Method and apparatus for modulation and coding scheme table switching

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for MCS table switching. A method performed by a network device includes determining that a terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS. The method further includes transmitting, to the terminal device, configuration information about a first bandwidth part associated with a first MCS table that supports the first MCS. The method further includes transmitting, to the terminal device, configuration information about a second bandwidth part associated with a second MCS table that supports the second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communication technology, and particularly to methods and apparatus for switching modulation and coding scheme (MCS) tables. Background Technology

[0002] This section introduces several aspects that can help in a better understanding of this disclosure. Therefore, the statements in this section should be read in this light and should not be construed as an admission of what is in or not in the prior art.

[0003] Communication service providers and network operators have always faced the challenge of delivering value and convenience to consumers by providing compelling network services and performance. With the rapid development of network and communication technologies, wireless communication networks such as LTE / 4G and NR / 5G networks promise lower latency, higher service capacity, and higher end-user data rates. To meet the diverse requirements of various industries for new services, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is developing various network function services for a wide range of communication networks.

[0004] Compared to previous generations of 3GPP standards, 3GPP NR supports very large operating bandwidths. Since UEs (User Equipment) within a cell may have different bandwidth capabilities, using wide bandwidth can lead to higher power consumption and potentially increase the complexity of RF (Radio Frequency) and baseband implementations. Therefore, NR introduces the concept of Bandwidth Parts (BWP), allowing UEs with different bandwidth capabilities to operate in cells with smaller instantaneous bandwidths relative to the configured cell bandwidth. This makes NR a more energy-efficient solution, even though it supports wideband channels.

[0005] A BWP can be a contiguous set of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) on a given carrier. These PRBs can be selected from a contiguous subset of common resource blocks used for a given set of parameters. Each BWP defined for a set of parameters can have several parameters, such as subcarrier spacing, symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP) length, etc.

[0006] Figure 1 Examples of BWP usage according to embodiments of this disclosure are shown. For example, the BWP supports reduced UE / network BW (bandwidth). The BWP supports bandwidth adaptation. The BWP supports semi-dynamic configuration handover. The BWP supports mixed parameter sets. The BWP supports discontinuous spectrum.

[0007] For each serving cell, up to four downlink / uplink (DL / UL) BWPs can be configured individually and independently for paired spectrum. However, only one BWP can be active at any given time, and the UE does not expect to receive downlink / uplink physical signals / channels other than the active BWP. For paired spectrum, the downlink BWP and uplink BWP are jointly configured as a pair, and up to four pairs can be configured.

[0008] According to Section 5.15 of 3GPP TS 38.321 V16.3.0 (the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference), 3GPP supports several types of BWP handover, such as RA (Random Access) based BWP handover, DCI (Downlink Control Information) based BWP handover, timer-based BWP handover, and RRC (Radio Resource Control) based BWP handover. BWP handover for the serving cell is used to activate inactive BWPs and deactivate active BWPs. BWP handover is controlled by the PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) indicating downlink allocation or uplink permission, by the bwp-InactivityTimer, by RRC signaling, or by the MAC entity itself after the initiation of the random access procedure or when a persistent LBT (Listen-After-Speak) fault is detected on the SpCell (Special Cell). Following RRC (re)configuration of the active firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id and / or firstActiveUplinkBWP-Id for SpCell or SCell, the DL BWP and / or UL BWP indicated by firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id and / or firstActiveUplinkBWP-Id are active, respectively, in the absence of a PDCCH indicating downlink allocation or uplink permission. The active BWP for the serving cell is indicated by RRC or PDCCH. For unpaired spectrum, the DL BWP is paired with the UL BWP, and BWP handover is common for both UL and DL. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention is provided in a simplified form to introduce a chosen concept, which will be further described in the following detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] According to Section 6.2.2 of 3GPP TS 38.101-1V17.0.0 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), the UE is allowed to reduce its maximum output power, for example, due to higher-order modulation and transmit bandwidth configuration. Maximum Power Reduction (MPR) is defined for different power levels. Typically, 256QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) has a large MPR range, and the appropriate MPR depends on the UE. Network equipment such as next-generation NodeBs (gNodeB or gNB) can obtain an MPR value based on Pcmax, which represents the maximum power transmitted after power reduction in the PHR (Power Headroom Report).

[0011] Table 1 shows the maximum power reduction (MPR) for power class 3, which is the same as Table 6.2.2-1 of 3GPP TS 38.101-1V17.0.0. Table 1

[0012] Table 2 shows the maximum power reduction (MPR) for power class 2, which is the same as Table 6.2.2-2 in 3GPP TS38.101-1 V17.0.0. Table 2

[0013] Table 3 shows the MCS index table 1 for PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), which is the same as Table 5.1.3.1-1 of 3GPP TS38.214 V16.4.0, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Table 3

[0014] Table 4 shows the MCS index table 2 for PDSCH, which is the same as Table 5.1.3.1-2 of 3GPP TS 38.214V16.4.0. Table 4

[0015] Comparing MCS indices 27 / 28 in Table 3 with MCS 20 / 21 in Table 4, they have the same spectral efficiency but different modulation orders. Generally, better channel quality is required to support a larger modulation order with the same spectral efficiency. However, according to MPR, the UE can reduce the power required for a larger modulation order. Using Table 4, this will result in a performance penalty for a specific path loss.

[0016] Figure 2Simulation results according to embodiments of this disclosure are shown in Tables 3 and 4. SSB represents the synchronization signal and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) block. RSRP represents the reference signal received power. Table 4 is represented by a 256QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) table. Table 3 is represented by a 64QAM table. Figure 2 As shown, for the gap region between the 256QAM and 64QAM link curves, the PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) transmission (Tx) power is 19.5 dBm for the 256QAM table and 22.5 dBm for the 64QAM table. When the UE reduces power more for a larger modulation order (e.g., 256QAM), it may result in a performance penalty (e.g., reduced throughput) in the gap region, as shown in Table 4.

[0017] To overcome or mitigate at least one of the above-mentioned or other problems, embodiments of this disclosure propose an improved solution for MCS table switching.

[0018] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a method performed by a network device is provided. The method includes determining that a terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS. The method further includes sending configuration information to the terminal device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS. The method further includes sending configuration information to the terminal device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method further includes determining a power reduction value for the terminal device. The method further includes identifying the terminal device as an MCS table handover candidate when the power reduction value of the terminal device is greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with a first MCS and less than the maximum power reduction value associated with a second MCS. The method further includes identifying the terminal device as a non-MCS table handover candidate when the power reduction value of the terminal device is not greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS.

[0020] In one embodiment, determining the power reduction value of the terminal device includes obtaining the power level of the terminal device; obtaining the maximum transmitter power value configured for the terminal device; obtaining the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device; and determining the power reduction value of the terminal device based on the power level of the terminal device, the maximum transmitter power value configured for the terminal device, and the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method further includes determining the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device. The method further includes sending a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device.

[0022] In one embodiment, sending a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device includes determining that the terminal device is using a second MCS table; and sending a command to the terminal device to switch to the first bandwidth portion when the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device falls within at least one first channel quality range in which the network performance using the first MCS table is higher than the network performance using the second MCS table.

[0023] In one embodiment, the at least one first channel quality range includes at least one of the following: [channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the second lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table], or [channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the highest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the third lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table].

[0024] In one embodiment, sending a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device includes determining that the terminal device is using a first MCS table; and sending a command to the terminal device to switch to the second bandwidth portion when the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device falls within at least one second channel quality range in which the network performance using the second MCS table is higher than the network performance using the first MCS table.

[0025] In one embodiment, at least one second channel quality range includes at least one of the following: [channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the highest spectral efficiency in the first MCS table, infinity]; or [channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the second highest spectral efficiency in the first MCS table, infinity].

[0026] In one embodiment, the command is sent to the terminal device in at least one of the following: downlink control information; media access control (MAC) control element (CE); or radio resource control message.

[0027] In one embodiment, the command is further sent to the terminal device based on a disable timer.

[0028] In one embodiment, the first MCS includes 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and the second MCS includes 256 QAM.

[0029] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes receiving configuration information from a network device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) table supporting a first MCS. The method further includes receiving configuration information from the network device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting a second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0030] In one embodiment, the method further includes receiving a command from a network device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion. The method further includes switching to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion based on the command.

[0031] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, thereby enabling the network device to determine whether a terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS. The network device is also operable to send configuration information to the terminal device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS. The network device is also operable to send configuration information to the terminal device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0032] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor, thereby enabling the terminal device to operate from a network device to receive configuration information regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting a first MCS. The terminal device is also operable from the network device to receive configuration information regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting a second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0033] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes a first determining module, a first transmitting module, and a second transmitting module. The first determining module can be configured to determine that a terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS. The first transmitting module can be configured to transmit configuration information to the terminal device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS. The second transmitting module can be configured to transmit configuration information to the terminal device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0034] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a second determining module configured to determine a power reduction value for the terminal device.

