Methods, apparatus, and base stations for enhancing scheduling constraints for dynamic spectrum sharing in LTE and 5G NR

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a base station acting as a primary cell to perform dual spectrum sharing (DSS) with a first user equipment (UE) via a 5G NR connection and to perform DSS with a second UE via an LTE connection. The first UE establishes the 5G NR connection with the primary cell and one or more secondary cells. One of the secondary cells is configured in the 5G NR connection to provide the UE with downlink control information for the primary cell to avoid conflicts between the primary cell and LTE control transmissions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communications, including methods, systems, and apparatus for improving performance in Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) deployments. Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many mobile devices now offer access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate complex applications that utilize these functions.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is currently the technology of choice for most wireless network operators worldwide, providing mobile broadband data and high-speed internet access to their user base. LTE was first proposed in 2004 and first standardized in 2008. Since then, with the exponential growth in the use of wireless communication systems, the demand for wireless network operators has increased to support higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users. Therefore, research into new radio access technologies began in 2015, and in 2017, the first version of 5G New Radio (5G NR) was standardized.

[0004] Compared to LTE, 5G-NR (also known as NR) offers higher capacity for higher density mobile broadband users, while also supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communication between devices, as well as lower latency and / or lower battery consumption. Furthermore, NR allows for more flexible UE scheduling compared to current LTE. Therefore, efforts are underway to leverage the potentially higher throughput at higher frequencies in the ongoing development of 5G NR.

[0005] In dual-deployment scenarios of LTE and 5G NR, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) can be implemented, thereby sharing a portion of the spectrum between LTE and 5G NR. However, sharing a portion of the spectrum among multiple RATs can introduce complexity in efficiently utilizing available radio resources. Therefore, improvements in this field are expected. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This paper presents implementation schemes for systems, apparatuses, and methods, particularly for scheduling enhancements in Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) scenarios.

[0007] In some implementations, a User Equipment (UE) establishes a 5G NR connection with a primary cell and one or more secondary cells. The primary cell may also establish LTE connections with the same or different UEs. One of the secondary cells may be configured in the 5G NR connection to provide the UE with downlink control information for the primary cell, in order to avoid conflicts between the primary cell and LTE control transmissions.

[0008] In some implementations, the base station performs dual spectrum sharing (DSS) with a first user equipment (UE) via a 5G NR connection and DSS with a second UE via an LTE connection. The base station acts as the primary cell for the first UE, and one or more secondary cells also establish 5G NR connections with the first UE. One of the secondary cells is configured in the 5G NR connection to provide the UE with downlink control information (DCI) for the primary cell. The DCI provided by the secondary cell can schedule transmissions between the first UE and the primary cell and / or perform other control functions for the first UE.

[0009] The base station can provide LTE control transmissions to the second UE, and offloading 5G NR DCI transmissions to the secondary cell can prevent conflicts between LTE and 5G NR control information.

[0010] The technologies described herein may be implemented in or used in several different types of devices, including but not limited to cellular phones, tablet computers, accessories and / or wearable computing devices, portable media players, cellular base stations and other cellular network infrastructure equipment, servers, and any of a variety of other computing devices.

[0011] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0012] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following specific description of the implementation scheme in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 Exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0014] Figure 2 A base station (BS) communicating with a user equipment (UE) according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0015] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0016] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a BS according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a UE to perform cross-carrier scheduling in a dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) scenario, according to some implementation schemes;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a BS to perform cross-carrier scheduling in a dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) scenario, according to some implementation schemes;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the scheduling relationship between the primary cell and two secondary cells according to some implementation schemes;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the search space utilization of the primary and secondary cells according to some implementation schemes; and

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the downlink control information format of a primary cell and a secondary cell according to some implementation schemes.

[0022] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0023] acronym

[0024] The following acronyms are used in this disclosure.

[0025] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0026] 3GPP2: Third Generation Partnership Project 2

[0027] RAN: Radio Access Network

[0028] GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

[0029] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

[0030] UTRAN: UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network or Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0031] UE: User Equipment

[0032] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0033] NR: New Radio

[0034] E-UTRAN: Evolved UMTS Radio Access Network or Evolved Universal Radio Access Network; RRC: Radio Resource Control.

[0035] RLC: Radio Link Control

[0036] MAC: Media Access Control

[0037] PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol

[0038] RF: Radio Frequency

[0039] DL: Downlink

[0040] UL: Uplink

[0041] NW: Network

[0042] BS: Base Station

[0043] MME: Mobility Management Entity

[0044] AMF: Access Management Function

[0045] AS: Access Layer

[0046] NAS: Non-Access Layer

[0047] RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0048] PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network

[0049] LAA: Licensed Assisted Access

[0050] CA: Carrier Aggregation

[0051] Rx: Receiver

[0052] PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0053] PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0054] PRB: Physical Resource Block

[0055] DCI: Downlink Control Information

[0056] SNR: Signal-to-noise ratio

[0057] RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0058] SF: Subframe

[0059] Terminology The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0060] Memory media—any device of any type of nontransitory memory device or storage device. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, e.g., hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems connected via a network, for example. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0061] Carrier medium—the memory medium as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals).

[0062] Programmable hardware elements encompass a variety of hardware devices that include multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0063] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, networked appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0064] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of a variety of computer systems or devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM Wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), laptops, PDAs, portable networking devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices. Generally, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined as any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications equipment (or combination of equipment) that is easily transportable by the user and capable of wireless communication.

