Enhanced radio resource management for synchronization signal blocks outside of active bandwidth parts

Abstract

A method for enhanced radio resource management (RRM) performed by a user equipment (UE) includes transmitting, to an access node, a capability of the UE to support a bandwidth part (BWP) without restriction. The UE determines that a synchronization signal block (SSB) is outside of a downlink (DL) BWP configured for the UE. Based on determining that the SSB is outside of the DL BWP configured for the UE, adjusting at least one radio frequency (RF) communication parameter of the UE to adjust an operating bandwidth of the UE, and receiving the SSB using the adjusted operating bandwidth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to techniques for enhancing radio resource management, and more particularly to techniques for synchronization signal blocks outside of the active bandwidth portion. Background Technology

[0002] In wireless communication networks, two or more devices communicate with each other on communication channels with bandwidth spanning frequency ranges. One way to increase the capacity and throughput of these networks is to increase the channel bandwidth. For example, to increase the capacity and throughput (among others) of cellular networks, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) increased the channel bandwidth from 20 MHz in Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks to 100 MHz (for frequency range 1) or 400 MHz (for frequency range 2) in 5G New Radio (NR) networks.

[0003] However, some devices may not be able to operate on the full bandwidth used by, for example, 5G NR networks. Even if a device could utilize the entire bandwidth, it could not operate efficiently because monitoring the entire bandwidth increases the device's power consumption. To address these and other issues, the 5G NR standard allows devices to be configured to operate on a subset of the total channel bandwidth (called a bandwidth portion (BWP)). Once configured, the device can transmit and receive data, perform radio resource management (RRM) activities, and perform other operations within the active BWP. Summary of the Invention

[0004] When the User Equipment (UE) indicates support for BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the techniques described herein enable RRM activities to be performed outside of the active downlink (DL) BWP. Specifically, techniques for configuring the UE to receive synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) outside of the active DL BWP are described. Furthermore, methods are provided for the network (e.g., access node) to interpret indications supporting BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, including whether the UE requires measurement gaps or interruptions for RF tuning. In this way, the network and UE can coordinate RRM activities outside of the active DL BWP, including in-frequency and serving cell measurements, SCell activation procedures, and PSCell additions, thereby improving RRM flexibility and performance.

[0005] Generally, in a first aspect, a method performed by a UE includes: transmitting to an access node the UE's ability to support an unrestricted BWP; determining, at least based on the determination that the SSB is outside the configuration of a DL BWP for the UE, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth; and receiving the SSB using the adjusted operating bandwidth. In some examples, a system or device is configured to perform the method. In some examples, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media store instructions that can be executed by at least one processor to perform the method.

[0006] In a second aspect that can be combined with the first aspect, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes configuring the operating bandwidth to include an additional bandwidth including the DL BWP and the SSB.

[0007] In a third aspect that can be combined with the first or second aspect, configuring the operating bandwidth to include the DL BWP and an additional bandwidth including the SSB includes: determining the additional bandwidth including the SSB; and extending the operating bandwidth from the first bandwidth including the DL BWP to a second bandwidth including the DL BWP and the additional bandwidth.

[0008] In a fourth aspect that can be combined with any of the first to third aspects, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes configuring a second operating bandwidth for the UE in addition to the UE's first operating bandwidth, wherein the first operating bandwidth includes DL BWP and the second operating bandwidth includes SSB.

[0009] In a fifth aspect that can be combined with any of the first to fourth aspects, configuring the second operating bandwidth includes determining an additional bandwidth including the SSB, and configuring the second operating bandwidth to include the additional bandwidth.

[0010] In the sixth aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to fifth aspects, transmitting the UE's ability to support unrestricted BWP to the access node includes sending a bwp-WithoutRestriction information element (IE) to the access node.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to sixth aspects, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes adjusting at least one RF communication parameter when the SSB measurement window of the SSB appears.

[0012] In an eighth aspect that can be combined with any of the first to seventh aspects, the operating bandwidth of the UE before the SSB measurement window appears corresponds to the first bandwidth, and the method further includes: when the SSB measurement window expires, readjusting at least one RF communication parameter to restore the operating bandwidth of the UE to the first bandwidth.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to eighth aspects, the method further includes transmitting to the access node an indication that the UE requires a measurement gap for SSB measurement, wherein adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes adjusting at least one RF communication parameter when the measurement gap occurs.

[0014] In the tenth aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to ninth aspects, transmitting an indication to the access node that the UE needs a measurement gap includes transmitting the requirement for a measurement gap to the access node using NeedForGapsIntraFreq-r16 IE.

[0015] In the eleventh aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to tenth aspects, the SSB received using the adjusted working bandwidth is associated with the target secondary cell (SCell), and the adjusted working bandwidth is not readjusted during the SCell activation process time of the target SCell.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to eleventh aspects, the SSB received using the adjusted operating bandwidth is associated with the target SCell, and the operating bandwidth of the UE before adjustment corresponds to the first bandwidth. The method also includes readjusting at least one RF communication parameter to restore the operating bandwidth of the UE to the first bandwidth during the SCell activation process time period of the target SCell.

[0017] In the thirteenth aspect, which can be combined with any of the first to twelfth aspects, the SSB is determined based on an indication from the access node, in addition to the DL BWP configured for the UE, the indication including the center frequency of the SSB.

[0018] Generally, in the fourteenth aspect, a method performed by an access node includes: receiving from a device an indication of the device's ability to support an unrestricted BWP; and, in response to the indication, configuring the device to receive an SSB other than the DL BWP configured for the device, the configuration including causing the device to adjust at least one RF communication parameter of the device to adjust the device's operating bandwidth. In some examples, a system or device is configured to perform the method. In some examples, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media store instructions that can be executed by at least one processor to perform the method.

[0019] Generally speaking, in the fifteenth aspect, which can be combined with the fourteenth aspect, the indication that the receiving device supports the ability of a BWP without restriction includes receiving a bwp-WithoutRestriction IE from the device.

[0020] Generally speaking, in the sixteenth aspect, which can be combined with the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect, the method includes, at least in part, inducing an interruption period before and after the timing of the measurement of the SSB other than the DL BWP configured for the device, based on an indication of the device's ability to support an unrestricted BWP.

[0021] Generally speaking, in the seventeenth aspect, which can be combined with any of the fourteenth to sixteenth aspects, the method includes: receiving from the device an indication that the device needs a measurement gap to receive an SSB outside of the DL BWP configured for the device; and scheduling the measurement gap for the device before and after the measurement timing of the SSB outside of the DL BWP configured for the device.

[0022] Details of one or more specific embodiments are set forth in the following figures and detailed descriptions. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the detailed descriptions, the figures, and the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 An example of infrastructure equipment is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 An example of the device is shown.

[0026] Figure 4 The various protocol functions are shown.

[0027] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An example of BWP operation without bandwidth limitations is shown.

[0028] Figure 6A and Figure 6B An exemplary BWP operation without bandwidth limitations is shown.

[0029] Figure 7 An exemplary process for an enhanced RRM for an SSB other than an active BWP is shown.

[0030] Figure 8 An exemplary computer system is shown.

[0031] Similar reference symbols in the various figures indicate similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 is illustrated. For convenience and not limitation, the exemplary system 100 is described in the context of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication standards, as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical specifications. More specifically, the wireless communication system 100 is described in the context of a non-standalone (NSA) network combining both LTE and NR, such as an E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) network and a NE-DC network. However, the wireless communication system 100 could also be a standalone (SA) network combining only NR. Furthermore, other types of communication standards are also possible, including future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G)) systems, IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, system 100 includes UE 101a and UE 101b (collectively referred to as "UE101"). In this example, UE101 is shown as a smartphone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as consumer electronics devices, mobile phones, smartphones, feature phones, tablets, wearable computing devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, wireless handheld devices, desktop computers, laptops, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), in-vehicle entertainment (ICE) devices, instrument cluster (IC), head-up display (HUD) devices, onboard diagnostic (OBD) devices, dashtop mobile equipment (DME), mobile data terminal (MDT), electronic engine management system (EEMS), electronic / engine electronic control unit (ECU), electronic / engine electronic control module (ECM), embedded systems, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management system (EMS), connected or "smart" appliances, MTC devices, M2M, IoT devices, etc.

[0034] In some examples, any of UEs in UE 101 can be an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with ephemeral UE connections. The IoT UE may use technologies such as M2M or MTC to exchange data with an MTC server or device via PLMN, ProSe, or D2D communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the internet infrastructure) with ephemeral connections. The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0035] UE 101 can be configured to connect to RAN 110, for example, communicatively coupled. In some examples, RAN 110 can be an NG RAN or 5G RAN, E-UTRAN, or a legacy RAN such as UTRAN or GERAN. As used herein, the term "NG RAN," etc., can refer to RAN 110 operating in NR or 5G system 100, while the term "E-UTRAN," etc., can refer to RAN 110 operating in LTE or 4G system 100. Multiple UEs 101 utilize connections (or channels) 103 and 104 respectively, each connection including a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below).

[0036] In this example, connections 103 and 104 are shown as air interfaces for communication coupling and may be consistent with cellular communication protocols such as GSM, CDMA, PTT, POC, UMTS, 3GPP LTE, LTE-A (LTE-Advanced Long Term Evolution), LTE-U (LTE-U), 5G, NR, NR-U (NR-U), and / or any other communication protocols discussed herein. In some examples, UE 101 may directly exchange communication data via ProSe interface 105. ProSe interface 105 may also be referred to as SL interface 105 and may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to PSCCH, PSSCH, PSDCH, and PSBCH.

