Cross-carrier enhanced pdcch cce and blind decoding partitioning in mobile communications

Abstract

Cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE and blind decoding partitioning in mobile communications. Various solutions for cross-carrier enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) control channel element (CCE) and blind decoding (BD) partitioning in mobile communications are described. A user equipment (UE) adjusts either or both of a CCE budget and a BD budget to result in one or both of an adjusted CCE budget and an adjusted BD budget being partitioned among multiple carriers. The UE uses either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget to perform PDCCH monitoring in the multiple carriers. The CCE budget includes a cap value of a maximum number of CCEs that the UE is configured to perform per carrier of the multiple carriers. The BD budget includes a cap value of a maximum number of BDs that the UE is configured to perform.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing of related patent applications

[0002] This disclosure is part of a non-provisional application claiming priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 200,208, filed February 22, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to mobile communications, and more specifically to cross-carrier enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) control channel element (CCE) and blind decoding (BD) partitioning in mobile communications. Background Technology

[0004] Unless otherwise stated herein, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below, and are not admitted as prior art by virtue of being included in this section.

[0005] In wireless communications (such as mobile communications under the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specification for 5th Generation New Radio (NR), downlink control information (DCI) is transmitted on the PDCCH channel. For example, the PDCCH can be carried from the base station (e.g., gNB) to the user equipment (UE) by one, two, four, eight, or sixteen CCEs to accommodate different DCI payload sizes or different coding rates. Values ​​1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 (corresponding to one, two, four, eight, or sixteen CCEs) are called aggregation levels (AL). Each CCE comprises six resource element groups (REGs), and each REG consists of twelve resource elements (REs) of one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol within a resource block (RB). Therefore, CCEs are a set of time-frequency resources that the UE needs to monitor within the control resourceset (CORESET) to obtain control information. Since CCE monitoring typically involves the UE estimating the channel for all CCEs, this often increases the UE's complexity. To limit this complexity, the maximum total number of CCEs that a gNB can configure in a single timeslot should not exceed a specified value defined as an upper limit per carrier. These limits are referred to herein as the CCE budget.

[0006] Regarding BD (Blind Detection), since the UE is unaware of the aggregation level and DCI size used in a given PDCCH, it will blindly attempt to decode all possible combinations of PDCCHs. Similar to CCE (Cellular Radio Network Identifier) ​​monitoring, BD often involves a significant amount of computation on a subset of UEs when attempting to decode PDCCHs, thus increasing UE complexity. The 3GPP specification defines the specified budget as an upper limit on the maximum total number of BDs a UE can perform. This limit is referred to as the BD budget in this document. The BD budget is chosen to provide a good trade-off between UE complexity and gNB scheduling flexibility. In terms of the number of BDs, the UE's computational workload typically depends on the number of AL (Alternate Access Detection) candidates and the number of monitored DCI sizes. In NR (Non-Normal Radio Network Identifier), the UE needs to monitor up to four DCI sizes (including three for Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifiers (C-RNTI) and one for other RNTIs) and up to eight candidates per AL.

[0007] Currently, the maximum CCE budget and maximum BD budget are defined per carrier in 3GPP specifications Revision 15 (Rel-15) and Revision 16 (Rel-16). Revision 15 defines the maximum CCE budget and maximum BD budget per timeslot (which can be interchangeably represented in this document as...). and Furthermore, in Rel-16, the maximum CCE budget and maximum BD budget per span are defined for subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 15kHz and 30kHz. When the UE supports carrier aggregation (CA), the number of cells configured for the UE is... In this case, the UE does not need to monitor the ratio on a specific carrier. The maximum CCE budget and The maximum BD budget for each BD is more complex. Therefore, the UE will monitor a total of [number] BDs. CCE and The maximum value of each BD. The number of cells configured for the UE. In this case, the UE reports the number of carriers that can be monitored. UE capabilities, among which, get and Therefore, for The monitoring capability is extended to all configured cells. However, given four component carriers (CCs), when one of the four CCs is configured for uplink (UL) transmission, because monitoring reaches up to CCE and One BD, while the UE's hardware (HW) and software (SW) capabilities allow for the monitoring of up to CCE and Because there are only a few BDs, the UE capabilities are not fully utilized. Therefore, a solution for cross-carrier enhancement of PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications is needed to optimize the utilization of UE capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The following summary is merely illustrative and not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, it is provided to introduce the concepts, highlights, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Selected implementations are further described in the detailed description. Therefore, the following summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to define the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide solutions or schemes for addressing the problems described herein. More specifically, the various schemes proposed in this disclosure are intended to provide solutions for cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications. It is believed that the various schemes proposed herein can further optimize the use of UE capabilities related to PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning on time-division duplexing (TDD) aggregated carriers. Furthermore, increasing the number of CCEs and BDs monitored per carrier can increase PDCCH reliability while reducing the probability of blocking.

