S-TMSI associated with the second subscription to the base station (e.g., provided there are no security concerns). For example, if communication links using both subscriptions are in idle mode, and one of the communication links becomes connected, the UE can report the S-TMSI associated with the second subscription via the first communication link to indicate the existence of the second subscription to the base station. The base station can then attempt to establish an active communication link with the UE using the second subscription. In this scenario, the UE may not need to report the S-TMSI associated with the second subscription when attempting to establish a communication link with the base station using the second subscription.

[0094] In one aspect, the UE can use one or more communication links to transmit UE RAN (e.g., baseband, RF) capability information to base stations(s). For example, the UE RAN capability information may include one or more of MAC capabilities, the number of MIMO layers it can support, the frequency bands it can support, and carrier aggregation capabilities. For instance, the UE can use both a first communication link and a second communication link to transmit the UE RAN capability information. In another example, the UE can use only the first communication link to transmit the UE RAN capability information. In this example, the base station receiving the UE RAN capability information via the first communication link can assume that the UE RAN capability information is shared between the first and second communication links using the first and second subscriptions, respectively.

[0095] Since the base station is aware of multiple communication links belonging to the same UE, it can coordinate the use of these links based on the information to be communicated, thereby optimizing communication. This can be advantageous, for example, because coordination of multiple communication links can be easily achieved, particularly at the base station, without modification or minor modifications at the UE level. The information to be communicated may include information related to data communication scheduling, mobility decisions, state monitoring, etc.

[0096] In one aspect, if the information to be communicated is a Radio Link Detection (RLM) signal, the base station can transmit the RLM signal via one communication link, without transmitting it via other communication links. This is particularly true when communication links are connected to the same primary cell (PCell) or related different PCells (e.g., operating in similar or the same frequency band), it may not be necessary to transmit the RLM signal via all communication links. This optimization is possible because the RLM signals may be the same or similar for different communication links connected to the same PCell (e.g., or the same base station) or related different PCells (e.g., different base stations), especially when the communication links are connected to the same UE. Therefore, for example, the base station can transmit the RLM signal to the UE via a first communication link using a first subscription, without using a second communication link.

[0097] In one aspect, as discussed above, a communication link can be established with the same PCell (e.g., the same base station) or with different PCells (e.g., different base stations). For example, a first communication link can be established with a first base station associated with a first PCell, and a second communication link can be established with a second base station associated with a second PCell. The first PCell and the second PCell can be associated with each other. In another aspect, a communication link can be established with different distribution units of the same base station. For example, a first communication link can be established with a first distribution unit of the base station, and a second communication link can be established with a second distribution unit of the base station.

[0098] In one respect, if the information to be communicated is Radio Resource Management (RRM) information, the base station can transmit the RRM information via one communication link, and may not need to transmit it via other communication links. For example, when communication links are connected to the same UE, an RRM measurement performed on one communication link can be used on another communication link. Because the RRM measurement is not performed on all communication links, but only on one communication link, the power consumption caused by the RRM measurement can be reduced.

[0099] In one aspect, regarding UE mobility, handover commands for multiple subscriptions can be sent to the UE substantially simultaneously via corresponding communication links. For example, a first handover command for a first subscription can be sent to the UE via a first communication link to trigger a first handover to the target base station for the first subscription, and a second handover command for a second subscription can be sent to the UE via a second communication link to trigger a second handover to the target base station for the second subscription. The first and second handover commands can be sent to the UE substantially simultaneously. Thus, for each communication link, a handover to the target station can be performed at approximately the same time. The handover commands can differ for different communication links. In one aspect, the measurement determining whether to handover to the target station can be performed on one or more communication links (e.g., by the UE and / or the base station). In one example, the measurement determining whether to handover to the target base station can be performed on one of the communication links, especially when the communication links are connected to the same UE. In one aspect, the handover command can be used for conditional handover, where handover occurs when a specific condition is met. In one aspect, at least one of the first or second handover can be a Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover. For example, the first handover for one communication link can be a DAPS handover, while the second handover for another communication link can be a traditional handover.