[0037] The diagram shows UE 101b configured to access AP 106 (also referred to as "WLAN node 106", "WLAN 106", "WLAN terminal 106", "WT 106", etc.) via connection 107. Connection 107 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 106 will include Wireless Fibre. Router. In this example, AP106 is shown connected to the Internet but not to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below). In various examples, UE 101b, RAN 110, and AP 106 can be configured to utilize LWA operation and / or LWIP operation. LWA operation may involve RAN nodes 111a-b configuring UE 101b, which is in the RRC_CONNECTED state, to utilize the radio resources of LTE and WLAN. LWIP operation may involve UE 101b using WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection 107) via an IPsec protocol tunnel to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., IP packets) transmitted through connection 107. IPsec tunneling may include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header to protect the original header of the IP packet.

[0038] RAN 110 includes one or more AN nodes or RAN nodes 111a and 111b (collectively referred to as "RAN node 111") that enable connections between 103 and 104. As used herein, the terms "access node," "access point," etc., can describe equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between the network and one or more users. These access nodes can be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP, or TRP, etc., and can include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node," etc., can refer to RAN node 111 (e.g., gNB) operating in NR or 5G system 100, while the terms "E-UT RAN node," etc., can refer to RAN node 111 (e.g., eNB) operating in LTE or 4G system 100. According to various examples, RAN node 111 may be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as macro cell base stations and / or low-power (LP) base stations for providing smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macro cells.

[0039] In some examples, all or part of RAN node 111 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network, which may be referred to as CRAN and / or Virtual Baseband Unit Pool (vBBUP). In these examples, CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN function splitting, such as PDCP splitting, where the RRC and PDCP layers are operated by CRAN / vBBUP and other L2 protocol entities are operated by individual RAN nodes 111; MAC / PHY splitting, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers are operated by CRAN / vBBUP and the PHY layer is operated by individual RAN nodes 111; or “lower PHY” splitting, where the upper portions of the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY layers are operated by CRAN / vBBUP and the lower portions of the PHY layer are operated by individual RAN nodes 111. This virtualization framework allows the idle processor cores of multiple RAN nodes 111 to execute other virtualized applications. In some specific implementations, a single RAN node 111 may represent a virtual network via various F1 interfaces (…). Figure 1 (Not shown) Individual gNB-DUs connected to the gNB-CU. In these specific implementations, the gNB-DU may include one or more remote radio head units or RFEMs (see, for example, Figure 2 Furthermore, the gNB-CU can be operated by a server (not shown) located in RAN 110 or by a server pool in a manner similar to CRAN / vBBUP. Alternatively, one or more RAN nodes in RAN 111 can be next-generation eNBs (ng-eNBs), which are RAN nodes that provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminals to UE101 and are connected to 5GC via the ng interface (discussed below).

[0040] Any of the RAN nodes 111 can serve as the endpoint of the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for UE 101. In some examples, any one of the multiple RAN nodes 111 can perform various logical functions of RAN 110, including but not limited to the functions of the Radio Network Controller (RNC), such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0041] In some examples, UE 101 may be configured to communicate with each other or with any of the RAN nodes in RAN nodes 111 using OFDM communication signals on a multi-carrier communication channel, according to various communication technologies such as, but not limited to, OFDMA communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or SC-FDMA communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), but the scope of the examples is not limited in this respect. OFDM signals may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0042] In some examples, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from any of the multiple RAN nodes 111 to multiple UEs 101, while uplink transmissions can utilize similar techniques. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which represents the physical resources in the downlink within each time slot. This time-frequency plane representation is common practice for OFDM systems, making radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid comprises multiple resource blocks, which describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block comprises a set of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this can represent the minimum amount of resources currently available for allocation. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0043] According to various examples, UE 101 and RAN node 111 transmit data (e.g., transmit and receive data) through licensed media (also referred to as “licensed spectrum” and / or “licensed band”) and unlicensed shared media (also referred to as “unlicensed spectrum” and / or “unlicensed band”). Licensed spectrum may include channels operating in the frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 3.8 GHz, while unlicensed spectrum may include a 5 GHz band. NR in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as NR-U, and LTE in unlicensed spectrum may be referred to as LTE-U, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), or MulteFire.

[0044] To operate in unlicensed spectrum, UE 101 and RAN node 111 may use LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these specific implementations, UE 101 and RAN node 111 may perform one or more known medium sensing and / or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmission in the unlicensed spectrum. Medium / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to a Listen-After-Talk (LBT) protocol.

[0045] LBT is a mechanism that equipment (e.g., UE 101, RAN node 111, etc.) uses to sense a medium (e.g., a channel or carrier frequency) and transmit when the medium is sensed to be idle (or when a specific channel in the medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include CCA, which utilizes at least ED to determine the presence of other signals on the channel in order to determine whether the channel is occupied or idle. This LBT mechanism allows cellular / LAA networks to coexist with existing systems in unlicensed spectrum and with other LAA networks. ED may include sensing RF energy in the intended transmission band over a period of time and comparing the sensed RF energy with a predefined or configured threshold.

[0046] Typically, existing systems in the 5GHz band are WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 technology. WLANs employ a contention-based channel access mechanism called CSMA / CA. Here, when a WLAN node (e.g., a mobile station (MS) such as UE 101, AP 106, etc.) intends to transmit, the WLAN node can first perform CCA before transmitting. Additionally, in cases where more than one WLAN node senses the channel as idle and transmits simultaneously, a backoff mechanism is used to avoid collisions. This backoff mechanism can be a counter randomly introduced within the CWS, which increases exponentially upon collision and resets to a minimum value upon successful transmission. The LBT mechanism designed for LAA is somewhat similar to WLAN's CSMA / CA. In some specific implementations, the LBT process for DL ​​or UL transmission bursts (including PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions) can have a variable-length LAA contention window between the X and Y ECCA time slots, where X and Y are the minimum and maximum values ​​of the LAA's CWS. In one example, the minimum CWS for LAA transmission can be 9 microseconds (μs); however, the size of the CWS and MCOT (e.g., transmission burst) can be based on government regulatory requirements.

[0047] The LAA mechanism is built upon the CA technology of LTE-Advanced systems. In CA, each aggregated carrier is called a CC. A CC can have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz, and a maximum of five CCs can be aggregated, thus the maximum aggregated bandwidth is 100 MHz. In FDD systems, the number of aggregated carriers can differ for DL ​​and UL, where the number of UL CCs is equal to or less than the number of DL component carriers. In some cases, individual CCs can have different bandwidths than the other CCs. In TDD systems, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC are usually the same for DL ​​and UL.

[0048] The CA also includes individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of serving cells can differ, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses. The primary serving cell (PCell) can provide PCCs for both UL and DL, and can handle activities related to RRC and NAS. Other serving cells are called SCells, and each SCell can provide individual SCCs for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as needed, and changing the PCC may require UE101 to undergo handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells can operate in unlicensed spectrum (called "LAA SCells"), and LAA SCells are assisted by PCells operating in licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured to have more than one LAA SCell, the UE can receive UL grants on the configured LAA SCells, indicating different PUSCH start positions within the same subframe.

[0049] The PDSCH carries user data and higher-layer signaling to multiple UEs 101. Among other information, the PDCCH carries information about the transmission format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It can also inform multiple UEs 101 about the transmission format, resource allocation, and HARQ information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to UEs 101b within the cell) can be performed at any of the RAN nodes 111 based on channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 101. Downlink resource allocation information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used for (e.g., allocated to) each UE in the UEs 101.

[0050] PDCCH uses CCEs to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets, called REGs, each with four physical resource elements. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. Depending on the DCI size and channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to transmit the PDCCH. Four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L = 1, 2, 4, or 8) can exist.

[0051] Some examples can apply the concept of resource allocation to control channel information; the concept of resource allocation is an extension of the above concepts. For example, some examples can utilize EPDCCHs that use PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more ECCEs can be used to transmit EPDCCHs. Similarly, each ECCE can correspond to a set of nine, each consisting of four physical resource elements, called EREG. In some cases, an ECCE can have a different number of EREGs.

[0052] RAN nodes 111 can be configured to communicate with each other via interface 112. In an example where system 100 is an LTE system, interface 112 can be an X2 interface 112. The X2 interface can be defined between two or more RAN nodes 111 connected to EPC 120 (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.), and / or between two eNBs connected to EPC 120. In some specific implementations, the X2 interface may include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). X2-U can provide flow control mechanisms for user packets transmitted through the X2 interface and can be used to transmit information about the delivery of user data between eNBs. For example, X2-U can provide specific sequence number information about user data transmitted from MeNB to SeNB; information about the successful in-order delivery of PDCP PDUs from SeNB to UE 101 for user data; information about PDCP PDUs not delivered to UE 101; information about the current minimum expected buffer size at SeNB for transmitting user data to the UE; and so on. The X2-C provides LTE intra-eNB access mobility functions, including context transmission from the source eNB to the destination eNB, user plane transmission control, load management functions, and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0053] In an example where system 100 is a 5G or NR system, interface 112 may be an Xn interface 112. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes 111 (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to 5GC 120, between a RAN node 111 (e.g., a gNB) connected to 5GC 120 and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to 5GC 120. In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. Xn-U provides non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and supports / provides data forwarding and flow control functions. Xn-C provides management and error handling functions for managing the functionality of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 101 in connected modes (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected modes between one or more RAN nodes 111. Mobility support may include context transfer from the old (source) serving RAN node 111 to the new (destination) serving RAN node 111, and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving RAN node 111 and the new (destination) serving RAN node 111. The Xn-U protocol stack may include a transport network layer built on top of the Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer, and a GTP-U layer on top of the UDP and / or IP layers for carrying user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stack may include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as the Xn Application Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on top of SCTP. SCTP may be on top of the IP layer and provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission is used to deliver signaling PDUs. In other specific implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack may be the same as or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0054] RAN 110 is shown communicatively coupled to the core network, which in this example is communicatively coupled to the core network (CN) 120. CN 120 may include multiple network elements 122 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of multiple UEs 101) connected to CN 120 via RAN 110. Components of CN 120 may be implemented in a physical node or separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media). In some examples, NFV may be used to virtualize any or all of the aforementioned network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instance of CN 120 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instance of a portion of CN 120 may be referred to as a network subslice. NFV architectures and infrastructure may be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto physical resources comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (or alternatively, performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, an NFV system can be used to perform a virtual or reconfigurable concrete implementation of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0055] Generally, application server 130 can be a component that provides IP bearer resources for use with the core network (e.g., UMTS PS domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). Application server 130 can also be configured to support one or more communication services for UE 101 via EPC 120 (e.g., VoIP sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.).

