Mechanisms for cell activation

Abstract

According to embodiments of this disclosure, after the terminal device receives an activation instruction from the network device to activate a secondary cell or primary / secondary cell configured with a physical uplink control channel, the terminal device sends an acknowledgment to the network device in response to the activation instruction. Simultaneously with activating the SCell and performing a random access procedure with the network device, the terminal device measures one or more reference signals associated with the SCell. In this way, the delay for SCell activation can be shortened and latency reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and in particular to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for cell activation. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, greater communication capacity is required. In some scenarios, terminal devices can be configured with multiple cells. For example, carrier aggregation (CA) has been proposed. CA is a technique used in wireless communication to improve the data rate or extend coverage for each user, in which multiple component carriers are allocated to the same user. In carrier aggregation (CA), two or more component carriers (CCs) are aggregated. The UE can simultaneously receive or transmit one or more CCs depending on its capabilities. The component carrier is called the serving cell and is regarded as the serving cell by higher layers. In frequency division duplex (FDD), the serving cell includes a pair of different downlink and uplink carrier frequencies, while in time division duplex (TDD), a single carrier frequency is used for downlink and uplink transmission in different time intervals. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for cell activation.

[0004] In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the first device to: receive, via a first cell of a second device, an activation instruction to activate a second cell of a third device; monitor a first set of reference signals from the second cell; determine downlink timing in the second cell based on the first set of reference signals; and simultaneously perform activation of the second cell and a random access procedure to the second cell, measure a second set of reference signals in the second cell of the third device.

[0005] In a second aspect, a third device is provided. The third device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory, including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the third device to: transmit a first set of reference signals in a second cell of the third device to the first device; and transmit a second set of reference signals to the first device while performing the activation of the second cell and a random access procedure with the first device.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: at a first device, receiving an activation instruction for activating a second cell of a third device via a first cell of a second device; monitoring a first set of reference signals from the second cell; determining downlink timing in the second cell based on the first set of reference signals; and simultaneously measuring a second set of reference signals from the second cell of the third device while performing activation of the second cell and a random access procedure to the second cell.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: transmitting to a first device a first set of reference signals from a second cell of a third device; and, for example, transmitting to the first device a second set of reference signals while performing a random access procedure with the first device.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for receiving, at a first device, via a first cell of a second device, an activation instruction for activating a second cell of a third device; components for monitoring a first set of reference signals from the second cell; components for determining downlink timing in the second cell based on the first set of reference signals; and components for measuring a second set of reference signals from the second cell from the third device while performing activation of the second cell and a random access procedure to the second cell.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for transmitting to a first device a first set of reference signals in a second cell of a third device; and components for transmitting to the first device a second set of reference signals while performing a random access procedure with the first device.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method according to any one of the third and fourth aspects described above.

[0011] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the signaling flow for cell activation based on conventional techniques.

[0014] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the signaling flow for cell activation based on conventional techniques.

[0015] Figure 3The illustration shows an example communication environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0016] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a signaling flow for cell activation according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 5 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a first device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 6 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a second device according to some other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated; and

[0020] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0021] Throughout all the accompanying figures, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0023] 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.

[0024] References to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it should be understood that incorporating other embodiments (whether explicitly described or not) to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0025] It should be understood that while the terms “first” and “second”, etc., 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 listed terms.

[0026] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms. It should also be understood that when the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including” are used herein, the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., is specified, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof is not excluded.

[0027] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuit systems only) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of the hardware processor(s) having software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(s) working together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors that require software (e.g. firmware) to operate, such as microprocessors or a portion thereof, but which may be absent when no software is required to operate.

[0028] This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application (including any claim). As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit system also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) alone, or a portion thereof and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuit system also covers (e.g., and if applicable to a particular claim element) baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0029] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any generation of suitable communication protocols, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can also be implemented using this disclosure. It should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0030] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), a relay, an Integration and Access Backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as a femtonode or piconode), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network equipment (such as satellite network equipment), low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, aircraft network equipment, etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied. The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0031] As mentioned above, a terminal device has a single serving cell, referred to as the primary cell (PCell), and other serving cells are referred to as secondary cells (SCells). Through Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections on the PCell, network equipment can also configure one or more SCells for the terminal device. According to some conventional techniques, the PCell can be used for uplink transmission. To improve capacity, 3GPP introduced SCells in LTE systems, which are configured with a UL including the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). This SCell is named the PUCCH SCell. Based on this, there are necessary minimum UE activation delay requirements for the activation of this SCell.

[0032] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the signaling flow for non-PUCCH SCell activation according to conventional techniques. For example... Figure 1 As shown, network device 120 can send a SCell activation command (1005) to terminal device 110 in PCell 1210. In response to this activation command, terminal device 110 can send a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgment (1010) to PCell 1210. Network device 120 sends one or more reference signals (1015) to terminal device 110 in SCell 1220. Terminal device 110 can measure one or more reference signals and generate a Channel State Information (CSI) report based on the measurement results of the one or more reference signals. Terminal device 110 can send a CSI report (1020) to network device 120 in PCell 1210. In this case, the activation delay may include the activation duration and the duration of CSI measurement and reporting.

[0033] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the signaling flow for PUCCH SCell activation according to conventional techniques. For example... Figure 2 As shown, network device 220 can send a 2005 SCell activation command to terminal device 210 in PCell 2210. In response to this activation command, terminal device 210 can send a 2010 HARQ acknowledgment to PCell 2210. Network device 220 can send a 2015 PDCCH command to trigger the UE to initiate a random access procedure. Terminal device 210 can execute the 2020 random access procedure. After the random access procedure is completed, terminal device 210 can generate a Channel State Information (CSI) report based on the measurement results of one or more reference signals. Terminal device 210 can send a 2030 CSI report to network device 220 in SCell 2220. In this case, the activation delay can include a combination of the following: activation duration, random access procedure duration, and reporting duration.

