Autonomous wireless device handover

Abstract

The embodiments include systems and methods for managing communication links in a communication network, which can be executed by a processor of a wireless device. Various embodiments may include determining whether a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from a base station is due to out-of-coverage conditions, and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station in response to determining that the PDSCH error is due to out-of-coverage conditions.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Greek patent application No. 20200100483 entitled “Autonomous Wireless Device Handover”, filed on August 17, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Background Technology

[0003] Wireless devices and base stations typically exchange information to improve and maintain communication links. For example, wireless devices provide information to base stations about signal quality and strength, and the base station and wireless devices exchange information to adjust aspects of the communication link, such as transmit power, band selection, modulation and decoding schemes, beam selection, and so on. In some cases, the base station and wireless device may determine that the best course of action is to perform a handover from the wireless device to another base station. If the wireless device loses its communication link with the base station, the exchange of information is unavailable to the wireless device. The wireless device may then waste power and time attempting to reconnect to the base station, or futilely attempt to communicate control or data signaling with the base station. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The aspects include systems and methods for managing wireless communication links with a communication network, executed by a processor of a wireless device. The aspects may include determining whether a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from a base station is due to out-of-coverage conditions, and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station in response to determining that the PDSCH error is due to out-of-coverage conditions.

[0005] In some aspects, initiating an autonomous handover from a base station to a second base station in response to determining that the PDSCH error is due to exceeding coverage conditions may include: determining whether the radio device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel; and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the radio device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel. In some aspects, determining whether the radio device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel may include: determining whether the radio device has received an indication that one or more uplink beams have been activated for the radio device. In some aspects, determining whether the radio device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel may include: determining whether the radio device has received a pre-decoding matrix from the base station for one or more uplink beams. In some aspects, determining whether the radio device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel may include: determining whether the radio device has received a pre-decoding matrix from the base station for one or more uplink beams. Some aspects may include determining whether a trigger timer has exceeded a trigger time threshold in response to determining that a measurement report trigger condition has been met, and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold.

[0006] In some aspects, initiating an autonomous handover from a base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition may include sending an indication to the second base station that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition. Some aspects may include receiving from the base station a control signal configuring the radio device to perform an autonomous handover under out-of-coverage conditions. In some aspects, initiating an autonomous handover from a base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition may include sending an initial access signal to the second base station.

[0007] Another aspect may include a wireless device having a processor configured to perform one or more operations of any of the methods outlined above. Another aspect may include a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform any of the methods outlined above. Another aspect includes a wireless device having components for performing any of the methods outlined above. Another aspect includes a system-on-a-chip used in a wireless device, the wireless device including a processor configured to perform one or more operations of any of the methods outlined above. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the claims and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to interpret the features of the claims.

[0009] Figure 1This is a system block diagram illustrating an example communication system suitable for implementing any of the various embodiments.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a component block diagram illustrating an example computing and wireless modem system suitable for implementing any of the various embodiments.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a component block diagram illustrating a software architecture including a radio protocol stack for user plane and control plane in wireless communication, suitable for implementing any of the various embodiments.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a component block diagram illustrating a system configured for managing communication links with a communication network according to various embodiments.

[0013] Figure 5A This is a process flowchart illustrating a method for managing communication links in a communication network, which can be executed by a processor of a wireless device according to various embodiments.

[0014] Figure 5B This is a flowchart illustrating the operations that can be performed as part of a method for managing communication links in a communication network, according to various embodiments.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a component block diagram of a network computing device suitable for use with various embodiments.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a component block diagram suitable for use with various embodiments of a wireless device. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to indicate the same or similar parts. Reference to specific examples and embodiments is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0018] Various embodiments include systems and methods for managing communication links with communication networks. These embodiments can improve the efficiency and accuracy of wireless communication between wireless devices and communication networks by enhancing the ability of wireless devices to respond to radio link failures, beam failures, and other network signal degradation or loss conditions.

[0019] The term "wireless device" as used herein refers to any or all of the following: wireless router devices, wireless appliances, cellular phones, smartphones, portable computing devices, personal or mobile multimedia players, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartbooks, ultrabooks, handheld computers, wireless email receivers, cellular phones supporting multimedia internet, medical devices and equipment, biometric sensors / devices, wearable devices including smartwatches, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristbands, smart jewelry (e.g., smart rings, smart bracelets, etc.), entertainment devices (e.g., wireless game controllers, music and video players, satellite radios, etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) devices supporting wireless networks, including smart meters / sensors, industrial manufacturing equipment, large and small machinery and appliances for home or business use, wireless communication elements in autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, wireless devices fixed or mounted on various mobile platforms, GPS devices, and similar electronic devices including memory, wireless communication components, and programmable processors.

[0020] As used herein, the term "beam" refers to a signal formed by a transmitting device using beamforming or beam manipulation techniques applied by a combination of physical equipment and signal processing, which are differently referred to as beamforming functions. Beam reception by a receiving device can involve configuring the physical equipment and signal processing of the receiving device to receive the signal transmitted by the transmitting device within the beam. In some cases, beam reception by a receiving device can also involve configuring the physical equipment and signal processing of the receiving device via a mapping function or spatial filter to preferably receive signals (e.g., with enhanced gain) from a specific direction (e.g., in a direction aligned with the transmitting device).

[0021] The term "beamforming" is used herein to refer to antenna array design and signal processing techniques used for directional signal communication and / or to achieve spatial selectivity (i.e., special filtering) in the reception of radio frequency (RF) signals. Beamforming at the transmitter end of a communication can be achieved by selectively delaying (called "phase shifting") the signals coupled to different elements in the antenna array, such that RF signals transmitted by the antenna array at a specific angle (relative to the antenna array) are enhanced by constructive interference, while RF signals transmitted by the antenna array at other angles (relative to the antenna) exhibit lower signal strength due to destructive interference. Beamforming at the receiver end of a communication can be achieved by processing the signals received by the elements in the antenna array using phase-shifting circuitry, such that RF signals received at a specific angle relative to the receiving antenna array are enhanced by constructive interference, while RF signals received at other angles relative to the wireless device exhibit reduced perceived signal strength due to destructive interference. Using beamforming techniques, RF signals can be transmitted in one or more directional "beams" within the millimeter-wave band for ultra-wideband communication (e.g., via a base station or wireless device). Each of these directional beams can be controlled by the transmitter using beamforming techniques to scan along one or both axes (i.e., azimuth and elevation directions). Beamforming in both the transmitter and receiver can be achieved using analog (e.g., phase shifter) circuitry and digital processing techniques. To cover both techniques, this document sometimes refers to “analog / RF beamforming” techniques and equipment.

[0022] The term "System-on-a-Chip" (SOC) is used herein to refer to a single integrated circuit (IC) chip containing multiple resources and / or processors integrated on a single substrate. A single SOC may contain circuitry for digital, analog, mixed-signal, and radio frequency functions. A single SOC may also include any number of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processors (digital signal processors, modem processors, video processors, etc.), memory blocks (e.g., ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc.), and resources (e.g., timers, voltage regulators, oscillators, etc.). A SOC may also include resources and processors for controlling the integrated circuitry, as well as software for controlling peripheral devices.