[0065] A wireless device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or it can be stationary or fixed in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0066] A communication device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile), or it may be stationary or fixed in a location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0067] Base station—The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and is used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0068] Processing element (or processor) – refers to various elements or combinations of elements. Processing elements include, for example, circuitry such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, the entire processor core, individual processors, programmable hardware devices (such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)), and / or a large portion of a system comprising multiple processors.

[0069] A channel is a medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on different wireless protocols, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standard manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while BLUETOOTH... TM The channel can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of the channel. In addition, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0070] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0071] Automatic—means an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatically" is the opposite of an operation performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0072] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured as" to perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured as" can also be a broad expression generally meaning a structure that "has" a "circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently powered on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0073] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions shall be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to”. The statement that a component is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke the interpretation of paragraph 6 of section 112 of title 35 of the United States Code.

[0074] Figures 1-2 —Communication System

[0075] Figure 1 Exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication systems that can implement various aspects of this disclosure according to some embodiments are shown. For example, Figure 1 Any or all of the wireless devices shown can be configured to perform signal detection as described herein, for example, according to one or more of the methods described herein. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The system described is merely one example of a possible system, and this implementation can be carried out in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0076] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B, etc., to user equipment 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0077] Base station 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site, and may include hardware and / or software to enable wireless communication with UEs 106A to 106N. Base station 102A may also be equipped to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A facilitates communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100.

[0078] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station can be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate using the transmission medium of any of the various radio access technologies (RATs), which are also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA, TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-A Advanced, NR, 3GPP 2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc.

[0079] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0080] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1 The diagram shows the "serving cell" of UEs 106A-N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells". Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in Figure 1 Base stations 102A to 102B shown can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible. Additionally or alternatively, the UE can simultaneously establish connections with a "primary cell" and one or more "secondary cells" to increase throughput. The primary cell can be instantiated within the first base station, and one or more secondary cells can be instantiated in the same base station or in one or more other base stations, which can be located alongside or away from the first base station.

[0081] It should be noted that UE 106 can communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 can be configured to use GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, WiMAX, LTE, LTE-A, NR, WLAN, and BLUETOOTH. TMIt can communicate with two or more of the following: one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H). Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0082] Figure 2 User equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 (e.g., one of base stations 102A to 102N) according to some embodiments is shown. UE 106 may be a device with cellular communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, wearable device, computer or tablet computer, or substantially any type of wireless device.

[0083] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may execute any of the method embodiments of the present invention by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to execute any of the method embodiments of the present invention or any portion thereof.

[0084] As described above, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using any of the multiple RATs. For example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using two or more of GSM, CDMA2000, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, NR, WLAN, or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication technologies are also possible.

[0085] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In one embodiment, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using either CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio component may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication) for performing wireless communication. Typically, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among various wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0086] In some implementations, UE 106 may include separate transmission and / or reception chains (e.g., including separate RF components and / or digital radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therewith. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communication using either LTE or 1xRTT (or LTE or GSM), and shared radio components for communication using Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH. TM Each component communicates via a separate radio unit. Other configurations are also possible.

[0087] UE 106 and / or BS102 can be configured to perform carrier aggregation (CA). For example, BS102 can use any combination of carriers communicating with UE 106 using RAT. As a possibility, UE 106 and BS102 can employ Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) technology, and thus can aggregate licensed and unlicensed spectrum for communication. According to various implementations, carrier aggregation can employ a primary cell (PCell) and one or more secondary cells (SCells), which can be co-located within a single base station tower, or distributed across a first BS and one or more neighboring BSs.

[0088] Figure 3 —Block diagram of UE device

[0089] Figure 3A possible block diagram of UE device 106 is shown. As shown, UE device 106 may include a system-on-a-chip (SOC) 300, which may include components for various purposes. For example, as shown, SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and display circuitry 304, the processor executing program instructions for UE device 106, and the display circuitry performing graphics processing and providing display signals to display 360. SOC 300 may also include motion sensing circuitry 370, which may detect motion of UE 106, for example, using a gyroscope, accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components. One or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 302 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, flash memory 310). MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some implementations, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0090] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 can be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including flash memory 310 or NAND memory), connector interface I / F 320 (e.g., for coupling to computer systems, docking stations, charging stations, etc.), display 360, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH). TM (Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.)

[0091] UE device 106 may include at least one antenna, and in some embodiments, may include multiple antennas 335a and 335b (and / or other additional antennas) for performing wireless communication with a base station and / or other devices. For example, UE device 106 may use antennas 335a and 335b to perform wireless communication. As described above, UE device 106 may be configured in some embodiments to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards or radio access technologies (RATs).

[0092] The wireless communication circuit 330 may include Wi-Fi logic components (e.g., Wi-Fi controller 332), a cellular modem (e.g., cellular controller 334), and BLUETOOTH. TM (BT) logic components (e.g., BLUETOOTH) TMController 336). Wi-Fi logic component 332 enables UE device 106 to perform Wi-Fi communication over an 802.11 network. BLUETOOTH TM Logic component 336 enables UE device 106 to execute BLUETOOTH TM Communication. Cellular modem 334 may be a low-power cellular modem capable of performing cellular communication according to one or more cellular communication technologies (e.g., LTE, 5G NR, GSM, etc.).