[0010] In one aspect, a method may include: the UE adjusting one or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget such that one or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget are assigned to multiple carriers. The CCE budget may refer to an upper limit on the maximum number of CCEs that the UE is configured to perform per carrier among the multiple carriers. The BD budget may refer to an upper limit on the maximum number of BDs that the UE is configured to perform. The method may further include: the UE using either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget to perform PDCCH monitoring across the multiple carriers.

[0011] It is worth noting that although the descriptions provided herein may be within the context of certain radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies (such as 5G / NR mobile communications), the proposed concepts, schemes, and any variations / derivatives thereof can be implemented in, used in, and by other types of radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as (e.g., but not limited to): Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, Internet of Things (IoT), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), and non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate implementations of this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It will be apparent that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual dimensions in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example network environment that can implement the various proposed solutions according to this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a block diagram of an example communication system based on an implementation of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a flowchart of an example process based on an implementation of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0024] This document discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter, which can be implemented in various forms. This disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided to make the description of this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of known features and / or techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0025] Overview

[0026] The implementations of this disclosure relate to various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions related to cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications. According to this disclosure, many possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions may be described individually below, two or more of these possible solutions may be implemented in one combination or another.

[0027] Figure 1 Example network environment 100 is illustrated, which can implement various solutions and schemes according to this disclosure. Reference Figure 1Network environment 100 may involve a user equipment (UE) 110 that wirelessly communicates with wireless network 120 (e.g., a 5G NR mobile network and / or another type of network, such as an LTE network, LTE-Advance network, NB-IoT network, IoT network, IIoT network, and / or NTN). UE 110 may wirelessly communicate with wireless network 120 via a base station or network node 125 (e.g., an eNB, gNB, or a Transmit / Receive Point (TRP)). In network environment 100, UE 110 and wireless network 120 may implement various schemes related to cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications, as described below.

[0028] Figure 2 An example scenario 200 illustrates cross-carrier PDCCH CCE / BD allocation according to the first proposed scheme of this disclosure. Under the first proposed scheme, for the remaining downlink (DL) carriers (e.g., on a specific time slot), the maximum CCE / BD budget (which may be referred to herein interchangeably as the CCE / BD budget) can be readjusted (whether equally / uniformly or unevenly). Alternatively, the CCE / BD budget can be readjusted (whether equally / uniformly or unevenly) among the carriers as needed. For example, in the case of poor channel conditions on one or more specific DL carriers, those specific DL carriers are not used for DL ​​control, and the CCE / BD budget can preferably be reallocated to other carriers. For example, in the cell group shown in scenario 200, one CC (e.g., CC2) is assigned to UL transmission among the four CCs. Therefore, under the first proposed scheme, the CCE / BD budget can be readjusted such that each of CC1, CC3, and CC4 can be allocated a different budget. CCE and One BD was used to readjust for PDCCH monitoring, resulting in a total CCE and One BD (as 4 / 3×3=4) is used for PDCCH monitoring of the cell group.

[0029] Under the first proposed scheme, various methods may exist for recalibrating the CCE / BD budget. For example, CCE / BD budget recalibration can be defined as a UE capability, and support for this UE capability can be reported by UE 110 to network 120. Alternatively or additionally, CCE / BD budget recalibration can be enabled and / or disabled by network 120 semi-statically (e.g., via Radio Resource Control (RRC)) or dynamically (e.g., via DCI). Alternatively or additionally, CCE / BD budget recalibration can be enabled and / or disabled on a per-cell-group or per-carrier-group basis. Alternatively or additionally, CCE / BD budget recalibration can be associated with TDD modes on different carriers. For example, UE 110 may need to check the TDD mode on all or some carriers to make a decision about recalibration (e.g., disabling recalibration if there are no uplink (UL) slots on some carriers, or enabling recalibration if there are some UL slots on some carriers). Alternatively or additionally, the realignment of the CCE / BD budget can be enabled and / or disabled based on some implicit information (e.g., the presence or absence of high-priority services). Alternatively or additionally, the realignment of the CCE / BD budget can be enabled only when high-priority services are supported (e.g., within a given cell group) or when certain DCI formats are configured for monitoring. Alternatively or additionally, the realignment of the monitoring budget can be defined or otherwise specified by enabling / disabling / configuring only for CCE, only for BD, or for BD and CCE respectively.