[0023] The term "System-in-Package" (SIP) may be used herein to refer to a single module or package containing multiple resources, computing units, cores, and / or processors on two or more IC chips, substrates, or SoCs. For example, a SIP may include a single substrate on which multiple IC chips or semiconductor dies are stacked in a vertical configuration. Similarly, a SIP may include one or more multi-chip modules (MCMs) on which multiple ICs or semiconductor dies are packaged into a single substrate. A SIP may also include multiple independent SoCs coupled together via high-speed communication circuitry and packaged in close proximity, such as on a single motherboard or in a single wireless device. This proximity of the SoCs facilitates high-speed communication and the sharing of memory and resources.

[0024] As used herein, the terms “network,” “system,” “wireless network,” “cellular network,” and “wireless communication network” interchangeably refer to a wireless network of carriers associated with a wireless device and / or part or all of a subscription on that wireless device. The techniques described herein can be used in a variety of wireless communication networks, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), FDMA, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and others. In general, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographical area. Each wireless network can support at least one radio access technology, which can operate on one or more frequencies or frequency ranges. For example, a CDMA network can implement Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) (including the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standard), CDMA2000 (including the IS-2000, IS-95, and / or IS-856 standards), etc. In another example, a TDMA network can implement GSM Enhanced Data Rate Evolution (EDGE). In another example, OFDMA networks can implement evolved UTRA (E-UTRA) (including the LTE standard), IEEE 802.11 (WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, and... Wireless networks using the LTE standard may be mentioned, and therefore the terms "Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access," "E-UTRAN," and "eNodeB" may be used interchangeably herein to refer to wireless networks. However, such mentions are provided as examples only and are not intended to exclude wireless networks using other communication standards. For example, while various third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G) systems are discussed herein, these systems are mentioned only as examples, and future generations of systems (e.g., sixth-generation (6G) or higher) may be used interchangeably with the examples.

[0025] Next-generation communication systems, such as 5G, impose minimum requirements, including hard latency constraints, on communication links to provide services and functionalities such as Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC). Maintaining network connectivity is crucial to meeting these requirements. Wireless devices and base stations typically exchange information to improve and maintain communication links. For example, wireless devices can provide information to base stations about signal quality and strength, and base stations and wireless devices can exchange information to adjust aspects of the communication link, such as transmit power, band selection, modulation and decoding schemes, beam selection, and so on. If a wireless device loses its communication link with a base station, this information exchange becomes unavailable to the wireless device, and the wireless device may then waste power and time attempting to reconnect to the base station, or futilely attempt to communicate control or data signaling with the base station. Furthermore, wireless devices and base stations rely on such messaging to reach a consensus on when a wireless device should be switched to a neighboring base station or cell.

[0026] Various embodiments include methods that enable a wireless device to autonomously manage the degradation or failure of a communication link with a base station in a communication network. Various embodiments enable the wireless device to determine when an error occurs in communication with a base station and, in response to determining that a communication error has occurred, autonomously perform a handover to establish a communication link with a second base station. Some embodiments may include detecting a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error in downlink communication from a base station, determining whether the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition, and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition. In some embodiments, the wireless device may determine a PDSCH error in response to determining that the wireless device cannot successfully decode downlink signals, such as data received from a base station in the downlink. Examples of "out-of-coverage conditions" include the wireless device being in a "coverage blind spot," the wireless device determining that the signal from the base station is significantly degraded or blocked, the wireless device determining that communication with the base station's control signaling and / or data signaling is significantly degraded or blocked, or other similar states or conditions. Under these conditions, the wireless device may be unable to receive control signals or other instructions from the base station, or may be unable to send communication link condition reports or control signals to the base station. Various embodiments enable the wireless device to determine that appropriate conditions exist for switching the wireless device to a new base station, and to initiate a handover operation without control signals or other instructions from the current (e.g., serving) base station. This operation of initiating a handover without control signals from the serving base station is referred to herein as initiating or performing a “voluntary handover.”

[0027] In some embodiments, a wireless device may perform an autonomous handover in response to determining that a mechanism for improving the communication link with a base station is unavailable. Some embodiments may include determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform a multi-slot Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) uplink beam scan or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) (e.g., if a PUSCH uplink beam scan is available), and in response to determining that the wireless device is not configured to perform a multi-slot PUCCH (or PUSCH) uplink beam scan, initiating an autonomous handover from one base station to a second base station by the wireless device. In some embodiments, various uplink control information (UCIs), such as Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Acknowledgment (ACK) and Negative Acknowledgment (NACK) messages, Channel State Indication (CSI) measurement reports, and Scheduling Requests (SRs), may be transmitted via PUCCH or PUSCH. In the description of various embodiments and examples, references to transmitting UCIs via PUCCH are not exclusive, and UCIs may also be transmitted via PUSCH. As used herein, the term "uplink channel" includes both PUCCH and PUSCH. In some embodiments, if a wireless device has data to send to a base station, the base station can activate the PUSCH to enable the wireless device to send uplink data and uplink control via the PUSCH. If there is no uplink data service to be sent, the wireless device can send uplink physical layer control information via the PUCCH.

[0028] In some embodiments, the wireless device may initiate autonomous handover based on other determinations regarding the communication link with the base station. For example, the wireless device may monitor aspects of the communication link with the base station, such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Signal-to-Interference-Noise Ratio (SINR), and similar aspects of signals from nearby base stations (or cells), such as a neighboring (second) base station. In some embodiments, the wireless device may compare one or more aspects of the communication link with the base station with one or more aspects of signals from a neighboring (second) base station. In response to determining that the comparison of one or more aspects satisfies an inequality threshold, the wireless device may determine that a measurement report trigger has been met. Examples of measurement report triggers include various “events” designated as A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, B1, and B2 in the relevant 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) technical standards. Each event is associated with one or more measurement inequalities in the communication link or signal aspect. When the wireless device determines that an event inequality is met, the wireless device may determine that a measurement report trigger condition has been met. For example, event A3 measurement report is triggered when the signal strength of a neighboring cell is stronger than the signal strength of the serving cell by an offset. In response to determining that a measurement report trigger has been met, the wireless device can initiate or start a timer, such as a trigger timer.

[0029] In some embodiments, the wireless device may determine whether a trigger timer exceeds a trigger time threshold in response to determining that a measurement report trigger condition is met, and may initiate an autonomous handover from the current base station or a first base station to a second base station in response to determining that the trigger timer meets or exceeds the trigger time threshold (or the trigger timer expires, depending on the timer configuration). In some embodiments, the wireless device may determine whether a trigger time ratio timer exceeds a trigger time ratio threshold in response to determining that a measurement report trigger condition is met. In some embodiments, the wireless device may send an indication to the second base station that the cause of a PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition. In some embodiments, the wireless device may initiate an autonomous handover by sending one or more signals requesting access to the second base station. In some embodiments, the wireless device may send one or more initial access signals, such as one or more signals of a random access (RACH) procedure.

[0030] In some embodiments, the indication that a PDSCH error occurs due to exceeding coverage conditions can enable a second base station to obtain information that reduces the time required to re-establish the communication link between the wireless device and the communication network. In some embodiments, the wireless device can be configured by the network to perform autonomous handover. For example, the wireless device can receive control signals from the base station configuring the wireless device to perform autonomous handover.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a system block diagram illustrating an example communication system 100 suitable for implementing any of the various embodiments. Communication system 100 may be a 5G New Radio (NR) network, or any other suitable network, such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. Although Figure 1 A 5G network is shown, but subsequent networks may include the same or similar elements. Therefore, references to 5G networks and 5G network elements in the following description are for illustrative purposes and not intended to be limiting.