[0100] In one aspect, if secondary cells (SCells) are used, different SCells are used for different communication links. A UE can connect to one or more PCells and one or more SCells (e.g., for carrier aggregation). For example, if multiple communication links are connected to the same SCell, communication conflicts may occur. Therefore, for example, to avoid conflicts, different communication links from the UE can be used to connect to different SCells. As discussed above, for example, a first and second communication link from the UE can connect to the same base station's PCell, or they can connect to two related different PCells while establishing different communication links with different SCells.

[0101] In one aspect, a base station can schedule the use of multiple communication links at different times to perform data communication at full capacity, or it can schedule the use of multiple communication links simultaneously to perform data communication at reduced capacity. In some cases, for example, if a UE is scheduled to perform data communication simultaneously on a first communication link and a second communication link, data conflicts may occur. For example, when first data is to be communicated via the first communication link and second data is to be communicated via the second communication link, the base station can schedule the UE to communicate the first data via the first communication link during a first time period, and can schedule the UE to communicate the second data via the second communication link during a second time period different from the first time period, to avoid data conflicts between the first and second communication links. For example, the scheduled communication can be uplink or downlink communication performed by the UE, which can be scheduled via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) sent to the UE.

[0102] In one aspect, configured permission (CG) can be sent to the UE at different times using different communication links for full-capacity communication. Additionally, in another aspect, semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configurations can be sent to the UE at different times using different communication links for full-capacity communication. Using different communication links at different times to send CGs and / or SPSs helps the UE utilize full-capacity communication for both CGs and / or SPSs. In another aspect, CG and / or SPS configurations can be sent to the UE essentially simultaneously using different communication links, but this transmission can be performed with reduced capabilities.

[0103] In one aspect, Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) information can be sent to the UE at different times using different communication links (e.g., via Time-Division Multiplexing, TDM). In another aspect, Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) configuration can be sent to the UE at different times using different communication links (e.g., via TDM). In yet another aspect, if the PCell and SCell are related, a single communication link can be used to send the SRS configuration.

[0104] In one aspect, if the same PCell is used for a communication link, or if different PCells associated with a communication link are in the same frequency band (and therefore may be related), one of the communication links can be used to perform RLM monitoring and / or beam monitoring. In one example, the UE can receive an RLM signal via one of the communication links and monitor the status of that one communication link based on the RLM signal. In another example, the UE can receive a reference signal associated with the base station's beam via one of the communication links and monitor the status of the base station's beam based on the reference signal.

[0105] In one aspect, a base station may use one of multiple communication links to send system information (SI) associated with the base station to a UE. The base station and / or the UE may monitor changes to the SI on that particular communication link. For example, if the communication link is connected to a common PCell or a common SCell, changes to the SI (e.g., changes to the system information block) may be monitored on one of the communication links. Any changes to the SI may apply to the common PCell or SCell of the communication link.

[0106] In one aspect, a common alert system (PWS) message and / or in-device coexistence (IDC) indication can be sent to the UE using one of multiple communication links. In another aspect, the UE can monitor PWS messages on one communication link, regardless of whether the communication link is connected to the same base station or two different base stations in the same area. Typically, the same PWS message is sent by base stations in the same area, so it may not be necessary to monitor PWS messages on all communication links.

[0107] In one aspect, a UE can use one of multiple communication links to transmit UE Assistance Information (UAI). For example, in certain situations where the UE encounters a problem (e.g., UE overheating), UAI can be transmitted on one of the communication links. For instance, when only one of the first and second communication links is used to transmit UAI, the base station can know that the UAI is associated with both the first and second communication links.

[0108] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation of a base station 700 employing a processing system 714. For example, the base station 700 could be as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and / or Figures 5A-5B Any one or more of the base stations illustrated in the diagram.

[0109] Base station 700 may be implemented by a processing system 714 including one or more processors 704. Examples of processors 704 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuitry, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functions described throughout this disclosure. In various examples, base station 700 may be configured to perform any one or more functions described herein. That is, the processor 704 utilized in base station 700 may be used to implement the functions described below and Figure 8 Any one or more processes and steps illustrated herein.