[0030] Figure 3 An example scenario 300 is illustrated under a second proposed scheme of this disclosure for cross-carrier PDCCH CCE / BD allocation. Under the second proposed scheme, network 120 can have sufficient flexibility to reallocate CCE and BD on DL carriers (e.g., on specific time slots). For example, rules can be defined or otherwise specified to reallocate CCE / BD on DL carriers (e.g., on specific time slots). Alternatively or additionally, the minimum number of carriers on which the CCE / BD budget can be reallocated can be defined or otherwise specified or signaled to network 120 by UE 110 as a UE capability. For example, in the cell group shown in scenario 300, one CC (e.g., CC2) is assigned for UL transmission among the four CCs. Therefore, under the first proposed scheme, the CCE / BD budget can be reallocated among CC1, CC3, and CC4 to result in a total CCE and One BD is used for PDCCH monitoring of the cell group.

[0031] In the second proposed scheme, the minimum number of carriers on which the CCE / BD budget can be reallocated is defined separately for CCE and BD. In this case, there can be two defined minimum numbers of carriers (one for CCE and the other for BD). Alternatively or additionally, an upper limit for the CCE / BD budget per carrier can be defined after reallocation. For example, reallocation can be enabled, but an upper limit for the CCE / BD budget per carrier can be defined after reallocation (e.g., ).

[0032] Figure 4 Example scenario 400 is illustrated, illustrating various proposed solutions according to this disclosure. Reference Figure 4 Scenario 400 illustrates an example of equal or uniform division of the CCE / BD budget at SCS = 30 kHz. In Scenario 400, Time Division Duplex (TDD) is used for each of CC1 and CC2. Furthermore, for every three time slots, CC1 has two time slots allocated for DL ​​and one time slot allocated for UL (in Figure 4 This is represented as "CC1 TDD(2,1)"). Furthermore, for every four time slots, CC2 has three time slots allocated to DL and one time slot allocated to UL (in... Figure 4 This is represented as "CC2 TDD(3,1)"). With equal / uniform allocation of the CCE / BD budget, each time slot in CC1 and CC2 can be allocated 56 CCEs and 36 BDs for PDCCH monitoring. For any time slot in CC1 or CC2 allocated for UL transmission, the corresponding time slot in another CC (e.g., CC1 or CC2) can be allocated 112 CCEs and 72 BDs to constitute the allocation for that time slot allocated for UL transmission.

[0033] Figure 5 Example scenario 500 is illustrated, illustrating various proposed solutions according to this disclosure. References Figure 5 Scenario 500 illustrates an example of uneven allocation of the CCE / BD budget at SCS = 30 kHz. In Scenario 500, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) is mostly scheduled from the PDCCH on CC2, thus allowing more CCE / BD budget to be allocated to CC2. In Scenario 500, TDD is used for each of CC1 and CC2. Furthermore, for every three slots, CC1 has two slots allocated for DL ​​and one slot allocated for UL (in... Figure 5This is represented as "CC1 TDD(2,1)"). Furthermore, for every four time slots, CC2 has three time slots allocated to DL and one time slot allocated to UL (in... Figure 5 This is represented as "CC2 TDD(3,1)"). In the case of uneven allocation of the CCE / BD budget, each time slot in CC1 can be allocated 32 CCEs and 24 BDs for PDCCH monitoring, and each time slot in CC2 can be allocated 80 CCEs and 48 BDs for PDCCH monitoring. For any time slot in CC1 or CC2 allocated for UL transmission, the corresponding time slot in another CC (e.g., CC1 or CC2) can be allocated 112 CCEs and 72 BDs to constitute the allocation for that time slot allocated for UL transmission.

[0034] Figure 6 An example scenario 600 of cross-carrier PDCCH CCE / BD allocation under the third proposed scheme according to this disclosure is illustrated. Under the third proposed scheme, the CCE / BD budget can be defined per cell group. For example, limits for different CCE / BD budgets can be defined per cell group and / or per carrier. Alternatively or additionally, the per-cell-group CCE / BD budget can be enabled and / or disabled semi-statically (e.g., via RRC) or dynamically (e.g., via DCI). Alternatively or additionally, the per-cell-group CCE / BD budget can be supported as a UE capability that UE 110 can indicate to network 120. For example, in the four CCs shown in scenario 300, CC1 and CC2 can be in one cell group (cell group 1), while CC3 and CC4 can be in another cell group (cell group 2). Under the third proposed scheme, the CCE / BD budget can be defined such that each of cell group 1 and cell group 2 can be allocated. CCE and BD, so as to result in a total CCE and One BD is used for PDCCH monitoring of two cell groups.