[0032] Communication system 100 may include a heterogeneous network architecture, which includes a core network 140 and various mobile devices ( Figure 1The network is shown as wireless devices 120a-120e. The communication network 100 may also include numerous base stations (shown as BS 110a, BS 110b, BS 110c, and BS 110d) and other network entities. A base station is an entity that communicates with wireless devices (mobile devices) and may also be referred to as a Node B, an LTE evolution node B (eNodeB or eNB), an access point (AP), a radio head, a transmit / receive point (TRP), a new radio base station (NR BS), a 5G Node B (NB), a next-generation Node B (gNodeB or gNB), etc. Each base station can provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, depending on the context in which the term is used, the term "cell" can refer to the coverage area of ​​a base station, a base station subsystem serving that coverage area, or a combination thereof. The core network 140 can be any type of core network, such as an LTE core network (e.g., an EPC network), a 5G core network, etc.

[0033] Base stations 110a-110d can provide communication coverage for macrocells, picocells, femtocells, another type of cell, or a combination thereof. Macrocells can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access for mobile devices with service subscriptions. Picocells can cover a relatively small geographic area and can allow unrestricted access for mobile devices with service subscriptions. Femtocells can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and can allow restricted access for mobile devices associated with the femtocell (e.g., mobile devices in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG)). A base station used for a macrocell can be referred to as a macro BS. A base station used for a picocell can be referred to as a pico BS. A base station used for a femtocell can be referred to as a femtocell BS or a home BS. Figure 1 In the example shown, base station 110a can be a macro BS for macro cell 102a, base station 110b can be a pico BS for pico cell 102b, and base station 110c can be a femto BS for femto cell 102c. Base stations 110a-110d can support one or more (e.g., three) cells. The terms “eNB,” “base station,” “NR BS,” “gNB,” “TRP,” “AP,” “Node B,” “5G NB,” and “cell” are used interchangeably herein.

[0034] In some examples, the cell may not be stationary, and the geographical area of ​​the cell may move depending on the location of the mobile base station. In some examples, base stations 110a-110d may be interconnected with each other and / or interconnected to one or more other base stations or network nodes (not shown) in communication system 100 using any suitable transport network through various types of backhaul interfaces (e.g., direct physical connection, virtual network, or combinations thereof).

[0035] Base stations 110a-110d can communicate with the core network 140 via wired or wireless communication link 126. Wireless devices 120a-120e can communicate with base stations 110a-110d via wireless communication link 122.

[0036] The wired communication link 126 can use a variety of wired networks (e.g., Ethernet, TV cable, telephone, fiber optic and other forms of physical network connection), which can use one or more wired communication protocols, such as Ethernet, point-to-point protocol, advanced data link control (HDLC), advanced data communication control protocol (ADCCP) and transmit control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP).

[0037] The communication system 100 may also include a relay station (e.g., relay BS 110d). A relay station is an entity that can receive data transmissions from an upstream station (e.g., a base station or mobile device) and transmit data to a downstream station (e.g., a wireless device or base station). A relay station may also be a mobile device that can relay transmissions for other wireless devices. Figure 1 In the example shown, relay station 110d can communicate with macro base station 110a and wireless device 120d to facilitate communication between base station 110a and wireless device 120d. A relay station can also be referred to as a relay base station, relay, relay, etc.

[0038] The communication system 100 can be a heterogeneous network comprising different types of base stations (e.g., macro base stations, pico base stations, femto base stations, relay base stations, etc.). These different types of base stations can have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different impacts on interference in the communication system 100. For example, macro base stations can have high transmit power levels (e.g., 5 to 40 watts), while pico base stations, femto base stations, and relay base stations can have lower transmit power levels (e.g., 0.1 to 2 watts).

[0039] Network controller 130 can be coupled to a collection of base stations and provide coordination and control for these base stations. Network controller 130 can communicate with the base stations via backhaul. Base stations can also communicate with each other directly or indirectly, for example, via wireless or wired backhaul.

[0040] Wireless devices 120a, 120b, and 120c can be distributed throughout the communication system 100, and each wireless device can be stationary or mobile. Wireless devices can also be referred to as access terminals, terminals, mobile stations, subscriber units, stations, user equipment (UE), etc.

[0041] Macro base station 110a can communicate with communication network 140 on wired or wireless communication link 126. Wireless devices 120a, 120b, and 120c can communicate with base stations 110a-110d on wireless communication link 122.

[0042] Wireless communication links 122 and 124 may include multiple carrier signals, frequencies, or frequency bands, each of which may include multiple logical channels. Wireless communication links 122 and 124 may utilize one or more radio access technologies (RATs). Examples of RATs that can be used in wireless communication links include 3GPP LTE, 3G, 4G, 5G (e.g., NR), GSM, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Microwave Access Global Interoperability (WiMAX), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and other mobile phone communication technology cellular RATs. Further examples of RATs that can be used in one or more of the various wireless communication links within the communication system 100 include mid-range protocols (such as Wi-Fi, LTE-U, LTE-Direct, LAA, MuLTEfire) and relatively short-range RATs (such as ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE)).

[0043] Some wireless networks (e.g., LTE) utilize Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are also commonly referred to as frequency modulation, frequency bands, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated using data. Generally, modulation symbols are transmitted using OFDM in the frequency domain and SC-FDM in the time domain. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing could be 15 kHz and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block") could be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, the nominal Fast File Transfer (FFT) size could be 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover 1.08MHz (i.e., 6 resource blocks), and there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20MHz, respectively.

[0044] While some embodiments are described using terminology and examples associated with LTE technology, these embodiments are applicable to other wireless communication systems, such as New Radio (NR) or 5G networks. NR can utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) on both the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) and includes support for half-duplex operation using Time Division Duplex (TDD). A single-component carrier bandwidth of 100 MHz can be supported. NR resource blocks can span 12 subcarriers with a duration of 0.1 milliseconds (ms), where the subcarrier bandwidth is 75 kHz. Each radio frame can consist of 50 subframes with a length of 10 ms. Therefore, each subframe can have a length of 0.2 ms. Each subframe can indicate the link direction (i.e., DL or UL) for data transmission, and the link direction of each subframe can be dynamically switched. Each subframe can include DL / UL data and DL / UL control data. Beamforming can be supported, and beam direction can be dynamically configured. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission with pre-decoded encoding can also be supported. MIMO configurations in DL can support up to eight transmit antennas, with up to eight streams in its multi-layer DL transmission and up to two streams per radio device. Multi-layer transmission with up to two streams per radio device is also supported. Aggregation of multiple cells with up to eight serving cells is also supported. Alternatively, NR can support different air interfaces in addition to the OFDM-based air interface.

[0045] Some mobile devices can be considered Machine-Type Communication (MTC) or Evolved or Enhanced Machine-Type Communication (eMTC) mobile devices. MTC and eMTC mobile devices include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with base stations, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. Wireless computing platforms can provide connectivity to or to networks (e.g., wide area networks such as the Internet or cellular networks) via wired or wireless communication links. Some mobile devices can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, or can be implemented as NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) devices. Wireless devices 120a-120e can be included within a housing that houses the components of wireless devices 120a-120e (such as processor components, memory components, similar components, or combinations thereof).

