Methods and user equipment for new radio special cell dormancy

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) can operate on dormant and non-dormant bandwidth parts (BWPs) of a carrier. The UE identifies a dormant and a non-dormant bandwidth part (BWP) of a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC); determines that the dormant BWP is configured to be in an active state; and performs one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) cells can utilize multiple Bandwidth Parts (BWPs). For example, a cell can be configured with both non-dormant BWPs and dormant BWPs. Generally, non-dormant BWPs can be used to provide access to network services typically available via network connections, while dormant BWPs can be used to provide power-saving benefits to connected User Equipment (UEs). In dual connectivity (DC) scenarios, dormant BWPs can be implemented by a special cell (SpCell) to provide power and performance benefits to connected UEs. Summary of the Invention

[0002] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a user equipment (UE) having a processor and a transceiver communicatively connected to the processor. The processor is configured to perform operations. These operations include: identifying a dormant bandwidth portion (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary and secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group for dual connectivity (DC); determining that a dormant BWP is configured to be active; and performing one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP.

[0003] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a baseband processor configured to perform operations. These operations include: identifying a dormant bandwidth portion (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary and secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC); determining that a dormant BWP is configured to be active; and performing one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP.

[0004] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a user equipment (UE). The method includes: identifying a dormant bandwidth portion (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary / secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC); determining that a dormant BWP is configured to be active; and performing one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 Exemplary network arrangements according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0006] Figure 2 Exemplary user equipment (UE) according to various exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0007] Figure 3 An example of a carrier comprising multiple bandwidth portions (BWPs) is shown.

[0008] Figure 4Methods for switching between a dormant BWP and a non-dormant BWP from the UE's perspective are illustrated according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0009] Figure 5 Signaling diagrams of non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP handover via secondary cell group (SCG) links are shown according to various exemplary implementations.

[0010] Figure 6 Signaling diagrams of non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP handover via the primary cell group (MCG) link are shown according to various exemplary implementations.

[0011] Figures 7a to 7c Signaling diagrams for providing primary and secondary cell (PSCell) sleep indications via MCG links are shown according to various exemplary implementations.

[0012] Figure 8 Signaling diagrams for timer-based non-sleeping BWP and sleeping BWP switching are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0013] Figure 9 Signaling diagrams for threshold-based switching between non-dormant BWPs and dormant BWPs are shown according to various exemplary implementations.

[0014] Figure 10 Signaling diagrams for SCell activation and deactivation according to various exemplary embodiments are shown.

[0015] Figure 11 Signaling diagrams for exchanging SCG association information via the master node (MN) are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0016] Figure 12 Signaling diagrams for exchanging SCG association information via MN are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0017] Figure 13 Signaling diagrams for exchanging SCG association information via MN are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0018] Figure 14 Signaling diagrams for exchanging SCG association information via MN are shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0019] Figure 15 Signaling diagrams for exchanging SCG association information via MN are shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood with reference to the following description and related figures, wherein similar elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a Sleep Bandwidth Part (BWP) for a specific cell (SpCell). As will be described in more detail below, the exemplary embodiments can provide power and performance benefits to user equipment (UE) configured with dual connectivity (DC).

[0021] The exemplary embodiments are described with respect to the UE. However, reference to the UE is provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection to a network and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any suitable electronic component.

[0022] The UE can support DC with a primary cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG). An MCG may include at least one primary node (MN), and an SCG may include at least one secondary node (SN). Furthermore, exemplary implementations are described with reference to special cells (SpCell). The term "SpCell" can refer to the primary cell (PCell) of an MCG or the primary / secondary cell (PSCell) of an SCG. Therefore, the terms "SpCell," "MN," and "PCell" are used interchangeably in the context of DC. Additionally, the terms "SpCell," "SN," and "PSCell" are also used interchangeably in the context of DC.

[0023] A 5G carrier can be configured with multiple Blocks of Resources (BWPs). Those skilled in the art will understand that a BWP can refer to a group of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) within a carrier. As will be described in more detail below, a carrier may include at least one dormant BWP and at least one non-dormant BWP. However, the configuration and arrangement of BWPs within a carrier can vary with the carrier. Therefore, any references to a specific configuration or arrangement of BWPs within a carrier are provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0024] Non-dormant BWPs can be used to access network services that are typically available via a network connection. For example, a UE can transmit and / or receive data on a non-dormant BWP. Dormant BWPs can be used to provide power-saving benefits regarding data exchange processing at the UE. Specific examples of network and UE behavior related to dormant BWPs will be discussed in detail below.

[0025] A BWP can transition between an active and deactivated state. The UE can perform one or more operations related to data exchange processing on an active BWP, and the UE can choose not to perform any operations related to data exchange processing on a deactivated BWP. For example, at a first time, a non-dormant BWP can be activated to implement data exchange between the UE and the network. At a second time, the non-dormant BWP can be deactivated, and a dormant BWP can be activated. From the UE's perspective, when the non-dormant BWP is active, there is less information and / or data to be monitored. This provides the UE with power-saving benefits. At a third time, the active BWP can be switched back to a non-dormant BWP to re-enable data exchange between the UE and the network.

[0026] Exemplary embodiments relate to implementing a dormant BWP for an SpCell. In a first aspect, the exemplary embodiments include mechanisms for the UE and network to handle situations related to BWP handover between a non-dormant BWP and a dormant BWP. In a second aspect, the exemplary embodiments relate to UE operations associated with the SpCell when a dormant BWP is activated. In a third aspect, the exemplary embodiments relate to UE operations associated with an SCG when a dormant BWP is activated. The examples provided throughout this specification are described with respect to an SpCell as a PSCell. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary concepts described herein can be applied to an SpCell as a PCCell supporting multiple BWPs.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is illustrated. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet, desktop computer, smartphone, phablet, embedded device, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. It should also be understood that a practical network arrangement can include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, only an example with a single UE 110 is provided.