[0035] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a third determining module configured to determine the terminal device as an MCS table switching candidate when the power reduction value of the terminal device is greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS and less than the maximum power reduction value associated with the second MCS.

[0036] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a fourth determining module configured to determine the terminal device as a non-MCS table switching candidate when the power reduction value of the terminal device is not greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS.

[0037] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a fifth determining module configured to determine the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device.

[0038] In one embodiment, the network device may further include a third transmitting module configured to send a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device.

[0039] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a first receiving module and a second receiving module. The first receiving module can be configured to receive configuration information from a network device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) table supporting a first MCS. The second receiving module can be configured to receive configuration information from the network device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting a second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0040] In one embodiment, the terminal device may further include a third receiving module configured to receive a command from the network device to switch to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion.

[0041] In one embodiment, the terminal device may further include a switching module configured to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on a command.

[0042] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product including instructions is provided, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to either the first or second aspect.

[0043] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to either the first or second aspect.

[0044] In another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided, the host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a terminal device. The cellular network includes the aforementioned network equipment and / or the aforementioned terminal device.

[0045] In embodiments of this disclosure, the system further includes a terminal device configured to communicate with a network device.

[0046] In embodiments of this disclosure, the processing circuitry of a host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; and the terminal device includes processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0047] In another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system is provided including a host computer and a network device, the host computer comprising: a communication interface configured to receive user data from a transmission originating from a terminal device. This transmission is from the terminal device to the network device. The network device has been mentioned above, and / or the terminal device has been mentioned above.

[0048] In embodiments of this disclosure, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application. The terminal device is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data to be received by the host computer.

[0049] In another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided implemented in a communication system, which may include a host computer, a network device, and a terminal device. The method may include providing user data at the host computer. Optionally, the method may include initiating a transmission carrying user data to a terminal device at the host computer via a cellular network including the network device, the network device being capable of performing any steps of the method according to the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0050] In another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided. The host computer may include processing circuitry configured to provide user data, and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to terminal devices. The cellular network may include network devices having a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the network devices may be configured to perform any step of the method according to the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0051] In another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided implemented in a communication system, which may include a host computer, network devices, and terminal devices. The method may include providing user data at the host computer. Optionally, the method may include initiating a transmission carrying user data to a terminal device via a cellular network including the network devices at the host computer. The terminal device may perform any step of the method according to the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0052] In another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided. The host computer may include processing circuitry configured to provide user data, and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a terminal device. The terminal device may include a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the terminal device may be configured to perform any step of the method according to the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0053] In another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for implementation in a communication system, which may include a host computer, a network device, and a terminal device. The method may include receiving user data transmitted from a terminal device to the network device at the host computer, and the terminal device may perform any step of the method according to the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0054] In another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided. The host computer may include a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from transmissions from a terminal device to a network device. The terminal device may include a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the terminal device may be configured to perform any step of the method according to the second aspect of this disclosure.

[0055] In another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided implemented in a communication system, which may include a host computer, a network device, and a terminal device. The method may include, at the host computer, receiving from the network device user data transmitted that the network device has already received from the terminal device. The network device may perform any step of the method according to the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0056] In another aspect of this disclosure, a communication system is provided that may include a host computer. The host computer may include a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from transmissions from a terminal device to a network device. The network device may include a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the network device may be configured to perform any step of the method according to the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0057] The embodiments described herein can provide numerous advantages, and the following is a non-exhaustive list of examples of these advantages. In some embodiments described herein, network throughput can be improved through MCS table switching. The embodiments described herein are not limited to the features and advantages described above. Additional features and advantages will be recognized by those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description. Attached Figure Description

[0058] From the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example, the above and other aspects, features, and benefits of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent, in which similar reference numerals or letters are used to refer to similar or equivalent elements. The drawings are shown to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:

[0059] Figure 1 An example of the use of BWP according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0060] Figure 2 Simulation results according to embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in Tables 3 and 4;

[0061] Figure 3 An advanced architecture in a fifth-generation network according to an embodiment of this disclosure is schematically illustrated;

[0062] Figure 4a A flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0063] Figure 4b A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0064] Figure 4c A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0065] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0066] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0067] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus suitable for practicing some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0068] Figure 8a This is a block diagram illustrating a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0069] Figure 8b This is a block diagram illustrating a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0070] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless network according to some embodiments;

[0071] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a user equipment according to some embodiments;

[0072] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a virtualized environment according to some embodiments;

[0073] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to some embodiments;

[0074] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station through a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments;

[0075] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments;

[0076] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments;

[0077] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments; and

[0078] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0079] Embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement this disclosure, and not to suggest any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. References to features, advantages, or similar language throughout this specification do not imply that all features and advantages achievable with this disclosure should be included in or in any single embodiment of this disclosure. Rather, references to features and advantages should be understood as meaning that a particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the features, advantages, and characteristics described in this disclosure may be combined in any suitable manner. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure can be practiced without one or more particular features or advantages in a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in some embodiments, and these additional features and advantages may not be present in all embodiments of this disclosure.

[0080] As used herein, the term "network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), and other wireless networks. CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). UTRA includes other variants of WCDMA and CDMA. TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDMA, Ad-hoc networks, wireless sensor networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "network" and "system" are used interchangeably. Furthermore, communication between two devices in a network can be performed according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to those defined by standards organizations such as 3GPP. For example, communication protocols may include first-generation (1G), 2G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G, 5G communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols.

[0081] The term "network device" refers to any suitable network function (NF) that can be implemented in a network entity (physical or virtual) of a communication network. For example, a network function can be implemented as a network element on dedicated hardware, as a software instance running on dedicated hardware, or as a virtualized function instantiated on a suitable platform (e.g., on cloud infrastructure). For instance, a 5G system (5GS) can include multiple NFs such as AMF (Access and Mobility Function), SMF (Session Management Function), AUSF (Authentication Service Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), PCF (Policy Control Function), AF (Application Function), NEF (Network Open Function), UPF (User Plane Function), and NRF (Network Repository Function), RAN (Radio Access Network), SCP (Serving Communication Agent), NWDAF (Network Data Analysis Function), NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), NSSAAF (Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function), etc. For example, a 4G system (e.g., LTE) may include an MME (Mobility Management Entity), HSS (Home Subscriber Server), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW), PGW Control Plane (PGW-C), Serving Gateway (SGW), SGW Control Plane (SGW-C), E-UTRAN Node B (eNB), etc. In other embodiments, depending on the specific network, network functions may include different types of NFs.

[0082] Network equipment can be access network equipment with access capabilities in a communication network, through which terminal equipment accesses the network and receives services. Access network equipment can include base stations (BS), access points (AP), multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), controllers, or any other suitable equipment in the wireless communication network. BS can be, for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNodeB or gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head unit (RH), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a remote radio head unit (RRH), a repeater, a low-power node (e.g., femtosecond, picosecond), etc.

[0083] Another example of access network equipment includes multi-standard radio (MSR) wireless equipment such as an MSR BS, network controllers such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, location nodes, etc. However, more generally, a network node can represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable terminal devices to access the wireless communication network and / or provide certain services to terminal devices already connected to the wireless communication network.

[0084] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device that can access a communication network and receive services from it. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device refers to a mobile terminal, user equipment (UE), or other suitable device. A UE can be, for example, a subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, portable computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, wearable terminal devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEE), laptop installed devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless premises equipment (CPE), etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably. As an example, a terminal device can represent a UE configured to communicate according to one or more communication standards published by 3GPP, such as 3GPP's LTE or NR standards. As used herein, a “user equipment” or “UE” may not necessarily have a “user” in relation to a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. In some embodiments, a terminal device may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from a communication network, a terminal device may be designed to send information to the network according to a predetermined schedule. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device intended for sale to a human user or operated by a human user but which may not initially be associated with a particular human user.

[0085] As another example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a terminal device can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another terminal device and / or network device. In this case, the terminal device can be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which in the context of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) can be referred to as a machine-type communication (MTC) device. As a specific example, a terminal device can be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices (e.g., electricity meters, industrial machinery) or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches), etc. In other scenarios, a terminal device can represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions related to its operation.

[0086] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc., in the specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment necessarily includes such specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, whether or not it is explicitly described, it is believed that such features, structures, or characteristics affecting other embodiments are within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0087] It should be understood that while the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0088] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of A and B” or “at least one of A or B” should be understood as meaning “A only, B only, or both A and B”. The phrase “A and / or B” should be understood as “A only, B only, or both A and B”.