[0046] Generally, any number of communication systems and any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographical area. Each communication system and wireless network can support a specific Radio Access Technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT can also be referred to as a radio technology, air interface, etc. A frequency can also be referred to as a carrier, frequency channel, etc. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographical area to avoid interference between communication systems using different RATs. In some cases, 4G / LTE and / or 5G / NR RAT networks can be deployed. For example, a 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) network can utilize a 4G / LTE RAT on the 4G / LTE RAN side of a 5G NSA network and a 5G / NR RAT on the 5G / NR RAN side of the 5G NSA network. The 4G / LTE RAN and 5G / NR RAN can be interconnected in the 5G NSA network and connected to the 4G / LTE core network (e.g., an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network). Other example network configurations can include a 5G Standalone (SA) network, where the 5G / NR RAN is connected to the 5G core network.

[0047] In some embodiments, two or more mobile devices 120a-120e (e.g., shown as wireless device 120a and wireless device 120e) may communicate directly using one or more sidelink channels 124 (e.g., without using base stations 110a-110d as intermediaries for communication). For example, wireless devices 120a-120e may communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocols (which may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocols, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocols, or similar protocols), mesh networks, or similar networks, or combinations thereof. In this case, wireless devices 120a-120e may perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and other operations described elsewhere herein as being performed by base station 110a.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a component block diagram illustrating an example computing and wireless modem system 200 suitable for implementing any of the various embodiments. The various embodiments can be implemented on many single-processor and multi-processor computer systems, including system-on-a-chip (SoC) or system-in-package (SIP).

[0049] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The illustrated example computing system 200 (which may be a SIP in some embodiments) includes two SOCs 202 and 204 coupled to a clock 206, a voltage regulator 208, and a wireless transceiver 266 configured to transmit and receive wireless communications to / from wireless devices (e.g., 120a-120e) or base stations (e.g., 110a-110d) via an antenna (not shown). In some embodiments, the first SOC 202 may operate as the central processing unit (CPU) of a wireless device that implements instructions for a software application by performing arithmetic, logic, control, and input / output (I / O) operations specified by instructions. In some embodiments, the second SOC 204 may operate as a dedicated processing unit. For example, the second SOC 204 may operate as a dedicated 5G processing unit responsible for managing high-capacity, high-speed (e.g., 5Gbps, etc.) and / or extremely high frequency short wavelength (e.g., 28GHz mmWave spectrum, etc.) communications.

[0050] The first SOC 202 may include a digital signal processor (DSP) 210, a modem processor 212, a graphics processor 214, an application processor 216, one or more coprocessors 218 (e.g., vector coprocessors) connected to one or more processors in the processor, memory 220, custom circuitry 222, system components and resources 224, an interconnect / bus module 226, one or more temperature sensors 230, a thermal management unit 232, and a thermal power envelope (TPE) component 234. The second SOC 204 may include a 5G modem processor 252, a power management unit 254, an interconnect / bus module 264, multiple mmWave transceivers 256, memory 258, and various additional processors 260, such as application processors, packet processors, etc.

[0051] Each processor 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260 may include one or more cores, and each processor / core may perform operations independently of the other processors / cores. For example, the first SOC 202 may include a processor running a first type of operating system (e.g., FreeBSD, LINUX, OS X, etc.) and a processor running a second type of operating system (e.g., MICROSOFT WINDOWS 10). Additionally, any or all of the processors 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260 may be included as part of a processor cluster architecture (e.g., synchronous processor cluster architecture, asynchronous or heterogeneous processor cluster architecture, etc.).

[0052] The first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204 may include various system components, resources, and custom circuitry for managing sensor data, analog-to-digital conversion, wireless data transmission, and performing other specialized operations, such as decoding data packets and processing encoded audio and video signals for rendering in a web browser. For example, the system components and resources 224 of the first SOC 202 may include power amplifiers, voltage regulators, oscillators, phase-locked loops, peripheral bridges, data controllers, memory controllers, system controllers, access ports, timers, and other similar components for supporting processors and software clients running on wireless devices. The system components and resources 224 and / or the custom circuitry 222 may also include circuitry for interfacing with peripheral devices, such as cameras, electronic displays, wireless communication devices, external memory chips, etc.

[0053] The first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204 can communicate via interconnect / bus module 250. Individual processors 210, 212, 214, 216, and 218 can be interconnected via interconnect / bus module 226 to one or more memory elements 220, system components and resources 224, custom circuitry 222, and thermal management unit 232. Similarly, processor 252 can be interconnected via interconnect / bus module 264 to power management unit 254, mmWave transceiver 256, memory 258, and various additional processors 260. Interconnect / bus modules 226, 250, and 264 may include arrays of reconfigurable logic gates and / or implement bus architectures (e.g., CoreConnect, AMBA, etc.). Communication can be provided by advanced interconnects (e.g., high-performance network-on-chip (NoC)).

[0054] The first SOC 202 and / or the second SOC 204 may also include input / output modules (not shown) for communicating with external resources (e.g., clock 206 and voltage regulator 208). External resources (e.g., clock 206, voltage regulator 208) may be shared by two or more internal SOC processors / cores.

[0055] In addition to the exemplary SIP 200 discussed above, various embodiments can be implemented in a wide variety of computing systems, which may include single-processor, multi-processor, multi-core processor or any combination thereof.

[0056] Figure 3 This is a component block diagram illustrating a software architecture 300 including a radio protocol stack for user plane and control plane in wireless communication, suitable for implementing any of the various embodiments. Reference Figures 1 to 3Wireless device 320 can implement software architecture 300 to facilitate communication between wireless device 320 (e.g., wireless devices 120a-120e, 200) and base station 350 (e.g., base station 110a-110d) of a communication system (e.g., 100). In various embodiments, layers in software architecture 300 can form logical connections with corresponding layers in the software of base station 350. Software architecture 300 can be distributed among one or more processors (e.g., processors 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260). Although described with respect to a single radio protocol stack, in a multi-SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) wireless device, software architecture 300 can include multiple protocol stacks, each of which can be associated with a different SIM (e.g., in a dual-SIM wireless communication device, the two protocol stacks are associated with two SIMs respectively). Although described below with reference to the LTE communication layer, software architecture 300 can support any of a variety of standards and protocols for wireless communication, and / or can include additional protocol stacks that support any of a variety of standards and protocols for wireless communication.

[0057] Software architecture 300 may include a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) 302 and an Access Stratum (AS) 304. NAS 302 may include functions and protocols for supporting packet filtering, security management, mobility control, session management, and services and signaling between radio devices (one or more SIMs, e.g., one or more SIMs 204) and their core network 140. AS 304 may include functions and protocols for supporting communication between one or more SIMs (e.g., one or more SIMs 204) and entities (e.g., base stations) of the supported access network. Specifically, AS 304 may include at least three layers (Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3), each of which may contain various sublayers.

[0058] In the user plane and control plane, Layer 1 (L1) of AS 304 can be Physical Layer (PHY) 306, which can monitor the functions of transmitting and / or receiving over the air interface via a radio transceiver (e.g., 266). Examples of such Physical Layer 306 functions may include Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) appendices, decoding blocks, scrambling and descrambling, modulation and demodulation, signal measurement, MIMO, etc. The Physical Layer may include various logical channels, including the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0059] In the user plane and control plane, Layer 2 (L2) of AS 304 can be responsible for the link between the wireless device 320 and the base station 350 on the physical layer 306. In various embodiments, Layer 2 may include a Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer 308, a Radio Link Control (RLC) sublayer 310, and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayer 312, each of which forms a logical connection terminating at the base station 350.