[0028] UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network configuration 100, the networks with which UE 110 can wirelessly communicate are 5G New Radio (NR) Radio Access Network (5G NR-RAN) 120 and LTE Radio Access Network (LTE-RAN) 122. However, it should be understood that UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., 5G Cloud RAN, Unlicensed NR (NR-U), Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN), Legacy Cellular Network, WLAN, etc.), and UE 110 can also communicate with networks via wired connections. Referring to an exemplary embodiment, UE 110 can establish connections with 5G NR-RAN 120 and / or LTE-RAN 122. Therefore, UE 110 may have both a 5G NR chipset for communicating with 5G NR-RAN 120 and an LTE chipset for communicating with LTE-RAN 122.

[0029] 5G NR-RAN 120 and LTE-RAN 122 can be parts of cellular networks that can be deployed by cellular providers (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks 120 and 122 can include, for example, cells or base stations (Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNB, gNB, gNodeB, macrocell base stations, microcell base stations, small cell base stations, femtocell base stations, etc.) configured to send and receive traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets.

[0030] An exemplary implementation is described for a scenario where UE 110 is already configured with a DC. Generally, the DC includes UE 110 connected to both the MCG and SCG. In network deployment 100, 5G NR RAN 120 includes SN 120A representing a gNB. SN120A can be configured as a PSCell of the SCG. Therefore, a reference to a single cell corresponding to 5G NR RAN 120 is provided for illustrative purposes only. In a practical scenario, multiple cells may be included in the SCG configured to serve UE 110. Furthermore, LTE-RAN 122 includes MN 122A representing an eNB. MN122A can be configured as a PCell of the MCG. Therefore, a reference to a single cell corresponding to LTE-RAN 122 is provided for illustrative purposes only. In a practical scenario, multiple cells may be included in the MCG configured to serve UE 110.

[0031] A cell (e.g., MN 122A, SN 120A) may include one or more communication interfaces to exchange data and / or information with the UE, RAN, cellular core network 130, other cells, Internet 140, etc. Furthermore, the cell may include a processor configured to perform various operations. For example, the cell's processor may be configured to perform operations related to DC, BWP activation / deactivation, BWP handover, etc. However, reference to the processor is for illustrative purposes only. The operation of the cell may also be represented as a standalone component of the cell, or as a modular component coupled to the cell, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include an input circuitry for receiving signals and a processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. Furthermore, in some examples, the functionality of the processor is distributed among two or more processors, such as a baseband processor and an application processor. Exemplary implementations may be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the cell.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant process can be performed to connect UE 110 to 5G NR-RAN 120 and / or LTE-RAN 122. For example, as described above, 5G NR-RAN 120 can be associated with a specific cell provider, where UE 110 and / or its user have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of 5G NR-RAN 120, UE 110 can transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with 5G NR-RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific cell. A similar association process can be performed using LTE RAN 122 to access LTE services. However, as described above, references to 5G NR-RAN 120 and LTE-RAN 122 are for illustrative purposes only, and any suitable type of RAN can be used.

[0033] To provide an example of DC within the context of network deployment 100, UE 110 may connect to 5G NR RAN 120 and LTE RAN 122. However, references to the separate 5G NR RAN 120 and the separate LTE-RAN 122 are provided for illustrative purposes only. A real network deployment may include a RAN comprising an architecture capable of providing both 5G NR RAT and LTE RAT services. For example, a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) (not shown) may include a Next Generation Node B (gNB) providing 5G NR services and a Next Generation Evolved Node B (ng-eNB) providing LTE services. The NG-RAN may connect to at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or a 5G Core (5GC). Thus, in one exemplary configuration, UE 110 may implement DC by establishing connections to at least one cell corresponding to 5G NR-RAN 120 and at least one cell corresponding to LTE-RAN 122. In another exemplary configuration, UE 110 may implement DC by establishing connections to at least two cells corresponding to the NG-RAN or any other similar RAN of a type supporting DC. To provide another example of a DC, UE 110 can connect to one or more RANs providing 5G NR services. For example, an NG-RAN can support multiple nodes, each providing 5G New Radio (NR) access, such as an NR-NRDC. Similarly, UE 110 can connect to a first RAN providing 5G NR services and another second RAN that also provides 5G NR services. Therefore, the examples of a single 5G NR-RAN 120 and a single LTE-RAN 122 are provided for illustrative purposes only.

[0034] Network deployment 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, an Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 can be viewed as an interconnected set of components that manage the operation and traffic of the cellular network and may include EPC and / or 5GC. The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using IP protocols. The IMS 150 can communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network services backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network services backbone 160 can generally be described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage deployments, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110 to communicate with various networks.

[0035] Figure 2An exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Reference will be made to... Figure 1 The network layout 100 is used to describe UE 110. UE 110 may include a processor 205, a memory layout 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. Other components 230 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, power sources, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, etc.

[0036] Processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, an engine may include SpCell hibernation BWP engine 235. SpCell hibernation BWP engine 235 may be configured to perform operations related to BWP activation, BWP deactivation, BWP switching, monitoring hibernation BWP, and exchanging information associated with SCG when a hibernation BWP is activated for SCG (e.g., SN 120A) via PSCell.

[0037] The engine described above, as an application (e.g., a program) executed by processor 205, is merely exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine may also be represented as a separate, integrated component of UE 110, or as a modular component coupled to UE 110, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include an input circuitry for receiving signals and a processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. The engine may also be embodied as a single application or multiple separate applications. Furthermore, in some UEs, the functionality described for processor 205 is distributed among two or more processors, such as a baseband processor and an application processor. Exemplary implementations can be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0038] Memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UE 110. Display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, while I / O device 220 may be a hardware component enabling user input. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touchscreen). Transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish connections with 5G NR RAN 120, LTE-RAN 122, legacy RAN (not shown), WLAN (not shown), etc. Therefore, transceiver 225 may operate on multiple different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of consecutive frequencies).