[0093] As described herein, UE 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. For example, one or more components of the wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., cellular modem 334) of UE device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), a processor configured as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and / or using dedicated hardware components that may include ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits).

[0094] Figure 4 —Block diagram of a base station (BS)

[0095] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0096] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106.

[0097] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0098] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. Antenna 434 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430 (or multiple radio components 430). Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various and possibly multiple wireless communication standards, including but not limited to LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, and / or Wi-Fi.

[0099] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as a possible embodiment, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE, a Wi-Fi radio component for performing communication according to Wi-Fi, and / or a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station (eNB) and a 5G NR base station (gNB). As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, LTE and 5G NR, UMTS and GSM, etc.). BS102 may provide one or more communication technologies and / or one or more cells of one or more Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs). According to some embodiments, BS102 may provide multiple cells that can be organized, grouped, or configured into one or more cell sets. According to some implementation schemes, the one or more cell sets provided by BS102 may also include cells provided by one or more additional base stations.

[0100] As further described herein, BS102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, the processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the features described herein. BS102 may be configured to perform carrier aggregation (CA).

[0101] Depending on the implementation scheme, BS102 can be an eNodeB (eNB) or a gNodeB (gNB).

[0102] Main community and auxiliary community

[0103] 5G New Radio (NR) and LTE, as well as other wireless networks, may include carrier aggregation (CA), enabling user equipment (UE), such as UE 106, to communicate with multiple cells on separate bandwidths to improve overall throughput. CA technology allows for increased throughput or performance by efficiently utilizing spectrum / frequency resources available to the network. CA technology can be used entirely in licensed spectrum, entirely in unlicensed spectrum, or a mixture of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. For example, Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) cells may become increasingly common. It should be noted that, among various possibilities, LAA cells can, for example, aggregate licensed and unlicensed spectrum in the radio access network at the Media Access Control level. For example, LAA cells (e.g., special types of secondary cells or SCells) can operate in unlicensed bands and can be assisted by LTE and / or NR cells (e.g., primary cells or PCells) that can operate in licensed bands.

[0104] Generally, a UE can establish a connection with the network via a PCell and subsequently establish auxiliary connections with one or more SCells to improve throughput. Depending on the implementation, the PCell and one or more SCells can be arranged side-by-side, or they can be instantiated as separate base stations. Depending on the implementation, the PCell and one or more SCells can operate based on the same RAT (e.g., 5G NR) or a different RAT.

[0105] Alternatively, a single base station may operate as both the primary cell on the first RAT (e.g., 5G NR) of the first UE and the primary cell on the second RAT (e.g., LTE) of the second UE.

[0106] Control resource set (CORESET) and search space

[0107] In 5G NR, a control resource set (CORESET) can be defined as a set of resource element groups (REGs) with one or more symbol durations, based on a given digitization. During the symbol duration, the UE can attempt to blindly decode downlink control information. In the time domain, a CORESET can have one, two, or three consecutive OFDM symbols, and in the frequency domain, a CORESET can be consecutive or discontinuous.

[0108] It is anticipated that up to three CORESETs can be configured for a BWP within a cell for a UE under 5G NR. For a single UE, multiple CORESETs can overlap in frequency and time, and multiple search spaces can be associated with a single CORESET. Within a CORESET, different search spaces (e.g., common search space and UE-specific search space) can have different periodicities for the UE to monitor.

[0109] The set of candidate PDCCHs monitored by the UE can be defined based on a PDCCH search space set. The search space can define a set of aggregation levels (ALs), the number of candidate PDCCHs for each AL, the timing of PDCCH monitoring, and / or the RNTI or DCI format to be monitored. For example, Type 0-PDCCH to Type 3-PDCCH can be used in a common search space, and a UE-specific search space set can be configured via SearchSpace in PDCCH-Config, where, for DCI formats with CRC scrambled via C-RNTI or CS-RNTI, searchSpaceType = UE-Specific.

[0110] LTE and NR dynamic spectrum sharing

[0111] LTE and NR Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) allows both LTE and NR to be deployed in the same spectrum. In some implementations, a single PCell can operate using both LTE and NR (e.g., with the same or different UEs), and DSS can be used to share a portion of the spectrum between LTE-related and NR-related transmissions. It is anticipated that DSS will leave legacy LTE behavior unaffected, meaning that UEs communicating using LTE will not experience any behavioral modifications during DSS deployment. Instead, the more flexible resource utilization of 5G NR can be leveraged, allowing NR UEs to selectively and dynamically utilize time and frequency resources that are currently underutilized by LTE communications.

[0112] In some implementations, LTE has a Cell Reference Signal (CRS) scheduled in each slot of a frame. In various deployments, the UE can utilize 1, 2, or 3 antenna ports to receive the CRS. According to the LTE standard, when the UE has 1 or 2 CRS ports, the CRS occupies symbols {0, 4, 7, 11}, while when the UE has 4 CRS ports, the CRS occupies symbols {0, 1, 4, 7, 8, 11}. In some implementations, the PCell implementing the DSS for LTE and NR may need to define a CORESET for scheduling NR communications; however, the CORESET should be selected such that it does not overlap with symbols scheduled for LTE CRS. For many types of UEs, the symbols reserved for LTE CRS can prevent the PCell from configuring a 3-symbol CORESET, or even a 2-symbol CORESET.

[0113] These and other considerations can significantly limit the scheduling flexibility and control reliability of NR DSS communications. To address these and other issues, this paper presents a system, apparatus, and method for implementing cross-carrier scheduling of NR communications in PCells implementing LTE and NR DSS to avoid conflicts between LTE and NR control information.