[0060] In the control plane, Layer 3 (L3) of AS 304 may include a Radio Resource Control (RRC) sublayer 3. Although not shown, software architecture 300 may include additional Layer 3 sublayers, as well as various upper layers above Layer 3. In various embodiments, RRC sublayer 313 may provide functions including broadcasting system information, paging, and establishing and releasing RRC signaling connections between radio device 320 and base station 350.

[0061] In various embodiments, PDCP sublayer 312 can provide uplink functions, including multiplexing between different radio bearers and logical channels, sequence number increment, handover data processing, integrity protection, encryption, and header compression. In the downlink, PDCP sublayer 312 can provide functions including in-sequence delivery of data packets, duplicate data packet detection, integrity verification, decryption, and header decompression.

[0062] In the uplink, RLC sublayer 310 can provide segmentation and concatenation of upper-layer data packets, retransmission of lost data packets, and Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ). In the downlink, RLC sublayer 310 functions may include data packet reordering to compensate for out-of-order reception, reassembly of upper-layer data packets, and ARQ.

[0063] In the uplink, MAC sublayer 308 can provide functions including multiplexing between logical and transport channels, random access procedures, logical channel prioritization, and hybrid-ARQ (HARQ) operations. In the downlink, MAC layer functions can include intra-cell channel mapping, demultiplexing, discontinuous reception (DRX), and HARQ operations.

[0064] While the software architecture 300 can provide functionality to transmit data over a physical medium, it may also include at least one host layer 314 to provide data transmission services for various applications within the wireless device 320. In some embodiments, application-specific functionality provided by at least one host layer 314 can provide an interface between the software architecture and the general-purpose processor 206.

[0065] In other embodiments, software architecture 300 may include one or more higher logical layers (e.g., transport, session, presentation, application, etc.) that provide host layer functionality. For example, in some embodiments, software architecture 300 may include a network layer (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) layer) where logical connections terminate at a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (PGW). In some embodiments, software architecture 300 may include an application layer where logical connections terminate at another device (e.g., end-user equipment, server, etc.). In some embodiments, software architecture 300 may also include a hardware interface 316 in AS 304 between physical layer 306 and communication hardware (e.g., one or more radio frequency (RF) transceivers).

[0066] Figure 4 This is a component block diagram illustrating a system 400 configured for managing communication links with a communication network according to various embodiments. (See reference...) Figures 1 to 4 System 400 may include wireless devices 402 (e.g., 120a-1203d, 200, 320) and base stations 404 (e.g., 110a-110d, 200, 350). Wireless devices 402 and base stations 404 can exchange wireless communications to establish a wireless communication network 424 (the aspects of which are shown in…) that can provide wireless devices 402 with access to the wireless communication network 424. Figure 1 The wireless communication link 450 (e.g., 122, 124) is used for access.

[0067] Wireless device 402 may include one or more processors 428 coupled to electronic storage 426 and a wireless transceiver (e.g., 266). Wireless transceiver 266 may be configured to receive messages from processor(s)428 to be transmitted in an uplink transmission and transmit such messages via an antenna (not shown) to base station 404 for final relay to wireless communication network 424. In some embodiments, base station 404 may receive messages from wireless communication network 424 to relay to wireless device 402. Similarly, wireless transceiver 266 may be configured to receive messages from base station 404 in a downlink transmission and pass the messages (e.g., via a modem (e.g., 252) that demodulates the messages) to one or more processors 428.

[0068] One or more processors 428 may be configured by machine-readable instructions 406. Machine-readable instructions 406 may include one or more instruction modules. Instruction modules may include computer program modules. Instruction modules may include one or more of the following: a PDSCH error detector module 408, a PDSCH error cause determination module 410, a switching module 412, a beam scan configuration module 414, a trigger time (TTT) module 416, or other instruction modules.

[0069] PDSCH error detector module 408 can be configured to detect PDSCH errors in downlink communication from base station 404.

[0070] PDSCH error cause determination module 410 can be configured to determine whether the cause of a PDSCH error detected in downlink communication from a base station is an out-of-coverage condition.

[0071] The handover module 412 can be configured to initiate an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is outside the coverage area.

[0072] The beam scan configuration module 414 can be configured to determine whether the wireless device is configured to perform uplink beam scan of the multi-slot physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0073] The Trigger Time (TTT) module 416 can be configured to determine whether the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold in response to the condition of the determined event A3 being met.

[0074] Electronic storage 426 may include a non-transitory storage medium that electronically stores information. The electronic storage medium of electronic storage 426 may include one or both of system storage that is integrally provided with wireless device 402 or base station 404 (i.e., substantially non-removable) and / or removable storage that is removably connectable to wireless device 402 or base station 404 via, for example, a port (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a FireWire port, etc.) or a drive (e.g., a disk drive, etc.). Electronic storage 426 may include one or more of optically readable storage media (e.g., optical discs, etc.), magnetically readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape, hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, etc.), charge-based storage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media (e.g., flash memory drives, etc.) and / or other electronically readable storage media. Electronic storage 426 may include one or more virtual storage resources (e.g., cloud storage, virtual private networks, and / or other virtual storage resources). Electronic storage 426 may store software algorithms, information determined by one or more processors 428, information received from wireless device 402 or base station 404, or other information that enables wireless device 402 or base station 404 to function as described herein.

[0075] One or more processors 428 may be configured to provide information processing capabilities in base station 402. Thus, one or more processors 428 may include one or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, digital circuitry designed to process information, analog circuitry designed to process information, a state machine, and / or other mechanisms for electronically processing information. Although one or more processors 428 are shown as a single entity, this is for illustrative purposes only. In some embodiments, one or more processors 428 may include multiple processing units and / or processor cores. Processing units may be physically located within the same device, or one or more processors 428 may represent the processing functions of multiple devices operating in a coordinated manner. One or more processors 428 may be configured to execute modules 408-416 and / or other modules via software; hardware; firmware; some combination of software, hardware, and / or firmware; and / or other mechanisms for configuring the processing capabilities on one or more processors 428. As used herein, the term "module" may refer to any component or collection of components that performs the functions belonging to a module. This may include one or more physical processors, processor-readable instructions, circuitry, hardware, storage media, or any other component during the execution of processor-readable instructions.

[0076] The description of the functionality provided by the different modules 408-416 described below is for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, as any of modules 408-416 may provide more or fewer functionality than described. For example, one or more of modules 408-416 may be removed, and some or all of their functionality may be provided by other modules 408-416. As another example, processor(s) 428 may be configured to execute one or more additional modules that may perform some or all of the functionality categorized below as belonging to one of modules 408-416.

[0077] Figure 5A This is a process flowchart illustrating a method 500a for managing communication links with a communication network, which can be executed by a processor of a base station according to various embodiments. (See reference...) Figures 1 to 5A Method 500a can be implemented by a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) of a wireless device (e.g., wireless devices 120a-120e, 350, 402).