[0056] In some examples, CN 120 may be a 5GC (referred to as "5GC 120", etc.), and RAN 110 may be connected to CN 120 via NG interface 113. In some examples, NG interface 113 may be divided into two parts: NG User Plane (NG-U) interface 114, which carries traffic data between RAN node 111 and UPF; and S1 Control Plane (NG-C) interface 115, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 111 and AMF.

[0057] In some examples, CN 120 may be a 5G CN (referred to as "5GC 120", etc.), while in other examples, CN 120 may be an EPC. When CN 120 is an EPC (referred to as "EPC 120", etc.), RAN 110 may be connected to CN 120 via S1 interface 113. In some examples, S1 interface 113 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface 114, which carries traffic data between RAN node 111 and S-GW; and an S1-MME interface 115, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 111 and MME.

[0058] Figure 2 Examples of infrastructure equipment 200 according to various examples are shown. Infrastructure equipment 200 (or "system 200") may be implemented as a base station, a radio head unit, a RAN node (such as RAN node 111 and / or AP 106 previously shown and described), an application server 130, and / or any other element / device discussed herein. In other examples, system 200 may be implemented in or by a UE.

[0059] System 200 includes: application circuitry 205, baseband circuitry 210, one or more radio front-end modules (RFEMs) 215, memory circuitry 220, power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 225, power tee circuitry 230, network controller circuitry 235, network interface connector 240, satellite positioning circuitry 245, and user interface 250. In some examples, device 200 may include additional components such as memory / storage devices, displays, cameras, sensors, or input / output (I / O) interfaces. In other examples, the components described below may be included in more than one device. For example, the circuitry may be individually included in more than one device for CRAN, vBBU, or other similar implementations.

[0060] Application circuitry 205 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more processors (or processor cores), cache memory, and one or more of the following: low-dropout regulators (LDOs), interrupt controllers, serial interfaces such as SPI, I2C, or Universal Programmable Serial Interface modules, real-time clocks (RTCs), timer-counters (including interval timers and watchdog timers), general-purpose input / output (I / O or IO), memory card controllers such as Secure Digital (SD) Multimedia Card (MMC) or similar products, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces, Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) interfaces, and Joint Test Access Group (JTAG) test access ports. The processor (or core) of application circuitry 205 may be coupled to or may include memory / storage elements, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to enable various applications or operating systems to run on system 200. In some specific implementations, the memory / storage element may be an on-chip memory circuit, which may include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory and / or any other type of memory device technology, such as those discussed herein.

[0061] The processor of application circuit 205 may include, for example, one or more processor cores (CPUs), one or more application processors, one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors, one or more Acorn RISC machine (ARM) processors, one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processors, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more FPGAs, one or more PLDs, one or more ASICs, one or more microprocessors or controllers, or any suitable combination thereof. In some examples, application circuit 205 may include or may be a dedicated processor / controller for operation according to the various examples herein. As an example, the processor of application circuit 205 may include one or more Apple A-series processors, Intel... or Processor; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Processor, Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) or Processors; ARM-based processors licensed by ARM Holdings, Ltd., such as the ARM Cortex-A series processors provided by Cavium™, Inc. MIPS-based designs from MIPS Technologies, Inc., such as the MIPS Warrior P-class processor; etc. In some examples, system 200 may not utilize application circuitry 205 and may instead include a dedicated processor / controller to process, for example, IP data received from an EPC or 5GC.

[0062] In some implementations, application circuitry 205 may include one or more hardware accelerators, which may be microprocessors, programmable processing devices, etc. These hardware accelerators may include, for example, computer vision (CV) and / or deep learning (DL) accelerators. For example, the programmable processing device may be one or more field-programmable devices (FPDs), such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs); programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs); ASICs, such as structured ASICs; programmable SoCs (PSoCs); and so on. In such implementations, the circuitry of application circuitry 205 may include logic blocks or logic architectures, and other interconnect resources that can be programmed to perform various functions such as processes, methods, functions, etc., as discussed in the various examples herein. In such examples, the circuitry of application circuitry 205 may include memory cells (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, static memory (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM), antifuse, etc.)) for storing logic blocks, logic architectures, data, etc., in lookup tables (LUTs).

[0063] The baseband circuit 210 may include circuitry and / or control logic components configured to perform various radio / network protocols and radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry. In some examples, the baseband circuit 210 may be implemented, for example, as a soldered substrate comprising one or more integrated circuits, a single-package integrated circuit soldered to a main circuit board, or a multi-chip module comprising two or more integrated circuits.

[0064] User interface circuitry 250 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable a user to interact with system 200 or peripheral component interfaces, which are designed to enable peripheral components to interact with system 200. User interfaces may include, but are not limited to, one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), one or more indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)), a physical keyboard or keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a speaker or other audio transmitter, a microphone, a printer, a scanner, headphones, a display screen or display device, etc. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile memory ports, universal serial bus (USB) ports, audio jacks, power interfaces, etc.

[0065] The radio front-end module (RFEM) 215 may include a millimeter-wave (mmWave) RFEM and one or more sub-millimeter-wave radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). In some embodiments, the one or more sub-millimeter-wave RFICs may be physically separated from the millimeter-wave RFEM. The RFIC may include connectors to one or more antennas or antenna arrays, and the RFEM may be connected to multiple antennas. In another embodiment, the radio functions of both the millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave antennas may be implemented in the same physical RFEM 215 that combines both the millimeter-wave antenna and the sub-millimeter-wave antenna.

[0066] The memory circuit 220 may include one or more of the following: volatile memory including dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM); non-volatile memory (NVM) including high-speed electrically erasable memory (commonly referred to as "flash memory"); phase-change random access memory (PRAM); magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM); and may be combined with and A three-dimensional (3D) XPOINT memory. The memory circuit 220 can be implemented as one or more of the following: a solder-in packaged integrated circuit, a socket memory module, and an insertable memory card.

[0067] PMIC 225 may include a voltage regulator, surge protector, power alarm detection circuitry, and one or more backup power sources, such as batteries or capacitors. The power alarm detection circuitry can detect one or more of a power outage (undervoltage) and a power surge (overvoltage) condition. Power tee circuit 230 can provide power drawn from the network cable to provide both power and data connectivity to infrastructure equipment 200 using a single cable.

[0068] Network controller circuitry 235 may provide connectivity to the network using standard network interface protocols such as Ethernet, GRE-tunneled Ethernet, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based Ethernet, or some other suitable protocol. Network connectivity may be provided to / from infrastructure equipment 200 via a physical connection via network interface connector 240, which may be an electrical connection (typically referred to as a "copper interconnect"), an optical connection, or a wireless connection. Network controller circuitry 235 may include one or more dedicated processors and / or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, network controller circuitry 235 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0069] Positioning circuit 245 includes circuitry for receiving and decoding signals transmitted / broadcast by a positioning network of a Global Navigation Satellite System (or GNSS). Examples of navigation satellite constellations (or GNSS) include the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's GLONASS, the European Union's Galileo system, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, regional navigation systems, or GNSS augmentation systems (e.g., using the Indian constellation NAVIC, Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), France's Doppler orbit chart and satellite integrated radio positioning (DORIS), etc.). Positioning circuit 245 includes various hardware components (e.g., hardware devices such as switches, filters, amplifiers, antenna elements, etc., for facilitating OTA communication) to communicate with components of the positioning network, such as navigation satellite constellation nodes. In some examples, positioning circuit 245 may include a micro-technology (micro PNT) IC for positioning, navigation, and timing, which performs position tracking / estimation using a master timing clock without GNSS assistance. The positioning circuit 245 may also be part of or interact with the baseband circuit 210 and / or RFEM 215 to communicate with nodes and components of the positioning network. The positioning circuit 245 may also provide location data and / or time data to the application circuit 205, which may use the data to synchronize operations with various infrastructures, such as RAN node 111.

[0070] Figure 2The components shown can communicate with each other using interface circuitry, which may include any number of bus and / or interconnect (IX) technologies, such as Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Extended ISA (EISA), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended (PCIx), PCI Express (PCIe), or any number of other technologies. The bus / IX may be a proprietary bus, for example, used in a SoC-based system. Other bus / IX systems may be included, such as I2C interfaces, SPI interfaces, point-to-point interfaces, and power buses, etc.

[0071] Figure 3 Examples of platform 300 (or “device 300”) according to various examples are shown. In some examples, computer platform 300 may be adapted to function as UE 101, application server 130, and / or any other element / device discussed herein. Platform 300 may include any combination of the components shown in the examples. Components of platform 300 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of ICs, discrete electronic devices, or other modules, logic, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof adapted in computer platform 300, or may be implemented as components otherwise integrated within the chassis of a larger system. Figure 3 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of the components of the computer platform 300. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other specific embodiments.