[0035] Figure 7An example scenario 700 of cross-carrier PDCCH CCE / BD allocation according to the fourth proposed scheme of this disclosure is illustrated. Under the fourth proposed scheme, a cross-carrier search space set can be introduced. For example, the search space set can be defined per cell group. In scenario 700, network 120 can have the flexibility to assign more PDCCH candidates and CCEs to search space set 3 (SSS 3). In scenario 700, TDD is used for each of CC1 and CC2. Furthermore, for every three slots, CC1 has two slots assigned to DL and one slot assigned to UL (in... Figure 7 This is represented as "CC1TDD(2,1)"). Furthermore, for every four time slots, CC2 has three time slots allocated to DL and one time slot allocated to UL (in... Figure 7 This is represented as "CC2 TDD(3,1)"). In scenario 700, each time slot of CC1 and CC2 can be assigned 56 CCEs and 36 BDs for PDCCH monitoring. For any time slot in CC1 or CC2 assigned for UL transmission, the corresponding time slot in another CC (e.g., CC1 or CC2) can be assigned 112 CCEs and 72 BDs to constitute the content assigned for that time slot assigned for UL transmission. Furthermore, in scenario 700, search space set 1 (SSS1) can be used for CC1, and search space set 2 (SSS2) can be used for CC2, while SSS3 can be used for both CC1 and CC2.

[0036] Under the fourth proposed scheme, additional CCE / BD for cross-carrier search space can be used to configure more ALs to monitor and / or support more candidates per AL, thereby achieving better reliability and reduced blocking probability. Furthermore, a greater number of DCI sizes can be supported (e.g., all DCI sizes from all carriers scheduled on the same carrier). Alternatively or additionally, cross-carrier CORESETs can be defined. For example, to enable cross-carrier SSS, UE 110 can be configured with: CORESET-1 on CC1, CORESET-2 on CC2, and CORESET-3 on both CC1 and CC2. Alternatively or additionally, more than one CORESET can be linked to a cross-carrier SSS. For example, when UE 110 is monitoring on CC1, a cross-carrier SSS (e.g., Figure 7 SSS-3 in the UE 110 can utilize CORESET-1; and when UE 110 is monitoring on CC2, cross-carrier SSS can utilize CORESET-2.

[0037] Alternatively or additionally, a set of carriers associated with an SSS may be included in the search space configuration. Alternatively or additionally, a new aggregation level may be specifically defined for use with cross-carrier SSS. Alternatively or additionally, a new nrofCandidate (information specifying the number of PDCCH candidates) may be defined or otherwise specified for cross-carrier SSS. Alternatively or additionally, UE 110 may report its support for the new aggregation level and the new nrofCandidate to network 120. Alternatively or additionally, a common search space set (Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3) may be allowed or disallowed on the cross-carrier search space set. For example, a cross-carrier SSS may be allowed only for UE-specific SSS. As another example, a cross-carrier SSS may be allowed for both UE-specific SSS and common SSS. As yet another example, a cross-carrier SSS may be enabled and / or disabled for UE-specific SSS and / or common SSS, respectively.

[0038] Figure 8 An example scenario 800 of cross-carrier PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning according to the fifth scheme proposed in this disclosure is illustrated. Under the fifth scheme, a larger number of DCI sizes can be used for the cross-carrier search space. In scenario 800, TDD is used for each of CC1 and CC2. Furthermore, for every three slots, CC1 has two slots allocated for DL ​​and one slot allocated for UL (in... Figure 8 This is represented as "CC1 TDD(2,1)"). Furthermore, for every four time slots, CC2 has three time slots allocated to DL and one time slot allocated to UL (in... Figure 8 This is represented as "CC2 TDD(3,1)"). In scenario 800, each time slot of CC1 and CC2 can be assigned 3+1 DCI sizes related to PDCCH monitoring. For any time slot in CC1 or CC2 assigned as a UL transmission allocation, the corresponding time slot in another CC (e.g., CC1 or CC2) can be assigned 6+2 DCI sizes to constitute the allocation for that time slot assigned for UL transmission. Furthermore, in scenario 800, SSS1 can be used for CC1, and SSS2 can be used for CC2, while SSS3 can be used for both CC1 and CC2.