[0078] In determination block 502, the processor may determine whether a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error has occurred. In some embodiments, the processor may determine that downlink signals, such as control signals or data signals, cannot be decoded to provide useful information to the processor. Components for performing the operations in determination block 502 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) and a wireless transceiver (e.g., 266).

[0079] In response to determining that no PDSCH error has occurred (e.g., determination box 502 = "No"), the processor may execute the operation of determination box 502 again.

[0080] In response to determining that a PDSCH error has occurred (e.g., determination box 502 = "Yes"), in determination box 504 the processor may determine whether the cause of the PDSCH error detected in downlink communication from the base station is an out-of-coverage condition. Components for performing the operation in determination box 504 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428).

[0081] In various embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 504, based on one or more determinations of signal strength or quality, that the cause of a PDSCH error detected in downlink communication is an out-of-coverage condition. Examples of out-of-coverage conditions include the wireless device being located in a location with poor or no base station coverage (e.g., a "coverage blind spot"), the wireless device determining that the signal from the base station is significantly degraded or blocked, the wireless device determining that communication with the base station's control signaling and / or data signaling is significantly degraded or blocked, or another similar state or condition. In some embodiments, the processor may determine whether the average received signal strength over the entire system bandwidth (or bandwidth portion (BWP)) minus the average received signal strength over the beam-blocked duration ("beam-blocked coherence time") is less than a signal strength threshold. This determination may be represented as L3_RSRP. averageSsytemBandwidth <L3_RSRP Threshold3 In some embodiments, the signal strength threshold can be the receiver level sensitivity. In some embodiments, the signal strength threshold can be the receiver level sensitivity plus an adjustment or hysteresis (e.g., 0.25 dB) (e.g., L3_RSRP). Threshold3 =RxSensitivityLevel+0.25dB).

[0082] In some embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 504 (e.g., within a resource block RB) whether the maximum received signal strength minus the maximum received signal strength averaged over the beam-damped duration is below a maximum signal strength threshold. This determination may be expressed as max(L3_RSRP) ResourceBlock ) <L3_RSRP Threshold4 In some embodiments, the signal strength threshold can be the receiver level sensitivity. In some embodiments, the signal strength threshold can be the receiver level sensitivity plus an adjustment or hysteresis (e.g., 0.5 dB) (e.g., L3_RSRP). Threshold4 =RxSensitivityLevel+0.5dB).

[0083] In some embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 504 whether the received signal strength, averaged over a number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) (e.g., a specified number of resource blocks, a percentage of resource blocks, or at least a threshold number of resource blocks) over the duration of beamout, is below a signal strength threshold. In some embodiments, for X PRBs, this may be represented as L3_RSRP. ResourceBlock <L3_RSRP Threshold5 In some embodiments, the signal strength threshold can be the receiver level sensitivity. In some embodiments, the signal strength threshold can be the receiver level sensitivity plus a small adjustment or hysteresis (e.g., 0.25 dB) (e.g., for 75% of the PRB in the bandwidth portion (BWP), L3_RSRP). Threshold5 =RxSensitivityLevel+0.25dB).

[0084] In some embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 504 whether the instantaneous received signal strength averaged across the system bandwidth is below a signal strength threshold. This determination may be represented as L1_RSRP. averageSsytemBandwidth <L1_RSRP Threshold1 .

[0085] In some embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 504 (e.g., within a resource block RB) whether the instantaneous maximum received signal strength is lower than a maximum signal strength threshold. This determination may be expressed as max(L1_RSRP) ResourceBlock ) <L1_RSRP Threshold2 .

[0086] In some embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 504 whether a significant decrease in the instantaneous received signal strength averaged across the system bandwidth exists. This determination may be represented as L1_RSRP. t1 -L1_RSRP t2<L1_RSRP_Drop Threshold5 .

[0087] In response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error detected in the downlink communication from the base station is not an out-of-coverage condition (i.e., determination box 504 = "No"), the processor may execute the operation of determination box 502 again.

[0088] In response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error detected in downlink communication from the base station is an out-of-coverage condition (i.e., determination block 504 = "Yes"), the processor may determine in determination block 506 whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on an uplink channel (e.g., PUCCH or PUSCH). For example, the processor may determine whether mechanisms for improving the communication link with the base station are available to the wireless device. In some embodiments, the processor may determine whether the wireless device has received an indication (such as an RRC message) that one or more uplink beams have been activated or are ready for use by the wireless device, enabling the wireless device to use such uplink beams to communicate with the base station. In some embodiments, the processor may determine whether the wireless device has received a pre-decoding matrix from the base station for one or more uplink beams. Components for performing the operations in determination block 506 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428).

[0089] In response to determining that the wireless device is configured to perform a multi-slot beam scan on the uplink channel (i.e., determination block 506 = "Yes"), the processor may perform a multi-slot beam scan on the uplink channel in block 512. In some embodiments, the processor may perform a multi-slot beam scan on the uplink channel in block 512 to attempt to restore communication or mitigate a determined PDSCH error. In some embodiments, the processor may send one or more negative acknowledgment (NACK) messages via the uplink beam scan (e.g., perform a multi-slot NACK). Components for performing the operations in determination block 512 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) and a wireless transceiver 266.

[0090] In response to determining that the wireless device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel (i.e., determination block 506 = "No"), the processor may initiate an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in block 514. In some embodiments, the wireless device may initiate an autonomous handover by sending one or more signals requesting access to the second base station. In some embodiments, the wireless device may send one or more initial access signals, such as one or more signals of the RACH procedure. Components for performing the operation in determination block 514 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) and a wireless transceiver 266.

[0091] After the operation in block 512 or 514, the processor can repeat the operation of method 500a by re-executing the operation in determination block 502.

[0092] Figure 5B This is a process flowchart illustrating operation 500b, which can be performed as part of a method 500a for managing and communicating networks, according to various embodiments. (See reference...) Figures 1 to 5B Operation 500b can be implemented by the processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) of a wireless device (e.g., wireless devices 120a-120e, 350, 402).

[0093] In block 501, the processor can receive from the base station a control signal configuring the wireless device to perform autonomous handover under conditions of out-of-coverage. In some embodiments, the control signal may include a Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) signal. In some embodiments, the control signal may include an "AutonomousHoPDSCHErrorCauseOutOfCoverage" message, which may include one or more configurable parameters, such as a time window (e.g., in 1 to 800 time slots), the number of PDSCH errors in the time window (e.g., 1 to 8), whether event A3-1 must be triggered (e.g., yes or no), the amount by which the event A3 timer (e.g., trigger time) must elapse (e.g., 5% to 95%), and / or other configurable values ​​that may indicate one or more conditions. In some embodiments, in response to determining that one or more such conditions are met, the wireless device may initiate (e.g., attempt to perform) an autonomous handover.

[0094] In various embodiments, the processor may perform the operations of determination blocks 502 to 506 substantially as described.

[0095] In response to determining that the wireless device is configured to perform a multi-slot physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) uplink beam scan (i.e., determination box 506 = "Yes"), the processor may determine in determination box 508 whether a measurement report trigger condition is met. Components for performing the operation in determination box 508 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) and a wireless transceiver 266.