[0039] Figure 3An example of a carrier 310 including multiple BWPs is shown. Carrier 310 can be used for uplink and / or downlink communication between UE 110 and SN 120A. In this example, carrier 310 includes a non-dormant BWP 312 representing a first group of PRBs and a dormant BWP 314 representing a second group of PRBs. The arrangement and configuration of the BWPs within the carrier can vary with the carrier. Therefore, Figure 3 The example shown is merely one possible configuration of the BWP and is not intended to limit the exemplary implementation in any way. The exemplary implementation can be applied to dormant and non-dormant BWPs arranged in any suitable manner within the carrier 310.

[0040] The BWP can transition between an active and deactivated state. When active, the BWP can be used for uplink and / or downlink communication. For example, UE 110 can receive dedicated Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) information, PDCCH information in the common search space, and / or Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) data from SN 120A on a BWP configured to be active. UE 110 can also transmit control information and / or data to SN 120A on a BWP configured to be active.

[0041] In order to provide Figure 3 In the context of this example, when the non-sleep BWP 312 is configured to be active, UE110 can exchange information and / or data with SN 120A on the non-sleep BWP 312. When the non-sleep BWP 314 is configured to be deactivated, the network may not allocate resources to UE110 on the non-sleep BWP 312.

[0042] When the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, UE 110 can receive power-saving benefits regarding data exchange processing. Compared to the non-dormant BWP 312, the dormant BWP 314 is not used for many types of data and / or information. Therefore, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, less monitoring is performed by UE 110. For example, SN 120A can transmit a reference signal to UE 110 on the dormant BWP 314 to ensure that UE 110 remains synchronized with SN 120A. However, when data needs to be exchanged between UE 110 and SN 120A, UE 110 or the network can trigger a switch of the active BWP from the dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312. Specific examples of network and UE 110 behavior when the dormant BWP 314 is active will be described in more detail below.

[0043] Figure 4A method 400 for switching between a dormant BWP and a non-dormant BWP from the perspective of UE 110 is illustrated according to various exemplary embodiments. Reference will be made to... Figure 1 Network setup 100 Figure 2 UE 110 and Figure 3 The carrier 310 is used to describe method 400.

[0044] Initially, consider a scenario where UE 110 is connected to MN 122A of LTE-RAN 122. To provide 5G NR services to UE 110, UE 110 can be configured with a DC. Therefore, UE 110 can establish a connection to SN 120A of 5G NR RAN 120.

[0045] In 405, UE 110 identifies the non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP corresponding to the carrier of SN 120A. For example, UE 110 may receive information indicating that SN 120A supports carrier 310, including non-dormant BWP 312 and dormant BWP 314. UE 110 may receive this information from the network before, during, or after DC establishment. In some embodiments, this information may be received during Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling exchange between UE 110 and MN 122A or between UE 110 and SN 120A. In other embodiments, this information may be broadcast by SN 120 in a System Information Block (SIB) or any other similar mechanism.

[0046] In 410, UE 110 receives an indication that the non-dormant BWP 312 is configured to be active. As will be described in more detail below, this indication can be received from MN 122A, SN 120A and / or from a procedure performed locally at UE 110.

[0047] In section 415, UE 110 operates on the non-sleep BWP 312. For example, UE 110 may tune its transceiver 225 to the non-sleep BWP 312. The non-sleep BWP 312 can be used to transmit various types of information and / or data. For example, when the non-sleep BWP 312 is active, UE 110 may receive PDCCH information dedicated to UE 110, PDCCH information in the common search space, PDSCH data, and / or reference signals from SN 120A on the non-sleep BWP 312. These types of communication may be associated with mechanisms such as, but not limited to, PDCCH monitoring, sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission and reception, PUSCH transmission, PDSCH reception, random access channel (RACH) procedures, channel state information (CSI) measurement and reporting, automatic gain control (AGC), beam management, etc.

[0048] As described above, the non-dormant BWP 312 can be used for various types of communication and is associated with various types of processes. Therefore, when the non-dormant BWP 312 is configured to be active, the UE 110 consumes a significant amount of power even when no data is being transmitted or received on the non-dormant BWP 312. To provide power-saving benefits to the UE 110 and ensure that SN 120A remains active, a BWP handover can be implemented.

[0049] In 420, UE 110 receives an indication that the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active. In some implementations, this indication can be received via an SCG link or via an MCG link. See below for further details. Figures 5 to 7c A more detailed example of this type of signaling is described below. In other implementations, this instruction can be received from a procedure running locally on the UE 110. References will follow. Figures 8 to 9 Specific examples of these types of institutions are described in more detail.

[0050] In 425, UE 110 operates in sleep mode with BWP 314. Generally, sleep BWP 314 is used to provide power-saving benefits to UE 110 while also ensuring fast SN 120A activation. When sleep BWP 314 is configured to be active, the operations supported by UE 110 and / or the network can be pre-configured or indicated to UE 110 by the network via RRC signaling or any other appropriate means.

[0051] For illustrative purposes, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, the reception and transmission of dedicated data (e.g., PDSCH, PUSCH) and dedicated PDCCH may not be supported on the dormant BWP 314. This can provide the UE 110 with power-saving benefits regarding data exchange processing, as the UE 110 does not need to monitor or process these types of data and / or information. However, the UE 110 can still monitor the common search space for indication to switch the active BWP back to the non-dormant BWP 312.

[0052] To provide further examples, in some embodiments, the RACH procedure may not be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is active. In other embodiments, the RACH procedure may be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is active. In some embodiments, radio resource management (RRM) measurements, radio link monitoring (RLM) measurements, channel state information (CSI) measurements, and / or beam management procedures (e.g., beam fault detection (BFD), beam fault recovery (BFR), etc.) may not be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is active. In other embodiments, RRM measurements, RLM measurements, CSI measurements, and / or beam management procedures may be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is active. In some embodiments, SRS transmission may not be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is active. In other embodiments, SRS transmission may be supported when the dormant BWP 314 is active.