[0034] The SCell activation delay requirement for a deactivated PUCCH SCell should apply to end devices configured with a downlink SCell and when the PUCCH is configured for an active SCell. If the end device has a valid TA for transmission on the SCell, it should be able to send a valid CSI report and apply, as per the following: Figure 2 The actions shown are related to the SCell activation command, used for the SCell to activate no later than subframe n+T. activate_basic Within, it is activated on the PUCCH SCell, where: the TA is considered valid if the TimeAlignmentTimer associated with the TAG containing the PUCCH SCell is running; T activate_basic This indicates the SCell activation delay for deactivated non-PUCCH SCells.

[0035] If the terminal device does not have a valid TA for transmission on the SCell, the terminal device should be able to perform downlink actions related to the SCell activation command for the SCell to be activated no later than subframe n+T. activate_basic Within, it is activated on the PUCCHSCell. Furthermore, the terminal device should be able to execute uplink actions related to the SCell activation command to enable the SCell to activate no later than subframe n+T. delay_PUCCH SCell Within, it is activated on the PUCCH SCell. Furthermore, the terminal device should send a valid CSI report to enable the SCell to activate no later than subframe n+T. delay_PUCCH SCell Inside, it is activated on the PUCCH SCell, where: T delay_PUCCH SCell =T activate_basic +T1+T2+T3, where T1 represents the delay uncertainty in acquiring the first available PRACH opportunity in the PUCCH SCell. T1 can be up to 25 subframes, and the actual value of T1 should depend on the PRACH configuration used in the PUCCH SCell. T2 represents the delay in obtaining a valid TA command for the sTAG to which the SCell configured with PUCCH belongs. T2 can be up to 13 subframes. T3 represents the delay in applying the received TA to the uplink transmission. T3 can be 6 subframes.

[0036] The above delay requirement (T) delay_PUCCH SCell The applicable premise is that the terminal device has already been installed on T. activate_basicThe PDCCH command to initiate a random access (RA) procedure on the PUCCH SCell is received; otherwise, additional delay is expected for SCell activation. Furthermore, the RA on the PUCCH SCell is not interrupted by the RA on the PCell; otherwise, additional delay is expected for SCell activation. Also, no SRS-based handover occurs during the SCell activation procedure; otherwise, the PUCCH SCell activation delay (T) is also expected. delay_PUCCH SCell () can be extended.

[0037] Alternatively, the SCell activation delay requirement for deactivated non-PUCCH SCells should apply to terminal equipment configured with one downlink SCell. This requirement applies to E-UTRA FDD, E-UTRA TDD, and E-UTRA TDD-FDD carrier aggregation. It also applies to E-UTRAN-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). Furthermore, this requirement applies to UEs operating in NR-E-UTRAN DC (NE-DC). The delay at which the terminal equipment can activate the deactivated SCell depends on specific conditions.

[0038] For LTE, T activate_basic When a SCell activation command is received in subframe n, the terminal device should be able to send a valid CSI report and apply actions related to the activation command to enable the SCell to activate no later than subframe n+N. act_known The inner cell is activated provided that the following conditions for SCell are met:

[0039] During the period equal to 5 SCell measurement cycles (measCycleSCell) or 5 discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles prior to receiving the SCell activation command: the terminal device has sent a valid measurement report for the activated SCell, and the activated SCell remains detectable according to the cell identification conditions.

[0040] Based on the cell identification conditions, during the SCell activation delay, the activated SCell remains detectable, where N act_known =24.

[0041] This additional delay on the terminal equipment side allows the UE time to activate or readjust the radio frequency (if needed) and perform necessary CSI measurements. Afterward, the UE should be able to send a CSI report. For New Radio (NR), conventional technologies have not yet established similar requirements for PUCCH SCell activation delay.

[0042] Current LTE legacy requirements are based on the assumption that an LTE downlink (DL) reference signal is continuously available to the terminal device. This is not the case in baseline NR deployments, which assume that the required NR reference signal is available once every 20 milliseconds.

[0043] The current NR SCell activation delay requirements defined for NR in version 15 (for non-PUCCH SCells) are based on LTE requirements and are therefore very similar to the requirements defined for LTE, except that they include specific details for coverage frequency range 2 (FR2) in addition to coverage frequency range 1 (FR1).

[0044] The following discussion addresses the requirements for activating non-PUCCHSCells in NR for terminal equipment configured with a downlink SCell in EN-DC, standalone NR carrier aggregation, NE-DC, or NR-DC, when a SCell is activated. The latency for a user equipment to activate a deactivated SCell depends on specific conditions.

[0045] Upon receiving the SCell activation command in time slot n, the UE should be able to send a valid CSI report and apply the actions associated with the activation command to enable the SCell to activate no later than time slot n. (where T) HARQ (In milliseconds) indicates the time interval between DL data transmission and acknowledgment when it is activated; T activation_time This represents the SCell activation delay (in milliseconds); and T CSI_reporting This includes the uncertainty in obtaining the first available downlink CSI reference resource, the UE processing time for CSI reporting, and the delay (in milliseconds) in obtaining the uncertainty in the first available CSI reporting resource.

[0046] Considering PUCCH SCell and T in NR activation_time It can be assumed that in many cases, PUCCHSCell may, for example, not co-located with PCell. This means that T activation_time The longest it can be is:

[0047] Provided that the PCell or PSCell is located in FR1 or FR2, if the activated SCell belongs to FR2, and if there is no active serving cell in that FR2 band:

[0048] If the target SCell is known to the UE, and semi-persistent CSI-RS is used for CSI reporting, then T activation_time As shown below:

[0049] 3ms+max(T uncertainty_MAC +T FineTiming +2ms,T uncertainty_SP ), where, if the UE simultaneously receives the SCell activation command, the semi-persistent CSI-RS activation command, and the TCI state activation command, then T uncertainty_MAC =0 and T uncertainty_SP =0.

[0050] If the target SCell is known to the UE, and periodic CSI-RS is used for CSI reporting, then T activation_time for:

[0051] max(T uncertainty_MAC +5ms+T FineTiming ,T uncertainty_RRC +T RRC_delay-THARQ ), where, if the UE simultaneously receives both the SCell activation command and the TCI state activation command, then T uncertainty_MAC =0.