[0096] In some embodiments, the processor may determine in determination block 508 whether the signal from a neighboring base station or cell (e.g., a second base station) is superior to that base station or cell (e.g., the serving base station or cell). In some embodiments, this may be represented as Mneigh + Oneigh,freq + Oneigh,cell – Hyst > Mserv + Oserv,freq + Oserv,cell + Offset, where Mneigh represents the signal level or quality (RSRP or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)) of the neighboring cell, Oneigh,freq represents the frequency-specific offset between neighboring cells, Oneigh,cell represents the cell-specific offset within the frequency of the neighboring cell, Hyst represents the hysteresis used to avoid ping-pong handover, Mserv represents the signal level or quality (RSRP or RSRQ) of the serving cell, Oserv,freq represents the frequency-specific offset between serving cells, Oserv,cell represents the cell-specific offset of the serving cell, and Offset represents the value that causes handover to be performed when the signal of the neighboring cell is significantly better than that of the serving cell. The components used to perform the operations in determination box 508 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) and a wireless transceiver 266.

[0097] In response to determining that the event A3 condition is not met (i.e., determining box 508 = "No"), the processor may perform a multi-slot beam scan on the uplink channel in box 512 as described, for example, to attempt to restore communication or mitigate the determined PDSCH error.

[0098] In response to determining that event A3 condition is met (i.e., determination box 508 = "Yes"), the processor may determine in determination box 510 whether the trigger timeout (TTT) timer meets or exceeds a trigger timeout threshold. In some embodiments, the trigger timeout threshold may be sent by the base station to the wireless device in an RRC signal (e.g., an "AutonomousHoPDSCHErrorCauseOutOfCoverage" message). Components for performing the operation in determination box 508 may include a processor (e.g., 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 252, 260, 428) and a wireless transceiver 266.

[0099] In response to determining that the trigger timer does not meet or exceeds the trigger time threshold (i.e., determining box 510 = "No"), the processor may perform a multi-slot beam scan on the uplink channel in box 512 as described to attempt to restore communication or mitigate the determined PDSCH error.

[0100] In response to the determination that the trigger timer meets or exceeds the trigger time threshold (i.e., determination box 510 = "Yes"), the processor may initiate an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in box 514 as described.

[0101] In block 516, the processor can send an indication to the second base station of the reason for the PDSCH error and the reason for the autonomous handover being out of coverage. For example, the processor can send an RRCReestablishmentRequestCause message to the second base station, which includes an indicator such as "OutOfCoverage" or another suitable indicator.

[0102] After the operation in box 512 or box 516, the processor can execute the operation in box 502 again.

[0103] Various embodiments including method 500a and operation 500b can be implemented in various network computing devices (e.g., in a base station), examples of which are shown in Figure 6 As shown in the figure, Figure 6 This is a component block diagram of a network computing device 600 suitable for use with various embodiments. Such a network computing device may include at least... Figure 6 The components shown. Reference Figures 1 to 6The network computing device 600 may include a processor 601 coupled to volatile memory 602 (e.g., 426) and mass non-volatile memory (such as disk drive 603). The network computing device 600 may also include peripheral memory access devices coupled to the processor 601, such as floppy disk drives, optical disc drives (CDs), or digital video disc (DVDs) drives 606. The network computing device 600 may also include a network access port 604 (or interface) coupled to the processor 601 for establishing data connections to a network (such as the Internet and / or a local area network coupled to other system computers and servers). The network computing device 600 may be connected to one or more antennas for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation that can be connected to a wireless communication link. The network computing device 600 may include additional access ports, such as USB, FireWire, Thunderbolt, etc., for coupling to peripheral devices, external storage, or other devices.

[0104] Various embodiments including method 500a and operation 500b can be performed in various wireless devices (e.g., wireless devices 120a-120e, 200, 320, 402), examples of which are shown in Figure 7 As shown in the figure, Figure 7 This is a component block diagram of a wireless device 700 suitable for use with various embodiments. (See reference) Figures 1 to 7 The wireless device 700 may include a first SOC 202 (e.g., an SOC-CPU) coupled to a second SOC 204 (e.g., a 5G-enabled SOC). The first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204 may be coupled to internal memories 430, 716, a display 712, and a speaker 714. Additionally, the wireless device 700 may include an antenna 704 for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation that can be connected to a wireless data link, and / or a cellular transceiver 266 coupled to one or more processors in the first SOC 202 and / or the second SOC 204. The wireless device 700 may also include menu selection buttons or a rocker switch 720 for receiving user input.

[0105] The wireless device 700 may also include a voice codec (CODEC) circuit 710, which digitizes sound received from a microphone into data packets suitable for wireless transmission and decodes the received sound data packets to generate an analog signal, which is provided to a speaker to generate sound. Furthermore, one or more of the processors in the first SOC 202 and the second SOC 204, the wireless transceiver 266, and the CODEC 710 may include digital signal processor (DSP) circuitry (not shown separately).

[0106] The processors of the network computing device 700 and the wireless device 700 can be any programmable microprocessor, microcomputer, or one or more multiprocessor chips that can be configured via software instructions (applications) to perform various functions (including those described in the various embodiments below). In some mobile devices, multiple processors may be provided, such as one processor within a SOC 204 dedicated to wireless communication functions and one processor within a SOC 202 dedicated to running other applications. The software application may be stored in memories 426, 430, and 716 before being accessed and loaded into the processor. The processor may include internal memory sufficient to store application software instructions.

[0107] As used herein, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,” etc., are intended to include computer-related entities, such as, but not limited to, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution configured to perform a particular operation or function. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, a thread of execution, a program, and / or a computer. For illustration, both an application running on a wireless device and the wireless device itself can be referred to as a component. One or more components may reside in a process and / or a thread of execution, and components may reside on a single processor or core, and / or be distributed across two or more processors or cores. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various non-transitory computer-readable media on which various instructions and / or data structures are stored. Components can communicate via local and / or remote processes, function or procedure calls, electronic signals, data packets, memory read / write, and other known network, computer, processor, and / or process-related communication methods.

[0108] In the future, numerous different cellular and mobile communication services and standards are available or anticipated, all of which can be implemented and benefit from various embodiments. Such services and standards include, for example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 3rd Generation Wireless (3G), 4th Generation Wireless (4G), 5th Generation Wireless (5G), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 3GSM, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems (e.g., cdmaOne, CDMA1020TM), Enhanced Data Rate GSM Evolution (EDGE), Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS), Digital AMPS (IS-136 / TDMA), Evolved Data Optimized (EV-DO), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Global Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wi-Fi Protected Access I&II (WPA, WPA2), and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN). Each of these technologies relates to the transmission and reception of, for example, voice, data, signaling, and / or content messages. It should be understood that any references to terms and / or technical details relating to individual telecommunications standards or technologies are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims to a particular communication system or technology, unless specifically stated in the language of the claims.

[0109] The various embodiments shown and described are provided merely as examples to illustrate the features of the claims. However, the features shown and described with respect to any given embodiment are not necessarily limited to the associated embodiment and may be used in conjunction with or in combination with other embodiments shown and described. Furthermore, the claims are not intended to be limited to any of the exemplary embodiments. For example, one or more of the operations of method 500a and operation 500b may replace or be combined with one or more operations of method 500a and operation 500b.

[0110] The following paragraphs describe examples of implementation methods. While some of the examples described below pertain to exemplary methods, more exemplary implementations may include: the exemplary methods discussed below being implemented by a base station including processor-executable instructions configured to perform the methods of the examples below; the exemplary methods discussed below being implemented by a base station including components for performing the methods of the examples below; and the exemplary methods discussed below being implemented as a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon configured to cause the processor of the base station to perform the methods of the examples below.