[0053] In 430, UE 110 performs operations associated with the SCG. For example, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, the SCG's SCell can be configured to be deactivated, or it can be configured with an active dormant BWP. In this scenario, MN 122A can facilitate the exchange of SCG-related data and / or information between UE 110 and SN 120A. Therefore, performing SCG-related operations may include transmitting signals to SN 120A via the MCG link. The following will refer to... Figures 10 to 15 A more detailed description of specific examples of the types of operations that can be performed on the SCG when the hibernating BWP 314 is configured to be active.

[0054] As described above, when SN 120A is configured with the active hibernation BWP 314, the SCG's SCell can be deactivated. Throughout this specification, the term "SCG hibernation state" refers to a scenario where the hibernation BWP 314 is configured to be active and the SCG's SCell is configured to be deactivated. The term "SCG non-hibernation state" refers to a scenario where the non-hibernation BWP 312 is configured to be active and the SCG's SCell is also configured to be active.

[0055] In 435, UE 110 receives an indication that the active BWP will be switched back to the non-sleeping BWP 312. This indication may be a signal received from MN 122A, SN 120A and / or a procedure performed locally at UE 110 (e.g., a timer, identifying predetermined conditions, etc.).

[0056] Method 400 provides a general overview of the handover between a dormant BWP and a non-dormant BWP from the perspective of UE 110. Specific examples of signaling exchanges that can be used to trigger the handover between a dormant BWP and a non-dormant BWP, as described above, will be referenced below. Figures 5 to 9 A more detailed description is provided below. Additionally, references will be made to... Figures 10 to 15 A more detailed example of signaling exchange that can be used to exchange SCG-related information when the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active is provided.

[0057] Figure 5 Signaling diagram 500 illustrates the handover between a non-dormant BWP and a dormant BWP via an SCG link according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 500 includes UE 110 and SN 120A.

[0058] Initially, consider a scenario where a DC is established and the non-sleeping BWP 312 is currently configured to be active. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-sleeping BWP 312 when a handover from the sleeping BWP 314 is triggered.

[0059] In 505, UE 110 receives a signal from SN 120A via the SCG link. For example, this signal could be a PSCell sleep indication indicating that the active BWP on SN120A will be switched to a dormant BWP 314. This signal could also be a Layer 1 (L1) command transmitted in the common search space associated with SN 120A. Compared to the non-dormant BWP 312, the monitoring search space and control resource set (CORSET) of the dormant BWP 314 can be configured with longer intervals to provide power-saving benefits to UE 110.

[0060] To facilitate this type of signaling, a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) can be implemented for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP handover, or an RNTI designed for different purposes can be used. For example, the network can associate UE 110 (or a group of UEs) with an RNTI. The network can then indicate to UE 110 that UE 110 is associated with an RNTI. In response, UE 110 can monitor a DCI that includes the RNTI associated with UE 110. The presence of the RNTI can indicate that UE 110 is the intended recipient of the DCI. In some implementations, DCI format 2_6 can be used for L1 commands. Furthermore, as mentioned above, an RNTI can be associated with a group of UEs. Therefore, SN 120A can implement group-based signaling for non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP handover for multiple UEs.

[0061] In 510, UE 110 operates on dormant BWP 314. As indicated above in method 400, when dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, UE 110 may not transmit or receive dedicated data, but UE 110 can still monitor common control information.

[0062] In 515, UE 110 receives a signal from SN 120A via the SCG link. This signal may be a PSCell recovery indication configured to indicate that the active BWP of SN120A will switch from dormant BWP 314 to non-dormant BWP 312. For example, SN 120A may initiate a handover when there is data to be exchanged with UE 110 in the uplink and / or downlink. Those skilled in the art will understand that this indication can be delivered to UE 110 in substantially the same manner as the indication delivered in 505.

[0063] In 520, a RACH procedure can be performed. Generally, a RACH procedure can be performed to ensure that the uplink to SN 120A does not lose synchronization. In some implementations, UE 110 may perform the RACH procedure only if UE 110 identifies or assumes that the uplink to SN 120A is out of synchronization. Alternatively, any other suitable type of mechanism can be used to ensure that the uplink does not lose synchronization.

[0064] In 525, data exchange can occur between UE 110 and SN 120A. At this time, the non-sleep BWP 312 is configured to be active, so UE 110 can use SN 120A to transmit and / or receive dedicated UE data.

[0065] Figure 6 Signaling diagram 600 illustrates the handover between a non-dormant BWP and a dormant BWP via an MCG link according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 600 includes UE 110, MN 122A, and SN 120A.

[0066] Initially, consider a scenario where a DC is established and the non-sleeping BWP 312 is currently configured to be active. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-sleeping BWP 312 when a handover from the sleeping BWP 314 is triggered.

[0067] In step 605, SN 120A can transmit a PSCell sleep indication to MN 122A, indicating that SN 120A's active BWP will be switched to sleep BWP 314. In step 610, MN 122A can transmit a PSCell sleep indication to UE 110, indicating that SN 120A's active BWP will be switched to sleep BWP 314. Therefore, MN 122A can transmit SN 120A's BWP handover information to UE 110 via the MCG link.

[0068] As will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG7, in some embodiments, SN 120A may generate an indication, and MN 122A may include the indication in its container for transmission. In other embodiments, SN 120A determines the sleep state of SN 120A and sends an indication to MN 122A. In response, MN 120A may generate a message to be transmitted to UE 110 indicating that the active BWP of SN 120A will be switched to the sleep BWP 312. In yet another embodiment, MN 122A may determine the sleep state of SN 120A and transmit the indication to both SN 120A and UE 110.