[0089] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” as used herein are also intended to include the plural forms. It will be further understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “owning,” “containing,” and / or “covering” specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0090] Note that the terms used in this article are for ease of description and to distinguish between nodes, devices, or networks, etc. As technology evolves, other terms with similar / identical meanings may also be used.

[0091] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0092] While the topics described herein can be implemented in any suitable type of system using any appropriate components, the embodiments disclosed herein are related to conforming to... Figure 3 The communication system described is based on the exemplary system architecture shown. For simplicity, Figure 3The system architecture described herein only depicts a few exemplary components. In practice, the communication system may further include any additional components suitable for supporting communication between terminal devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (such as a landline telephone, service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). The communication system may provide communication and various types of services to one or more terminal devices to facilitate the terminal devices' access to and / or use of services provided by or via the communication system.

[0093] Figure 3 An advanced architecture in a fifth-generation network according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated schematically. For example, the fifth-generation network may be 5GS. Figure 3 The architecture is the same as that described in Figure 4.2.3-1 of 3GPP TS23.501V16.7.0, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Figure 3 The system architecture may include some exemplary components, such as AUSF, AMF, DN (Data Network), NEF, NRF, NSSF, PCF, SMF, UDM, UPF, AF, UE, (R)AN, SCP (Service Communication Agent), NSAAF (Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function), etc.

[0094] According to an exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the UE can establish a signaling connection with the AMF at reference point N1. This signaling connection enables NAS (Non-Access Stratum) signaling exchange between the UE and the core network, including the signaling connection between the UE and the (R)AN, and the N2 connection between the (R)AN and the AMF for the UE. The (R)AN can communicate with the UPF at reference point N3. The UE can establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session to the DN (Data Network, such as the operator's network or the Internet) through the UPF at reference point N6.

[0095] like Figure 3 As further shown, the exemplary system architecture also includes service-based interfaces demonstrated by NFs such as NRF, NEF, AUSF, UDM, PCF, AMF, and SMF, such as Nnrf, Nnef, Nausf, Nudm, Npcf, Namf, and Nsmf. Furthermore, Figure 3 Reference points, such as N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, and N9, are also shown, which can support interaction between NF services within an NF. These reference points can be implemented, for example, through corresponding NF service-based interfaces and by specifying NF service consumers and providers and their interactions to execute specific system procedures.

[0096] Figure 3The various NFs shown can be responsible for functions such as session management, mobility management, authentication, and security. AUSF, AMF, DN, NEF, NRF, NSSF, PCF, SMF, UDM, UPF, AF, UE, (R)AN, and SCP can include, for example, the functions defined in Clause 6.2 of 3GPP TS 23.501 V16.7.0.

[0097] Figure 4a A flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This method can be performed by means implemented in a network device, by means implemented at a network device, or by means implemented as a network device, or by means communicatively coupled to a network device. Therefore, the means can provide components or modules for implementing various parts of method 400, as well as components or modules for combining with other components to implement other processes.

[0098] In box 402, the network device can determine that the terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS. The first MCS can be any suitable MCS, such as Pi / 2BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying), QPSK (Quadrature Phase Shift Keying), 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, etc. The second MCS can be any suitable MCS, such as Pi / 2BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, etc.

[0099] In one embodiment, the first MCS may include 64QAM, and the second MCS may include 256QAM.

[0100] Network devices can determine whether a terminal device supports a first MCS and a second MCS in various ways. In one embodiment, the terminal device can report its MCS information to the network device in a capability report. For example, according to Clause 6.3.3 of 3GPP TS38.331V16.3.1 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), the UE capability information element can be used to report MCS information to the network device. For example, BandNR::= SEQUENCE{ pdsch-256QAM-FR2 ENUMERATED{supported} OPTIONAL, pusch-256QAM ENUMERATED{supported} OPTIONAL}

[0101] In this example, the terminal device reports to the network device that it supports pdsch-256QAM-FR2 and pusch-256QAM. Typically, this also means that the terminal device supports modulation orders of other MCSs lower than 256QAM, such as 64QAM.

[0102] In one embodiment, the network device can determine whether a terminal device supports a first MCS and a second MCS without receiving a capability report from the terminal device. For example, when the network mandates that all terminal devices should support both the first and second MCS, the network device may determine by default that the terminal device supports either the first or the second MCS.

[0103] In one embodiment, the network device can determine whether the terminal device supports the first MCS and the second MCS by using other information in the capability report.

[0104] In box 404, the network device may send configuration information to the terminal device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS. The first MCS table can be any suitable MCS table, as long as it includes the first MCS. The first MCS table may include any suitable number of MCS indices, such as 32. Each MCS index may correspond to a specific modulation order, a specific target code rate, and a specific spectral efficiency.

[0105] In box 406, the network device may send configuration information to the terminal device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table. The second MCS table can be any suitable MCS table, as long as it includes the second MCS. The second MCS table may include any suitable number of MCS indices, such as 32. Each MCS index may correspond to a specific modulation order, a specific target code rate, and a specific spectral efficiency.

[0106] In one embodiment, the first MCS table can be identical to Table 5.1.3.1-1 of 3GPP TS 38.214V16.4.0. In another embodiment, the second MCS table can be identical to Table 5.1.3.1-2 of 3GPP TS 38.214V16.4.0. The second MCS table can support higher spectral efficiency than the first MCS table. Therefore, for UEs in good radio conditions, higher throughput can be achieved by using the second MCS table. Furthermore, it is readily apparent that the second MCS table has a larger step size at low spectral efficiency, which may negatively impact network performance under adverse radio conditions. Based on ideal calculations and testing results, this impact may be very limited. For example, from this table, the maximum spectral efficiency difference could be 0.1523. Assuming a TDD (Time Division Duplex) mode (DDDDDDDSUU), bandwidth 100M, PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) period 10ms, and 2 DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) symbols, the maximum throughput difference is 0.1523*144*(271*300+259*100)=2.35Mbps.

[0107] For example, when a UE has 256QAM and 64QAM capabilities in its initial BWP, network devices such as gNBs can configure MCS tables supporting 256QAM and 64QAM to terminal devices such as UEs.

[0108] For example, according to clause 6.3.2 of 3GPP TS 38.331V16.3.1, network devices can configure the MCS table for BWP as follows:

[0109] Figure 4b A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This method can be performed by means implemented in a network device, by means implemented at a network device, or by means implemented as a network device, or by means communicatively coupled to a network device. Therefore, the means can provide components or modules for implementing various parts of method 410, as well as components or modules for combining with other components to implement other processes. For the sake of brevity, descriptions of some parts already described in the above embodiments are omitted here.

[0110] In box 412, the network device can determine the power degradation value of the end device. The network device can determine the power degradation value of the end device in various ways. For example, the end device can report its power degradation value to the network device, and then the network device can know the power degradation value of the end device. The network device can configure the power degradation value to the end device, and then the network device can know the power degradation value of the end device. The network device can calculate the power degradation value of the end device using some power-related parameters.

[0111] In one embodiment, the network device can obtain the power level of the terminal device. The network device can obtain the maximum transmitter power value configured for the terminal device. The network device can obtain the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device. Then, the network device can determine a power reduction value for the terminal device based on the power level of the terminal device, the maximum transmitter power value configured for the terminal device, and the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device.

[0112] For example, a terminal device can report its power level to a network device, and the network device can then know the power level of the terminal device. Alternatively, the network device can configure a power level for the terminal device, and then the network device can know the power level of the terminal device.

[0113] For example, a terminal device can report its configured maximum transmitter power value to a network device, and the network device can then know the power level of the terminal device. The network device can configure the maximum transmitter power value for the terminal device, and then the network device can know the configured maximum transmitter power value for the terminal device.

[0114] For example, a terminal device can report its maximum transmitter power value to a network device, and then the network device can know the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device.

[0115] Network devices such as gNBs can obtain power levels from UE capability reports. For example, according to Clause 6.3.3 of 3GPP TS 38.331 V16.3.1, UE capability information elements can be used to report power level information to network devices. BandNR::=SEQUENCE{ ue-PowerClass ENUMERATED{pc1,pc2,pc3,pc4}

[0116] Network devices such as gNBs can calculate UE power based on PHR reports from the UE. According to clauses 6.1.3.8 and 6.1.3.9 of 3GPP TS38.331 V16.3.1, the PHR report includes P... CMAX,f,c (Maximum UE output power configured for carrier f of serving cell c in each time slot) or PCMAX (Configured maximum UE output power). Table 5 shows multiple PHR MAC (Media Access Control) CE (Control Element) entries with a highest ServCellIndex less than 8 for serving cells with configured uplinks. Table 5 is consistent with 3GPP TS 38.321 V16.3.0. Figure 6 Same as .1.3.9-1. Table 5

[0117] Network devices such as gNBs can configure P-max for terminal devices such as UEs. P-max is used to limit the uplink transmission power of the UE on the carrier frequency. The configuration of P-max can be incentivized by, for example, different regulatory upper-level EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) limits for the operating frequency band in different geographical regions.