[0039] Under the fifth proposed scheme, the DCI size budget can be linked to the search space. Figure 9An example scenario 900 is illustrated under the fifth proposed scheme, illustrating cross-carrier PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning. Under the fifth proposed scheme, a greater number of candidates per AL can be utilized. In scenario 900, TDD is used for each of CC1 and CC2. Furthermore, for every three slots, CC1 has two slots allocated for DL ​​and one slot allocated for UL (in... Figure 9 This is represented as "CC1 TDD(2,1)"). Furthermore, for every four time slots, CC2 has three time slots allocated to DL and one time slot allocated to UL (in... Figure 9 This is represented as "CC2 TDD(3,1)"). In scenario 900, each time slot of CC1 and CC2 can be assigned two AL8s and two AL16s (2AL8, 2AL16) related to PDCCH monitoring. For any time slot in CC1 or CC2 assigned for UL transmission, the corresponding time slot in another CC (e.g., CC1 or CC2) can be assigned four AL8s and four AL16s (4AL8, 4AL16) to constitute the content assigned for that time slot assigned for UL transmission. Furthermore, in scenario 800, SSS1 can be used for CC1, and SSS2 can be used for CC2, while SSS3 can be used for both CC1 and CC2.

[0040] Indicative implementation

[0041] Figure 10 An example communication system 1000 having a communication device 1010 and a network device 1020 according to an implementation of the present disclosure is illustrated. The various devices in the communication device 1010 and the network device 1020 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein related to cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications, including the scenarios / schemes described above and the processes described below.

[0042] The communication device 1010 may be part of an electronic device, such as a UE (User Equipment) like a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 1010 may be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, digital camera, or computing device such as a tablet computer, laptop computer, or notebook computer. The communication device 1010 may also be part of a machine-type device, such as an IoT, NB-IoT, IIoT, or NTN device (e.g., a non-mobile or fixed device, a home device, a wired communication device, or a computing device). For example, the communication device 1010 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, the communication device 1010 may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, for example, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced-instruction-set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex-instruction-set computing (CISC) processors. For example, the communication device 1010 may include Figure 10 At least some of the components shown, such as processor 1012. Communication device 1010 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the proposed solution of this disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), and therefore, for simplicity and brevity, such components of communication device 1010 are not included in... Figure 10 It is shown in the text and not described below.

[0043] Network device 1020 may be part of an electronic device / station, which may be a network node such as a base station, small cell, router, gateway, or satellite. For example, network device 1020 may be implemented in an LTE eNodeB, in a 10G, NR, IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT gNB, or in a satellite of an NTN network. Alternatively, network device 1020 may be implemented as one or more IC chips, for example, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more RISC or CISC processors. For example, network device 1020 may include... Figure 10At least some of the components shown, such as processor 1022. Network device 1020 may also include one or more other components (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device) unrelated to the proposed solution of this disclosure, and therefore, for simplicity and brevity, such components of network device 1020 are not included in... Figure 10 It is shown in the text and not described below.

[0044] In one aspect, the respective processors in processors 1012 and 1022 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more RISC processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, even though the singular term "processor" is used herein to refer to processors 1012 and 1022, the respective processors in processors 1012 and 1022 according to this disclosure may include multiple processors in some implementations and a single processor in other implementations. In another aspect, the respective processors in processors 1012 and 1022 may be implemented as hardware (and optionally firmware) having electronic components including, for example and not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more registers, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more variable capacitors, configured and arranged to achieve a specific purpose according to this disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, each processor in processor 1012 and processor 1022 is a dedicated machine specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform a specific task, which includes cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications according to various implementations of this disclosure.

[0045] In some implementations, the communication device 1010 may further include a transceiver 1016 coupled to the processor 1012 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, the communication device 1010 may further include a memory 1014 coupled to the processor 1012 and accessible by the processor 1012, storing data therein. In some implementations, the network device 1020 may further include a transceiver 1026 coupled to the processor 1022 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, the network device 1020 may further include a memory 1024 coupled to the processor 1022 and accessible by the processor 1022, storing data therein. Therefore, the communication device 1010 and the network device 1020 can wirelessly communicate with each other via transceiver 1016 and transceiver 1026, respectively.

[0046] Each of the communication device 1010 and the network device 1020 can be a communication entity capable of communicating with each other using various proposed schemes according to this disclosure. To aid better understanding, the following description of the operation, function, and capabilities of each of the communication device 1010 and the network device 1020 is provided in the context of a mobile communication environment, wherein the communication device 1010 in a communication network (e.g., wireless network 120) is implemented in or as a communication device or UE (e.g., UE 110), and the network device 1020 is implemented in or as a network node or base station (e.g., network node 125). It is also noteworthy that although the example implementations described below are provided in the context of mobile communication, they can also be implemented in other types of networks.

[0047] Under various proposed schemes related to cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD allocation in mobile communications according to this disclosure, where the communication device 1010 in network environment 100 is implemented in or as UE 110 and the network device 1020 is implemented in or as network node 125, the processor 1012 of the communication device 1010 can adjust either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget, resulting in either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget being allocated to multiple carriers. The CCE budget refers to the upper limit of the maximum number of CCEs that UE 110 is configured to perform on each of the multiple carriers. The BD budget refers to the upper limit of the maximum number of BDs that UE 110 is configured to perform. Furthermore, the processor 1012 can perform PDCCH monitoring on multiple carriers via transceiver 1016 using either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget.