[0069] In 615, UE 110 can transmit an acknowledgment (ACK) to MN 122A in response to a PSCell sleep indication. In 620, MN 122A can then transmit an ACK indication to SN 120A.

[0070] In 625, UE 110 operates on dormant BWP 314. As described above, operating on dormant BWP 314 may include monitoring the common search space. However, in these types of scenarios where BWP handover on SN 120A can be facilitated via MN 122A, monitoring the common search space for handover indication may not be necessary, as it can be received via MN 122A.

[0071] In step 630, SN 120A can transmit a PSCell recovery indication to MN 122A, indicating that SN 120A's active BWP will be switched to non-dormant BWP 314. In step 635, MN 122A can transmit a PSCell recovery indication to UE 110, indicating that SN 120A's active BWP will be switched to non-dormant BWP 312. In step 640, UE 110 can transmit an ACK to MN 122A in response to the PSCell recovery indication. In step 645, MN 122A can then transmit an ACK indication to SN 120A. Alternatively, in some embodiments, UE 110 can transmit the ACK directly to SN 120A via an SCG link (not shown).

[0072] In step 650, data exchange can occur between UE 110 and SN 120A. At this time, the non-sleep BWP 312 is configured to be active, so UE 110 can use SN 120A to transmit and / or receive dedicated UE data.

[0073] Figures 7a to 7c Signaling diagrams 700 to 740 are shown according to various exemplary embodiments for providing PSCell sleep indication via the MCG link. Signaling diagrams 700 to 740 illustrate examples of different types of SN 120A and MN 122A interactions that may occur when providing PSCell sleep indication via the MCG link.

[0074] In signaling diagram 700, SN 120A generates a message to be delivered to UE 110. This message can be transparent to MN 122A. For example, in 701, SN 120A can transmit a PSCell sleep indication to MN 122A via an RRC transmission message. In 702, MN 122A can transmit the PSCell sleep indication to UE 110. Therefore, MN 122A can insert the PSCell sleep indication into the container of the MN message. In 703, UE 110 can transmit a message to MN 122A acknowledging that UE 110 is aware of the BWP handover. In 704, MN 122A can then transmit an RRC transmission message to SN 120A including the indication from UE 110.

[0075] In signaling diagram 720, MN 122A can control the BWP handover of SN 120A. For example, in 721, SN 120A can transmit an SN modification request to MN 122A indicating that SN 120A wishes to switch its active BWP to the dormant BWP 314. In 722, MN 122A determines whether to permit the BWP handover. MN 122A can make this determination on any appropriate basis.

[0076] Examples of signaling types that may occur when MN 122A permits SN 120A to activate dormant BWP 314 are provided in sections 723 to 725. In section 723, MN 122A transmits a PSCell dormant indication to UE 110 using an RRC reconfiguration message. In section 724, UE 110 may transmit an RRC reconfiguration complete message to MN 122A. In section 725, MN 122A may transmit an SN modification confirmation message, indicating that UE 110 has been notified that SN 120A's active BWP will be switched to dormant BWP 312.

[0077] 726 provides an example of the signaling types that may occur when MN 122A does not allow SN 120A to activate dormant BWP 314. In 726, MN 122A discards the SN modification request received in 721 and transmits an SN modification rejection message to SN 120A. This message can instruct SN 120A that non-dormant BWP 312 will remain configured as active. Therefore, in signaling diagram 720, SN 120A can propose which BWP SN 120A will utilize. However, MN 122A has control over whether to perform a BWP handover.

[0078] In signaling diagram 740, MN 122A can control the sleep state of SN 120A. In 741, MN 122A determines that the active BWP of SN 120A will be switched to the sleep BWP 314. In 742, MN 122A can transmit an SN modification request to SN 120A. In 743, SN 120A can transmit an ACK to MN 122A in response to the request. In 744, MN 122A can transmit an RRC reconfiguration message to UE 110, indicating that the active BWP of SN 120A will be switched to the sleep BWP 314. In 745, UE 110 can transmit an RRC reconfiguration complete message to MN 122A. In 746, MN 122A can transmit an SN modification confirmation message to SN 120A, indicating that the RRC reconfiguration process is complete and UE 110 is ready to utilize the sleep BWP 314.

[0079] As described above, signaling for switching between dormant and non-dormant BWPs may include RRC message exchange between UE 110 and MN 122A. In this scenario, the conventional MCG standard radio bearer 1 (SRB1) RRCReconfiguration and RRCReconfigurationComplete messages can be used to carry SCG information corresponding to the handover between dormant and non-dormant BWPs for SN 120A. For example, the SCG portion of these RRC messages can be configured to include a dormant indication associated with SN 120A. Similarly, if measurement reporting is supported for SN 120A when dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, measurement reports triggered by SN 120A can be provided to MN 122A via the MCG SRB1ULInformationTransferMRDC message. This information can then be forwarded to SN 120A and / or used by the MCG for other operations.

[0080] Alternatively, the MCG SRB1 RRC message can be configured to carry new types of messages. For example, an SCG sleep indication can be provided in the "DLInformationTransferMRDC" or "ULInformationTransferMRDC" message portion of the RRC message. If the SCG Layer 2 (L2) Media Access Control (MAC) element (CE) is transmitted via the MN RRC message, an SCG L2 MAC CE can be provided in the "DLInformationTransferMRDC" or "ULInformationTransferMRDC" message portion of the RRC message.

[0081] In another implementation, an MCG uplink / downlink MAC CE can be implemented as a container for an SCG uplink / downlink MAC CE. This MCG L2 MAC CE can have a variable-length sub-header. The MCG MAC CE content is an SCG L2 MAC CE, where the MAC CE type is indicated via a Logical Channel ID (LCID). The length can be calculated based on the L parameter in the message header.