[0052] If the PCell / PSCell and the target SCell are in a band pair with independent beam management, and the target SCell is unknown to the UE, and semi-persistent CSI-RS is used for CSI reporting, then T is set to 10 ... activation_time for:

[0053] 6ms+T FirstSSB_MAX +15 T SMTC_MAX +8 T rs +T L1-RSRP,measure +T L1-RSRP,report +T HARQ +max(T uncertainty_MAC +T FineTiming +2ms, T uncertainty_SP ).

[0054] If the PCell / PSCell and the target SCell are in a band pair with independent beam management, and the target SCell is unknown to the UE, and periodic CSI-RS is used for CSI reporting, then T is determined under the condition that Ês / Iot ≥ -2dB. activation_time for:

[0055] 3ms+T FirstSSB_MAX +15 T SMTC_MAX +8 T rs +T L1-RSRP,measure +T L1-RSRP,report +max{(THARQ +T uncertainty_MAC +5ms+T FineTiming ),(T uncertainty_RRC +T RRC_delay )}

[0056] in,

[0057] T SMTC_MAX In FR1, in the case of in-band SCell activation, if cell-specific reference signals from the active serving cell and the activated or released SCell are available in the same time slot, then T SMTC_MAX This represents the longer SMTC period between the active serving cell and the activated or released SCell; in the case of inter-band SCell activation, T SMTC_MAX This indicates the SMTC cycle in which the SCell is activated; in FR2, under the premise that only FR2 in-band CA is supported in version 15, T SMTC_MAX This indicates the longer SMTC period between the active serving cell and the activated SCell. T SMTC_MAX It can be limited to a minimum of 10 milliseconds.

[0058] If the SMTC configuration for the SCell is provided to the UE in the SCell supplementary message, then T rs This indicates the SMTC cycle in which SCell is activated; otherwise, T rs This refers to an SMTC configured in measObjectNR with the same Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) frequency and subcarrier spacing; if no SMTC configuration or measurement object is provided to the UE at that frequency, then it involves T rs =5 milliseconds application T rs The requirement assumes an SSB transmission period of 5 milliseconds; if the SSB transmission period is not 5 milliseconds, then there is no requirement.

[0059] T FirstSSB Indicates in time slot n+ Then, until the end of the first complete SSB burst as instructed by the SMTC.

[0060] T FirstSSB_MAX Indicates in time slot n+ Then, until the end of the first complete SSB burst as instructed by the SMTC, the following conditions are still met:

[0061] In FR1, when an in-band SCell is active, all active serving cells and activated or released SCells transmit SSB bursts at the same time slot; when an inter-band SCell is active, the activated SCell transmits an SSB burst at the first time slot.

[0062] In FR2, all active serving cells and activated or released SCells send SSB bursts in the same time slot.

[0063] T FineTiming This represents the time period from when the UE completes processing the last activation command for the PDCCH TCI and Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) TCI (if applicable) to the timing of the first fully available SSB corresponding to the TCI state.

[0064] Based on the applicability defined in Clause 9.5 (assuming M=1), T L1-RSRP,measure The measurement delay T represents the L1 reference signal received power (L1-RSRP). L1-RSRP_Measurement_Period_SSB milliseconds, or T L1-RSRP_Measurement_Period_CSI-RS .

[0065] T L1-RSRP,report This indicates a delay in obtaining CSI report resources.

[0066] T uncertainty_MAC This indicates the time period between receiving the last activation command for PDCCH TCI, PDSCH TCI (if applicable) and receiving the SCell activation command for known cases; and the time period between receiving the first valid L1-RSRP report for unknown cases.

[0067] T uncertainty_RRC The RRC configuration message for receiving TCI periodic CSI-RS reports for CQI reporting (if applicable) is relative to the time period between receiving the SCell activation command for the known case and the time period between receiving the first valid L1-RSRP report for the unknown case.

[0068] T uncertainty_SP This indicates the time period between receiving the activation command for the semi-persistent CSI-RS resource set used for CQI reporting and receiving the SCell activation command for the known case; and the time period between receiving the first valid L1-RSRP report for the unknown case.

[0069] T RRC_delay This indicates a delay in the RRC procedure.

[0070] During the unknown cell detection time for SCell activation, longer delays can be expected for Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurement requirements, and in the case of FR2, for SSB-based Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) / Two-Way Forwarding Detection (BFD) / L1-RSRP measurement requirements.

[0071] It can be recognized that simply adopting the LTE approach to PUCCH SCell activation delay requirements, and defining the PUCCH SCell activation delay simply by increasing the non-PUCCH SCell activation delay and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) procedure delay for obtaining the TA, will result in very lenient UE requirements and an extended NR PUCCH SCell activation delay. This extended delay is certainly not beneficial to system performance and should be reduced.

[0072] Therefore, a new solution is needed for NR regarding PUCCH SCell or primary / secondary cell activation. According to embodiments of this disclosure, after the terminal device receives an activation command instruction to activate the PUCCH SCell or primary / secondary cell from the network device, the terminal device responds to the activation instruction by sending an acknowledgment to the network device. Simultaneously with performing the PUCCH SCell or primary / secondary cell activation and random access procedures on the network device, the terminal device measures one or more reference signals associated with the SCell. In this way, the delay of SCell activation can be shortened and latency reduced.

[0073] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a communication environment 300 in which an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. As part of a communication network, the communication environment 300 also includes devices 310-1, 310-2, ..., 310-N, which may be collectively referred to as "(a plurality of) first devices 310". The communication environment 300 includes devices 320-1, 320-2, ..., 320-M, which may be collectively referred to as "(a plurality of) devices 320". The numbers N and M can be any suitable integers.