[0118] For example, the power reduction value of the terminal device can be determined as min(P-max, power from the power level)-P CMAX For example, UE power class 3, CP-OFDM (Cyclic Prefix OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing)), P-max = 23dB, P CMAX =17.5dB, and the maximum value of 64QAM MPR from Table 1 above is 3.5dB. Therefore, the power reduction of the terminal device can be calculated as P-max-P CMAX =23-17.5=5.5dB.

[0119] In box 414, when the power reduction value of the terminal device is greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS and less than the maximum power reduction value associated with the second MCS, the network device can identify the terminal device as an MCS table handover candidate.

[0120] In box 416, when the power reduction value of the terminal device is not greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS, the network device can identify the terminal device as a non-MCS table handover candidate.

[0121] For example, assuming the first MCS is 64QAM, the second MCS is 256QAM, and the modulation is CP-OFDM, the pseudocode can be as follows: • If min(P-max, power from the power level) - P CMAX The maximum value of >64QAM MPR, Set the UE to the McstableSwitchCandidate group otherwise Set the UE to the NoMcsTableSwitch group Finish

[0122] In one embodiment, once a UE is in the McstableSwitchCandidate group, it can remain in that group until it is released. A UE can change from the NoMcsTableSwitch group to the McstableSwitchCandidate group. In the above embodiment, the power reduction value of the terminal device = P - max - P CMAX =23-17.5=5.5dB, which is greater than 3.5dB, the maximum value of 64QAM MPR. In other words, terminal equipment such as the UE determines to back off 5.5dB of transmit power in the 256QAM region. This will cause the performance problem described above.

[0123] Figure 4c A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This method can be performed by means implemented in a network device, by means implemented at a network device, or by means implemented as a network device, or by means communicatively coupled to a network device. Therefore, the means can provide components or modules for implementing various parts of method 420, as well as components or modules for combining with other components to implement other processes. For some parts already described in the above embodiments, their description is omitted here for brevity.

[0124] In box 422, the network device can determine the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device. In communication networks such as LTE or NR, various reference signals may exist, such as uplink (UL) reference signals and downlink (DL) reference signals. These reference signals can be used to determine the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device. The terminal device can send channel state information reports to the network device.

[0125] In box 424, the network device may send a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device. For example, a specific bandwidth portion may be associated with at least one channel quality range in which network performance using the specific bandwidth portion is higher than network performance using other bandwidth portions. When the channel quality falls within the channel quality range associated with the specific bandwidth portion, the network device may send a command to the terminal device to switch to that specific bandwidth portion.

[0126] In one embodiment, the network device can determine that the terminal device is using a second MCS table. When the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device falls within at least one first channel quality range where the network performance using the first MCS table is higher than the network performance using the second MCS table, the network device can send a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion. At least one first channel quality range can be determined through various methods, such as simulation, machine learning, big data analysis and mining, etc.

[0127] In one embodiment, the first channel quality range may include at least one of the following: [channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the second lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table], or [Channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the highest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, and channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the third lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table].

[0128] In one embodiment, the network device can determine that the terminal device is using a first MCS table. When the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device falls within at least one second channel quality range where the network performance using the second MCS table is higher than that using the first MCS table, the network device can send a command to the terminal device to switch to the second bandwidth portion. At least one second channel quality range can be determined through various methods, such as simulation, machine learning, big data analysis and mining, etc.

[0129] In one embodiment, at least one second channel quality range may include at least one of the following: [Channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the highest spectral efficiency in the first MCS table, infinite]; or [Channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the second highest spectral efficiency in the first MCS table, infinite].

[0130] For example, if the UE UL channel quality FilteredSinr satisfies the following formula, a network device such as a gNB can send a DCI or RRC reconfiguration to trigger a BWP switch to the first bandwidth portion supporting the first MCS (such as 64QAM).

[0131] Threshold 1 < FilteredSinr < Threshold 2 and the UE is using a second MCS table that supports a second MCS (e.g., 256QAM).

[0132] If the UE UL channel quality FilteredSinr satisfies the following formula, network devices such as gNBs can send DCI or RRC reconfiguration to trigger BWP to switch to the second bandwidth portion of the second MCS that supports a second MCS such as 256QAM.

[0133] FilteredSinr > threshold 3 and the UE is using a first MCS table that supports the first MCS (such as 64QAM).

[0134] In one embodiment, a network device such as a gNB may set thresholds 1 and 2 to channel quality mapped to MCS indices 20 and 21 in Table 4, or to channel quality mapped to MCS indices 19-22 which include MCS indices 20 and 21, to obtain a larger SINR (signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio) tolerance.

[0135] In one embodiment, a network device such as a gNB can set a threshold 3 to channel quality mapped to MCS index 28 or 27 in Table 3, which means that the channel quality is good enough to support higher modulation.

[0136] In one embodiment, commands can be further sent to the terminal device based on a disable timer. For example, to avoid ping-pong handover, a disable timer can be set to enhance network performance. The disable timer can be determined in various ways, such as simulation, machine learning, big data analysis and mining, etc.

[0137] The command can be sent to the terminal device in any suitable message. In one embodiment, the command is sent to the terminal device in at least one of the following: Downlink Control Information (DCI); Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE); or Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

[0138] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This method can be performed by means implemented in a terminal device, by means implemented at a terminal device, or by means implemented as a terminal device, or by means communicatively coupled to a terminal device. Therefore, the means can provide components or modules for implementing various parts of method 500, as well as components or modules for implementing other processes in conjunction with other components. For some parts already described in the above embodiments, their description is omitted here for brevity.

[0139] In box 502, the terminal device can receive configuration information from the network device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) table supporting the first MCS. For example, in Figure 4aIn box 404, the network device can send configuration information about a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS to the terminal device, and the terminal device can then receive the configuration information.

[0140] In box 504, the terminal device can receive configuration information from the network device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS. The first MCS table differs from the second MCS table. For example, in... Figure 4a In box 406, the network device can send configuration information about a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting a second MCS to the terminal device, and the terminal device can then receive the configuration information.

[0141] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. This method can be performed by means implemented in a terminal device, by means implemented at a terminal device, or by means implemented as a terminal device, or by means communicatively coupled to a terminal device. Therefore, the means can provide components or modules for implementing various parts of method 600, as well as components or modules for implementing other processes in conjunction with other components. For some parts already described in the above embodiments, their description is omitted here for brevity.

[0142] In box 602, the terminal device can receive a command from the network device to switch to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion. For example, in Figure 4c In box 424, the network device can send commands to the terminal device, and the terminal device can then receive the commands.

[0143] In box 604, the terminal device can switch to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion based on this command.

[0144] In one embodiment, the gNB can configure a BWP associated with a 256QAM-enabled MCS table (e.g., Table 4) for a UE with 256QAM capability in the initial BWP. The gNB can also configure another BWP associated with a 64QAM-enabled MCS table (such as Table 3). The gNB can calculate the UE transmit power based on PHR reports from the UE and group the UE into two groups: one for MCS table handover candidates and the other for non-MCS table handover candidates. The gNB can monitor UE channel quality to determine whether to switch the MCS table by switching the BWP during DCI or RRC reconfiguration.

[0145] According to various embodiments, the first MCS, the second MCS, the first MCS table, the second MCS table, and the channel quality are related to the uplink.

[0146] Figure 7This is a block diagram of an apparatus suitable for practicing certain embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, any of the terminal device and network device described above can be implemented as or through apparatus 700.

[0147] The device 700 includes at least one processor 721, such as a digital processor (DP), and at least one memory (MEM) 722 coupled to the processor 721. The device 700 may also include a transmitter TX and a receiver RX 723 coupled to the processor 721. The MEM 722 stores a program (PROG) 724. The PROG 724 may include instructions that, when executed on the associated processor 721, enable the device 700 to operate according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Combinations of at least one processor 721 and at least one MEM 722 can form a processing device 725 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0148] Various embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented by a computer program that can be executed by one or more of the processor 721, software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0149] The MEM 722 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as, by way of non-limiting example, semiconductor-based storage devices, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory.

[0150] The processor 721 may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include one or more of the following: as non-limiting examples, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0151] In embodiments where the device is implemented as a terminal device or implemented at a terminal device, the memory 722 stores instructions executable by the processor 721, thereby allowing the terminal device to operate according to any method associated with the terminal device.

[0152] In embodiments where the device is implemented as a network device or implemented at a network device, memory 722 stores instructions executable by processor 721, thereby allowing the network device to operate according to any methods associated with the aforementioned network device.