[0048] In some implementations, the processor 1012 may uniformly or non-uniformly redistribute either or both of the CCE and BD budgets among one or more DL carriers in a plurality of carriers, in order to adjust either or both. In some implementations, the minimum number of carriers on which the CCE or BD budget can be redistributed is predefined or reported as a UE capability. In some implementations, corresponding upper limits for CCE and BD can be defined per carrier after redistribution.

[0049] In some implementations, processor 1012 can reallocate either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget as a UE capability in adjusting either or both of them. Additionally, processor 1012 can report support for the UE capability to the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125). In some implementations, reallocation of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget can be enabled or disabled per cell group or per carrier group of multiple carriers. Alternatively or additionally, reallocation of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget can be associated with TDD modes on different carriers of multiple carriers. Alternatively or additionally, reallocation of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget can be enabled or disabled based on the presence of high-priority traffic. Alternatively or additionally, reallocation of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget can be enabled if high-priority traffic is supported or a specific DCI format is configured for monitoring. Alternatively or additionally, adjustments can be applied to either CCE or BD instead of both, and can be enabled, disabled, or configured for CCE and BD respectively.

[0050] In some implementations, the processor 1012 may semi-statically or dynamically readjust either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget by means of an RRC signal from the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125) or by means of a DCI signal from the network in order to adjust either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget.

[0051] In some implementations, each of the CCE budget and BD budget is defined per cell group. Furthermore, different limits for the CCE budget and BD budget are defined per cell group or per carrier. Additionally, each of the CCE budget and BD budget per cell group is supported as a UE capability, which can be semi-statically enabled or disabled via RRC signals from the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125) or dynamically via DCI signals from the network.

[0052] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, processor 1012 may utilize additional CCE or BD, or both CCE and BD, in a cross-carrier search space with one or more of the following: (a) additional AL; (b) more candidates per AL; and (c) more DCI size.

[0053] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, the processor 1012 may use CORESET to perform PDCCH monitoring such that: (a) the first CORESET is on a first carrier of a plurality of carriers; (b) the second CORESET is on a second carrier of a plurality of carriers; and (c) both the first CORESET and the second CORESET are on a third carrier of a plurality of carriers.

[0054] In some implementations, processor 1012 may utilize multiple CORESETs linked to a cross-carrier search space set to perform PDCCH monitoring.

[0055] In some implementations, the processor 1012 may utilize a search space set to perform PDCCH monitoring. In this case, a set of carriers associated with the search space set from among multiple carriers may be included in the search space configuration.

[0056] In some implementations, processor 1012 may utilize a new AL defined for cross-carrier search space set to perform PDCCH monitoring. In this case, support for the new AL may be the UE's ability to report to the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125).

[0057] In some implementations, processor 1012 may utilize new information to perform PDCCH monitoring, specifying the number of PDCCH candidates defined for the cross-carrier search space set. In this case, support for the new information may be the UE's ability to report to the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125).

[0058] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, processor 1012 may utilize a common search space set that is allowed or not allowed for use with a cross-carrier search space set, such that: (a) the cross-carrier search space set is for a UE-specific search space set; or (b) the cross-carrier search space set is allowed for both the UE-specific search space set and the common search space set; or (c) the cross-carrier search space set is enabled or disabled for the UE-specific search space set and the common search space set, respectively.

[0059] Indicative process

[0060] Figure 11An example process 1100 is illustrated according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 1100 may be an example implementation (whether partially or completely) of a scheme relating to cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE / BD partitioning in mobile communications according to the present disclosure. Process 1100 may represent one aspect of an implementation of features of communication device 1010 and network device 1020. Process 1100 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more of blocks 1110 and 1120. Although illustrated as discrete blocks, the individual blocks of process 1100 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated according to the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of process 1100 may be... Figure 11 The process 1100 may be executed in the order shown, or alternatively in a different order. Process 1100 may be implemented by communication device 1010 or any suitable UE or machine type device, and by network device 1020 or any suitable network node or base station. For illustrative purposes only and not for limitation, process 1100 is described below in the context of communication device 1010 implemented as or within UE 110, and network device 1020 implemented as or within network node 125. Process 1100 may begin at block 1110.

[0061] At 1110, process 1100 may include: a processor 1012 implemented in or as a communication device 1010 in UE 110, adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget such that either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and adjusted BD budget are assigned to multiple carriers. The CCE budget refers to the upper limit of the maximum number of CCEs that UE 110 is configured to perform on each of the multiple carriers. The BD budget refers to the upper limit of the maximum number of BDs that UE 110 is configured to perform. Process 1100 may proceed from 1110 to 1120.