[0111] Example 1. A method for managing communication links in a communication network, executed by a processor of a wireless device, comprising: determining whether the cause of a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from a base station is an out-of-coverage condition; and in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition, initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station.

[0112] Example 2. According to the method described in Example 1, wherein initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is beyond the coverage conditions includes: determining whether the radio device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel; and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the radio device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel.

[0113] Example 3. The method according to either Example 1 or 2, wherein determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received an indication that one or more uplink beams have been activated for the wireless device.

[0114] Example 4. The method according to either Example 1 or 2, wherein determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received a pre-decoding matrix for one or more uplink beams from the base station.

[0115] Example 5. The method according to either Example 1 or 2 further includes: determining whether a trigger timer exceeds a trigger time threshold in response to determining that event A3 condition is met; and initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the trigger timer exceeds the trigger time threshold.

[0116] Example 6. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein initiating an autonomous handover from a base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: sending an indication to the second base station that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition.

[0117] Example 7. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6 further includes: receiving from a base station a control signal configuring the wireless device to perform autonomous handover in conditions outside coverage.

[0118] Example 8. The method according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, wherein initiating an autonomous handover from a base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: sending an initial access signal to the second base station.

[0119] The foregoing method descriptions and process flowcharts are provided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the operations of the various embodiments must be performed in the presented order. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the order of operations in the foregoing embodiments can be performed in any order. Words such as “then,” “following,” “next,” etc., are not intended to limit the order of operations; these words are used to guide the reader in reading the description of the method. Furthermore, any reference to a claim element in the singular form, for example, the use of the articles “a,” “an,” or “the,” should not be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

[0120] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, components, circuits, and algorithmic operations described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and operations have been described above in general terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as causing a departure from the scope of the claims.

[0121] The hardware described herein for implementing various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of receiver intelligent objects, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some operations or methods may be performed by circuitry specific to a given function.

[0122] In one or more embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. The operation of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable software module or processor-executable instructions, which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. A non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium may be any storage medium accessible by a computer or processor. By way of example and not limitation, such a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage smart objects, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a computer. As used herein, disks or optical discs include compact optical discs (CDs), laser optical discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, wherein disks typically magnetically reproduce data, while optical discs optically reproduce data using lasers. The above combinations are also included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable media. Additionally, the operation of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of code and / or instructions on a non-transitory processor-readable and / or computer-readable storage medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0123] The prior description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the claims. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to limit itself to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be given the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method executed by a processor of a wireless device for managing a communication link with a communication network, comprising: Determine whether the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from the base station is due to out-of-coverage conditions; as well as In response to the determination that the PDSCH error is due to exceeding the coverage conditions, an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated without a control signal from the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, In response to determining that the PDSCH error is caused by exceeding coverage conditions, initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station includes: Determine whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel; and In response to determining that the wireless device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel, the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, Determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received an indication that one or more uplink beams have been activated for the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, Determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received a pre-decoding matrix for one or more uplink beams from the base station.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: In response to determining that the measurement report triggering condition has been met, determine whether the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold; as well as In response to determining that the trigger timer exceeds the trigger time threshold, the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, In response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is beyond coverage conditions, initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station includes: sending an indication to the second base station that the cause of the PDSCH error is beyond coverage conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The base station receives a control signal configuring the wireless device to perform the autonomous handover under the condition of being out of coverage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, In response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is beyond the coverage range, initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station includes: sending an initial access signal to the second base station.

9. A wireless device, comprising: A processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations, the operations including: Determine whether the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from the base station is due to out-of-coverage conditions; and In response to the determination that the PDSCH error is due to exceeding the coverage conditions, an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated without a control signal from the base station.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein, The processor is also configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: Determine whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel; and In response to determining that the wireless device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel, the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated.

11. The wireless device according to claim 10, wherein, The processor is also configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received an indication that one or more uplink beams have been activated for the wireless device.

12. The wireless device according to claim 10, wherein, The processor is also configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received a pre-decoding matrix for one or more uplink beams from the base station.

13. The wireless device according to claim 10, wherein, The processor is also configured with processor-executable instructions for performing operations including the following steps: In response to determining that the measurement report triggering condition has been met, determine whether the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold; as well as In response to determining that the trigger timer meets or exceeds the trigger time threshold, the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated.

14. The wireless device according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is also configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: sending an indication to the second base station that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition.

15. The wireless device according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is also configured to perform processor-executable instructions that include the following steps: receiving from the base station a control signal configuring the wireless device to perform the autonomous handover under the out-of-coverage condition.

16. The wireless device according to claim 9, wherein, The processor is also configured with processor-executable instructions to send an initial access signal to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, the processor-executable instructions being configured to cause a processing device in a wireless device to perform operations, the operations including: Determine whether the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from the base station is due to out-of-coverage conditions; as well as In response to the determination that the PDSCH error is due to exceeding the coverage conditions, an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated without a control signal from the base station.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein, The stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform operations such that initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: Determine whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel; and In response to determining that the wireless device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel, the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein, The stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform operations such that determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received an indication that one or more uplink beams have been activated for the wireless device.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein, The stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform operations such that determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel includes: determining whether the wireless device has received a pre-decoding matrix for one or more uplink beams from the base station.

21. The non-transitory processor-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein, The stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform operations that also include the following steps: In response to determining that the measurement report triggering condition has been met, determine whether the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold; as well as In response to determining that the trigger timer exceeds the trigger time threshold, the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station is initiated.

22. The non-transitory processor-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein, The stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform operations such that initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: sending an indication to the second base station that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition.

23. The non-transitory processor-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein, The stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the wireless device to perform operations that include the following steps: receiving from the base station a control signal that configures the wireless device to perform the autonomous handover under the out-of-coverage condition.

24. A wireless device, comprising: A component used to determine whether the cause of a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) error detected in downlink communication from a base station is due to out-of-coverage conditions; as well as A component for initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to a second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is outside the coverage area, without the presence of a control signal from the base station.

25. The wireless device according to claim 24, wherein, The component for initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is outside the coverage area includes: Components for determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel; and A component for initiating the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the wireless device is not configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel.

26. The wireless device according to claim 25, wherein, The components for determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel include: components for determining whether the wireless device has received an indication that one or more uplink beams have been activated for the wireless device.

27. The wireless device according to claim 25, wherein, The components for determining whether the wireless device is configured to perform multi-slot beam scanning on the uplink channel include: components for determining whether the wireless device has received a pre-decoding matrix for one or more uplink beams from the base station.

28. The wireless device of claim 25, further comprising: A component used to determine whether the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold in response to the determination that the measurement report trigger condition has been met; as well as A component for initiating the autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the trigger timer has exceeded the trigger time threshold.

29. The wireless device according to claim 24, wherein, The component for initiating an autonomous handover from the base station to the second base station in response to determining that the cause of the PDSCH error is an out-of-coverage condition includes: a component for sending an indication to the second base station that the cause of the PDSCH error is the out-of-coverage condition.

30. The wireless device of claim 24, further comprising: A component for receiving from the base station a control signal that configures the wireless device to perform the autonomous handover under the condition of being out of coverage.

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