[0114] Some implementations can be configured to adapt to various existing communication protocols. For example, some implementations can be configured to adapt to cross-carrier scheduling (CCS) restrictions, where cross-carrier scheduling across cell groups is not allowed, and cross-carrier scheduling is performed on a per-scheduled cell basis.

[0115] Additionally or alternatively, when determining the DCI format for SCell cross-carrier scheduling used to perform PCell NR communication, current DCI format limitations may be considered. For example, backoff DCIs (i.e., NR formats 0_0 and 1_0) may not support cross-carrier scheduling. On the other hand, NR DCI formats 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, and 1_2 can support cross-carrier scheduling. Furthermore, special DCI formats 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, and 2_6 can support cross-carrier scheduling.

[0116] Additionally or alternatively, search space configuration limitations may be considered when performing SCell cross-carrier scheduling for NR DSS. For example, the Type 3-PDCCH common search space (CSS) can be configured for both the fallback DCI format and the special DCI format 2_x. Therefore, the Type 3-PDCCH CSS can be used to perform cross-carrier scheduling using the special DCI format. Additionally or alternatively, UE-specific search spaces can be used to perform cross-carrier scheduling. Conversely, the Type 0-PDCCH CSS (e.g., searchSpaceSIB1, searchSpaceZero), Type 0A-PDCCH CSS (e.g., searchSpaceOtherSystemInformation), Type 1-PDCCH CSS (e.g., pagingSearchSpace), and Type 2-PDCCH CSS (e.g., ra-SearchSpace) may be uniquely used for fallback DCI and may not be feasible for performing cross-carrier scheduling.

[0117] The implementation scheme presented in this paper proposes to enhance DSS deployment by implementing scheduling constraints and a selective common search space (CSS), a UE-specific search space (USS), and DCI format processing for primary and secondary cells.

[0118] For a PCell performing LTE and NR DSS, LTE communication of the PCell can utilize a 15kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS). Therefore, it may be desirable for the PCell to also perform NR communication with the same 15kHz SCS. In some implementations, when the PCell is scheduled by an SCell, it may be advantageous for the SCell to be configured with the same 15kHz SCS or potentially with a 30kHz SCS, making it easier for the SCell to communicate with UEs that also use a 15kHz SCS to communicate with the PCell. In some implementations, the SCell performing NR CCS for the PCell can operate in the same frequency band as the PCell (e.g., frequency range 1 (FR1, below GHz)).

[0119] Figure 5 -Flowchart of UE performing cross-carrier scheduling

[0120] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a UE to perform cross-carrier scheduling according to some implementation schemes. Besides... Figure 5 Beyond describing the method from the UE perspective Figure 5 In some respects, it is similar to the description below. Figure 6 Understandable. Figure 5 The implementation scheme described herein can be adapted to different needs. Figure 6 The method comprises one or more elements or method steps described herein. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed simultaneously in a different order than that shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as needed.

[0121] Figure 5 Aspects of the method may be implemented by a wireless device such as UE 106, which communicates with one or more base stations (e.g., BS 102) as shown in the accompanying drawings and as described with respect to the drawings, or more generally, in conjunction with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the drawings, as well as other circuits, systems, devices, elements or components and other devices shown in the drawings, as needed. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., one or more processors 302, one or more baseband processors, one or more processors associated with communication circuitry (e.g., 330), etc.) may cause the UE to perform some or all of the method elements shown. Similarly, one or more processors 404, one or more baseband processors, one or more processors associated with communication circuitry (e.g., 430, 432), etc., may cause the BS to perform some or all of the method elements shown. Figure 5 The technology can be applied to various cellular deployments and many other possibilities. As shown in the figure... Figure 5 The method described herein can be operated as follows.

[0122] At position 502, the UE establishes a connection with the network's primary cell (PCell) and one or more secondary cells (SCells). This connection can utilize 5G NR RAT. Connections with the primary cell and / or one or more secondary cells can be established using Radio Resource Control (RRC) messaging. The PCell and one or more SCells can be instantiated within one or more gNB base stations.

[0123] At position 504, configuration information is received from the network. Configuration information can be received from the PCell and / or from a first SCell among one or more SCells. The configuration information may include indications for monitoring the common search space (CSS) of a first downlink control information (DCI) from the PCell and / or indications for monitoring the UE-specific search space (USS) of a second DCI from the first SCell. The indications for monitoring the CSS and the indications for monitoring the USS may be included in one or more RRC configuration messages.

[0124] In some implementations, the first DCI has a 5G NR (5G New Radio) fallback DCI format 0_0 or 1_0, or a 5G NR specific DCI format 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, or 2_6, while the second DCI has a 5G NR non-fallback DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2. Alternatively, in other implementations, the first DCI has a 5G NR fallback DCI format 0_0 or 1_0, and the second DCI has a 5G NR specific DCI format 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, or 2_6, or a 5G NR non-fallback DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2.

[0125] In some implementations, the configuration information includes an indication of the format of the first DCI and / or the second DCI. In other words, the 5G NR DCI format of one or both of the first and second DCIs can be specified by the configuration information.

[0126] In some implementations, the second DCI is a multi-DCI for multiple transmit and receive points (multiple TRP) operations. The first DCI from the primary cell may not include a multi-DCI for multiple TRP operations. In other words, multiple TRP operations can be uniquely scheduled by the first SCell.