[0110] In this example, the processing system 714 can be implemented using a bus architecture (generally represented by bus 702). Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system 714, bus 702 may include any number of interconnect buses and bridges. Bus 702 communicatively couples various circuits together, including one or more processors (generally represented by processor 704), memory 705, and processor-readable storage media (generally represented by processor-readable storage media 706). Bus 702 may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and will not be described further. Bus interface 708 provides an interface between bus 702 and transceiver 710. Transceiver 710 provides a communication interface or component for communicating with various other devices via a transmission medium. Depending on the nature of the device, a user interface 712 (e.g., keyboard, display, speaker, microphone, joystick) may also be provided. Of course, such a user interface 712 is optional and may be omitted in some examples (such as base stations).

[0111] In some aspects of this disclosure, processor 704 may include communication link management circuitry 740, configured for various functions, including, for example, determining that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the UE using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link and the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station. For example, communication link management circuitry 740 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 8 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 802.

[0112] In some aspects of this disclosure, processor 704 may include communication management circuitry 742 configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first or second communication links based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes, based on the information, selecting one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links. For example, communication management circuitry 742 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 8 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 804.

[0113] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication management circuit 742 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information with the UE via a selected first communication link and / or a second communication link. For example, the communication management circuit 742 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 8 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 806.

[0114] Processor 704 is responsible for managing bus 702 and general processing, including executing software stored on processor-readable storage medium 706. When executed by processor 704, the software causes processing system 714 to perform the various functions described below for any particular device. Processor-readable storage medium 706 and memory 705 can also be used to store data manipulated by processor 704 while executing the software.

[0115] One or more processors 704 in the processing system can execute software. Software, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise, should be broadly interpreted as representing instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, application programs, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable programs, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc. Software may reside on processor-readable storage medium 706. Processor-readable storage medium 706 may be a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. For example, non-transitory processor-readable storage media include magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic stripes), optical disks (e.g., compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs)), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick, or key drives), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), registers, removable disks, and any other suitable media for storing software and / or instructions that can be accessed and read by a computer. Processor-readable storage medium 706 may reside in, be outside, or be distributed across multiple entities including processing system 714. Processor-readable storage medium 706 may be embodied in a computer program product. For example, a computer program product may include processor-readable storage medium within packaging material. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the functionality described throughout this disclosure, depending on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system as a whole.

[0116] In some aspects of this disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium 706 may include communication link management software / instructions 750 configured for various functions, including, for example, determining that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the UE using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link and the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station. For example, the communication link management software / instructions 750 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 8 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 802.

[0117] In some aspects of this disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium 706 may include communication management software / instructions 752 configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first or second communication links based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links. For example, the communication management software / instructions 752 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 8 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 804.

[0118] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication management software / instructions 752 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information with the UE via a selected first communication link and / or a second communication link. For example, the communication management software / instructions 752 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 8 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 806.

[0119] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 800 of wireless communication performed by a base station according to some aspects of this disclosure. As described below, some or all of the illustrated features may be omitted in certain implementations within the scope of this disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be necessary for all implementations of the embodiments. In some examples, process 800 may be... Figure 7 The process is performed by the base station 700 illustrated herein. In some examples, process 800 may be performed by any suitable means or component for performing the functions or algorithms described below.

[0120] At block 802, process 800 includes: determining that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the user equipment (UE) using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link and the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station. In one aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the base station and the second base station. In one aspect, the base station may be associated with a first PCell, and the second base station may be associated with a second PCell. In one aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and a first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit of the base station. In one aspect, the first communication link may be established using a first protocol stack of the base station, the first protocol stack including a first layer 1, a first layer 2, and a first layer 3, and the second communication link may be established using a second protocol stack of the base station, the second protocol stack being different from the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack including a second layer 1, a second layer 2, and a second layer 3.

[0121] In one aspect, determining in block 802 that the first communication link and the second communication link have been established with the UE may include: receiving first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links; and determining that the first and second communication links are associated with the UE in response to determining that the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information have been received via the one of the first and second communication links. In one aspect, the first UE identification information includes at least one of a first RNTI or a first S-TMSI associated with the first subscription, and the second UE identification information includes at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription. In one aspect, the first RNTI may be a first C-RNTI, and the second RNTI may be a second C-RNTI.