[0153] Figure 8aThis is a block diagram illustrating a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the network device 800 includes a first determining module 801, a first transmitting module 802, and a second transmitting module 803. The first determining module 801 can be configured to determine that a terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS. The first transmitting module 802 can be configured to send configuration information to the terminal device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS. The second transmitting module 803 can be configured to send configuration information to the terminal device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0154] In one embodiment, the network device 800 may further include a second determining module 804 configured to determine a power reduction value for the terminal device.

[0155] In one embodiment, the network device 800 may further include a third determining module 805, which is configured to determine the terminal device as an MCS table switching candidate when the power reduction value of the terminal device is greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS and less than the maximum power reduction value associated with the second MCS.

[0156] In one embodiment, the network device 800 may further include a fourth determining module 806, which is configured to determine the terminal device as a non-MCS table switching candidate when the power reduction value of the terminal device is not greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS.

[0157] In one embodiment, the network device 800 may further include a fifth determining module 807 configured to determine the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device.

[0158] In one embodiment, the network device 800 may further include a third transmitting module 808 configured to send a command to the terminal device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device.

[0159] Figure 8b This is a block diagram illustrating a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the terminal device 850 includes a first receiving module 851 and a second receiving module 852. The first receiving module 851 can be configured to receive configuration information from a network device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) table supporting a first MCS. The second receiving module 852 can be configured to receive configuration information from a network device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting a second MCS. The first MCS table is different from the second MCS table.

[0160] In one embodiment, the terminal device 850 may further include a third receiving module 853 configured to receive a command from the network device to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion.

[0161] In one embodiment, the terminal device 850 may further include a switching module 854 configured to switch to a first bandwidth portion or a second bandwidth portion based on a command.

[0162] The term "unit" or "module" may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0163] Using functional units, terminal and network devices do not require fixed processors or memory; any computing and storage resources can be deployed from the terminal and network devices within the communication system. The introduction of virtualization and network computing technologies can improve the efficiency of network resource utilization and network flexibility.

[0164] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium and including instructions is provided, which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods described above.

[0165] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods described above.

[0166] In addition, an exemplary overall communication system including terminal devices and network devices such as base stations will be described below.

[0167] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a host computer, the host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a terminal device. The cellular network includes base stations such as network devices described above and / or the terminal devices described above.

[0168] In embodiments of this disclosure, the system further includes a terminal device configured to communicate with the base station.

[0169] In embodiments of this disclosure, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application to provide user data; the terminal device includes processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0170] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication system including a host computer and a base station. The host computer includes a communication interface configured to receive user data transmitted from a terminal device. The transmission is from the terminal device to the base station. The base station is as described above, and / or the terminal device is as described above.

[0171] In embodiments of this disclosure, the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application. The terminal device is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing user data to be received by the host computer.

[0172] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless network according to some embodiments.

[0173] Although the subjects described herein can be implemented using any suitable components in any suitable type of system, the embodiments disclosed herein are described with respect to wireless networks, for example... Figure 9 The example wireless network shown is for simplicity. Figure 9 The wireless network depicted only includes network 1006, network nodes 1060 (corresponding to network-side nodes) and 1060b, and WDs (corresponding to terminal devices) 1010, 1010b, and 1010c. In practice, the wireless network may also include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (e.g., a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). Among the components shown, network node 1060 and wireless device (WD) 1010 are depicted with additional details. The wireless network can provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate access to and / or use of services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0174] A wireless network may include an interface and / or interface with any type of communications, telecommunications, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, specific embodiments of the wireless network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE 802.11 standard; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0175] Network 1006 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices.

[0176] Network node 1060 and WD 1010 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In various embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in communication of data and signals via wired or wireless connections.

[0177] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured, positioned, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with wireless devices and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless devices and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points) and base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels) and may also be referred to as femtocells, picocells, microcells, or macrocells. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more components (or all components) of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio headend (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Components of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Another example of a network node includes multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (e.g., MSR BS), network controllers (e.g., Radio Network Controller (RNC) or Base Station Controller (BSC), Base Transceiver Station (BTS), transport point, transport node), multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), core network nodes (e.g., MSC, MME), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, location nodes (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or MDT. As another example, a network node can be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node can represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable of, configured, deployed, and / or operable to enable wireless devices to access the wireless network and / or provide access to the wireless network to wireless devices or provide certain services to wireless devices already connected to the wireless network.

[0178] exist Figure 9 In the network node 1060, processing circuitry 1070, device-readable medium 1080, interface 1090, auxiliary equipment 1084, power supply 1086, power supply circuitry 1087, and antenna 1062 are included. Although in Figure 9The network node 1060 shown in the example wireless network can represent a device including the illustrated combination of hardware components, but other embodiments may include network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Furthermore, while the components of network node 1060 are depicted as a single box within a larger box or a single box nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a network node may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component (e.g., device-readable medium 1080 may include multiple separate hard disk drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0179] Similarly, network node 1060 may consist of multiple physically separate components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In some scenarios where network node 1060 includes multiple individual components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more individual components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered a single, individual network node in certain circumstances. In some embodiments, network node 1060 may be configured to support multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components (e.g., separate device-readable media 1080 for different RATs) may be duplicated, and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1062 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 1060 may also include a variety of illustrated components for various wireless technologies integrated into network node 1060, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies can be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 1060.

[0180] Processing circuitry 1070 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) provided by a network node as described herein. These operations performed by processing circuitry 1070 may include processing information acquired by processing circuitry 1070 by, for example, converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing.

[0181] Processing circuitry 1070 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic, which may operate individually or in conjunction with other network node 1060 components (e.g., device-readable medium 1080) to provide network node 1060 functionality. For example, processing circuitry 1070 may execute instructions stored in memory within device-readable medium 1080 or processing circuitry 1070. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1070 may include a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0182] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1070 may include one or more of the following: a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1072 and a baseband processing circuitry 1074. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1072 and the baseband processing circuitry 1074 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., radio units and digital units). In alternative embodiments, a portion or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 1072 and the baseband processing circuitry 1074 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0183] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device can be executed by processing circuitry 1070 by executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 1080 or memory within processing circuitry 1070. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions can be provided by processing circuitry 1070, for example, in a hard-wired manner, without executing instructions stored on separate or discrete device-readable media. In any of these embodiments, processing circuitry 1070 can be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on device-readable storage media are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to processing circuitry 1070 or other components of network node 1060, but are generally enjoyed by network node 1060 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks.

[0184] Device-readable medium 1080 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state storage, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, optical disc (CD), or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transient device-readable and / or computer-executable storage device. Device-readable medium 1080 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by processing circuitry 1070 and usable by network node 1060. Device-readable medium 1080 may store any calculations performed by processing circuitry 1070 and / or any data received through interface 1090. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1070 and the device-readable medium 1080 may be considered integrated.

[0185] Interface 1090 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 1060, network 1006, and / or WD 1010. As shown, interface 1090 includes a port / terminal 1094 for sending and receiving data to and from network 1006 via a wired connection. Interface 1090 further includes radio front-end circuitry 1092, which may be coupled to antenna 1062, or in some embodiments, is part of antenna 1062. Radio front-end circuitry 1092 includes filter 1098 and amplifier 1096. Radio front-end circuitry 1092 may be connected to antenna 1062 and processing circuitry 1070. Radio front-end circuitry 1092 may be configured to modulate the signal transmitted between antenna 1062 and processing circuitry 1070. Radio front-end circuitry 1092 may receive digital data to be transmitted wirelessly to other network nodes or WD. Radio front-end circuitry 1092 may use a combination of filter 1098 and / or amplifier 1096 to convert digital data into radio signals with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signals can then be transmitted via antenna 1062. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1062 can collect the radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuitry 1092. The digital data can then be passed to processing circuitry 1070. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0186] In some alternative embodiments, network node 1060 may not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 1092; instead, processing circuitry 1070 may include radio front-end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 1062 without a separate radio front-end circuitry 1092. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1072 may be considered part of interface 1090. In still other embodiments, interface 1090 may include one or more ports or terminals 1094, radio front-end circuitry 1092, and RF transceiver circuitry 1072 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and interface 1090 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry 1074, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0187] Antenna 1062 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1062 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 1090 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1062 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector, or planar antennas operable to transmit / receive radio signals, for example, between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas can be used to transmit / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas can be used to transmit / receive radio signals from devices within a specific area, and planar antennas can be line-of-sight antennas used to transmit / receive radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 1062 may be detachable from network node 1060 and may be connected to network node 1060 via an interface or port.