[0072] Application circuitry 305 includes circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more processors (or processor cores), cache memory, and one or more of the following: LDO, interrupt controller, serial interface (such as SPI), I2C or general programmable serial interface module, RTC, timer-counter (including interval timers and watchdog timers), general-purpose I / O, memory card controller (such as SD MMC or similar controller), USB interface, MIPI interface, and JTAG test access port. The processor (or core) of application circuitry 305 may be coupled to or may include memory / storage elements, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage elements to enable various applications or operating systems to run on system 300. In some specific implementations, the memory / storage element may be on-chip memory circuitry that may include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory, and / or any other type of memory device technology, such as those discussed herein.

[0073] The processor of application circuit 205 may include, for example, one or more processor cores, one or more application processors, one or more GPUs, one or more RISC processors, one or more ARM processors, one or more CISC processors, one or more DSPs, one or more FPGAs, one or more PLDs, one or more ASICs, one or more microprocessors or controllers, multi-threaded processors, ultra-low voltage processors, embedded processors, some other known processing elements, or any suitable combination thereof. In some examples, application circuit 205 may include or may be a dedicated processor / controller for operation according to the various examples herein.

[0074] As an example, the processor of application circuit 305 may include an Apple A-series processor. The processor of application circuit 305 may also be one or more of the following: based on... Architecture Core TM processors, such as Quark TM Atom TM i3, i5, i7 or MCU-level processors, or available from Santa Clara, California. company( Another processor of this type from [Company Name], Santa Clara, CA; and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Processor or Accelerated Processing Unit (APU); from Snapdragon by Technologies, Inc. TM Processor, Texas Instruments Open Multimedia ApplicationsPlatform(OMAP) TM Processors; MIPS-based designs from MIPS Technologies, Inc., such as the MIPS Warrior M-class, Warrior I-class, and Warrior P-class processors; ARM-based designs licensed from ARM Holdings, Ltd., such as the ARM Cortex-A, Cortex-R, and Cortex-M series processors; etc. In some specific implementations, application circuitry 305 may be part of a system-on-a-chip (SoC), where application circuitry 305 and other components are formed as a single integrated circuit.

[0075] In addition to or alternatively, application circuitry 305 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more field-programmable devices (FPDs) such as FPGAs; programmable logic devices (PLDs) such as complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs); ASICs such as structured ASICs; programmable SoCs (PSoCs); and so on. In such examples, the circuitry of application circuitry 305 may include logic blocks or logic architectures, and other interconnect resources that can be programmed to perform various functions such as processes, methods, functions, etc., as discussed herein. In such examples, the circuitry of application circuitry 305 may include memory cells (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, static memory (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM), antifuse, etc.)) for storing logic blocks, logic architectures, data, etc., in lookup tables (LUTs).

[0076] The baseband circuit 310 includes circuitry and / or control logic components configured to perform various radio / network protocols and radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry. In some examples, the baseband circuit 310 may be implemented, for example, as a soldered substrate comprising one or more integrated circuits, a single-package integrated circuit soldered to a main board, or a multi-chip module containing two or more integrated circuits.

[0077] RFEM 315 may include a millimeter-wave (mmWave) RFEM and one or more sub-millimeter-wave radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). In some embodiments, the one or more sub-millimeter-wave RFICs may be physically separated from the millimeter-wave RFEM. The RFIC may include connectors to one or more antennas or antenna arrays, and the RFEM may be connected to multiple antennas. In another embodiment, the radio functions of both millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave technologies may be implemented in the same physical RFEM 315 that combines both the millimeter-wave antenna and the sub-millimeter-wave technology.

[0078] Memory circuitry 320 may include any number and type of memory devices for providing a fixed amount of system memory. For example, memory circuitry 320 may include one or more of the following: volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), and / or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM); and non-volatile memory (NVM), including high-speed electrically erasable memory (commonly referred to as flash memory), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc. Memory circuitry 320 may be developed according to the Joint Electronic Equipment Committee (JEDEC) design based on low-power double data rate (LPDDR), such as LPDDR2, LPDDR3, LPDDR4, etc. The memory circuit 320 may be implemented as one or more of the following: solder-in packaged integrated circuits, single-die packages (SDP), dual-die packages (DDP), or quad-die packages (Q17P), socket memory modules, dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) including micro DIMMs or mini DIMMs, and / or soldered to a motherboard via a ball grid array (BGA). In low-power implementations, the memory circuit 320 may be an on-chip memory or register associated with application circuitry 305. To provide persistent storage for information such as data, applications, operating systems, etc., the memory circuit 320 may include one or more mass storage devices, which may include, in particular, solid-state drives (SSDDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), miniature HDDs, resistance-changing memories, phase-change memories, holographic memories, or chemical memories. For example, the computer platform 300 may be integrated with... and 3D XPOINT memory.

[0079] The removable memory circuitry 323 may include devices, circuitry, enclosures / housings, ports, or sockets for coupling portable data storage devices to platform 300. These portable data storage devices may be used for mass storage and may include, for example, flash memory cards (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) cards, Micro SD cards, xD picture cards, etc.), as well as USB flash drives, optical discs, external HDDs, etc.

[0080] Platform 300 may also include interface circuitry (not shown) for connecting external devices to platform 300. External devices connected to platform 300 via this interface circuitry include sensor circuitry 321 and electromechanical components (EMC) 322, as well as a removable memory device coupled to removable memory circuitry 323.

[0081] Sensor circuit 321 includes devices, modules, or subsystems designed to detect events or changes in their environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to other devices, modules, subsystems, etc. Examples of such sensors include, in particular: inertial measurement units (IMUs) including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) including triaxial accelerometers, triaxial gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless aperture sensors); light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.), depth sensors, ambient light sensors, ultrasonic transceivers; microphones or other similar audio capture devices; etc.

[0082] EMC 322 includes devices, modules, or subsystems intended to enable platform 300 to change its state, position, and / or orientation, or to move or control mechanisms or (sub)systems. Additionally, EMC 322 can be configured to generate messages / signaling and send messages / signaling to other components of platform 300 to indicate the current state of EMC 322. Examples of EMC 322 include one or more power switches, relays (including electromechanical relays (EMRs) and / or solid-state relays (SSRs)), actuators (e.g., valve actuators, etc.), audible generators, visual warning devices, motors (e.g., DC motors, stepper motors, etc.), wheels, propellers, propellers, claws, clamps, hooks, and / or other similar electromechanical components. In some examples, platform 300 is configured to operate one or more EMC 322s based on one or more captured events and / or commands or control signals received from service providers and / or various clients.

[0083] In some implementations, the interface circuitry can connect platform 300 to positioning circuitry 345. Positioning circuitry 345 includes circuitry for receiving and decoding signals transmitted / broadcast by a GNSS positioning network. Examples of navigation satellite constellations (or GNSS) may include the US GPS, Russia's GLONASS, the EU's Galileo system, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, regional navigation systems, or GNSS augmentation systems (e.g., NAVIC, Japan's QZSS, France's DORIS, etc.). Positioning circuitry 345 includes various hardware components (e.g., hardware devices such as switches, filters, amplifiers, antenna elements, etc.) for facilitating OTA communication to communicate with components of the positioning network, such as navigation satellite constellation nodes. In some examples, positioning circuitry 345 may include a miniature PNT IC that performs position tracking / estimation using a master timing clock without GNSS assistance. Positioning circuitry 345 may also be part of or interact with baseband circuitry 210 and / or RFEM 315 to communicate with nodes and components of the positioning network. The positioning circuit 345 can also provide location data and / or time data to the application circuit 305, which can use the data to synchronize operations with various infrastructures (e.g., radio base stations) for use in turn-by-turn navigation applications, etc.

[0084] In some implementations, the interface circuitry can connect platform 300 to near-field communication (NFC) circuitry 340. NFC circuitry 340 is configured to provide contactless short-range communication based on radio frequency identification (RFID) standards, where a magnetic field sensor is used to enable communication between NFC circuitry 340 and NFC-enabled devices (e.g., “NFC contacts”) external to platform 300. NFC circuitry 340 includes an NFC controller coupled to an antenna element and a processor coupled to the NFC controller. The NFC controller may be a chip / IC that provides NFC functionality to NFC circuitry 340 by executing NFC controller firmware and an NFC stack. The NFC stack may be executed by the processor to control the NFC controller, and the NFC controller firmware may be executed by the NFC controller to control the antenna element to transmit short-range RF signals. The RF signals may power passive NFC tags (e.g., microchips embedded in stickers or wristbands) to transmit stored data to NFC circuitry 340, or initiate data transfer between NFC circuitry 340 and another active NFC device (e.g., a smartphone or an NFC-enabled POS terminal) located near platform 300.

[0085] The driving circuitry 346 may include software and hardware elements for controlling specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the platform 300. The driving circuitry 346 may include various drivers that allow other components of the platform 300 to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may exist within or be connected to the platform. For example, the driving circuitry 346 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device; a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface of the platform 300; a sensor driver for acquiring sensor readings of sensor circuitry 321 and controlling and allowing access to sensor circuitry 321; an EMC driver for acquiring actuator position of EMC 322 and / or controlling and allowing access to EMC 322; a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device; and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0086] A power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 325 (also referred to as "power management circuit 325") manages the power supplied to various components of platform 300. Specifically, relative to baseband circuit 310, PMIC 325 controls power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion. PMIC 325 is typically included when platform 300 can be powered by battery 330, for example, when the device is included in UE 101.