[0082] Figure 8 Signaling diagram 800 for timer-based handover between a non-sleeping BWP and a sleeping BWP according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Signaling diagram 800 includes UE 110 and SN 120A.

[0083] Initially, consider a scenario where a DC is established and the non-sleeping BWP 312 is currently configured to be active. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-sleeping BWP 312 when a handover from the sleeping BWP 314 is triggered.

[0084] As described above, UE 110 can determine when to switch the active BWP based on a procedure performed locally at UE 110. In this example, the network can configure UE 110 using a PSCell sleep timer.

[0085] In 805, UE 110 starts (or restarts) the PSCell sleep timer in response to a scheduling received from the SCG. In some implementations, the PSCell sleep timer can also be started (or restarted) in response to a transmission to the SCG (not shown).

[0086] Both the network and UE 110 are aware of the parameters of the PSCell sleep timer. Therefore, in 810, both UE 110 and SN 120A know that the PSCell inactivity timer has expired. In 815, UE 110 operates on sleep BWP 314 because, based on the timer's expiration, UE 110 can assume that the active bandwidth portion has been switched from non-sleep BWP 312 to sleep BWP 314. Therefore, without any explicit signaling from SN 120A or MN 122A, the active BWP of SN 120A can be switched to sleep BWP 314.

[0087] Figure 9 Signaling diagram 900 for threshold-based handover between non-dormant BWP and dormant BWP according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Signaling diagram 900 includes UE 110 and SN 120A.

[0088] Initially, consider a scenario where DC is established and dormant BWP 314 is currently configured to be active in SN 120A. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to non-dormant BWP 312 when UE 110 is triggered to switch out of dormant BWP 314.

[0089] In this example, the network can configure UE 110 with a threshold that can be used to trigger BWP handover. In 905, UE 110 determines that the amount of available data for SCG transmission is greater than the threshold.

[0090] In step 910, UE 110 performs a RACH procedure with SN 120A via the SCG link. Alternatively, UE 110 may transmit a scheduling request (not shown) to SN 120A. For example, if UE 110 identifies or assumes that UE 110 is out of sync with SN 120A in the uplink, UE 110 may transmit a RACH. If UE 110 identifies or assumes that UE 110 is synchronized with SN 120A in the uplink, UE 110 may transmit a scheduling request.

[0091] Figure 10 Signaling diagram 1000 for SCell activation and deactivation according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Signaling diagram 1000 includes UE 110, MN 122A and SN 120A.

[0092] Initially, consider a scenario where a DC is established and the non-sleeping BWP 312 is currently configured to be active. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to the non-sleeping BWP 312 when a handover from the sleeping BWP 314 is triggered.

[0093] In 1005, UE 110 can receive a PSCell hibernation instruction indicating that the active BWP of SN 120A will switch from the non-sleeping BWP 312 to the sleeping BWP 314. In this example, the PSCell hibernation instruction is shown as being received from SN 120A. However, as mentioned above, this type of instruction can also be received from MN 122A or via a procedure performed locally at UE 110.

[0094] As described above, when the active BWP of SN 120A is the dormant BWP 314, all SCells within the SCG can be switched to a deactivated state. Therefore, in 1010, UE 110 can operate on the dormant BWP 314, and the SCG can be configured to be in a dormant state.

[0095] In 1015, UE 110 receives a PSCell resumption indication indicating that the active BWP of SN 120A will switch from dormant BWP 312 to non-dormant BWP 314. In this example, the PSCell resumption indication is shown as being received from SN 120A. However, as mentioned above, this type of indication can also be received from MN 122A or via a procedure performed locally at UE 110.

[0096] At this point, the SCell of the SCG is still configured to be inactive. In 1020, SN 120A can transmit an SCell activation command to UE 110 via the SCG link. This command can instruct UE 110 that one or more SCells currently configured to be inactive will transition to an active state. Therefore, in some implementations, the network can provide explicit signaling indicating which SCells to reactivate. In other implementations, explicit signaling may not be used. Instead, in response to the PSCell recovery indication 1015, UE 110 can assume that the initial SCell activation state configured by the RRC signaling will be restored.

[0097] As described above, when the dormant BWP 314 is configured to be active, SCG-related information can be exchanged between UE 110 and SN 120A via MN122A. In some implementations, SCG-related information can be transmitted from UE 110 to MN 122A in a ULInformationTransferMRDC container, and then forwarded by MN 122A to SN 120A. Similarly, SCG-related information can be forwarded from MN 122A to UE 110 in a DLInformationTransferMRDC container. Alternatively, SCG-related information can be transmitted in a Layer 2 (L2) cross-cell group MAC CE.

[0098] SCG-related information may include, but is not limited to, CSI reports, SCG-specific RRC messages transmitted via SRB3 or SRB1 (e.g., measurement reports, UE assistance information, RRC reconfiguration, RRC reconfiguration complete, etc.), uplink MAC CEs (e.g., buffer status report (BSR) MAC CE, BFR MAC CE, pre-talk listening MAC CE, etc.), tracking area (TA) commands, discontinuous reception (DRX) commands, etc.

[0099] Figure 11 Signaling diagram 1100 for exchanging SCG association information via MN 122A is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 1100 includes UE 110, MN 122A and SN 120A.

[0100] Initially, consider a scenario where DC is established and dormant BWP 314 is currently configured to be active in SN 120A. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to non-dormant BWP 312 when UE 110 is triggered to switch out of dormant BWP 314.

[0101] In 1105, UE 110 receives reference signals from SN 120A. For example, when the dormant BWP 314 is active, UE 110 can monitor the common search space. UE 110 can collect CSI measurement data based on measuring one or more reference signals.

[0102] Next, UE 110 can transmit a CSI report to SN 120A via MN 122A. For example, the CSI measurement data may meet predetermined conditions and trigger the transmission of the CSI measurement report to SN 120A. Therefore, in 1110, UE 110 can transmit the CSI measurement data to MN 122A, and in 1115, MN 122A can forward the CSI measurement data to SN 120A.