[0188] Antenna 1062, interface 1090, and / or processing circuitry 1070 can be configured to perform any receive operation and / or certain acquire operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 1062, interface 1090, and / or processing circuitry 1070 can be configured to perform any transmit operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0189] Power supply circuit 1087 may include or be coupled to power management circuitry and is configured to provide power to the components of network node 1060 to perform the functions described herein. Power supply circuit 1087 may receive power from power source 1086. Power source 1086 and / or power supply circuit 1087 may be configured to provide power to the respective components of network node 1060 in a manner suitable for each component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). Power source 1086 may be included in or outside power supply circuit 1087 and / or network node 1060. For example, network node 1060 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) via input circuitry or an interface (e.g., a cable), thereby supplying power to power supply circuit 1087. As another example, power source 1086 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, which is connected to or integrated into power supply circuit 1087. The battery can provide backup power if the external power source fails. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0190] Alternative embodiments of network node 1060 may include, in addition to Figure 9 Additional components beyond those shown may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functions described herein and / or any functions necessary to support the topics described herein. For example, network node 1060 may include a user interface device to allow information input to and output from network node 1060. This allows users to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for network node 1060.

[0191] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) means a device capable of, configured, positioned, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise stated, the term WD may be used interchangeably with User Equipment (UE) herein. Wireless communication may involve transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human-machine interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network, a WD may be designed to transmit information to the network according to a predetermined schedule. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-to-vehicle devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. For example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidechain communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), a WD can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, and in this case, it can be referred to as a D2D communication device. As another concrete example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or a network node. In this case, the WD can be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which can be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a WD can be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, such as metering devices like power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), and personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD can represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. As mentioned above, WD can represent a wireless connection endpoint, in which case the device can be called a wireless terminal. Furthermore, as mentioned above, WD can also be mobile, in which case it can be called a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0192] As shown in the figure, the wireless device 1010 includes an antenna 1011, an interface 1014, processing circuitry 1020, a device-readable medium 1030, a user interface device 1032, an auxiliary device 1034, a power supply 1036, and a power supply circuit 1037. WD 1010 may include a collection of one or more of the components shown for different wireless technologies supported by WD 1010 (to name just a few, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies). These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chipsets as other components in WD 1010.

[0193] Antenna 1011 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and connected to interface 1014. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 1011 may be detachable from WD 1010 and connectable to WD 1010 via an interface or port. Antenna 1011, interface 1014, and / or processing circuitry 1020 may be configured to perform any receive or transmit operations described herein as performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuitry and / or antenna 1011 may be considered as an interface.

[0194] As shown, interface 1014 includes radio front-end circuitry 1012 and antenna 1011. Radio front-end circuitry 1012 includes one or more filters 1018 and amplifiers 1016. Radio front-end circuitry 1014 is connected to antenna 1011 and processing circuitry 1020 and is configured to modulate signals communicating between antenna 1011 and processing circuitry 1020. Radio front-end circuitry 1012 may be coupled to antenna 1011 or a portion thereof. In some embodiments, WD 1010 may not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 1012; instead, processing circuitry 1020 may include radio front-end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 1011. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1022 may be considered part of interface 1014. Radio front-end circuitry 1012 can receive digital data that will be transmitted wirelessly to other network nodes or WD. Radio front-end circuitry 1012 may use a combination of filters 1018 and / or amplifiers 1016 to convert digital data into radio signals with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. Radio signals can then be transmitted via antenna 1011. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1011 can collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuitry 1012. The digital data can then be passed to processing circuitry 1020. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0195] Processing circuitry 1020 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, controller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic, which may operate to provide WD 1010 functionality, either alone or together with other WD1010 components (e.g., device-readable medium 1030). Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuitry 1020 may execute instructions stored in memory within device-readable medium 1030 or processing circuitry 1020 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0196] As shown in the figure, the processing circuit 1020 includes one or more of the following: an RF transceiver circuit 1022, a baseband processing circuit 1024, and an application processing circuit 1026. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1020 of WD 1010 may include a System-on-a-Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 1022, the baseband processing circuit 1024, and the application processing circuit 1026 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuit 1024 and the application processing circuit 1026 may be combined into a single chip or a set of chips, and the RF transceiver circuit 1022 may be on a separate chip or a set of chips. In yet another alternative embodiment, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 1022 and the baseband processing circuit 1024 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit 1026 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In yet another alternative embodiment, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 1022, baseband processing circuitry 1024, and application processing circuitry 1026 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1022 may be part of interface 1014. The RF transceiver circuitry 1022 may modulate the RF signals used for processing circuitry 1020.

[0197] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being performed by WD can be provided by processing circuitry 1020 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 1030, which in some embodiments may be computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions can be provided by processing circuitry 1020, for example, in a hard-wired manner, without executing instructions stored on separate or discrete device-readable storage media. In any of these particular embodiments, processing circuitry 1020 can be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on device-readable storage media are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to processing circuitry 1020 alone or other components of WD 1010, but are generally enjoyed by WD 1010 and / or by end users and wireless networks.

[0198] Processing circuitry 1020 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by WD. These operations performed by processing circuitry 1020 may include processing information acquired by processing circuitry 1020, for example, converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in WD 1010, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing.

[0199] Device-readable medium 1030 is operable to store computer programs, software, including one or more applications of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by processing circuitry 1020. Read-readable medium 1030 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., optical disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transient device-readable and / or computer-executable storage device that stores information, data, and / or instructions usable by processing circuitry 1020. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1020 and device-readable medium 1030 may be considered integrated.

[0200] User interface device 1032 can provide components that allow a human user to interact with WD 1010. This interaction can take many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. User interface device 1032 can operate to produce outputs to the user and allow the user to provide inputs to WD 1010. The type of interaction can vary depending on the type of user interface device 1032 installed in WD 1010. For example, if WD 1010 is a smartphone, interaction can be via a touchscreen; if WD 1010 is a smart meter, interaction can be via a screen providing usage information (e.g., gallons used) or a speaker providing audible alerts (e.g., if smoke is detected). User interface device 1032 can include input interfaces, devices, and circuitry, as well as output interfaces, devices, and circuitry. User interface device 1032 is configured to allow information to be input into WD 1010 and is connected to processing circuitry 1020 to allow processing circuitry 1020 to process the input information. User interface device 1032 can include, for example, a microphone, proximity sensor or other sensor, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. User interface device 1032 is also configured to allow information output from WD 1010, and processing circuitry 1020 to output information from WD 1010. User interface device 1032 may include, for example, a speaker, display, vibration circuitry, USB port, headphone jack, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuitry of user interface device 1032, WD 1010 can communicate with end users and / or wireless networks, allowing them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0201] The auxiliary device 1034 is operable to provide more specific functions that are not typically performed by the WD. This may include dedicated sensors for measuring for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communication, etc. The inclusion and type of components of the auxiliary device 1034 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0202] In some embodiments, power supply 1036 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., a power outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. WD 1010 may also include power circuitry 1037 for delivering power from power supply 1036 to various accessories of WD 1010 that require power from power supply 1036 to perform any of the functions described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, power circuitry 1037 may include power management circuitry. Power circuitry 1037 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in this case, WD 1010 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) via an interface such as an input circuit or power cord. In some embodiments, power circuitry 1037 may also be used to deliver power from an external power source to power supply 1036. This may be used, for example, to charge power supply 1036. Power circuitry 1037 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications on the power from power supply 1036 to suit the power for the various components of the WD 1010 being powered.

[0203] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a user device according to some embodiments.

[0204] Figure 10 An embodiment of a UE according to the various aspects described herein is illustrated. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not or initially be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter). UE 1100 can be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including NB-IoT UEs, Machine Type Communication (MTC) UEs, and / or Enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs. Figure 10 As shown, UE 1100 is an example of a WD configured to communicate according to one or more communication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards). As previously stated, the terms WD and UE are used interchangeably. Therefore, although Figure 10 It is a UE, but the components discussed here also apply to WD, and vice versa.

[0205] exist Figure 10In this embodiment, UE 1100 includes processing circuitry 1101 operatively coupled to input / output interface 1105, radio frequency (RF) interface 1109, network connectivity interface 1111, memory 1115 (including random access memory (RAM) 1117, read-only memory (ROM) 1119, and storage medium 1121, etc.), communication subsystem 1131, power supply 1133, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 1121 includes operating system 1123, applications 1125, and data 1127. In other embodiments, storage medium 1121 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize... Figure 10 The components shown may represent all or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. Furthermore, some UEs may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0206] exist Figure 10 In this embodiment, processing circuitry 1101 can be configured to process computer instructions and data. Processing circuitry 1101 can be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in memory, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, a general-purpose processor, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), and appropriate software; or any combination thereof. For example, processing circuitry 1101 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for computer use.

[0207] In the depicted embodiments, input / output interface 1105 can be configured to provide a communication interface to input devices, output devices, or both input and output devices. UE 1100 can be configured to use output devices via input / output interface 1105. Output devices can use interface ports of the same type as input devices. For example, a USB port can be used to provide input to UE 1100 and output from UE 1100. Output devices can be speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, other output devices, or any combination thereof. UE 1100 can be configured to use input devices via input / output interface 1105 to allow a user to capture information into UE 1100. Input devices can include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital camcorders, webcams, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, arrow keys, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. Presence-sensitive displays can include capacitive or resistive touch sensors to sense input from the user. For example, a sensor can be an accelerometer, gyroscope, tilt sensor, force sensor, magnetometer, optical sensor, proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, an input device can be an accelerometer, magnetometer, digital camera, microphone, or optical sensor.