[0127] In some implementations, the configuration information also includes an indication of the Type 3 Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) CSS for monitoring the third DCI from the first SCell, and the third DCI has a 5G NR specific DCI format. Alternatively, in other implementations, the configuration information also includes an indication of the Type 3 Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) CSS for monitoring the third DCI from the primary cell, and the third DCI has a 5G NR fallback DCI format.

[0128] At point 506, the UE can monitor the CSS to receive the first DCI from the primary cell. The UE can receive and decode the first DCI according to the DCI format indicated by the configuration information.

[0129] At point 508, the UE can monitor the USS to receive the second DCI from the first SCell. The UE can receive and decode the second DCI according to the DCI format indicated by the configuration information.

[0130] The first, second, and / or third DCI may include control information relating to the connection with the PCell. For example, the first and / or second DCI may schedule first communication between the UE and the PCell. The control information may include one or more of a scheduling instruction for uplink communication with the PCell and / or a scheduling instruction for downlink communication with the PCell. The PCell may do so when it is able to transmit the first DCI to schedule communication with the UE. However, in some instances, the PCell may utilize available radio resources to transmit control information to another UE (e.g., via an LTE connection in a DSS deployment), and the SCell may take over to transmit the second DCI for scheduling communication between the UE and the PCell. In other words, when the PCell is not currently available to provide a scheduling DCI, the SCell may act as a backup scheduling provider to provide the scheduling DCI.

[0131] Additionally or alternatively, the first DCI and / or the second DCI may indicate a change in the UE's behavior. For example, the control message may instruct the UE to enter sleep or hibernation at a specific time, or to change its connection status with the PCell and / or SCell, among other possibilities.

[0132] In some implementations, the UE may perform communication with the primary cell according to the scheduling of a first DCI and / or a second DCI. Performing communication with the primary cell may include transmitting uplink communication to or receiving downlink communication from the primary cell according to the scheduling of one or both of the first and second DCIs. Communication between the UE and the PCell may be uniquely scheduled by DCIs received from the PCell and the first SCell, and may not be scheduled by DCIs received from any cell other than the PCell and the first SCell (e.g., an additional secondary cell may not be used to transmit DCIs to schedule communication between the UE and the primary cell). Additionally or alternatively, the PCell may not be used to transmit DCIs to schedule communication with the UE for any cell other than the PCell. For example, if the PCell is scheduled by itself and the first SCell, it may not be used to schedule communication with the first SCell or other SCells.

[0133] In some implementations, the UE may not receive scheduling information for communication between the UE and the PCell from any cell other than the PCell and the first SCell. Communication between the UE and the first SCell can be scheduled using a third DCI received from the first SCell. The UE may not schedule communication with the first SCell based on a DCI received from any cell other than the first SCell. The UE may additionally receive a DCI from the first SCell to schedule communication between the UE and one or more other SCells.

[0134] Figure 6 -Flowchart of UE performing cross-carrier scheduling

[0135] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a base station to perform cross-carrier scheduling in a dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) scenario, according to some implementation schemes. Figure 6 Similar in some aspects Figure 5 The difference is Figure 6 The method is described from the perspective of the base station operating as the primary cell (PCell). It is understandable that... Figure 6 The implementation scheme described herein can be adapted to different needs. Figure 5 The method comprises one or more elements or method steps described herein. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed simultaneously in a different order than that shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as needed.

[0136] Figure 6 Aspects of the method may be implemented by one or more base stations (e.g., BS102) communicating with one or more wireless devices (such as UE 106), as shown in and described in relation to the accompanying drawings as needed, or more generally, in conjunction with any computer system or device shown in the drawings, and other circuits, systems, devices, elements or components shown in the drawings, and other devices. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the BS (e.g., processor 404, baseband processor, processor associated with radio components (e.g., 430), etc.) may cause the BS to perform some or all of the illustrated method elements. Similarly, one or more processors (or processing elements) of the UE (e.g., processor 302, baseband processor, processor associated with communication circuitry (e.g., 330), etc.) may cause the UE to perform some or all of the illustrated method elements. Figure 6 The technology can be applied to various DSS deployments and many other possibilities. As shown in the figure... Figure 6 The method can be operated as follows.

[0137] At position 602, a connection is established between the base station, acting as the PCell, and the User Equipment (UE). This connection may utilize 5G NRRAT. A connection with the PCell can be established using Radio Resource Control (RRC) messaging. The UE may also establish connections with one or more secondary cells (SCells). As described in more detail below, the first SCell of the one or more SCells may be used to transmit downlink control information to schedule communication between the UE and the PCell and / or perform other control functions regarding the connection between the UE and the PCell. One or more SCells, including the PCell and the first SCell, may be instantiated within a base station, or they may be instantiated in separate base stations. For example, both the PCell and the first SCell may be instantiated by a single base station, or they may operate as different base stations.