[0062] At 1120, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 performing PDCCH monitoring in multiple carriers via transceiver 1016 using either or both of an adjusted CCE budget and an adjusted BD budget.

[0063] In some implementations, process 1100 may include, in adjusting either or both of the CCE and BD budgets, processor 1012 uniformly or non-uniformly redistributing either or both of the CCE and BD budgets among one or more DL carriers of a plurality of carriers. In some implementations, a minimum number of carriers on which the CCE or BD budget can be redistributed is predefined or reported as a UE capability. In some implementations, corresponding upper limits for CCE and BD may be defined per carrier after redistribution.

[0064] In some implementations, process 1100 may include, in adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget, processor 1012 readjusting either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget as a UE capability. Additionally, process 1100 may include processor 1012 reporting support for the UE capability to the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125). In some implementations, readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget may be enabled or disabled per cell group or per carrier group of multiple carriers. Alternatively or additionally, readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget may be associated with TDD modes on different carriers of multiple carriers. Alternatively or additionally, readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget may be enabled or disabled based on the presence of high-priority traffic. Alternatively or additionally, readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget may be enabled if high-priority traffic is supported or a specific DCI format is configured for monitoring. Alternatively or additionally, adjustments can be applied to either CCE or BD instead of both, and can be enabled, disabled, or configured for CCE and BD respectively.

[0065] In some implementations, in adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 semi-statically or dynamically readjusting either or both of the CCE budget and BD budget via RRC signals from the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125) or via DCI signals from the network.

[0066] In some implementations, each of the CCE budget and BD budget is defined per cell group. Furthermore, different limits for the CCE budget and BD budget are defined per cell group or per carrier. Additionally, each of the CCE budget and BD budget per cell group is supported as a UE capability, which can be semi-statically enabled or disabled via RRC signals from the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125) or dynamically via DCI signals from the network.

[0067] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 may perform PDCCH monitoring by utilizing additional CCE or BD, or both CCE and BD, in a cross-carrier search space with one or more of the following: (a) additional AL; (b) more candidates per AL; and (c) more DCI size.

[0068] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 performing PDCCH monitoring using CORESET such that: (a) a first CORESET is on a first carrier of a plurality of carriers; (b) a second CORESET is on a second carrier of a plurality of carriers; and (c) both the first CORESET and the second CORESET are on a third carrier of a plurality of carriers.

[0069] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 performing PDCCH monitoring using multiple CORESETs linked to a cross-carrier search space set.

[0070] In some implementations, process 1100 may include performing PDCCH monitoring using a search space set. In this case, a set of carriers associated with the search space set from among multiple carriers may be included in the search space configuration.

[0071] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 performing PDCCH monitoring using a new AL defined for cross-carrier search space set. In this case, support for the new AL may be the UE capability to report to the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125).

[0072] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 performing PDCCH monitoring using new information specifying the number of PDCCH candidates defined for the cross-carrier search space set. In this case, support for the new information may be the UE's ability to report to the network (e.g., network 120 via device 1020 as network node 125).

[0073] In some implementations, in performing PDCCH monitoring, process 1100 may include: processor 1012 performing PDCCH monitoring using a common search space set that is allowed or not allowed for cross-carrier search space sets, such that: (a) the cross-carrier search space set is for a UE-specific search space set; or (b) the cross-carrier search space set is allowed for both the UE-specific search space set and the common search space set; or (c) the cross-carrier search space set is enabled or disabled for the UE-specific search space set and the common search space set, respectively.

[0074] Additional Notes

[0075] The topics described herein sometimes illustrate different components contained within or connected to other components. It should be understood that the architectures depicted are merely exemplary, and in reality, many other architectures can be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components used to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” to achieve the desired function. Thus, any two components combined herein to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated” with each other to achieve the desired function, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered “operably connected” or “operably coupled” to each other to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be suchly associated can also be considered “operably coupled” to each other to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of being operablely coupled include, but are not limited to, components that can physically cooperate and / or physically interact and / or components that can wirelessly interact and / or components that logically interact and / or components that can logically interact.

[0076] Furthermore, for any plural and / or singular terms used in this context, those skilled in the art can translate them from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural as appropriate, depending on the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural substitutions can be explicitly described herein.