[0208] exist Figure 10 In this configuration, RF interface 1109 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers, and antennas. Network connectivity interface 1111 can be configured to provide a communication interface to network 1143a. Network 1143a may include wired and / or wireless networks, such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), computer networks, wireless networks, telecommunications networks, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, network 1143a may include a Wi-Fi network. Network connectivity interface 1111 can be configured to include receiver and transmitter interfaces for communicating with one or more other devices over the communication network according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc.). Network connectivity interface 1111 can implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for communication network links (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). Transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or they may be implemented separately.

[0209] RAM 1117 can be configured to interface with processing circuitry 1101 via bus 1102 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as operating systems, applications, and device drivers. ROM 1119 can be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuitry 1101. For example, ROM 1119 can be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions, such as basic input and output (I / O), initiating or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard, which are stored in non-volatile memory. Storage medium 1121 can be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable magnetic tape, or flash memory drive. In one example, storage medium 1121 may be configured to include operating system 1123, application 1125 (e.g., web browser application, widget or gadget engine, or another application), and data file 1127. Storage medium 1121 may store any of a variety of different operating systems for use by the UE 1100, or a combination of operating systems.

[0210] Storage medium 1121 can be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile optical disc (HD-DVD) drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory (e.g., a user identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module), other memory, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 1121 can allow UE 1100 to access computer-executable instructions, applications, etc., stored on temporary or non-temporary storage media to offload or upload data. Manufactured articles (e.g., manufactured articles utilizing communication systems) can be tangibly embodied in storage medium 1121, which can include device-readable media.

[0211] exist Figure 10In this configuration, processing circuitry 1101 can be configured to communicate with network 1143b using communication subsystem 1131. Networks 1143a and 1143b can be the same network, multiple networks, different networks, or multiple networks. Communication subsystem 1131 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with network 1143b. For example, communication subsystem 1131 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication, such as another WD, UE, or radio access network (RAN) base station, according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.). Each transceiver can include transmitter 1133 and / or receiver 1135 to respectively implement transmitter or receiver functions suitable for the RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, transmitter 1133 and receiver 1135 of each transceiver can share circuit components, software, or firmware, or can be implemented separately.

[0212] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 1131 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 1131 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 1143b may include wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 1143b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 1113 may be configured to provide AC or DC power to the components of the UE 1100.

[0213] The features, benefits, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 1100 or partitioned across multiple components of UE 1100. Furthermore, the features, benefits, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 1131 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Additionally, the processing circuitry 1101 may be configured to communicate with any such component via bus 1102. In another example, any such component may be represented by program instructions stored in memory, which, when executed by the processing circuitry 1101, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functionality of any such component may be partitioned between the processing circuitry 1101 and the communication subsystem 1131. In yet another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0214] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a virtualized environment according to some embodiments.

[0215] Figure 11 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 1200 that can virtualize functionality implemented by some embodiments. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to nodes (e.g., virtualized base stations or virtualized radio access nodes) or devices (e.g., UEs, wireless devices, or any other type of communication equipment) or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., through one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0216] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines, which are implemented in one or more virtual environments 1200 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 1230. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual node is not a radio access node or does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node), the network node may be fully virtualized.

[0217] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 1220 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual devices, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. Applications 1220 operate in a virtualized environment 1200 providing hardware 1230 including processing circuitry 1260 and memory 1290. Memory 1290 stores instructions 1295 executable by processing circuitry 1260, thereby enabling application 1220 to operate to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0218] The virtualization environment 1200 includes general-purpose or special-purpose network hardware devices 1230, which include one or more processors or processing circuitry 1260, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry, including digital or analog hardware components or special-purpose processors. Each hardware device may include memory 1290-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 1295 or software executed by the processing circuitry 1260. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 1270, also referred to as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces 1280. Each hardware device may also include non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage media 1290-2 in which software 1295 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuitry 1260 are stored. Software 1295 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 1250 (also referred to as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 1240, and software that allows them to perform functions, features, and / or benefits related to some of the embodiments described herein.

[0219] Virtual machine 1240 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual network or interface, and virtual storage, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1250 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of virtual device 1220 can be implemented at one or more virtual machines 1240, and can be implemented in different ways.

[0220] During operation, the processing circuitry 1260 executes software 1295 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 1250, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The virtualization layer 1250 can present a virtual operating platform that appears to be network hardware to the virtual machine 1240.

[0221] like Figure 11As shown, hardware 1230 can be a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 1230 may include antenna 12225 and may implement some functions through virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1230 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by management and orchestration (MANO) 12100, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of application 1220.

[0222] Hardware virtualization is sometimes referred to as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to integrate many types of network devices into industry-standard, high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can reside in data centers and client devices.

[0223] In the context of NFV, virtual machine 1240 can be a software implementation of a physical machine running a program as if the program were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 1240, and the portion of the hardware 1230 that executes that virtual machine, whether dedicated to that virtual machine or shared by that virtual machine with other virtual machines 1240, forms a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0224] Still within the context of NFV, a Virtual Network Function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions running in one or more virtual machines 1240 on top of the hardware network infrastructure 1230 and corresponds to Figure 11 Application 1220.

[0225] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 12200 (each including one or more transmitters 12220 and one or more receivers 12210) may be coupled to one or more antennas 12225. The radio units 12200 may communicate directly with the hardware node 1230 through one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide a radio-capable virtual node, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0226] In some embodiments, the control system 12230 may be used to implement some signaling, and the control system 12230 may be used instead for communication between the hardware node 1230 and the radio unit 12200.

[0227] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to some embodiments.

[0228] Reference Figure 12According to an embodiment, the communication system includes a telecommunications network 1310, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, which includes an access network 1311, such as a radio access network, and a core network 1314. The access network 1311 includes multiple base stations 1312a, 1312b, and 1312c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each base station defining a corresponding coverage area 1313a, 1313b, or 1313c. Each base station 1312a, 1312b, or 1312c can be connected to the core network 1314 via a wired or wireless connection 1315. A first UE 1391 located in coverage area 1313c is configured to wirelessly connect to or be paged by the corresponding base station 1312c. A second UE 1392 located in coverage area 1313a can wirelessly connect to the corresponding base station 1312a. Although multiple UEs 1391 and 1392 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where a single UE is in the coverage area or a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 1312.

[0229] Telecommunications network 1310 is itself connected to host computer 1330, which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server cluster. Host computer 1330 may be under the ownership or control of the service provider, or may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. Connections 1321 and 1322 between telecommunications network 1310 and host computer 1330 may extend directly from core network 1314 to host computer 1330, or may extend via optional intermediate network 1320. Intermediate network 1320 may be one or a combination of more than one of the following: a public network, a private network, or a hosted network; intermediate network 1320 may be a backbone network or the Internet, if any; in particular, intermediate network 1320 may include two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0230] Figure 12The communication system as a whole enables connectivity between connected UEs 1391 and 1392 and host computer 1330. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1350. Host computer 1330 and connected UEs 1391 and 1392 are configured to transmit data and / or signaling via OTT connection 1350 using access network 1311, core network 1314, any intermediate network 1320, and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediate media. OTT connection 1350 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices traversing OTT connection 1350 are unaware of the routes for uplink and downlink communications. For example, base station 1312 may not or need to be informed of past routes for incoming downlink communications containing data originating from host computer 1330 that will be forwarded (e.g., switched) to connected UE 1391. Similarly, base station 1312 does not need to know the future routes for outgoing uplink communications from UE 1391 to host computer 1330.

[0231] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station through a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments.

[0232] According to the embodiments, reference will now be made to Figure 13 Example implementations of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the preceding paragraphs are described. In the communication system 1400, the host computer 1410 includes: hardware 1415, which includes a communication interface 1416 configured to establish and maintain wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 1400. The host computer 1410 further includes processing circuitry 1418, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuitry 1418 may include: one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The host computer 1410 further includes software 1411, which is stored in or accessible by the host computer 1410 and executable by the processing circuitry 1418. The software 1411 includes a host application 1412. Host application 1412 can be used to provide services to remote users, such as UE 1430 connected via OTT connection 1450 terminated at UE 1430 and host computer 1410. When providing services to remote users, host application 1412 can provide user data sent using OTT connection 1450.