[0138] At 604, a first indication may be provided to the UE for monitoring a common search space (CSS) of a first downlink control information (DCI) from a PCell. Additionally or alternatively, a second indication may be provided to the UE for monitoring a UE-specific search space (USS) of a second DCI from a first SCell in one or more SCells. Alternatively, as described in more detail below, the second indication may guide the UE to monitor the CSS of a second DCI with a specific DCI format. The base station may transmit the first and / or second indications as an RRC configuration message, or alternatively, may use another type of signaling, such as MAC or PHY signaling. The first and second indications may be provided in a single transmission, or they may be provided in separate transmissions. The first and second DCIs may each relate to the connection between the PCell and the UE. For example, they may each include control information related to the scheduling of communication between the UE and the PCell. Additionally or alternatively, one or both of the first and second DCIs can guide the UE into a specific state regarding its connection to the PCell (e.g., Transmit Power Control (TPC) commands for PUSCH / PUCCH / SRS and / or timeslot format changes, etc.). The first and second indications can be contained within a single or multiple RRC configuration messages, and each indication can be transmitted to the UE by the PCell or the first SCell.

[0139] In some implementations, the first DCI has a 5G NR (5G New Radio) fallback DCI format 0_0 or 1_0, or a 5G NR specific DCI format 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, or 2_6, while the second DCI has a 5G NR non-fallback DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2. Alternatively, in other implementations, the first DCI has a 5G NR fallback DCI format 0_0 or 1_0, and the second DCI has a 5G NR specific DCI format 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, or 2_6, or a 5G NR non-fallback DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2.

[0140] In some implementations, the first and second indications include indications of the format of the first DCI and / or the second DCI. In other words, the 5G NR DCI format of one or both of the first and second DCIs can be specified by the first and second indications, respectively.

[0141] At position 606, the base station acting as the PCell of the UE transmits the first DCI. The first DCI can be transmitted in the DCI format indicated by the first indication. The first SCell can also transmit a second DCI to the UE.

[0142] At point 608, the connection is operated according to the first DCI and the second DCI. For example, uplink and / or downlink communication can be performed between the UE and the PCell based on scheduling information from the first DCI and / or the second DCI. Alternatively or additionally, one or both of the first DCI and the second DCI may include control information to modify the UE's behavior regarding its connection to the PCell. For example, the first DCI or the second DCI may instruct the UE to change the state of its RRC connection to the PCell, and the UE may change its state accordingly.

[0143] In some implementations, the connection with the UE utilizes 5G New Radio (5G NR) Radio Access Technology (RAT). The base station may additionally use Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT to establish a second connection with the second UE. The second UE may be the same as or different from the UE with which the connection is established at step 602. In these implementations, the base station may transmit a third DCI to the second UE to schedule LTE communications and / or implement control procedures with the second UE. The first DCI may be scheduled so that it does not overlap with the third DCI transmitted for the second connection with the second UE in the radio resources.

[0144] In some implementations, the base station uses a 15kHz subcarrier spacing to communicate with the UE (via 5G NR) and the second UE (via LTE), and the secondary cell uses a 15kHz or 30kHz subcarrier spacing to communicate with the UE.

[0145] In some implementations, a third indication is provided to the UE to monitor the USS of a third DCI from a first SCell, wherein the third DCI schedules communication with a second SCell in one or more SCells.

[0146] In some implementations, operating a connection according to a first DCI and a second DCI includes one or more of the following: receiving one or more uplink communications from the UE according to scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI, or transmitting one or more downlink communications to the UE according to scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI.

[0147] Figure 7 – Cross-carrier scheduling

[0148] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating cross-carrier scheduling between the PCell and two SCells (SCell 1 and SCell 2) according to some implementation schemes. Figure 7 In the diagram, arrows with checkmarks indicate that a cell can schedule another cell, while arrows with an 'x' indicate that a cell is not allowed to schedule another cell. As shown, a PCell can be self-scheduled and / or can be scheduled by another SCell (SCell 1). A PCell can be scheduled by at most one SCell. The SCell scheduling the PCell may not be scheduled by other SCells (SCell 2). The SCell scheduling the PCell can schedule other SCells (SCell 2) and / or itself (SCell 1). A PCell may not schedule cells other than itself (i.e., it may not schedule SCell 1 or SCell 2). Although Figure 7 The diagram shows a deployment with a single PCell and two SCells, but it is easy to understand how the described scheduling rules can be generalized to deployments with more than two SCells.

[0149] In some implementations, multi-transmit and receive point (multi-TRP) operation based on multiple DCIs can be configured. In these implementations, the scheduling SCell for multi-TRP operation based on multiple DCIs can be used to schedule each of the multiple TRPs. In other words, if the network configures a PCell to be scheduled by an SCell, the CORESET configured on the SCell that schedules the PCell can be configured with two different CORESETPoolIndex values.

[0150] In some implementations, when the PCell is configured to be scheduled by the SCell, it may not be expected that the UE will be configured with Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) processing capability #2 or Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) processing capability #2.

[0151] In some implementations, when a PCell is configured to be scheduled by an SCell, the UE may or may not be able to utilize the PDCCH monitoring opportunity beyond the first three symbols in each time slot, depending on the capabilities of the served UE. If the UE can only utilize the PDCCH monitoring opportunity during the first three symbols of each time slot, then a UE scheduled with the aforementioned CRS symbols may have only two (for 1 or 2 antenna port CRS) or one (for 4 antenna port CRS) available symbols to receive NR CORESET control information. Therefore, for this type of UE, it may be desirable to utilize SCells for cross-carrier scheduling to improve the reception of NR control information. Alternatively, for UEs capable of utilizing PDCCH monitoring opportunities beyond the first three symbols in each time slot (e.g., for UEs supporting Feature Group 3-2 (FG3-2), i.e., UEs supporting pdcchMonitoringSingleOccasion), the UE can still receive two symbols of the NR CORESET (e.g., for a 4-antenna-port CRS) or three symbols of the NR CORESET (e.g., for a 1- or 2-antenna-port CRS) by scheduling the NR CORESET between scheduled CRS symbols (e.g., for 1- or 2-antenna-port CRS, the NR CORESET can be scheduled for symbols 8, 9, and 10). Therefore, for UEs with this type of capability, configuring the SCell to perform cross-carrier scheduling against the PCell may not be necessary or desirable in some implementations. Alternatively, even if the UE supports advanced PDCCH monitoring capabilities (e.g., FG3-2, FG3-5b, etc.), when the UE configures the SCell to schedule the PCell, the network may not configure advanced PDCCH monitoring capabilities on the SCell, and may configure all PDCCH monitoring timings within the first 3 symbols of each time slot. In these implementations, it may be expected that the SCell performs cross-carrier scheduling for the PCell, even for UEs with advanced PDCCH monitoring capabilities.