[0122] In one aspect, the first communication link can use the first subscription to connect to the first SCell, and the second communication link can use the second subscription to connect to a second SCell that is different from the first SCell.

[0123] At block 804, process 800 includes: based on the determination, coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes, based on the information, selecting one of the following: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links.

[0124] In one aspect, the information may include first data to be scheduled for the first communication link and second data to be scheduled for the second communication link. In this aspect, the coordination at block 804 may include: scheduling the UE to communicate the first data via the first communication link during a first time period, and scheduling the UE to communicate the second data via the second communication link during a second time period different from the first time period.

[0125] At block 806, process 800 includes: communicating the information to the UE via a selected first communication link and / or a second communication link.

[0126] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of an RLM signal or RRM information for the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 806 may include sending at least one of the RLM signal or the RRM information to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

[0127] In one aspect, the information may include a first handover command and a second handover command, the first handover command requesting the UE to perform a first handover from the base station to the target base station using a first subscription, and the second handover command requesting the UE to perform a second handover from the base station to the target base station using a second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 804 may include: sending the first handover command to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription during a first time period, and sending the second handover command to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription during a second time period substantially overlapping with the first time period. In one aspect, at least one of the first handover or the second handover may be a Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover. In one aspect, the first handover command and the second handover command may be used for a conditional handover to the target base station.

[0128] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a first CG or a first SPS configuration associated with the first subscription, and at least one of a second CG or a second SPS configuration associated with the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information at block 804 may include: sending at least one of the first CG or the first SPS configuration to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription during a first time period, and sending at least one of the second CG or the SPS configuration to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription during a second time period different from the first time period.

[0129] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) information or a first Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription, and at least one of a second PUCCH information or a second SRS configuration associated with the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information at block 804 may include: transmitting at least one of the first PUCCH or the first SRS configuration to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription, based on time division multiplexing; and transmitting at least one of the second PUCCH or the second SRS configuration to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription, based on time division multiplexing.

[0130] In one aspect, the information may include a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 804 may include sending the SRS configuration to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

[0131] In one aspect, the information may include system information associated with the base station. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 804 may include transmitting the system information via one of the first and second communication links.

[0132] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a Public Alarm System (PWS) message or an In-Device Coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 804 may include sending at least one of the PWS message or the IDC indication to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

[0133] In one configuration, base station 700 includes: components for determining that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the UE using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station; components for coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and components for transmitting the information to the UE via the selected first communication link and / or second communication link. In one aspect, the aforementioned components may be... Figure 7 The processor(s) 704 shown are configured to perform the functions described in the foregoing components. In another aspect, the foregoing components may be circuitry or any device configured to perform the functions described in the foregoing components.

[0134] Of course, in the example above, the circuitry included in processor 704 is provided merely as an example, and other components for performing the described functions may be included within various aspects of this disclosure, including but not limited to instructions stored in processor-readable storage medium 706, or... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figures 5A-5B Any one of the descriptions in the text and using, for example, the information in this article about Figure 8 Any other suitable device or component of the described process and / or algorithm.

[0135] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an example hardware implementation of UE 900 using processing system 914. For example, UE900 could be as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and / or Figures 5A-5B Any one or more of the UEs illustrated in the figures.

[0136] The UE 900 can be implemented using a processing system 914 including one or more processors 904. Examples of processors 904 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuitry, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functions described throughout this disclosure. In various examples, the UE 900 can be configured to perform any one or more functions described herein. That is, the processor 904 utilized in the UE 900 can be used to implement the functions described below and Figure 10 Any one or more processes and steps illustrated herein.

[0137] In this example, the processing system 914 can be implemented using a bus architecture (generally represented by bus 902). Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system 914, bus 902 may include any number of interconnect buses and bridges. Bus 902 communicatively couples various circuits together, including one or more processors (generally represented by processor 904), memory 905, and processor-readable storage media (generally represented by processor-readable storage media 906). Bus 902 may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and will not be described further. Bus interface 908 provides an interface between bus 902 and transceiver 910. Transceiver 910 provides a communication interface or component for communicating with various other devices via a transmission medium. In one aspect, UE 900 may include a subscription module 916, which can be used to register with a serving network. In such an aspect, bus interface 908 can provide an interface between bus 902, transceiver 910, and subscription module 916. In one aspect, subscription module 916 enables UE 900 to provide services using multiple subscriptions (such as a first subscription and a second subscription). Subscription module 916 may include multiple subscription modules, each for a specific subscription. Depending on the nature of the device, a user interface 912 (e.g., a keyboard, display, speaker, microphone, joystick) may also be provided. Of course, such a user interface 912 is optional and may be omitted in some examples (such as a base station).