[0074] The communication environment 300 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In the communication environment 300, the first device 310 and device 320 may communicate data and control information with each other. When the first device 310 is a terminal device and device 320 is a network device, the link from device 320 to the first device 310 is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 310 to device 320 is referred to as an uplink (UL). Device 320 and the first device 310 are interchangeable. The first device 310 may be configured with more than one cell. For illustrative purposes only, the first device 310 may be configured with a first cell 330 and a second cell 340. In some embodiments, the first cell 330 and the second cell 340 may be co-located. For example, device 320-1 may include the first cell 330 and the second cell 340. Alternatively, the first cell and the second cell may not be co-located. For example, device 320-1 may include the first cell 330, and device 320-2 may include the second cell 340. For illustrative purposes only, device 320-1 may be referred to as the second device, and device 320-2 may be referred to as the third device. It should be noted that the second device and the third device are interchangeable. In some embodiments, if the cells are co-located, the second device and the third device may be the same device.

[0075] For illustrative purposes only, the first cell 330 may be a primary cell (PCell). In some embodiments, the second cell 340 may be a secondary cell with a PUCCH. Alternatively, the second cell 340 may be a primary-secondary cell (PSCell). As used herein, the term "primary cell" may refer to a primary cell group (MCG) cell operating on a primary frequency, where the UE either performs an initial connection establishment procedure or initiates a connection re-establishment procedure. As used herein, the term "secondary cell" may refer to a cell that provides additional radio resources to a UE configured with CA, above a special cell. For a UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state without carrier aggregation (CA) / dual connectivity (DC), only one serving cell includes the primary cell. For a UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state with CA / DC configured, the term "serving cell" is used to refer to a group of cells including (multiple) special cells and all secondary cells. As used herein, the term "PSCell" may refer to a secondary cell in a secondary cell group (SCG).

[0076] It should be understood that, Figure 3 The number of first devices and cells and their connections shown are given for illustrative purposes and do not suggest any limitations. The communication environment 300 may include any suitable number of devices and networks for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0077] Communication in the communication environment 300 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G), wireless local network communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, the communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0078] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 4 The illustration depicts a signaling flow 400 for PUCCH SCell activation or PSCell activation according to an example embodiment of this disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 3 Signaling flow 400 is described. For illustrative purposes only, signaling flow 400 may involve first device 310-1 and second device 320. As mentioned above, first cell 330 and second cell 340 may be co-located. Alternatively, first cell 330 and second cell 340 may not be co-located. For illustrative purposes only, signaling flow 400 is described with reference to the following scenario, wherein first cell 330 and second cell 340 are not co-located, second device 320-1 includes first cell 330, and third device 320-2 includes second cell 340.

[0079] Device 320-1 sends an activation indication (4005) to first device 310-1 in first cell 330 to activate second cell 340 of device 320-2. First device 310-1 is configured with a PUCCH SCell and can perform PUCCH transmissions on second cell 340. For example, the activation indication may include an identifier of second cell 340. In some embodiments, first device 310-1 may be configured with more than one SCell. Device 320-1 may be configured with SCells and / or PUCCH SCells in a deactivated state. Alternatively, device 320-1 may be configured with SCells and / or PUCCH SCells in an active state. First device 310-1 may be configured with information that second cell 340 can be considered as a SCell with PUCCH. The activation indication may be sent in any appropriate signaling.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 may send a 4010 acknowledgment to the device 320 in the first cell 330 in response to an activation indication. For example, a HARQ acknowledgment may be sent.

[0081] After the first device 310-1 sends an acknowledgment, the first device 310-1 can begin acquiring the downlink timing of the second cell 340. In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 can monitor a first set of reference signals (e.g., synchronization information or other relevant DL reference signals (RS)) to obtain fine time and frequency information in the second cell 340. The first device 310-1 can determine the downlink timing of the second cell 340 based on the first set of reference signals. For example, device 320-1 can send a 4015, such as a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a tracking reference signal (TRS), to the first device 310-1 in the second cell 340. The first device 310-1 can acquire the downlink timing based on the DL RS (e.g., SSB). Device 320 sends a 4020 PDCCH command to the UE to initiate the RA procedure. It should be noted that device 320 can send any appropriate number of SSBs in the second cell 340.

[0082] Device 320-2 may send a second set of reference signals to first device 310-1. For example, in some embodiments, device 320-2 may send CSI reference signals from the second cell 340 to first device 310-1. For example, the CSI reference signals may be pre-configured CSI reference signals. In some embodiments, first device 310-1 may measure the CSI reference signals and determine the CSI based on the measurement of the CSI reference signals.

[0083] First device 310-1 sends a 4030 preamble to device 320-2 in second cell 340 to initiate a random access procedure. For example, the preamble may include a cyclic prefix and sequence. In some embodiments, device 320-2 may determine a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration index and send this PRACH configuration index in some RRC message (e.g., a system information block or dedicated signaling) before SCell activation. First device 310-1 may determine the preamble based on this PRACH configuration index. In some embodiments, the random access procedure may be contention-free. Alternatively, the random access procedure may be contention-based. In some embodiments, first device 310-1 may initiate the random access procedure once the DL timing of second cell 340 has been acquired.

[0084] In other embodiments, the second set of reference signals may include signals different from the first set of reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS). The first device 310 may begin monitoring or measuring the second set of reference signals after receiving an activation command, acquiring downlink timing of the second cell 340, or receiving a preamble transmission. Device 320-2 may send a set of reference signals 4035 for CSI measurement to the first device 310-1 from the second cell 340. For example, device 320-2 may send one reference signal to the first device 310-1. Alternatively, device 320-2 may send multiple reference signals. It should be noted that the set of reference signals can be any suitable number of reference signals. In some embodiments, device 320-2 may send the set of reference signals if an activation command is sent, or in response to the receipt of an acknowledgment of an activation indication. In other words, the transmission of the set of reference signals may be triggered by the receipt of an acknowledgment or by the transmission of an activation command. Alternatively, device 320-2 may send the set of reference signals if a preamble of a random access procedure is received. In this scenario, the transmission of the reference signal set can be triggered by receiving the preamble. In some embodiments, device 320-2 can send additional reference signals to the first device 310-1 in the second cell 340. For example, the additional reference signals can be triggered by an activation indication or by receiving the preamble.

[0085] In some embodiments, device 320-2 may transmit reference signals within time intervals specific to the second cell 340. For example, this time interval may be less than or equal to a given configured time interval. CSI-RS may be transmitted within this given configured time interval. Device 320-2 may transmit more reference signals. In this way, latency can be further reduced.