[0152] In some implementations, the carrier indicator field (CIF) can be set to zero for self-scheduling, and the CIF can be set to an integer value from 1 to 7 for cross-carrier scheduling.

[0153] Figures 8 to 9 -USS / CSS and DCI format processing

[0154] Figure 8 and Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the search space utilization and DCI format for the PCell and the first SCell according to various implementation schemes. In some implementations, the PCell is scheduled by both itself and another SCell, and a separate search space can be used for scheduling by both the PCell and the SCell. For example, the PCell can utilize Type 0-PDCCH CSS, Type 0A-PDCCH CSS, Type 1-PDCCH CSS, Type 2-PDCCH CSS, and Type 3-PDCCH CSS (only for fallback DCI formats). Conversely, the SCell can utilize the UE-specific search space (USS) and Type 3-PDCCH CSS (only for specific DCI formats). Additionally, different NR DCI formats can be selectively used for scheduling by either the PCell or the SCell. For example, PCell can utilize NR backoff DCI formats 0_0 and 1_0 that do not support cross-carrier scheduling, while SCell can utilize NR non-backoff DCI formats 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, 1_2 and NR special DCI formats 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5 and 2_6 that support cross-carrier scheduling.

[0155] It is unlikely that the UE will have a CSS (Common Search Space) configured in both the PCell and the SCell that schedules the PCell. More specifically, it is unlikely that the UE will have a CSS configured and / or be scheduled using CSS in any SCell that schedules the PCell. It is unlikely that the UE will have a USS (User-Specific Search Space) configured in both the PCell and the SCell that schedules the PCell. It is unlikely that the UE will have a fallback DCI (0_0, 1_0) configured in both the PCell and the SCell that schedules the PCell. More specifically, it is unlikely that the UE will have a fallback DCI configured in any SCell that schedules the PCell. It is unlikely that the UE will have a special DCI (2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, 2_6) configured in either the PCell or the SCell that schedules the PCell. It is unlikely that the UE will have a non-fallback DCI (0_1, 1_1) configured in both the PCell and the SCell that schedules the PCell.

[0156] It is permissible to configure Type3-PDCCH CSS within the SCell that schedules the PCell. In this case, only specific DCIs (2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5, 2_6) can be configured within the Type3-PDCCH CSS configured in the SCell. However, for DCI format 2_6, when configured within the SCell, it may not be used to configure the SCell to operate in sleep mode.

[0157] In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, further embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0158] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0159] In some implementations, the device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset of any of the method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0160] In some implementations, a network device (e.g., BS102) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium storing program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset of any method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The network device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0161] 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.

[0162] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: From base station: As the primary cell, it establishes a connection with the user equipment (UE). The UE is provided with a first indication of a common search space (CSS) for monitoring a first downlink control information (DCI) from the primary cell, wherein the first DCI is used to schedule the primary cell for the UE. The UE is provided with a second indication of a UE-specific search space (USS) for monitoring a second DCI from a secondary cell, wherein the second DCI is used for cross-carrier scheduling of the UE to the primary cell, wherein the second DCI has a 5G NRDCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2, and wherein all physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring opportunities for the DCI on the secondary cell for cross-carrier scheduling of the UE to the primary cell are limited to the first three symbols of the time slot, regardless of the UE's monitoring capability, wherein the monitoring capability includes whether the UE can utilize PDCCH monitoring opportunities outside the first three symbols of each time slot; as well as The connection is operated according to the first DCI and the second DCI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection with the UE utilizes 5G NR Radio Access Technology (RAT), wherein the method further comprises: A second connection is established with a second UE using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT, wherein the first DCI is scheduled not to overlap with a third DCI transmitted for the second connection.

3. The method according to claim 2, The base station uses a 15kHz subcarrier interval to communicate with the UE and the second UE, and The secondary cell communicates with the UE using the 15kHz subcarrier interval or the 30kHz subcarrier interval.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The UE is provided with a third indication of the USS for monitoring the third DCI from the secondary cell, wherein the third DCI schedules communication with the second secondary cell.

5. The method according to claim 1, The connection is operated according to the first DCI and the second DCI, including one or more of the following: Receive one or more uplink communications from the UE based on the scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI; One or more downlink communications are transmitted to the UE according to the scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI.

6. The method according to claim 1, The second DCI has a 5G NR non-backoff DCI format of 0_1, 0_2, 1_1 or 1_2.

7. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the first DCI has: 5G NR (New Radio) 5G backoff DCI format 0_0 or 1_0; and The second DCI has: 5G NR non-backoff DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1 or 1_2; or 5G NR special DCI formats 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5 or 2_6.