[0233] The communication system 1400 further includes a base station 1420, which is provided in the telecommunications system, and includes hardware 1425 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 1410 and the UE 1430. Hardware 1425 may include a communication interface 1426 for establishing and maintaining wired or wireless connections with different communication devices of the communication system 1400, and for communicating with the coverage area served by the base station 1420. Figure 13 The UE 1430 (not shown) establishes and maintains at least the radio interface 1427 of the wireless connection 1470. The communication interface 1426 can be configured to facilitate a connection 1460 to the host computer 1410. The connection 1460 can be direct, or it can be via the core network of the telecommunications system (…). Figure 13 (not shown) and / or via one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 1425 of base station 1420 further includes processing circuitry 1428, which may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. Base station 1420 also has software 1421 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0234] The communication system 1400 further includes the previously mentioned UE 1430. Its hardware 1435 may include a wireless interface 1437 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 1470 with a base station serving the coverage area currently occupied by the UE 1430. The hardware 1435 of the UE 1430 further includes processing circuitry 1438, which may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE 1430 further includes software 1431, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 1430 and executable by the processing circuitry 1438. The software 1431 includes a client application 1432. The client application 1432 can be used to provide services to human or non-human users via the UE 1430 with the support of the host computer 1410. In host computer 1410, the executing host application 1412 can communicate with the executing client application 1432 by terminating the OTT connection 1450 at UE 1430 and host computer 1410. In providing services to the user, client application 1432 can receive request data from host application 1412 and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 1450 can send both request data and user data. Client application 1432 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0235] Notice, Figure 13The host computer 1410, base station 1420, and UE 1430 shown can communicate with Figure 12 The host computer 1330, one of the base stations 1312a, 1312b, and 1312c, and one of the UEs 1391 and 1392 are similar to or identical to each other. That is to say, the internal operation of these entities can be as follows: Figure 13 As shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 12 The surrounding network topology.

[0236] exist Figure 13 The OTT connection 1450 has been abstractly depicted to illustrate communication between host computer 1410 and UE 1430 via base station 1420, without explicitly referencing any intermediate devices or the precise routing of messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing and can be configured to hide it from UE 1430 or the service provider operating host computer 1410, or both. When OTT connection 1450 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions by dynamically altering the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0237] The wireless connection 1470 between UE 1430 and base station 1420 is based on the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more embodiments in various embodiments use OTT connection 1450 to improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1430, wherein wireless connection 1470 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can improve latency and thus provide benefits such as reduced user latency.

[0238] Measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. Optional network functions may also be available for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1450 between host computer 1410 and UE 1430 in response to changes in measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1450 may be implemented in software 1411 and hardware 1415 of host computer 1410, or in software 1431 and hardware 1435 of UE 1430, or both. In embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with communication devices through which the OTT connection 1450 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities, from which software 1411, 1431 may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1450 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; reconfiguration need not affect base station 1420, and base station 1420 may be unaware of or unaware of it. This process and functionality are known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling, which facilitates the host computer 1410 in measuring throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurement can be implemented in software 1411 and 1431, which uses OTT connection 1450 to transmit messages (especially empty messages or "virtual" messages), while software 1411 and 1431 monitor propagation time, errors, etc.

[0239] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0240] Figure 14 This is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be referenced... Figure 12 and Figure 13 Those described. For the sake of brevity in this disclosure, this section includes only references. Figure 14 The accompanying drawings are shown. In step 1510, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 1511 of step 1510 (which may be optional), the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 1520, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying user data to the UE. In step 1530 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station sends the user data carried in the host computer-initiated transmission to the UE. In step 1540 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0241] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0242] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be referenced... Figure 12 and Figure 13 Those described. For the sake of brevity in this disclosure, only references will be included in this section. Figure 15 The accompanying drawings are shown. In step 1610 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 1620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission may be via a base station. In step 1630 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0243] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0244] Figure 16 This is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be referenced... Figure 12 and Figure 13 Those described. For the sake of brevity in this disclosure, this section includes only references. Figure 16 The accompanying drawings are shown. In step 1710 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1720, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 1721 of step 1720 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 1711 of step 1710 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which user data is provided, the UE initiates the transmission of user data to the host computer in sub-step 1730 (which may be optional). In step 1740 of the method, the host computer receives user data sent from the UE, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0245] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment according to some embodiments.

[0246] Figure 17 This is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be referenced... Figure 12 and 13 Those described. For the sake of brevity in this disclosure, this section includes only references. Figure 17 The accompanying drawings are shown. In step 1810 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1820 (which may be optional), the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 1830 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0247] Furthermore, this disclosure may also provide a carrier containing the aforementioned computer program, which may be one of electronic signals, optical signals, radio signals, or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, an optical disc or electronic storage device, such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), flash memory, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc.

[0248] The techniques described herein can be implemented in various ways, such that means for implementing one or more functions of the corresponding apparatus described in the embodiments not only include prior art components, but further include components for implementing one or more functions of the corresponding apparatus described together with the embodiments, and may include separate components for each individual function or components that can be configured to perform two or more functions. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more apparatuses), firmware (one or more apparatuses), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, implementation can be accomplished by modules (e.g., processes, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein.

[0249] Exemplary embodiments of this document have been described above with reference to block diagrams and flowcharts illustrating methods and apparatus. It will be understood that each block in the block diagrams and flowcharts, as well as combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowcharts, can be implemented by various components including computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment, create components for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks or blocks.

[0250] Furthermore, although the operations are depicted in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that these operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the subject matter described herein, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0251] While this specification contains numerous specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any implementation or the scope that may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments that may be specific to a particular implementation. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, while the foregoing features may be described as functioning in certain combinations, or even initially claimed in this way, in certain circumstances one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination, which may be for sub-combinations or variations thereof.

[0252] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways as technology advances. The above embodiments are given for description purposes only and not for limitation of this disclosure. It should be understood that, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. The scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method (400) performed by a network device, comprising: It is determined that (402) the terminal device supports a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second MCS; wherein the first MCS is different from the second MCS; Send (404) configuration information to the terminal device regarding a first bandwidth portion associated with a first MCS table supporting the first MCS, wherein the configuration information configures the terminal device to use the first MCS table when sending data in the first bandwidth portion; (406) Send configuration information (406) to the terminal device regarding a second bandwidth portion associated with a second MCS table supporting the second MCS, wherein the configuration information configures the terminal device to use the second MCS table when transmitting data in the second bandwidth portion. Wherein, the highest supported spectral efficiency in the first MCS table differs from the highest supported spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, and wherein the first MCS table supports the first MCS, and the second MCS table supports the second MCS; and Determine (412) the power reduction value of the terminal device, wherein the power reduction value includes: the difference between the minimum of the maximum output power of the terminal device configured by the network device and the maximum output power of the terminal device according to the power level of the terminal device, and the maximum output power of the terminal device configured by the terminal device; When the power reduction value of the terminal device is greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS and less than the maximum power reduction value associated with the second MCS, the terminal device is determined (414) as an MCS table switching candidate; and When the power reduction value of the terminal device is not greater than the maximum power reduction value associated with the first MCS, the terminal device is determined (416) as a non-MCS table switching candidate.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Determining the power reduction value of the terminal device includes: Obtain the power level of the terminal device; Obtain the maximum transmitter power value configured for the terminal device; Obtain the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device; and The power reduction value of the terminal device is determined based on the power level of the terminal device, the maximum transmitter power value configured for the terminal device, and the maximum transmitter power value of the terminal device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine (422) the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device; as well as Based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device, a command (424) to switch to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion is sent to the terminal device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Sending a command to the terminal device to switch to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device includes: It is determined that the terminal device is using the second MCS table; and When the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device falls within at least one first channel quality range where the network performance using the first MCS table is higher than the network performance using the second MCS table, the command to switch to the first bandwidth portion is sent to the terminal device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one first channel quality range includes at least one of the following: [Channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, and channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the second lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table], or [Channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the highest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table, and channel quality corresponding to the second MCS with the third lowest spectral efficiency in the second MCS table].

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Sending a command to the terminal device to switch to the first bandwidth portion or the second bandwidth portion based on the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device includes: It is determined that the terminal device is using the first MCS table; and When the channel quality between the network device and the terminal device falls within at least one second channel quality range where the network performance using the second MCS table is higher than the network performance using the first MCS table, a command to switch to the second bandwidth portion is sent to the terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The at least one second channel quality range includes at least one of the following: [The channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the highest spectral efficiency in the first MCS table, infinite]; or [Channel quality corresponding to the first MCS with the second highest spectral efficiency in the first MCS table, infinite].

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The command is sent to the terminal device in at least one of the following ways: Downlink control information; Media Access Control (MAC) control element CE; or Radio resource control message.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The command is further sent to the terminal device based on the timer disabling mechanism.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The first MCS includes 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and the second MCS includes 256 QAM.

11. A network device (700), comprising: Processor (721); as well as A memory (722) coupled to the processor (721) stores instructions executable by the processor (721), thereby enabling the network device (700) to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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