[0086] In some embodiments, the reference signal to be measured for CSI may be transmitted by device 320-2, which is specifically triggered for this purpose. In other embodiments, such transmission of the reference signal may be initiated by device 320-2 once it receives the preamble. In yet another embodiment, the transmission of the reference signal may begin with device 320-2 receiving a HARQ acknowledgment in response to an activation command and may be transmitted over a given period of time (e.g., until the first device 310-1 has transmitted a valid CSI report).

[0087] The first device 310-1 measures a second set of reference signals while performing the activation and random access procedures for the second cell. In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 may measure the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) on the set of reference signals. In other embodiments, the first device 310-1 may measure the Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) on the set of reference signals. Alternatively or additionally, the first device 310-1 may obtain the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the set of reference signals. Based on these measurements, and alternatively other measurements, the UE may obtain the information required for CSI reporting. In this way, the measurement of the set of reference signals can be performed simultaneously with the activation of the second cell and the random access procedure, thereby reducing the delay in activating the second cell 340.

[0088] In some embodiments, device 320-2 may send configuration information that indicates a measurement configuration. For example, the measurement configuration may include one or more of the following: reference signal type, measurement period, and measurement RS transmission duration specific to the second cell 340. For example, device 320-2 may configure a shorter measurement RS and / or time period or cycle. In this way, the activation delay of the SCell can be reduced. The measurement configuration may also indicate the location for measuring the second set of reference signals in the time domain. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement configuration may also indicate the location for measuring the second set of reference signals in the frequency domain.

[0089] The first device 310-1 can generate a CSI report based on the measurement results of this set of reference signals. In wireless communication, the term "Channel State Information (CSI)" refers to the known channel characteristics of a communication link. This information describes how a signal propagates from the transmitter to the receiver and represents, for example, combined effects such as scattering, fading, and power attenuation with distance.

[0090] Device 320-2 may send a 4040 response to the first device 310-1. For example, after the preamble is detected, device 320-2 may allocate uplink resources for the second cell 340 and send a response. In some embodiments, the response may include timing calibration information. Alternatively or additionally, the response may include initial UL authorization. In other embodiments, the response may include the allocation of a temporary cell radio network temporary indicator (C-RNTI). Optionally, device 320-2 may send a 4045 request for channel state information to the first device 310-1.

[0091] First device 310-1 sends a 4050 CSI report to device 320-2. In some embodiments, device 320 may send resource information indicating additional resources for the uplink channel. In this case, the channel state information can be sent on the additional resources. In this way, the activation delay of the SCell can be reduced.

[0092] In some embodiments, if the first device 310-1 receives a request for channel state information, the first device 310-1 may send the channel state information. Alternatively, the channel state information may be sent immediately after the random access procedure is completed.

[0093] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an enhancement to the UE PUCCH SCell activation delay requirement is proposed, which is defined based on the fact that the UE can measure the reference signal of CSI while performing cell activation and random access procedures (i.e., in parallel).

[0094] This UE behavior significantly reduces the time required for the UE to send a valid CSI report in the UL, thereby reducing the overall PUCCH SCell activation delay. These requirements will be defined so that the UE needs to perform CSI-RS measurements for CSI reporting simultaneously with the cell activation and random access procedures. The delay requirement for second cell activation can be determined based on the timing between downlink data transmission and acknowledgment, the duration of activation for the second cell, and the duration of the random access procedure. Alternatively, the delay requirement for second cell activation can be determined without considering the additional time period for CSI measurement and reporting. In one solution, this would be defined as follows: when a SCell activation command is received in slot n, the UE should be able to send a valid CSI report and apply actions associated with the activation command to enable the SCell to activate no later than the slot. The interior is activated, among which T HARQ Indicates the timing between DL data transmission and acknowledgment; T activation_time T represents the SCell activation delay (in milliseconds); RACH This indicates the duration of the random access procedure. In some embodiments, T RACH It may include: (1) T1, which represents the delay uncertainty of obtaining the first available PRACH opportunity in the PUCCH SCell and may have up to X subframes, and the actual value of T1 should depend on the PRACH configuration used in the PUCCH SCell; (2) T2, which represents the delay of obtaining a valid TA command of the sTAG (or PSCell) to which the SCell configured with PUCCH belongs and may have up to Y subframes; and (3) T3, which represents the delay of applying the received TA to the uplink transmission and may have Z subframes.

[0095] According to some embodiments, the network can send additional CSI-RS triggered by a PUCCH SCell activation command (and potentially based on receiving a HARQ acknowledgment from the UE). Early CSI reporting from the UE can be enabled based on scheduled, triggered, polled, or bound CSI reports. Furthermore, the network can configure shorter activation periods for specific CSI-RS and / or more PUCCH resources for CSI reporting.

[0096] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, method 500 will be described from the perspective of a first device 310.

[0097] At block 510, first device 310-1 receives an activation indication from device 320 (e.g., device 320-1) in first cell 330 to activate second cell 340. First device 310-1 anticipates performing PUCCH transmission on second cell 340. For example, the activation indication may include an identifier of second cell 340. In some embodiments, first device 310-1 may be configured to have more than one SCell. Device 320 may be configured to have SCells in a deactivated state. Alternatively, device 320 may be configured to have SCells in an active state. First device 310-1 may be configured with information that second cell 340 can be considered a SCell with PUCCH. The activation indication may be sent in any appropriate signaling.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 may send an acknowledgment to the device 320 in the first cell 330 in response to an activation indication. For example, a HARQ acknowledgment may be sent.

[0099] After the first device 310-1 sends an acknowledgment, it can obtain the downlink timing of the SCell. At block 520, the first device 310-1 monitors the first set of reference signals in the second cell 340. At block 530, the first device 310-1 determines the downlink timing of the second cell 340 based on the first set of reference signals. For example, device 320 can send a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) or a TRS (i.e., the first set of reference signals) to the first device 310-1 in the second cell 340. Furthermore, the first device 310-1 receives a second set of reference signals within a secondary cell-specific time interval. The first device 310-1 can obtain the downlink timing based on the SSB and / or TRS. Device 320 can send a PDCCH command to initiate the RA procedure. It should be noted that device 320 can send any appropriate number of SSBs or TRSs in the second cell 340.