[0087] Battery 330 can power platform 300, but in some examples, platform 300 may be mounted in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the grid. Battery 330 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in V2X applications, battery 330 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0088] In some implementations, battery 330 may be a "smart battery" that includes or is coupled to a battery management system (BMS) or battery monitoring integrated circuit. The BMS may be included in platform 300 to track the state of charge (SoCh) of battery 330. The BMS can be used to monitor other parameters of battery 330, such as state of health (SoH) and state of function (SoF) to provide fault prediction. The BMS can transmit information about battery 330 to application circuitry 305 or other components of platform 300. The BMS may also include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that allows application circuitry 305 to directly monitor the voltage of battery 330 or the current from battery 330. Battery parameters can be used to determine actions that platform 300 can perform, such as transmission frequency, network operation, sensing frequency, etc.

[0089] A power block or other power source coupled to the grid can be coupled to the BMS to charge the battery 330. In some examples, a wireless power receiver can replace the power block XS30 to wirelessly obtain power, for example, via a loop antenna in the computer platform 300. In these examples, the wireless battery charging circuitry can be included in the BMS. The specific charging circuitry chosen may depend on the size of the battery 330 and therefore on the required current. Charging can be performed using the aviation fuel standards published by the Aviation Fuel Alliance, the Qi wireless charging standard published by the Radio Power Alliance, or the Rezence charging standard published by the Radio Power Alliance.

[0090] User interface circuitry 350 includes various input / output (I / O) devices present within or connected to platform 300, and includes one or more user interfaces designed to enable user interaction with platform 300 and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable interaction with peripheral components of platform 300. User interface circuitry 350 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual device for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a scanner, a headset, etc. Output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual device for displaying information or otherwise conveying information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). Output device circuitry may include any number and / or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary status indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), wherein the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc., is generated or produced by the operation of platform 300. Output device circuitry may also include speakers or other audio transmitting devices, printers, etc. In some examples, sensor circuitry 321 may be used as input device circuitry (e.g., image capture devices, motion capture devices, etc.) and one or more EMCs may be used as output device circuitry (e.g., actuators for providing haptic feedback, etc.). In another example, NFC circuitry may be included for reading electronic tags and / or connecting to another NFC-enabled device, the NFC circuitry including an NFC controller and processing device coupled to an antenna element. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile memory ports, USB ports, audio jacks, power interfaces, etc.

[0091] Although not shown, components of platform 300 may communicate with each other using suitable bus or interconnect (IX) technologies, which may include any number of technologies, including ISA, EISA, PCI, PCIx, PCIe, Time Triggered Protocol (TTP) systems, FlexRay systems, or any number of other technologies. The bus / IX may be a proprietary bus / IX, for example, used in a SoC-based system. Other bus / IX systems may be included, such as I2C interfaces, SPI interfaces, point-to-point interfaces, and power buses, etc.

[0092] Figure 4 Various protocol functions that can be implemented in wireless communication devices are illustrated, based on various examples. Specifically, Figure 4 This includes an arrangement 400 illustrating the interconnections between various protocol layers / entities. It provides various protocol layers / entities operating in conjunction with 5G / NR system standards and LTE system standards. Figure 4 The following description, but Figure 4 Some or all of these aspects may also be applicable to other wireless communication network systems.

[0093] In addition to other higher-layer functions not shown, the protocol layers of arrangement 400 may also include one or more of PHY 410, MAC 420, RLC 430, PDCP 440, SDAP 447, RRC 455, and NAS layer 457. These protocol layers may include one or more service access points (e.g., providing communication between two or more protocol layers). Figure 4 Items 459, 456, 450, 449, 445, 435, 425, and 415.

[0094] PHY 410 can transmit and receive physical layer signals 405, which can be received from or transmitted to one or more other communication devices. Physical layer signals 405 may include one or more physical channels, such as those discussed herein. PHY 410 can also perform link adaptive or adaptive modulation and coding (AMC), power control, cell search (e.g., for initial synchronization and handover purposes), and other measurements used by higher layers (e.g., RRC 455). PHY 410 can further perform error detection on transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding of transport channels, modulation / demodulation of physical channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to physical channels, and MIMO antenna processing. In some examples, instances of PHY 410 may process requests from instances of MAC 420 and provide indications to them via one or more PHY-SAP 415. According to some examples, requests and indications transmitted via PHY-SAP 415 may include one or more transport channels.

[0095] An instance of MAC 420 can process requests from instances of RLC 430 via one or more MAC-SAP 425s and provide them with instructions. These requests and instructions transmitted via MAC-SAP 425s may include one or more logical channels. MAC 420 can perform mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs from one or more logical channels onto a TB to be delivered to PHY 410 via a transport channel, demultiplexing MAC SDUs from a TB delivered from PHY 410 via a transport channel onto one or more logical channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, and logical channel prioritization.

[0096] An instance of RLC 430 can process requests from instances of PDCP 440 and provide them with instructions via one or more Radio Link Control Service Access Points (RLC-SAP) 435. These requests and instructions transmitted via RLC-SAP 435 may include one or more RLC channels. RLC 430 can operate in several modes, including Transparent Mode (TM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), and Acknowledged Mode (AM). RLC 430 can perform transmission of Upper Layer Protocol Data Units (PDUs), error correction via Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) for AM data transmission, and concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transmission. RLC 430 can also re-segment RLC data PDUs for AM data transmission, reorder RLC data PDUs for UM and AM data transmission, detect duplicate data for UM and AM data transmission, discard RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transmission, detect protocol errors for AM data transmission, and perform RLC re-establishment.

[0097] An instance of PDCP 440 can process and provide instructions to instances of RRC 455 and / or SDAP 447 via one or more Packet Data Convergence Protocol Service Access Points (PDCP-SAP-SAP) 445. These requests and instructions transmitted via PDCP-SAP 445 may include one or more radio bearers. PDCP 440 can perform header compression and decompression of IP data, maintain PDCP sequence numbers (SNs), perform sequential delivery of upper-layer PDUs during lower-layer re-establishment, eliminate duplication of lower-layer SDUs during lower-layer re-establishment for radio bearers mapped on RLC AM, encrypt and decrypt control plane data, perform integrity protection and integrity verification on control plane data, control timer-based data discarding, and perform security operations (e.g., encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification, etc.).

[0098] Instances of SDAP 447 can process requests from one or more higher-layer protocol entities via one or more SDAP-SAP 449s and provide them with indications. These requests and indications transmitted via SDAP-SAP 449s can include one or more QoS flows. SDAP 447 can map QoS flows to DRBs and vice versa, and can also tag QFIs in DL and UL packets. A single SDAP entity 447 can be configured for a single PDU session. In the UL direction, NG-RAN 110 can control the mapping of QoS flows to DRBs in two different ways (reflective mapping or explicit mapping). For reflective mapping, UE 101's SDAP 447 can monitor the QFI of DL packets in each DRB and can apply the same mapping for packets flowing in the UL direction. For DRBs, UE 101's SDAP 447 can map UL packets belonging to a QoS flow that corresponds to the QoS flow ID and PDU session observed in the DL packets of that DRB. To implement reflective mapping, NG-RAN can tag DL packets with QoS flow IDs via the Uu interface. Explicit mapping can involve configuring SDAP 447 with explicit mapping rules from RRC455 to QoS flows to the DRB. These rules can be stored by SDAP447 and followed. In some examples, SDAP 447 may be used only in NR implementations and not in LTE implementations.

[0099] RRC 455 can configure aspects of one or more protocol layers via one or more Management Service Access Points (M-SAPs), which may include one or more instances of PHY 410, MAC 420, RLC 430, PDCP 440, and SDAP 447. In some examples, instances of RRC 455 may process requests from one or more NAS entities 457 and provide them with instructions via one or more RRC-SAPs 456. The main services and functions of RRC 455 may include broadcasting system information (e.g., included in NAS-related MIBs or SIBs), broadcasting system information related to the Access Layer (AS), paging, establishment, maintenance, and release of RRC connections between UE 101 and RAN 110 (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), establishment, configuration, maintenance, and release of point-to-point radio bearers, security functions including key management, inter-RAT mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting. These MIBs and SIBs may include one or more IEs, each of which may include a separate data field or data structure.

[0100] The NAS 457 forms the highest layer of the control plane between UE 101 and the AMF. The NAS 457 can support the mobility and session management procedures of UE 101 to establish and maintain the IP connection between UE 101 and the P-GW in the LTE system.

[0101] According to various examples, one or more protocol entities of deployment 400 may be implemented in UE 101, RAN node 111, AMF (e.g., in an NR implementation) or MME (e.g., in an LTE implementation), UPF (e.g., in an NR implementation) or S-GW and P-GW (e.g., in an LTE implementation), etc., for use in the control plane or user plane communication protocol stack between the aforementioned devices. In such examples, one or more protocol entities that may be implemented in one or more of UE 101, gNB 111, AMF, etc., are able to communicate with corresponding peer protocol entities that may be implemented in another device or on another device (using the services of the corresponding lower-level protocol entity to perform such communication). In some examples, the gNB-CU of gNB 111 can host the RRC 455, SDAP 447, and PDCP440 of gNB to control the operation of one or more gNB-DUs, and the gNB-DU of gNB 111 can each host the RLC 430, MAC 420, and PHY 410 of gNB 111.

[0102] In the first example, the control plane protocol stack may include NAS 457, RRC455, PDCP 440, RLC 430, MAC 420, and PHY 410 in order from the highest to the lowest layer. In this example, the upper layer 460 may be built on top of NAS 457, which includes IP layer 461, SCTP 462, and application layer signaling protocol (AP) 463.

[0103] In a specific NR implementation, AP 463 may be an NG application protocol layer (NGAP or NG-AP) 463 for an NG interface 113 that is limited between NG-RAN node 111 and AMF, or AP 463 may be an Xn application protocol layer (XnAP or Xn-AP) 463 for an Xn interface 112 that is limited between two or more RAN nodes 111.