[0138] In some aspects of this disclosure, processor 904 may include communication link management circuitry 940, which is configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription. For example, communication link management circuitry 940 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1002.

[0139] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication link management circuit 940 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a second communication link with the base station or one of the second base stations using a second subscription. For example, the communication link management circuit 940 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1004.

[0140] In some aspects of this disclosure, processor 904 may include communication management circuitry 942 configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first or second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links. For example, communication management circuitry 942 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1008.

[0141] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication management circuitry 942 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information via at least one of the first or second communication based on the coordination. For example, the communication management circuitry 942 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1010.

[0142] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication management circuitry 942 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links. For example, the communication management circuitry 942 can be configured to implement the following combination... Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1006.

[0143] Processor 904 is responsible for managing bus 902 and general processing, including executing software stored on processor-readable storage medium 906. When executed by processor 904, the software causes processing system 914 to perform the various functions described below for any particular device. Processor-readable storage medium 906 and memory 905 can also be used to store data manipulated by processor 904 while executing the software.

[0144] One or more processors 904 in the processing system can execute software. Software, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise, should be broadly interpreted as representing instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, application programs, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable programs, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc. The software may reside on a processor-readable storage medium 906. The processor-readable storage medium 906 may be a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. For example, non-transitory processor-readable storage media include magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic stripes), optical disks (e.g., compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs)), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick, or key drives), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), registers, removable disks, and any other suitable medium for storing software and / or instructions that can be accessed and read by a computer. The processor-readable storage medium 906 may reside within the processing system 914, be external to the processing system 914, or be distributed across multiple entities including the processing system 914. The processor-readable storage medium 906 may be embodied in a computer program product. For example, a computer program product may include a processor-readable storage medium within packaging material. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the functionality described throughout this disclosure, depending on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system as a whole.

[0145] In some aspects of this disclosure, processor-readable storage medium 906 includes communication link management software / instructions 950, which is configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription. For example, the communication link management software / instructions 950 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1002.

[0146] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication link management software / instructions 950 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a second communication link with the base station or one of the second base stations using a second subscription. For example, the communication link management software / instructions 950 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1004.

[0147] In some aspects of this disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium 906 may include communication management software / instructions 952 configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first or second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links. For example, the communication management software / instructions 952 may be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1008.

[0148] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication management software / instructions 952 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information based on the coordination via at least one of the first or second communication. For example, the communication management software / instructions 952 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1010.

[0149] In some aspects of this disclosure, the communication management software / instruction 952 can be configured for various functions, including, for example, transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links. For example, the communication management software / instruction 952 can be configured to implement the following combination Figure 10 One or more functions are described, including, for example, box 1006.

[0150] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 1000 of a UE performing wireless communication according to some aspects of this disclosure. As described below, some or all of the illustrated features may be omitted in certain implementations within the scope of this disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be necessary for all implementations of the embodiments. In some examples, process 1000 may be... Figure 9 The process 1000 is executed by the UE 900 illustrated in the figure. In some examples, the process 1000 may be executed by any suitable means or component for performing the functions or algorithms described below.

[0151] At box 1002, process 1000 includes: establishing a first communication link with the base station using the first subscription.

[0152] At block 1004, process 1000 includes: establishing a second communication link with the base station or a second base station using a second subscription. In one aspect, the base station may be associated with a first primary cell (PCell), and the second base station may be associated with a second PCell. In one aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and a first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the first and second distribution units of the base station. In one aspect, the first communication link may be established using a first protocol stack of the UE, the first protocol stack including first layer 1, first layer 2, and first layer 3, and the second communication link may be established using a second protocol stack of the UE, the second protocol stack being different from the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack including second layer 1, second layer 2, and second layer 3.