[0100] In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 sends a preamble to device 320 in the second cell 340 for a random access procedure. For example, the preamble may include a cyclic prefix and sequence. In some embodiments, device 320 may determine a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration index and send the PRACH configuration index in a system information block. The first device 310-1 may determine the preamble based on the PRACH configuration index. In some embodiments, the random access procedure may be contention-free. Alternatively, the random access procedure may be contention-based. In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 may initiate the random access procedure once the DL timing of the second cell 340 has been acquired.

[0101] First device 310-1 receives a second set of reference signals from device 320 in second cell 340. For example, device 320 may send one reference signal to first device 310-1. Alternatively, device 320 may send multiple reference signals. It should be noted that the set of reference signals can be any suitable number of reference signals. In some embodiments, device 320 may send the set of reference signals if an acknowledgment of an activation indication is received. In other words, the transmission of the set of reference signals can be triggered by the receipt of an acknowledgment. Alternatively, device 320 may send the set of reference signals if a preamble for a random access procedure is received. In this case, the transmission of the set of reference signals can be triggered by the receipt of the preamble. In some embodiments, device 320 may send additional reference signals to first device 310-1 in second cell 340. For example, the additional reference signals may be triggered by an activation indication.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 can receive a second set of reference signals within a time interval specific to the secondary cell. The first device 310-1 can receive more reference signals. In this way, the latency can be further reduced.

[0103] In some embodiments, a reference signal to be measured for CSI may be transmitted by device 320, which is specifically triggered for this purpose. In other embodiments, such transmission of the reference signal may be initiated by device 320 once it receives a preamble. In yet another embodiment, transmission of the reference signal may commence from the receipt of a HARQ acknowledgment in response to an activation command by device 320 and be transmitted over a given time period (e.g., until the first device 310-1 has transmitted a valid CSI report).

[0104] At block 540, the first device 310-1 measures a second set of reference signals simultaneously with activation and during the random access procedure. In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 may measure the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) on this set of reference signals. In other embodiments, the first device 310-1 may measure the Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) on this set of reference signals. Alternatively or additionally, the first device 310-1 may obtain the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of this set of reference signals. In other embodiments, the first device 310-1 may measure the reference signals and evaluate the CSI. In this way, the measurement of this set of reference signals can be performed simultaneously with the activation of the second cell and the random access procedure, thereby reducing the delay in SCell activation.

[0105] In some embodiments, device 320 may send configuration information that may indicate, for example, the configured measurement RS and the measurement period specific to the second cell 340. For example, device 320 may be configured with a DL RS with a shorter measurement period. In this way, the activation delay of the SCell can be reduced. The measurement configuration may also indicate the location for measuring the second set of reference signals in the time domain. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement configuration may also indicate the location for measuring the second set of reference signals in the frequency domain.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first device 310-1 may generate a CSI report based on measurements of the set of reference signals. In wireless communication, the term "channel state information (CSI)" refers to the known channel characteristics of a communication link. This information describes how a signal propagates from the transmitter to the receiver and represents, for example, combined effects such as scattering, fading, and power attenuation with distance.

[0107] The first device 310-1 may receive a response from device 320. For example, after the preamble is detected, device 320 may allocate uplink resources for the second cell 340 and send a response using PDSCH. In some embodiments, the response may include timing calibration information. Alternatively or additionally, the response may include initial UL authorization. In other embodiments, the response may include the allocation of a temporary cell radio network temporary indicator (C-RNTI). Device 320 may send a request for channel state information to the first device 310-1.

[0108] First device 310-1 can send a CSI report to device 320. In some embodiments, device 320 can send resource information indicating additional resources for the uplink channel. In this case, channel state information can be sent on the additional resources. In this way, the activation delay of the SCell can be reduced.

[0109] In some embodiments, if the first device 310-1 receives a request for channel state information, the first device 310-1 may send the channel state information. Alternatively, the channel state information may be sent after the random access procedure is completed.

[0110] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, method 600 will be described from the perspective of device 320.

[0111] In some embodiments, at block 610, device 320 sends an activation indication to first device 310-1 in first cell 330 to activate second cell 340. First device 310-1 may perform PUCCH transmissions on second cell 340. For example, the activation indication may include an identifier or indicator of second cell 340. In some embodiments, first device 310-1 may be configured to have more than one SCell. Device 320 may be configured to have SCells in a deactivated state. Alternatively, device 320 may be configured to have SCells in an active state. First device 310-1 may be configured with information that second cell 340 can be considered a SCell with PUCCH. The activation indication may be sent in any appropriate signaling.

[0112] In some embodiments, device 320 may receive confirmation of the activation indication from first device 310-1 in first cell 330. For example, a HARQ confirmation may be sent.

[0113] In some embodiments, device 320 may send a first set of reference signals (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a TRS) to first device 310-1 in the second cell 340. First device 310-1 can obtain downlink timing based on the SSB. Device 320 may send a PDCCH command to initiate a RA procedure. It should be noted that device 320 may send any appropriate number of SSBs in the second cell 340.

[0114] In some embodiments, device 320 may send CSI-RS (e.g., activate CSI reference signal) to first device 310-1 from second cell 340. For example, the activated CSI reference signal may be a pre-configured CSI reference signal.

[0115] In some embodiments, device 320 may receive a preamble from first device 310-1 in second cell 340 for use in a random access procedure. For example, the preamble may include a cyclic prefix and sequence. In some embodiments, device 320 may determine a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration index and transmit the PRACH configuration index in a system information block. First device 310-1 may determine the preamble based on the PRACH configuration index. In some embodiments, the random access procedure may be contention-free. Alternatively, the random access procedure may be contention-based. In some embodiments, first device 310-1 may initiate the random access procedure once the DL timing of second cell 340 has been acquired.