[0104] NG-AP 463 can support the functionality of NG interface 113 and may include an initial procedure (EP). The NG-AP EP may be the interaction unit between NG-RAN point 111 and AMF. NG-AP 463 services may include two groups: UE-related services (e.g., services related to UE 101) and non-UE-related services (e.g., services related to the entire NG interface instance between NG-RAN node 111 and AMF). These services may include, but are not limited to: paging functions for sending paging requests to NG-RAN nodes 111 involved in a specific paging area; UE context management functions for allowing the AMF to establish, modify, and / or release UE contexts in the AMF and NG-RAN nodes 111; mobility functions for UE 101 in ECM-CONNECTED mode to perform intra-system HO to support mobility within the NG-RAN and inter-system HO to support mobility from / to EPS systems; NAS signaling transmission functions for transmitting or rerouting NAS messages between UE 101 and the AMF; NAS node selection functions for determining the association between the AMF and UE 101; NG interface management functions for setting up the NG interface and monitoring for errors on the NG interface; warning message transmission functions for providing means to transmit warning messages or cancel ongoing warning message broadcasts via the NG interface; configuration transmission functions for requesting and transmitting RAN configuration information (e.g., SON information, performance measurement (PM) data, etc.) between two RAN nodes 111 via CN 120; and / or other similar functions.

[0105] XnAP 463 can support the functions of Xn interface 112 and may include XnAP basic mobility procedures and XnAP global procedures. XnAP basic mobility procedures may include processes for handling UE mobility within NG RAN 111 (or E-UTRAN), such as handover preparation and cancellation procedures, SN state transfer procedures, UE context retrieval and UE context release procedures, RAN paging procedures, and procedures related to dual connectivity. XnAP global procedures may include procedures independent of a specific UE 101, such as Xn interface setup and reset procedures, NG-RAN update procedures, and cell activation procedures.

[0106] In a specific LTE implementation, AP 463 can be an S1 application protocol layer (S1-AP) 463 for an S1 interface 113 defined between E-UTRAN node 111 and MME, or AP 463 can be an X2 application protocol layer (X2AP or X2-AP) 463 for an X2 interface 112 defined between two or more E-UTRAN nodes 111.

[0107] The S1 Application Protocol Layer (S1-AP) 463 can support the functions of the S1 interface, and similar to the previously discussed NG-AP, the S1-AP can include an S1-AP EP. The S1-AP EP can be the interaction unit between the E-UTRAN node 111 and the MME within the LTE CN 120. The S1-AP 463 services can include two groups: UE-associated services and non-UE-associated services. These services perform functions including, but not limited to: E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer (E-RAB) management, UE capability indication, mobility, NAS signaling transmission, RAN Information Management (RIM), and configuration transmission.

[0108] X2AP 463 can support the functions of X2 interface 112 and may include X2AP basic mobility procedures and X2AP global procedures. X2AP basic mobility procedures may include procedures for handling UE mobility within E-UTRAN 120, such as handover preparation and cancellation procedures, SN state transmission procedures, UE context retrieval and UE context release procedures, RAN paging procedures, and procedures related to dual connectivity. X2AP global procedures may include procedures independent of a specific UE 101, such as X2 interface setup and reset procedures, load indication procedures, error indication procedures, and cell activation procedures.

[0109] The SCTP layer (optionally referred to as the SCTP / IP layer) 462 provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages (e.g., NGAP or XnAP messages in NR implementations, or S1-AP or X2AP messages in LTE implementations). SCTP 462 can ensure reliable delivery of signaling messages between RAN node 111 and the AMF / MME, in part based on the IP protocol supported by IP 461. The Internet Protocol layer (IP) 461 can be used to perform packet addressing and routing functions. In some implementations, the IP layer 461 can use point-to-point transmission to deliver and transmit PDUs. In this regard, RAN node 111 may include L2 and L1 layer communication links (e.g., wired or wireless) with the MME / AMF to exchange information.

[0110] In the second example, the user plane protocol stack may include SDAP 447, PDCP 440, RLC 430, MAC 420, and PHY 410 in order from the highest to the lowest layer. The user plane protocol stack can be used for communication between UE 101, RAN node 111, and UPF in an NR implementation, or between S-GW and P-GW in an LTE implementation. In this example, the upper layer 451 may be built on top of SDAP 447 and may include User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and IP Security Layer (UDP / IP) 452, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) tunneling protocol for User Plane Layer (GTP-U) 453, and User Plane PDU Layer (UP PDU) 463.

[0111] The transport network layer 454 (also known as the "transport layer") can be built on top of IP transport, and GTP-U 453 can be used on top of the UDP / IP layer 452 (which includes the UDP and IP layers) to carry user plane PDUs (UP-PDUs). The IP layer (also known as the "Internet layer") can be used to perform packet addressing and routing functions. The IP layer can assign IP addresses to user data packets in any of the formats, such as IPv4, IPv6, or PPP.

[0112] GTP-U 453 can be used to carry user data within the GPRS core network and between the radio access network and the core network. For example, the transmitted user data can be packets in any of the IPv4, IPv6, or PPP formats. UDP / IP 452 provides checksums for data integrity, port numbers for addressing different functions at the source and destination, and encryption and authentication of selected data streams. RAN node 111 and S-GW can exchange user plane data using the S1-U interface via a protocol stack including L1 layer (e.g., PHY410), L2 layer (e.g., MAC 420, RLC 430, PDCP 440, and / or SDAP447), UDP / IP layer 452, and GTP-U 453. S-GW and P-GW can exchange user plane data using the S5 / S8a interface via a protocol stack including L1 layer, L2 layer, UDP / IP layer 452, and GTP-U 453. As previously discussed, the NAS protocol supports the mobility and session management processes of UE 101 to establish and maintain IP connections between UE 101 and P-GW.

[0113] Furthermore, despite Figure 4Not shown, but the application layer may exist above AP 463 and / or transport network layer 454. The application layer may be a layer where users of UE 101, RAN node 111, or other network elements interact with software applications, for example, executed by application circuitry 205 or application circuitry 305, respectively. The application layer may also provide one or more interfaces for software applications to interact with the communication systems of UE 101 or RAN node 111 (such as baseband circuits 210, 310). In some specific implementations, the IP layer and / or application layer may provide the same or similar functionality as layers 5 through 7 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, or portions thereof (e.g., OSI layer 7—application layer, OSI layer 6—presentation layer, and OSI layer 5—session layer).

[0114] As described above, the 5G NR standard allows a network to configure a UE (e.g., UE 101 or device 300) to operate on a subset of the total channel bandwidth known as a Bandwidth Part (BWP). Under this standard, a UE can be configured to have up to four BWPs in the uplink and / or downlink, where only one BWP is active in both the uplink and downlink at any given time. Each BWP can be configured (e.g., via RRC messages) with a specific frequency location, bandwidth size, parameter set (μ) (e.g., subcarrier spacing (SCS), symbol duration, and cyclic prefix (CP) length), and control resource set (CORESET). Thus, a UE can be configured with multiple BWPs, each serving a different purpose. For example, one BWP may have a reduced bandwidth size (e.g., to reduce UE power consumption or support UEs that cannot operate on the full carrier bandwidth), while another BWP may have a larger bandwidth size (e.g., to support high-rate data transmission), and yet another BWP may have other parameter sets or parameters to allow compatibility with other systems or networks (e.g., LTE networks).

[0115] To reduce UE complexity, one or more bandwidth limits can be applied to the BWP, thus eliminating the need for RF tuning in certain situations. For example, under the 5G NR standard, DL BWPs, such as the first active BWP or a UE-specific RRC configuration BWP, can include bandwidth for the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and Control Resource Set (CORESET) #0 (if present) for PCell / PSCell, as well as bandwidth for the SSB (if present) for SCell. This allows the UE to perform RRM activities, such as in-frequency and serving cell measurements, SCell activation procedures, and PSCell additions, without modifying the RF front-end.

[0116] In some specific implementations, the UE can support BWP operation without the aforementioned bandwidth limitations. For example, the UE may be able to receive SSBs for PCell, PSCell, and / or SCell outside of the cell's DL BWP. This capability can be indicated by the UE (e.g., in the UE capability message) using the bwp-WithoutRestriction parameter defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.306, as shown in the table below. However, different UEs can implement BWP operation without bandwidth limitations in different ways, making it difficult for the UE and network to coordinate RRM activities outside of the DL BWP.

[0117]

[0118] When a UE indicates support for BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the techniques described herein enable RRM activities to be performed outside of an active DLBWP. Specifically, techniques for configuring a UE to receive SSBs outside of an active DL BWP are described. Furthermore, methods are provided for the network to interpret indications supporting BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, including whether the UE requires measurement gaps or interruptions for RF tuning. In this way, the network and UE can coordinate RRM activities outside of an active DL BWP, including in-frequency and serving cell measurements, SCell activation procedures, and PSCell additions, thereby improving RRM flexibility and performance.

[0119] According to one aspect of this disclosure, if the UE indicates support for BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the UE can be configured to extend its operating bandwidth to perform measurements on an SSB (e.g., within the target frequency or the serving cell SSB) outside of any configured DL BWP. For example, refer to... Figure 5AFigure 500 illustrates a UE operating on an active BWP 502. In this example, the UE determines that a target SSB 504 is outside of the active BWP 502 (e.g., based on indications from the network, such as the center frequency of the target SSB or an indication of another frequency or frequency range associated with the target SSB). If the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations for that frequency layer or band (e.g., the frequency layer or band that includes SSB 504), the UE can adjust one or more RF communication parameters (e.g., parameters of the RF chain for the active BWP) to operate on an adjusted operating bandwidth (BW) 506 that includes both the bandwidth (e.g., frequency range) of the active BWP 502 and SSB 504. In this example, the network (e.g., RAN node 111 or system 200) can assume, at least in part, that the UE can receive SSB 504 and perform SSB measurements without any measurement gaps, based on the indication that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations. Thus, when the UE indicates support for unrestricted BWP operation, the UE can perform in-frequency or serving cell measurements (and other RRM activities) on SSB 504 outside of active BWP 502 without measurement gaps.