[0153] At block 1006, process 1000 may include: transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links. In one aspect, the first UE identification information may include at least one of a first RNTI or a first S-TMSI associated with the first subscription, and the second UE identification information may include at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription. In another aspect, the first RNTI may be a first C-RNTI, and the second RNTI may be a second C-RNTI.

[0154] At block 1008, process 1000 includes: coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting one of the following based on the information: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links.

[0155] In one aspect, coordinating the communication in block 1008 may be in response to sending the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information via one of the first and second communication links in block 1006.

[0156] At block 1010, process 1000 includes: communicating the information based on the coordination via at least one of the first communication or the second communication.

[0157] In one aspect, the information may include cell identification information associated with the second base station. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 1010 may include sending the cell identification information to the base station via one of the first and second communication links.

[0158] In one aspect, the information may include an RRC status report associated with at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 1010 may include sending the RRC status report via one of the first and second communication links.

[0159] In one aspect, the information may include UE RAN capability information associated with the UE. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 1010 may include sending the UE RAN capability information via one of the first and second communication links.

[0160] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of an RLM signal used for monitoring link quality or one or more reference signals associated with one or more beams. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 1010 may include receiving the RLM signal or at least one of the one or more reference signals via one of the first and second communication links. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 1010 may further include at least one of the following operations: monitoring the condition of at least one of the first or second communication links based on the RLM signal, or monitoring the condition of the one or more beams based on the one or more reference signals.

[0161] In one aspect, the information may include at least one of a Public Alarm System (PWS) message, System Information (SI) associated with the base station, or In-Device Coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, communicating the information at block 1010 may include receiving at least one of the PWS message, the SI, or the IDC indication from the UE via one of the first and second communication links. In this aspect, communicating the information at block 1010 may further include monitoring changes in the System Information or the PWS message on one of the first and second communication links.

[0162] In one aspect, the information may include a UAI associated with the UE. In this aspect, communicating the information in block 1010 may include transmitting the UAI via one of the first and second communication links.

[0163] In one configuration, UE 900 includes: components for establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription; components for establishing a second communication link with the base station or a second base station using a second subscription; components for coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first or second communication links, wherein coordinating the communication includes selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first and second communication links for communicating the information, or (b) the first or second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing other communication links; and components for communicating the information via at least one of the first or second communication links based on the coordination. In one aspect, the aforementioned components may be... Figure 9 The processor(s) 904 shown are configured to perform the functions described in the foregoing components. In another aspect, the foregoing components may be circuitry or any device configured to perform the functions described in the foregoing components.

[0164] Of course, in the example above, the circuitry included in processor 904 is provided merely as an example, and other components for performing the described functions may be included within various aspects of this disclosure, including but not limited to instructions stored in processor-readable storage medium 906, or... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figures 5A-5B Any one of the descriptions in the text and using, for example, the information in this article about Figure 10 Any other suitable device or component of the described process and / or algorithm.

[0165] Several aspects of wireless communication networks have been described with reference to exemplary implementations. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the various aspects described herein can be extended to other telecommunications systems, network architectures, and communication standards.

[0166] For example, various aspects can be implemented within other systems defined by 3GPP, such as LTE, Evolved Packet System (EPS), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), and / or Global System for Mobile (GSM). These aspects can also be extended to systems defined by 3GPP2, such as CDMA2000 and / or Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO). Other examples can be implemented within systems employing IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth, and / or other suitable systems. The actual telecommunications standards, network architecture, and / or communication standards employed will depend on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system.

[0167] Within this disclosure, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other aspects of this disclosure. Similarly, the term "aspect" does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed. As used herein, the term "coupling" refers to direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A is in physical contact with object B, and object B is in contact with object C, then objects A and C can still be considered coupled to each other—even if they are not in direct physical contact with each other. For example, a first object can be coupled to a second object, even if the first object never has direct physical contact with the second object. The terms "circuit" and "circuitry" are used broadly and are intended to include, but are not limited to, hardware implementations of electrical devices and conductors that, when connected and configured, implement the functions described in this disclosure, and software implementations of information and instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the functions described in this disclosure.