[0116] At block 630, device 320 transmits a second set of reference signals to first device 310-1 in second cell 340. For example, device 320 may transmit one reference signal to first device 310-1. Alternatively, device 320 may transmit multiple reference signals. It should be noted that the set of reference signals can be any suitable number of reference signals. In some embodiments, device 320 may transmit the set of reference signals if an acknowledgment of an activation indication is received. In other words, the transmission of the set of reference signals can be triggered by the receipt of an acknowledgment. Alternatively, device 320 may transmit the set of reference signals if a preamble for a random access procedure is received. In this case, the transmission of the set of reference signals can be triggered by the receipt of the preamble. In some embodiments, device 320 may transmit additional reference signals to first device 310-1 in second cell 340. For example, the additional reference signals may be triggered by an activation indication.

[0117] In some embodiments, device 320 may transmit reference signals within secondary cell-specific time intervals. Device 320 may transmit more reference signals. In this way, latency can be further reduced.

[0118] In some embodiments, a reference signal to be measured for CSI may be transmitted by device 320, which is specifically triggered for this purpose. In other embodiments, such transmission of the reference signal may be initiated by device 320 once it receives a preamble. In yet another embodiment, transmission of the reference signal may commence from the receipt of a HARQ acknowledgment in response to an activation command by device 320 and be transmitted over a given time period (e.g., until the first device 310-1 has transmitted a valid CSI report).

[0119] In some embodiments, device 320 may send configuration information indicating, for example, a measurement period specific to the second cell 340. For example, device 320 may configure a shorter measurement period. In this way, the activation delay of the SCell can be reduced. The measurement configuration may also indicate the location for measuring the second set of reference signals in the time domain. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement configuration may also indicate the location for measuring the second set of reference signals in the frequency domain.

[0120] Device 320 may send a response to first device 310-1. For example, after a preamble is detected, device 320 may allocate uplink resources to second cell 340 and send a response. In some embodiments, the response may include timing calibration information. Alternatively or additionally, the response may include initial UL authorization. In other embodiments, the response may include the allocation of a temporary cell radio network temporary indicator (C-RNTI). Device 320 may send a request for channel state information to first device 310-1.

[0121] In some embodiments, at block 640, device 320 receives a CSI report from first device 310-1. In some embodiments, device 320 may send resource information indicating additional resources for the uplink channel. In this case, channel state information may be sent on the additional resources. In this way, the activation delay of the SCell can be reduced.

[0122] In some embodiments, if the first device 310-1 receives a request for channel state information, the first device 310-1 may send the channel state information. Alternatively, the channel state information may be sent after the random access procedure is completed.

[0123] In some example embodiments, a first means (e.g., a first device 310) capable of performing any method 500 may include components for performing the corresponding operations of method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The first means may be implemented as the first device 310, or may be included within the first device 310. In some example embodiments, the components may include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the execution of the means.

[0124] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving, at a first device, via a first cell of a second device, an activation instruction for activating a second cell of a third device; components for monitoring a first set of reference signals from the second cell; components for determining downlink timing in the second cell based on the first set of reference signals; and components for measuring a second set of reference signals from the second cell of the third device while performing activation of the second cell and a random access procedure to the second cell.

[0125] In some embodiments, the second cell is a secondary cell configured with a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), or a primary-secondary cell (PSCell).

[0126] In some embodiments, the delay requirement for activation of the second cell is determined based on the following: the time slot in which the activation indication is received, the timing between downlink data transmission and acknowledgment, the duration of activation for the second cell, and the duration of the random access procedure.

[0127] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving first information from a second device indicating an activation measurement configuration to be applied to a second cell; and components for measuring the set of reference signals including: components for measuring a second set of reference signals based on the measurement configuration.

[0128] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration includes at least one of the following: a reference signal type, a location for measuring a second set of reference signals in the time domain, a location for measuring a second set of reference signals in the frequency domain, or a period for measuring a second set of reference signals.

[0129] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for measuring a signal from a second set of reference signals from a second device within a time interval specific to the secondary cell.

[0130] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for transmitting channel state information determined based on measurements of a second set of reference signals to a third device via a second cell.

[0131] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for receiving resource information from a second device indicating additional resources for an uplink physical channel; and a component for transmitting channel state information determined based on measurements of a second set of reference signals on the additional resources.

[0132] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for receiving from a second device a request for channel state information determined based on measurements of a second set of reference signals; and a component for transmitting the channel state information to a third device via a second cell, in accordance with the request for determining the channel state information received from a third device.

[0133] In some example embodiments, a second means (e.g., device 320) capable of performing any method 600 may include components for performing the corresponding operations of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The second means may be implemented as a second device 320, or included within a second device 320. In some example embodiments, the components may include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the execution of the means.

[0134] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for transmitting a first set of reference signals to a first device in a second cell; and components for transmitting a second set of reference signals to the first device while performing a random access procedure with the first device.

[0135] In some embodiments, the second cell is a secondary cell configured with a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), or a primary-secondary cell (PSCell).

[0136] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for sending first information from the second device to the first device, indicating the activation configuration to be applied to the second cell.

[0137] In some embodiments, the measurement configuration includes at least one of the following: a reference signal type, a location for measuring a second set of reference signals in the time domain, a location for measuring a second set of reference signals in the frequency domain, or a period for measuring a second set of reference signals.

[0138] In some embodiments, the component for transmitting the set of reference signals includes: a component for transmitting a signal from the second set of reference signals to the first device within a time interval specific to the secondary cell.

[0139] In some embodiments, the component for transmitting the set of reference signals includes: a component for transmitting a second set of reference signals based on the determination that confirmation of the activation indication has been received.

[0140] In some embodiments, the component for transmitting the second set of reference signals includes: a component for transmitting the second set of reference signals based on the determination that a preamble for the random access procedure has been received.

[0141] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for transmitting to a first device resource information indicating additional resources for an uplink channel; and a component for receiving, from the first device, channel state information determined based on measurements of a second set of reference signals on the additional resources.

[0142] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for sending a request to a first device for channel state information determined based on measurements of a second set of reference signals.