[0103] UE 110 can transmit an indication of CSI measurement data to MN 122A within the ULinformationTransferMRDC container. MN 122A can then forward the CSI measurement data to SN 120A. Alternatively, UE 110 can transmit an indication of CSI measurement data to MN 122A within the L2 MAC CE. MN 122A can then forward the CSI measurement data to SN 120A.

[0104] In 1120, SN 120A can determine that the active BWP will switch from dormant BWP 314 to non-dormant BWP 312. This determination can be based on factors such as, but not limited to, the amount of data that UE 110 will receive and / or transmit and CSI measurement data. Although not shown in signaling diagram 1100, it is possible that a situation may arise where a CSI report indicates that SN 120A cannot provide sufficient network connectivity, and therefore the network can determine that SN 120A will be released and / or configured with one or more different SNs.

[0105] In 1125, SN 120A can transmit a PSCell hibernation command to switch from hibernating BWP 314 to non-hibernating BWP 312. As mentioned above, this type of message can be provided to UE 110 in any of a variety of different ways. Therefore, the message in 1125 shown as being provided directly to UE 110 via the SCG link is for illustrative purposes only.

[0106] Figure 12 Signaling diagram 1200 for exchanging SCG association information via MN 122A is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 1200 includes UE 110, MN 122A and SN 120A.

[0107] Initially, consider a scenario where DC is established and dormant BWP 314 is currently configured to be active in SN 120A. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to non-dormant BWP 312 when UE 110 is triggered to switch out of dormant BWP 314.

[0108] In 1205, UE 110 receives reference signals from SN 120A. For example, when dormant BWP 314 is active, UE 110 can monitor the common search space. In 1210, UE 110 can perform BFD based on the measurement of one or more reference signals. In response to the BFD procedure, UE 110 can be triggered to send a BFR report to SN 120A and the BFD procedure on SN 120A can be stopped.

[0109] In step 1215, UE 110 can transmit a BFR report to MN 122A. Additionally, UE 110 can terminate the BFD procedure at UE 110. In step 1220, MN 122A can forward the BFR report to SN 120A. UE 110 can transmit an indication of the BFR report to MN 122A within the ULinformationTransferMRDC container. MN 122A can then forward the indication of the BFR report to SN 120A. Alternatively, UE 110 can transmit an indication of BFR report data to MN 122A within the L2 MAC CE. MN 122A can then forward the indication of the BFR report to SN 120A.

[0110] In response, SN 120A can trigger RRCReconfiguration to reconfigure the beam. Therefore, in 1225, SCG-specific RRC reconfiguration information can be sent to UE 110 in either SRB3 or SRB1 container. As mentioned above, this type of message can be provided to UE 110 in any of a variety of different ways. Therefore, the message in 1230 shown as being provided directly to UE 110 via the SCG link is for illustrative purposes only.

[0111] In 1230, UE 110 can transmit the RRCReconfiguration completion message to SN 120A in SRB3 or SRB1 container.

[0112] In other implementations, UE 110 may trigger a RACH procedure on SN 120A based on the BFD procedure to switch the active BWP from dormant BWP 314 to non-dormant BWP 312, instead of transmitting the BFR report to SN 120A.

[0113] Figure 13 Signaling diagram 1300 for exchanging SCG association information via MN 122A is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 1300 includes UE 110, MN 122A and SN 120A.

[0114] Initially, consider a scenario where DC is established and dormant BWP 314 is currently configured to be active in SN 120A. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to non-dormant BWP 312 when UE 110 is triggered to switch out of dormant BWP 314.

[0115] In 1305, UE 110 can determine that data from the SCG-only Dedicated Radio Bearer (DRB) will be received by UE 110. This determination can be based on scheduling, previously received instructions, or any other appropriate type of instruction.

[0116] In 1310, UE 110 can initiate a RACH procedure (or send a scheduling request) to trigger the active BWP to switch from the dormant BWP 314 to the non-dormant BWP 312.

[0117] Alternatively, in step 1315, UE 110 can transmit an SCG Buffer Status Report (BSR) MAC CE to MN 122A. In step 1320, MN 122A can forward the BSR MAC CE to SN 120A. For example, UE 110 can transmit the BSR MAC CE to MN 122A within the ULinformationTransferMRDC container. MN 122A can then forward the BSR MAC CE to SN 120A. Alternatively, UE 110 can transmit the BSR MAC CE as an L2 MAC CE (e.g., a cross-cell group MAC CE) to MN 122A. MN 122A can then forward the BSR MAC CE to SN 120A.

[0118] In other implementations, different procedures can be used for different data types. For example, if the available data comes from only the SCG DRB, UE 110 can initiate a BWP handover via a RACH procedure or a scheduling request. If the available data comes only from separate DRBs, UE 110 can transmit an SCG MAC CE to SN 120A via MN 122A, or UE 110 can cancel the BSR.

[0119] In another example, if the available data is only used to separate the DRB, the data volume and delivery will not notify the suspicious SCG link, and the UE 110 Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) can only deliver data volume information to the MCG link and only trigger the MCG BSR MAC CE. With this enhancement, UE 110 does not need to trigger an SCG BSR report to SN 120A, and will not trigger data transmission to SN 120A via the SCG link, and the SCG can remain dormant. In some implementations, this exemplary technique can be selectively implemented based on a comparison of available data with a threshold.

[0120] Figure 14 Signaling diagram 1400 for exchanging SCG association information via MN 122A is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 1400 includes UE 110, MN 122A and SN 120A.

[0121] Initially, consider a scenario where DC is established and dormant BWP 314 is currently configured to be active in SN 120A. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to non-dormant BWP 312 when UE 110 is triggered to switch out of dormant BWP 314.