[0120] In some examples, the UE can use a backup RF chain to create additional working bandwidth covering the SSB, rather than extending the working bandwidth of the active RF chain. For example, see reference... Figure 5B Figure 550 illustrates a scenario where the UE operates on active BWP 552. In this example, the UE determines that the target SSB 554 is outside of active BWP 552. If the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the UE can adjust one or more RF communication parameters (e.g., configure an alternate RF chain) to operate on both a first operating bandwidth 556 and a second operating bandwidth 558 separated by gap 560, where the first operating bandwidth 556 includes the bandwidth of active BWP 552 and the second operating bandwidth 558 includes the bandwidth of SSB 554. In this example, the network can assume, at least in part, that the UE can receive SSB 554 and perform SSB measurements without any measurement gaps, based on an indication that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations. Thus, the UE can measure SSB 554 outside of active BWP 552 without needing to operate within the bandwidth defined by gap 560.

[0121] Generally speaking, the UE extends the operating bandwidth of the active RF chain to cover the SSB (e.g., Figure 5A (As shown) or use a spare RF chain to create additional working bandwidth covering the SSB (e.g.) Figure 5BThe specific implementation and capabilities of the UE (as shown) can vary. In some examples, when the frequency domain spacing between the active BWP and the target SSB is below a certain threshold (e.g., below 40MHz to 100MHz), the UE can choose to extend the operating bandwidth of the active RF chain to cover the target SSB. Conversely, when the frequency domain spacing between the active BWP and the target SSB is above the threshold (e.g., above 100MHz), the UE can choose to use a backup RF chain to create additional operating bandwidth to cover the target SSB. To facilitate this decision-making, the network can instruct the UE on one or more parameters of the target SSB, such as center frequency, bandwidth, etc. In some examples, when performing measurements on the target SSB, standard availability and scheduling constraints defined in relevant technical specifications (e.g., 5G specifications) can be applied.

[0122] In some examples, it may be beneficial for the UE to increase its operating bandwidth only during the measurement period of the target SSB in order to reduce its power consumption outside the measurement period. In this configuration, the UE may need time before and after the SSB measurement period to adjust its operating bandwidth. Therefore, in some examples, if the UE indicates support for BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the UE can be configured to extend its operating bandwidth when the measurement period of an SSB occurs outside of any configured DL BWP, and may include interruption periods before and after the SSB measurement period. For example, refer to Figure 6A Figure 600 illustrates a UE operating on an active BWP 602. In this example, the UE determines that a target SSB 604 with a measurement timing 606 is outside the active BWP 602. If the UE indicates support for BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the UE can adjust one or more RF communication parameters to extend from a first operating bandwidth 608 to a second operating bandwidth 610 when the measurement timing 606 of SSB 604 occurs. The first operating bandwidth 608 may correspond to the active BWP 602, and the second operating bandwidth 610 may include both the bandwidths of the active BWP 602 and SSB 604. Once the SSB measurement timing 606 ends, the UE can restore its operating bandwidth to the first operating bandwidth 608. In this example, the network can cause interruptions 612, 614 before and after the SSB measurement timing 606 to allow the UE sufficient time for RF adjustments, at least in part, based on the UE's indication of support for BWP operation without bandwidth limitations. Furthermore, the network may at least partially rely on the indication that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, assuming that the UE can receive SSB 604 and perform SSB measurements without any measurement gaps.

[0123] In some examples, the UE can configure a backup RF chain to create additional working bandwidth to cover the SSB during SSB measurement periods. For example, see reference... Figure 6BFigure 650 illustrates a scenario where the UE operates on active BWP 652. In this example, the UE determines that the target SSB 654 with measurement timing 656 is outside of active BWP 652. Initially, the UE operates on a first operating bandwidth 658 corresponding to active BWP 652. When SSB measurement timing 656 occurs, if the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, the UE can activate or otherwise configure a backup RF chain to operate on a second operating bandwidth 660 corresponding to the bandwidth of SSB 654. In some examples, the second operating bandwidth 660 is separated from the first operating bandwidth 658 by a gap 662. Once SSB measurement timing 656 ends, the UE can deactivate the backup RF chain to restore its operating bandwidth to the first operating bandwidth 658, thereby reducing power consumption. In this example, the network can cause interruptions 664, 666 before and after SSB measurement timing 656 to allow the UE sufficient time for RF adjustments, at least in part based on an indication that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations. Furthermore, the network may at least partially rely on the indication that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, assuming that the UE can receive SSB 604 and perform SSB measurements without any measurement gaps.

[0124] In the above example, the network assumes that the UE does not require measurement gaps to perform SSB measurements outside of active DL BWP, based on the UE's indication that it supports BWP operation without bandwidth restrictions. In some examples, the UE may explicitly indicate whether measurement gaps are required. For example, if the UE indicates that it supports BWP operation without bandwidth restrictions (e.g., using bwp-WithoutRestriction IE) and indicates that measurement gaps are not required using NeedForGapsIntraFreq-r16 IE (e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331), the network can determine that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth restrictions and is capable of performing in-frequency or serving cell measurements (and other RRM activities) without measurement gaps. In this case, the UE can be configured for BWP operation without bandwidth restrictions, as shown in, for example, reference... Figures 5A to 5B and Figures 6A to 6BThe discussion continues. On the other hand, if the UE indicates that it supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations and indicates the need for measurement gaps using NeedForGapsIntraFreq-r16 IE, the network can determine that the UE supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, but requires measurement gaps for in-frequency or serving cell measurements (and other RRM activities). In some examples, since the UE does not need to transmit or receive data or control information during measurement gaps, the UE can adjust the RF chain during measurement gaps so that no separate network interruption is required. If the UE does not indicate that it supports BWP operation without limitations within a specific frequency layer or band, the UE can discard or otherwise not perform measurements (e.g., in-frequency or serving cell measurements, etc.) on SSBs outside of DL BWPs and within a specific frequency layer or band, and the network can avoid configuring the UE with such an SSB (or associated serving cell) on that specific frequency layer or band.

[0125] The techniques described herein can be applied to other RRM procedures, including (but not limited to) SCell activation. For example, if a UE indicates that it does not support BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, then the UE can discard the SCell activation procedure if the SSB of the target SCell is not in the first active DL BWP or any DL BWP of the target SCell. On the network side, if a UE indicates that it does not support BWP operation without bandwidth description, the network can configure the UE to activate the target SCell only if the SSB of the target SCell is in the first active DL BWP of the target SCell. On the other hand, if a UE indicates that it supports BWP operation without bandwidth limitations, and the SSB of the target SCell is not in the first active DL BWP or any DL BWP of the target SCell, the UE can be configured to receive and perform measurements on the SSB according to the techniques described herein. For example, in some examples, during the SCell activation process period (e.g., the period defined in 3GPP TS 38.133, Section 8.3.2), the UE will not perform RF chain adjustments (e.g., will not adjust the operating bandwidth or turn on / off the backup RF chain) after DL synchronization of the target SCell (including automatic gain control (AGC) estimation (if needed), PSS / SSS detection (if needed), and / or time / frequency tracking). In other words, in this example, the UE will configure the operating bandwidth including the bandwidth of the first active BWP and the target SSB (e.g., as referenced). Figure 5A and Figure 5B (As discussed), and during the SCell activation process, no interruption will be caused after the DL synchronization of the target SCell to further adjust the RF chain.

[0126] In some examples, the UE will perform RF chain adjustments (e.g., adjusting the operating bandwidth or turning on / off the backup RF chain) after DL synchronization of the target SCell (including AGC estimation (if needed), PSS / SSS detection (if needed), and / or time / frequency tracking) during the SCell activation process period, because the UE only uses the adjusted (extended) bandwidth or the backup RF chain during the DL synchronization period. In other words, in this example, the UE will cause an interruption during the SCell activation process period after DL synchronization of the target SCell (e.g., as referenced). Figure 6A and Figure 6B (As discussed). In this example, the network may assume that an additional interruption due to UE RF adjustment will occur during the SCell activation process period after DL synchronization of the target SCell.

[0127] In some examples, when the UE (e.g., using NeedForGapsIntraFreq-r16 IE) indicates that a measurement gap is not required for the target frequency or SCell, the UE will not perform RF chain adjustments (e.g., will not adjust the operating bandwidth or turn the standby RF chain on / off) after the target SCell's DL synchronization (including AGC estimation (if needed), PSS / SSS detection (if needed), and / or time / frequency tracking) during the SCell activation process period. In other words, in this example, the UE will not cause an outage during the SCell activation process after the target SCell's DL synchronization. In some examples, when the UE indicates that a measurement gap is required for the target frequency or SCell, the UE will perform RF chain adjustments during the SCell activation process period after the target SCell's DL synchronization. In other words, in this example, the UE will cause an outage during the SCell activation process period after the target SCell's DL synchronization. In this example, the network may assume that an additional outage due to the UE's RF adjustments will occur during the SCell activation process after the target SCell's DL synchronization.

[0128] Figure 7 An exemplary process 700 for an enhanced RRM for an SSB other than an active BWP, according to one aspect of this disclosure, is illustrated. In some examples, process 700 is performed by one or more devices or systems described herein, such as UE 101 or device 300, or RAN node 111 or system 200, which include at least one processor (e.g., application circuitry 205, 305, baseband circuitry 210, 310, etc.) and at least one computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory circuitry 220, 320) storing instructions executable by at least one processor to perform process 700.