[0143] Figure 7 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 700 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, Figure 1 The first device 110 or the second device 120 shown in the figure. As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to processor 710.

[0144] Communication module 740 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0145] As a non-limiting example, processor 710 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-subordinate to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0146] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electronically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical memories. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0147] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 710. Program 730 may be stored in memory (e.g., ROM 724). Processor 710 may perform any appropriate actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0148] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by means of program 730, so that device 700 can perform as described in the reference. Figures 2 to 6 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented using hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0149] In some example embodiments, program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 700 (e.g., in memory 720) or other storage device accessible by device 700. Device 700 may load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Figure 8 An example of a computer-readable medium 800 in the form of an optical storage disk is shown. A program 730 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0150] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or other illustrated representations, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented as non-limiting examples in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0151] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions (such as instructions included in a program module that execute in a device on a physical or virtual processor of the target) to perform the functions described above. Figures 3 to 8 Any method described herein. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functionality of a program module can be combined or divided among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can execute on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules can reside on local and remote storage media.

[0152] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0153] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0154] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0155] Furthermore, although operations are depicted in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all illustrated operations to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although details of several specific implementations are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of specific features of particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of separate 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 separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0156] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to enable the first device to: At the first device, an activation instruction to activate the second cell of the third device is received via the first cell of the second device; Monitor the first set of reference signals from the second cell; Based on the first set of reference signals, the downlink timing in the second cell is determined; Receive first information from the second device indicating the measurement configuration to be applied to the activation of the second cell; and While performing the activation and random access process to the second cell, a second set of reference signals from the second cell of the third device is measured in the following manner: the second set of reference signals is measured based on the measurement configuration.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The second cell is a secondary cell or primary-secondary cell (PSCell) configured with a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

3. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The activation delay requirement for the second cell is determined based on the following: the time slot in which the activation indication is received, the timing between downlink data transmission and acknowledgment, the duration of activation for the second cell, and the duration of the random access procedure.

4. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The measurement configuration includes at least one of the following: Reference signal type, Measure the position of the second set of reference signals in the time domain. Measure the position of the second set of reference signals in the frequency domain, or Measure the period of the second set of reference signals.

5. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to further enable the first device: Within a time interval specific to the secondary cell, the signal in the second set of reference signals is measured.

6. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to further enable the first device: The channel state information determined by the measurement based on the second set of reference signals is sent to the third device via the second cell.

7. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to further enable the first device: Receive resource information indicating additional resources for the uplink physical channel from the second device; and The channel state information determined based on the measurements of the second set of reference signals is transmitted over the additional resources.

8. The first device according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to further enable the first device: Receive from the second device a request for channel state information determined based on the measurement of the second set of reference signals; as well as The request for channel state information is received from the third device and transmitted to the third device via the second cell.

9. The first device according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, and the third device is a network device. The second device may be the same as or different from the third device.

10. A method for communication, comprising: At the first device, an activation instruction to activate the second cell of the third device is received via the first cell of the second device; Monitor the first set of reference signals from the second cell; Based on the first set of reference signals, the downlink timing in the second cell is determined; Receive first information from the second device indicating the measurement configuration to be applied to the activation of the second cell; as well as While performing the activation and random access procedures to the second cell, a second set of reference signals from the second cell of the third device is measured in the following manner: the second set of reference signals is measured based on the measurement configuration.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The second cell is a secondary cell or primary-secondary cell (PSCell) configured with a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The activation delay requirement for the second cell is determined based on the following: the time slot in which the activation indication is received, the timing between downlink data transmission and acknowledgment, the duration of activation for the second cell, and the duration of the random access procedure.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The measurement configuration includes at least one of the following: Reference signal type, Measure the position of the second set of reference signals in the time domain. Measure the position of the second set of reference signals in the frequency domain, or Measure the period of the second set of reference signals.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Within a time interval specific to the secondary cell, the signal in the second set of reference signals is measured.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The channel state information determined by the measurement based on the second set of reference signals is sent to the third device via the second cell.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Receive resource information from the second device indicating additional resources for the uplink physical channel; as well as On the additional resources, channel state information determined based on the measurements of the second set of reference signals is transmitted.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Receive from the second device a request for channel state information determined based on the measurement of the second set of reference signals; as well as The request for channel state information is received from the third device and transmitted to the third device via the second cell.

18. The method according to any one of claims 10-17, wherein, The first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, and the third device is a network device. The second device may be the same as or different from the third device.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for execution by a first device for communication: At the first device, an activation instruction to activate the second cell of the third device is received via the first cell of the second device; Monitor the first set of reference signals from the second cell; Based on the first set of reference signals, the downlink timing in the second cell is determined; Receive first information from the second device indicating the measurement configuration to be applied to the activation of the second cell; as well as While performing the activation and random access procedures to the second cell, a second set of reference signals from the second cell of the third device is measured in the following manner: the second set of reference signals is measured based on the measurement configuration.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein, The second cell is a secondary cell or primary-secondary cell (PSCell) configured with a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein, The activation delay requirement for the second cell is determined based on the following: the time slot in which the activation indication is received, the timing between downlink data transmission and acknowledgment, the duration of activation for the second cell, and the duration of the random access procedure.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein, The measurement configuration includes at least one of the following: Reference signal type, Measure the position of the second set of reference signals in the time domain. Measure the position of the second set of reference signals in the frequency domain, or Measure the period of the second set of reference signals.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the first device to perform the following operations: Within a time interval specific to the secondary cell, the signal in the second set of reference signals is measured.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the first device to perform the following operations: The channel state information determined by the measurement based on the second set of reference signals is sent to the third device via the second cell.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the first device to perform the following operations: Receive resource information indicating additional resources for the uplink physical channel from the second device; and The channel state information determined based on the measurements of the second set of reference signals is transmitted over the additional resources.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions for causing the first device to perform the following operations: Receive from the second device a request for channel state information determined based on the measurements of the second set of reference signals; and The request for channel state information is received from the third device and transmitted to the third device via the second cell.

27. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 19 to 26, wherein, The first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, and the third device is a network device. The second device may be the same as or different from the third device.

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