[0168] Figures 1-9 One or more of the components, steps, features, and / or functions illustrated herein may be rearranged and / or combined into a single component, step, feature, or function, or embodied in several components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and / or functions may be added without departing from the novel features disclosed herein. Figures 1-9The apparatuses, devices, and / or components illustrated herein can be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features, or steps described herein. The novel algorithms described herein can also be effectively implemented in software and / or embedded in hardware.

[0169] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed method is an illustration of an exemplary process. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method can be rearranged. The appended method claims present the elements of the various steps in a sample order and are not intended to limit one to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless specifically stated therein.

[0170] The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be consistent with the full scope of the language of the claims, wherein, unless specifically stated otherwise, references to elements in the singular form are not intended to mean “one and only one,” but rather “one or more.” Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term “some” means one or more. The phrase “at least one of” referring to the list of items means any combination of these items, including individual members. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b, and c. All structural and functional equivalents of elements throughout the various aspects described herein that are known to or will be known hereafter by a person skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be included in the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be offered to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly stated in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication via a base station, comprising: It is determined that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the user equipment (UE) using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station; Based on the determination, communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is coordinated, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting any of the following based on the information: (a) The first communication link and the second communication link are used to communicate the information, or (b) one of the first and second communication links is used to communicate the information without utilizing the other of the first and second communication links; and The information is communicated to the UE via the selected first communication link and / or second communication link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining that the first communication link and the second communication link have been established with the UE includes: Receive, via one of the first and second communication links, first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link; and In response to determining that the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information are received via one of the first communication link and the second communication link, it is determined that the first communication link and the second communication link are associated with the UE.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The first UE identification information includes at least one of a first radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) or a first service temporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI) associated with the first subscription, and the second UE identification information includes at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first RNTI is the first cell RNTI (C-RNTI), and the second RNTI is the second C-RNTI.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first communication link is established between the UE and the base station, and the second communication link is established between the UE and one of the base station and the second base station.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The base station is associated with the first primary cell (PCell), and the second base station is associated with the second PCell.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first communication link is established between the UE and the first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link is established between the UE and one of the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit of the base station.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes first data to be scheduled for the first communication link and second data to be scheduled for the second communication link, and The communication that coordinates the information includes: The UE is scheduled to communicate the first data via the first communication link during a first time period; and The UE is scheduled to communicate the second data via the second communication link during a second time period different from the first time period.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes at least one of radio link monitoring (RLM) signals or radio resource management (RRM) information used for the first subscription and the second subscription. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: At least one of the RLM signal or the RRM information is sent to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes a first handover command and a second handover command. The first handover command requests the UE to perform a first handover from the base station to the target base station using the first subscription, and the second handover command requests the UE to perform a second handover from the base station to the target base station using the second subscription. The information in the communication includes: During the first time period, the first handover command is sent to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription; and During a second time period that substantially overlaps with the first time period, the second handover command is sent to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, At least one of the first handover or the second handover is a Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The first handover command and the second handover command are used for conditional handover to the target base station.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes at least one of a first configured permission (CG) or a first semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration associated with the first subscription, and at least one of a second CG or a second semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration associated with the second subscription. The information in the communication includes: During the first time period, at least one of the first CG or the first SPS configuration is sent to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription; and During a second time period different from the first time period, the second CG or at least one of the SPS configurations is sent to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes at least one of a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) information or a first Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription, and at least one of a second PUCCH information or a second SRS configuration associated with the second subscription. The information in the communication includes: Based on time-division multiplexing, at least one of the first PUCCH or the first SRS configuration is transmitted to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription; and Based on time division multiplexing, at least one of the second PUCCH or the second SRS configuration is sent to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes the probe reference signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: The SRS configuration is sent to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information includes at least one of the following: a Public Alert System (PWS) message, System Information (SI) associated with the base station, or an In-Device Coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: At least one of the PWS message, the SI, or the IDC indication is sent to the UE via one of the first and second communication links.