[0129] The operation of procedure 700 includes transmitting 702 the UE's ability to support an unrestricted BWP to the access node. For example, a UE such as UE 101 or device 300 may (e.g., using one or more RFEMs 315) transmit an indication to an access node such as RAN 111 or system 200 that it supports an unrestricted BWP. In some examples, transmitting the UE's ability to support an unrestricted BWP to the access node includes sending a bwp-WithoutRestriction IE to the access node.

[0130] At 704, the UE can determine that the SSB is outside the DL BWP configured for the UE. In some examples, the UE can determine that the SSB is outside the DL BWP configured for the UE based on an indication from the access node. In some examples, the access node can indicate the center frequency or other frequencies (or frequency ranges) of the SSB.

[0131] Based at least in part on determining the SSB in addition to configuring the DL BWP for the UE, the UE can adjust at least one RF communication parameter 706 to adjust its operating bandwidth. For example, the UE can adjust at least one RF communication parameter of one or more RFEMs in RFEM 315. In some examples, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes configuring the operating bandwidth to include the DL BWP and an additional bandwidth including the SSB. In order to configure the operating bandwidth to include the DL BWP and the additional bandwidth including the SSB, the UE can determine the additional bandwidth including the SSB and extend the operating bandwidth from a first bandwidth including the DL BWP (e.g., active BWP 502) to a second bandwidth including the DL BWP and the additional bandwidth (e.g., the adjusted operating bandwidth 506).

[0132] In some examples, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes configuring a second operating bandwidth (e.g., second operating bandwidth 558) for the UE in addition to the UE's first operating bandwidth (e.g., first operating bandwidth 556), wherein the first operating bandwidth includes the DL BWP and the second operating bandwidth includes the SSB. To configure the second operating bandwidth, the UE may determine an additional bandwidth including the SSB and configure the second operating bandwidth to include that additional bandwidth (e.g., using a backup RF chain or RFEM 315).

[0133] In some examples, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth includes adjusting at least one RF communication parameter when an SSB measurement window (e.g., SSB measurement timing 606, 656) occurs. In some examples, the UE's operating bandwidth may correspond to a first bandwidth (e.g., first operating bandwidth 608) before the SSB measurement window occurs, and when the SSB measurement window expires, the UE may readjust at least one RF communication parameter to restore the UE's operating bandwidth to the first bandwidth.

[0134] In some examples, the UE may transmit an indication to the access node that the UE needs a measurement gap to perform SSB measurements. For example, the UE may transmit a NeedForGapsIntraFreq-r16 IE to the access node to indicate that the UE needs a measurement gap. In this example, adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the UE's operating bandwidth may include adjusting at least one RF communication parameter when a measurement gap occurs.

[0135] At 708, the UE uses the adjusted operating bandwidth to receive SSBs. The UE can process SSBs to perform one or more RRM activities, such as those described herein.

[0136] In some examples, the SSB received using the adjusted operating bandwidth is associated with the target SCell, and the adjusted operating bandwidth is not readjusted during the SCell activation process time of the target SCell. In some examples, the SSB received using the adjusted operating bandwidth is associated with the target SCell, and the UE's operating bandwidth before adjustment corresponds to a first bandwidth, and the UE readjusts at least one RF communication parameter to restore the UE's operating bandwidth to the first bandwidth during the SCell activation process time of the target SCell.

[0137] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating components, according to some examples, capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and capable of executing any or more of the methods discussed herein. Specifically, Figure 8 A schematic diagram of hardware resources 800 is shown, including one or more processors (or processor cores) 810, one or more memory / storage devices 820, and one or more communication resources 830, each of which can be communicatively coupled via bus 840. For an example utilizing node virtualization (e.g., NFV), a hypervisor 802 can be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / subslices to utilize hardware resources 800.

[0138] Processor 810 may include, for example, processor 812 and processor 814. Processor 810 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a DSP such as a baseband processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor (including those discussed herein), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0139] The memory / storage device 820 may include main memory, disk storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 820 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile or non-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state storage devices, etc.

[0140] Communication resource 830 may include interconnection devices or network interface components or other suitable devices for communicating with one or more peripheral devices 804 or one or more databases 806 via network 808. For example, communication resource 830 may include wired communication components (e.g., for coupling via USB), cellular communication components, NFC components, etc. (or Low-power components Components and other communication components.

[0141] Instructions 850 may include software, programs, applications, applets, or other executable code for causing at least one processor in processor 810 to perform any or more of the methods discussed herein. Instructions 850 may reside wholly or partially within at least one of processors 810 (e.g., within the processor's cache memory), memory / storage device 820, or any suitable combination thereof. Furthermore, any portion of instructions 850 may be transferred from peripheral device 804 or database 806 to hardware resource 800 from any combination thereof. Thus, the memory of processor 810, memory / storage device 820, peripheral device 804, and database 806 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0142] 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.

[0143] In various specific embodiments, the methods described herein can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the order of the blocks of the method can be changed, and various elements can be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. Various modifications and changes can be made, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. The various specific embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. Thus, multiple examples may be provided for a component described herein as a single example. The boundaries between various components, operations, and data repositories are somewhat arbitrary, and specific operations are shown in the context of a particular exemplary configuration. Other assignments of functionality are contemplated, which may fall within the scope of the appended claims. Finally, the structure and functionality of discrete components presented in the exemplary configuration can be implemented as combined structures or components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the specific embodiments as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: The UE's ability to support an unrestricted bandwidth portion (BWP) is transmitted to the access node; It is determined that the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) is outside the downlink (DL) BWP configured for the UE; At least based on the determination that the SSB adjusts at least one radio frequency (RF) communication parameter of the UE to adjust the operating bandwidth of the UE, in addition to configuring the DL BWP for the UE; as well as Use the adjusted operating bandwidth to receive the SSB.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the operating bandwidth of the UE comprises configuring the operating bandwidth to include the DL BWP and an additional bandwidth including the SSB.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring the working bandwidth to include the DL BWP and the additional bandwidth including the SSB comprises: Determine the additional bandwidth including the SSB; as well as The working bandwidth is extended from a first bandwidth including the DL BWP to a second bandwidth including the DL BWP and the additional bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the operating bandwidth of the UE comprises: Configure a second operating bandwidth for the UE, in addition to the UE's first operating bandwidth. The first operating bandwidth includes the DL BWP and the second operating bandwidth includes the SSB.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein configuring the second operating bandwidth comprises: Determine the additional bandwidth including the SSB; as well as Configure the second working bandwidth to include the additional bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the UE's ability to support an unrestricted BWP to the access node comprises sending a bwp-WithoutRestriction information element (IE) to the access node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the operating bandwidth of the UE includes adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter when the SSB measurement window of the SSB occurs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operating bandwidth of the UE corresponds to a first bandwidth before the SSB measurement window appears, the method further comprising: When the SSB measurement window expires, the at least one RF communication parameter is readjusted to restore the UE's operating bandwidth to the first bandwidth.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The access node is informed that the UE needs a measurement gap to perform SSB measurement; Adjusting at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the operating bandwidth of the UE includes adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter when the measurement gap occurs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the indication to the access node that the UE needs the measurement gap includes transmitting the requirement for the measurement gap to the access node using a NeedForGapsIntraFreq-r16 information element (IE).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSB received using the adjusted working bandwidth is associated with a target secondary cell (SCell), and wherein the adjusted working bandwidth is not readjusted during the SCell activation process time period of the target SCell.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSB received using the adjusted operating bandwidth is associated with a target secondary cell (SCell), and wherein the operating bandwidth of the UE before adjustment corresponds to a first bandwidth, the method further comprising: The at least one RF communication parameter is readjusted to restore the UE's operating bandwidth to the first bandwidth during the SCell activation process time period of the target SCell.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, based on an indication from the access node, that the SSB is configured in addition to the DL BWP for the UE, the indication including the center frequency of the SSB.

14. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one computer-readable storage device stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor to perform operations including: The device is transmitted to the access node to its ability to support an unrestricted bandwidth portion (BWP). The synchronization signal block (SSB) is determined to be outside the downlink (DL) BWP configured for the device; At least based on the determination that the SSB adjusts at least one radio frequency (RF) communication parameter of the device to adjust the operating bandwidth of the device, in addition to configuring the DLBWP for the device; as well as Use the adjusted operating bandwidth to receive the SSB.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter of the device to adjust the operating bandwidth of the device comprises configuring the operating bandwidth to include the DL BWP and an additional bandwidth including the SSB.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein adjusting the at least one RF communication parameter of the UE to adjust the operating bandwidth of the UE comprises: Configure a second operating bandwidth for the UE, in addition to the UE's first operating bandwidth. The first operating bandwidth includes the DL BWP and the second operating bandwidth includes the SSB.

17. A method comprising: Receive from the device an indication that the device supports the capability of an unrestricted bandwidth portion (BWP); as well as In response to the instruction, the device is configured to receive a synchronization signal block (SSB) in addition to the downlink (DL) BWP configured for the device, the configuration including causing the device to adjust at least one radio frequency (RF) communication parameter of the device to adjust the operating bandwidth of the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the indication that the device supports the capability of an unrestricted BWP comprises receiving a bwp-WithoutRestriction information element (IE) from the device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, at least in part, inducing an interruption period before and after the timing of the measurement of the SSB other than the DL BWP for the device, based on the indication that the device supports an unrestricted BWP.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising: The device receives an indication that it needs to measure the gap in order to receive the SSB outside of the DL BWP configured for the device; as well as The measurement gaps for the device are scheduled before and after the measurement timing of the SSB, which is in addition to the DL BWP configured for the device.

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