8. The method according to claim 1, The first indication and the second indication include one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration messages.

9. The method according to claim 1, The first DCI and the second DCI each include one or more of the following: Scheduling instructions for uplink communication with the primary cell; Scheduling instructions for downlink communication with the primary cell; and A control message indicating a change in the behavior of the UE.

10. A base station, comprising: Radio components; A processor, communicatively coupled to the radio component, wherein the base station is configured to: As the primary cell, it establishes a connection with the user equipment (UE). The UE is provided with a first indication of a common search space (CSS) for monitoring a first downlink control information (DCI) from the primary cell, wherein the first DCI is used to schedule the primary cell for the UE. The UE is provided with a second indication of a UE-specific search space (USS) for monitoring a second DCI from a secondary cell, wherein the second DCI is used for cross-carrier scheduling of the UE to the primary cell, wherein the second DCI has a 5G NRDCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2, and wherein all physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring opportunities for the DCI on the secondary cell for cross-carrier scheduling of the UE to the primary cell are limited to the first three symbols of the time slot, regardless of the UE's monitoring capability, wherein the monitoring capability includes whether the UE can utilize PDCCH monitoring opportunities outside the first three symbols of each time slot; as well as The connection is operated according to the first DCI and the second DCI.

11. The base station of claim 10, wherein the connection with the UE utilizes 5G NR Radio Access Technology (RAT), wherein the base station is further configured to: A second connection is established with a second UE using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT, wherein the first DCI is scheduled not to overlap with a third DCI transmitted for the second connection.

12. The base station according to claim 11, The base station uses a 15kHz subcarrier interval to communicate with the UE and the second UE, and The secondary cell communicates with the UE using the 15kHz subcarrier interval or the 30kHz subcarrier interval.

13. The base station according to claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to: The UE is provided with a third indication of the USS for monitoring the third DCI from the secondary cell, wherein the third DCI schedules communication with the second secondary cell.

14. The base station according to claim 10, When operating the connection according to the first DCI and the second DCI, the base station is configured as follows: Receive one or more uplink communications from the UE based on the scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI; One or more downlink communications are transmitted to the UE according to the scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI.

15. The base station according to claim 10, The second DCI has a 5G NR non-backoff DCI format of 0_1, 0_2, 1_1 or 1_2.

16. The base station according to claim 10, Wherein the first DCI has: 5G NR (New Radio) 5G backoff DCI format 0_0 or 1_0; and The second DCI has: 5G NR non-backoff DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1 or 1_2; or 5G NR special DCI formats 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5 or 2_6.

17. The base station according to claim 10, The first indication and the second indication include one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration messages.

18. The base station according to claim 10, The first DCI and the second DCI each include one or more of the following: Scheduling instructions for uplink communication with the primary cell; Scheduling instructions for downlink communication with the primary cell; and A control message indicating a change in the behavior of the UE.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to enable the base station to: As the primary cell, it establishes a connection with the user equipment (UE). The UE is provided with a first indication of a common search space (CSS) for monitoring a first downlink control information (DCI) from the primary cell, wherein the first DCI is used to schedule the primary cell for the UE. The UE is provided with a second indication of a UE-specific search space (USS) for monitoring a second DCI from a secondary cell, wherein the second DCI is used for cross-carrier scheduling of the UE to the primary cell, wherein the second DCI has a 5G NRDCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1, or 1_2, and wherein all physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring opportunities for the DCI on the secondary cell for cross-carrier scheduling of the UE to the primary cell are limited to the first three symbols of the time slot, regardless of the UE's monitoring capability, wherein the monitoring capability includes whether the UE can utilize PDCCH monitoring opportunities outside the first three symbols of each time slot; as well as The connection is operated according to the first DCI and the second DCI.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the connection with the UE utilizes 5G NR Radio Access Technology (RAT), wherein the processor is further configured to cause the base station to: A second connection is established with a second UE using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT, wherein the first DCI is scheduled not to overlap with a third DCI transmitted for the second connection.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, The base station uses a 15kHz subcarrier interval to communicate with the UE and the second UE, and The secondary cell communicates with the UE using the 15kHz subcarrier interval or the 30kHz subcarrier interval.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the base station is further configured to: The UE is provided with a third indication of the USS for monitoring the third DCI from the secondary cell, wherein the third DCI schedules communication with the second secondary cell.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, When operating the connection according to the first DCI and the second DCI, the processor is further configured to cause the base station to: Receive one or more uplink communications from the UE based on the scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI; One or more downlink communications are transmitted to the UE according to the scheduling information of the first DCI or the second DCI.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, The second DCI has a 5G NR non-backoff DCI format of 0_1, 0_2, 1_1 or 1_2.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, Wherein the first DCI has: 5G NR (New Radio) 5G backoff DCI format 0_0 or 1_0; and The second DCI has: 5G NR non-backoff DCI format 0_1, 0_2, 1_1 or 1_2; or 5G NR special DCI formats 2_0, 2_1, 2_2, 2_3, 2_4, 2_5 or 2_6.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, The first indication and the second indication include one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration messages.

27. The apparatus according to claim 19, The first DCI and the second DCI each include one or more of the following: Scheduling instructions for uplink communication with the primary cell; Scheduling instructions for downlink communication with the primary cell; and A control message indicating a change in the behavior of the UE.

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