17. A base station for wireless communication, comprising: At least one processor; A transceiver, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; as well as The memory is communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The processor is configured as follows: It is determined that a first communication link and a second communication link have been established with the user equipment (UE) using a first subscription and a second subscription, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station; Based on the determination, communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is coordinated, wherein the at least one processor configured to coordinate the communication of the information is configured to select any of the following based on the information: (a) The first communication link and the second communication link are used to communicate the information, or (b) one of the first and second communication links is used to communicate the information without utilizing the other of the first and second communication links; and The information is communicated to the UE via the selected first communication link and / or second communication link.

18. The base station according to claim 17, wherein, The at least one processor configured to determine that the first communication link and the second communication link have been established with the UE is configured to: Receive first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first communication link and the second communication link; as well as In response to determining that the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information are received via one of the first communication link and the second communication link, it is determined that the first communication link and the second communication link are associated with the UE.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having instructions thereon for a base station, wherein, When executed by the processing circuit, the instructions cause the processing circuit to perform the steps of the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

20. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), the user equipment being configured to communicate using multiple subscriptions, the method comprising: Use the first subscription to establish the first communication link with the base station; Use the second subscription to establish a second communication link with the base station or one of the second base stations; Coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein coordinating the communication of the information includes selecting any of the following based on the information: (a) The first communication link and the second communication link are used to communicate the information, or (b) One of the first communication link and the second communication link is used to communicate the information without utilizing the other of the first communication link and the second communication link; as well as The information is communicated via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the coordination.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: The system transmits first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links. The coordination of the communication is in response to sending the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information via one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The first UE identification information includes at least one of a first radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) or a first service temporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI) associated with the first subscription, and the second UE identification information includes at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein, The first RNTI is the first cell RNTI (C-RNTI), and the second RNTI is the second C-RNTI.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein, The base station is associated with the first primary cell (PCell), and the second base station is associated with the second PCell.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The first communication link is established between the UE and the first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link is established between the UE and one of the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit of the base station.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein, The information includes cell identifier information associated with the second base station. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: Cell identification information is sent to the base station via one of the first and second communication links.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein, The information includes Radio Resource Control (RRC) status reports associated with at least one of the first or second communication links. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: The RRC status report is sent via one of the first and second communication links.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The information includes UE radio access network (RAN) capability information associated with the UE. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: The UE RAN capability information is transmitted via one of the first and second communication links.

29. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The information includes at least one of a radio link monitoring (RLM) signal used to monitor link quality or one or more reference signals associated with one or more beams. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: The RLM signal or at least one of the one or more reference signals is received via one of the first and second communication links.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein, The information in the communication also includes: Perform at least one of the following: Based on the RLM signal, monitor the status of at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, or The status of the one or more beams is monitored based on the one or more reference signals.

31. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The information includes at least one of the following: a Public Alert System (PWS) message, System Information (SI) associated with the base station, or an In-Device Coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: Receive at least one of the PWS message, the SI, or the IDC indication via one of the first and second communication links.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein, The information in the communication further includes: Monitor at least one of the SI changes or the PWS message on one of the first and second communication links.

33. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The information includes UE assistance information (UAI) associated with the UE. The coordination of the information communication includes: selecting one of the first and second communication links based on the information for communicating the information, and The information in the communication includes: The UAI is transmitted via one of the first and second communication links.

34. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: At least one processor; A transceiver, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and The memory is communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The processor is configured as follows: Use the first subscription to establish the first communication link with the base station; Use the second subscription to establish a second communication link with the base station or one of the second base stations; Coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein the at least one processor configured to coordinate the communication of the information is configured to select any of the following based on the information: (a) The first communication link and the second communication link are used to communicate the information, or (b) one of the first and second communication links is used to communicate the information without utilizing the other of the first and second communication links; and The information is communicated based on the coordination via at least one of the first communication or the second communication.

35. The UE according to claim 34, wherein, The at least one processor is further configured to: The system transmits first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first and second communication links. The at least one processor is configured to coordinate the communication in response to sending the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information via one of the first and second communication links.

36. An apparatus for wireless communication via a base station, comprising means for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

37. An apparatus for wireless communication by a user equipment, comprising means for performing the method as described in any one of claims 20-33.

38. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having instructions thereon for a user equipment, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to perform the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 20-33.

39. A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions for a base station, which, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

40. A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions for a user device, which, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the method as described in any one of claims 20-33.

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