[0122] In step 1405, UE 110 can transmit SRS to SN 120A. In step 1410, SN 120A can transmit Tracking Area (TA) commands to MN 122A. In step 1415, MN 122A can forward TA commands to UE 110.

[0123] In step 1420, UE 110 can adjust the PSCell uplink TA and restart the Time Alignment Adjustment Timer (TAT). If the TAT is still running, UE 110 can assume that UE 110 is still synchronized in the uplink. Therefore, in step 1425, UE 110 can transmit a scheduling request to initiate a handover of the active BWP from dormant BWP 314 to non-dormant BWP 312 and facilitate data exchange between UE 110 and SN 120A. Alternatively, if the TAT is terminated, in step 1430, a RACH procedure can be performed to synchronize with SN 120A and switch the active BWP from dormant BWP 314 to non-dormant BWP 314. Alternatively,

[0124] Figure 15 Signaling diagram 1500 for exchanging SCG association information via MN 122A is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Signaling diagram 1500 includes UE 110, MN 122A and SN 120A.

[0125] Initially, consider a scenario where DC is established and dormant BWP 314 is currently configured to be active in SN 120A. Furthermore, UE 110 is configured to switch to non-dormant BWP 312 when UE 110 is triggered to switch out of dormant BWP 314.

[0126] In 1505, UE 110 can receive a reference signal from SN 120A. UE 110 can generate measurement data based on one or more reference signals. In this example, when the measurement data meets a threshold, a measurement report can be transmitted to SN 120A via MN 122A.

[0127] In 1510, UE 110 can transmit a measurement report instruction to MN 122A within the ULInformationTransferMRDC container. In 1515, MN 122A can forward the measurement report instruction to SN 120A. In some implementations, as an alternative to or supplement to the measurement report, UE 110 can also transmit a request to the network to perform a handover from a dormant BWP to a non-dormant BWP on SN 120A. Therefore, in response to SN 120A's radio quality exceeding a threshold, UE 110 can trigger a handover from a dormant BWP to a non-dormant BWP via this request.

[0128] In other implementations, instead of requesting, UE 110 can initiate a handover from a dormant BWP to a non-dormant BWP. For example, UE 110 can initiate a RACH procedure to trigger a BWP handover. In this scenario, UE 110 can also send data, BSR, and / or measurement reports associated with SN 120A to the network.

[0129] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above can be implemented with any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, and mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. Exemplary embodiments of the methods described above may be embodied as programs comprising lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, at compile time, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0130] Although this patent application describes various combinations of various embodiments, each with different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of an embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments or features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation or function of the device of the disclosed embodiment of the invention in any manner not explicitly denied.

[0131] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0132] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to this disclosure without departing from its spirit or scope. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover all modifications and variations thereof, provided that such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: a processor configured to perform operations comprising: identifying a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC); determining that the dormant BWP is configured to be in an active state in response to receiving a PSCell dormancy indication from a secondary node from a primary node; and performing one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP, wherein the UE is not configured to support reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, transmission of UE-specific data on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the PSCell when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, and the UE is configured to support one or more types of measurements associated with the SCG, the one or more types of measurements including measurements for radio resource management (RRM); and a transceiver communicatively connected to the processor.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the UE is configured to support sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission to the PSCell when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the UE is not configured to support sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission to the PSCell when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the UE is not configured to support random access channel (RACH) procedures with the PSCell when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein, the UE is configured to support random access channel (RACH) procedures with the PSCell when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state.

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of measurements further include radio link management (RLM), channel state information (CSI), and beam failure detection.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting information associated with the SCG including the PSCell to a master node (MN) that is configured to forward the information to the PSCell when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state; and receiving information associated with the SCG from the MN when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting information associated with the SCG including the PSCell in a cross- cell group (CG) medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state.

9. A baseband processor configured to perform operations comprising: identifying a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC); in response to receiving a PSCell dormancy indication from a secondary node from a master node, determining that the dormant BWP is configured to be in an active state; and performing one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP, wherein, when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, a user equipment (UE) is not configured to support reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, transmission of UE-specific data on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and the UE is configured to support one or more types of measurements associated with the SCG, the one or more types of measurements including measurements for radio resource management (RRM).

10. The baseband processor of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, collecting channel state information (CSI) measurement data corresponding to the PSCell; and transmitting a CSI report to the PSCell via a master node (MN).

11. The baseband processor of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, collecting beam failure measurement data corresponding to the PSCell, and triggering a random access channel (RACH) procedure based on the beam failure measurement data.

12. The baseband processor of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, triggering a random access channel (RACH) procedure with the PSCell based on a buffer status corresponding to the SCG.

13. The baseband processor of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, transmitting a buffer status report (BSR) to the PSCell via a master node (MN).

14. The baseband processor of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, receiving a tracking area (TA) command from the PSCell via a master node (MN).

15. The baseband processor of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, transmitting a SCG measurement report to the PSCell via a master node (MN).

16. A method performed at a user equipment (UE), comprising: identifying a dormant bandwidth part (BWP) and a non-dormant BWP of a carrier corresponding to a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of a secondary cell group (SCG) for dual connectivity (DC); in response to receiving a PSCell dormancy indication from a secondary node from a master node, determining that the dormant BWP is configured to be in an active state; and when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, a user equipment (UE) is not configured to support reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, transmission of UE-specific data on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and the UE is configured to support one or more types of measurements associated with the SCG, the one or more types of measurements including measurements for radio resource management (RRM). in response to receiving, from a master node, a PSCell dormancy indication from a secondary node, determining that the dormant BWP is configured to be in an active state; and performing one or more actions corresponding to the dormant BWP, wherein, when the dormant BWP is configured to be in the active state, the UE is not configured to support reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, transmission of UE-specific data on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and reception of UE-specific data on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) corresponding to the PSCell, and the UE is configured to support one or more types of measurements associated with the SCG, the one or more types of measurements including measurements for radio resource management (RRM).

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