[0077] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, generally, the terms used herein, and especially those used in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally intended to be “open-ended” terms (e.g., the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” etc.). Those skilled in the art will also understand that if there is an intent to state a particular number of referenced claims, such intent will be explicitly stated in those claims, and without such statements, such intent does not exist. For example, to aid understanding, the appended claims may contain the use of introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce the claim statements. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that a claim statement introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an" will limit any particular claim containing such an introductory claim statement to containing only one implementation of such a statement, even if the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" or "an" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more"); the same applies to the use of definite articles for referencing claim statements. Furthermore, even if a specific number of referred claim statements are explicitly stated, those skilled in the art should recognize that such a statement should be interpreted as meaning at least the number stated (e.g., a bare statement of "two statements" means at least two statements, or two or more statements, in the absence of other modifiers). Furthermore, in instances where the convention of “at least one of A, B, and C” is used, this syntactic structure is generally intended to be understood by a person skilled in the art to mean the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” should include, but is not limited to, systems having a single A, a single B, a single C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). In instances where the convention of “at least one of A, B, or C” is used, this syntactic structure is generally intended to be understood by a person skilled in the art to mean the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” should include, but is not limited to, systems having a single A, a single B, a single C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). It should also be understood by a person skilled in the art that, in practice, any transition words and / or phrases presenting two or more alternative terms (whether in the specification, claims, or drawings) should be understood to contemplate the possibility of including one, any, or both of these terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” should be understood as including the possibility of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

[0078] Based on the foregoing, it should be clear that the various implementations of this disclosure have been described for illustrative purposes, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the various implementations disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for cross-carrier enhanced PDCCH CCE and blind decoding partitioning, the method comprising: The processor of the apparatus implemented in the user equipment (UE) adjusts either or both of the control channel element (CCE) budget and the blind decoding (BD) budget, such that either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget are assigned to multiple carriers. as well as The processor uses either or both of the adjusted CCE budget and the adjusted BD budget to perform physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring across the plurality of carriers. The CCE budget includes an upper limit on the maximum number of CCEs that the UE is configured to perform on each of the plurality of carriers, and The BD budget includes an upper limit on the maximum number of BDs that the UE is configured to perform; Adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget includes: Re-adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget as UE capabilities; and Report support for the UE capabilities to the network; Enable or disable the readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget on a per cell group or per carrier group of the plurality of carriers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget includes: uniformly or non-uniformly redistributing either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget among one or more downlink DL carriers in the plurality of carriers.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The minimum number of carriers on which the CCE budget or the BD budget is reallocated is predefined or reported as a UE capability.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Following the reallocation, corresponding upper limits for CCE and BD are defined per carrier.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget is associated with the time division duplex (TDD) mode on different carriers of the plurality of carriers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget may be enabled or disabled based on the presence of high-priority services.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The readjustment of either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget is enabled when high-priority services or specific downlink control information (DCI) formats are configured for monitoring.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The readjustment is applied to either CCE or BD, but not both, and is enabled, disabled, or configured for CCE and BD respectively.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Adjusting either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget includes: semi-statically readjusting either or both of the CCE budget and the BD budget via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signals from the network or dynamically readjusting via Downlink Control Information (DCI) signals from the network.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the CCE budget and the BD budget is defined per cell group, and different limits for the CCE budget and the BD budget are defined per cell group or per carrier.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Each of the CCE budget and the BD budget for each cell group is supported as a UE capability, which is enabled or disabled semi-statically via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signals from the network or dynamically via Downlink Control Information (DCI) signals from the network.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes: utilizing additional CCE or BD, or both CCE and BD, in a cross-carrier search space set having one or more of the following: Additional aggregation level AL; More candidates per AL; and A larger amount of Downlink Control Information (DCI) size.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes: performing the PDCCH monitoring using the control resource set CORESET, such that: The first CORESET is on the first carrier of the plurality of carriers; The second CORESET is on the second carrier of the plurality of carriers; and Both the first CORESET and the second CORESET are on the third carrier of the plurality of carriers.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes using multiple control resource sets (CORESET) linked to a cross-carrier search space set to perform the PDCCH monitoring.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes: using a search space set to perform the PDCCH monitoring, wherein a group of carriers associated with the search space set from the plurality of carriers is included in the search space configuration.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes: using a new aggregation level AL defined for cross-carrier search space set to perform the PDCCH monitoring, wherein support for the new AL is the UE capability to report to the network.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes: using new information to perform the PDCCH monitoring, the new information specifying the number of PDCCH candidates defined for a cross-carrier search space set, and wherein support for the new information is a UE capability to report to the network.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Performing the PDCCH monitoring includes: using a common search space set that is permitted or not permitted for use with cross-carrier search space sets, such that: The cross-carrier search space set is for a UE-specific search space set; or The cross-carrier search space set is permitted for use in both the UE-specific search space set and the common search space set; or The cross-carrier search space set is enabled or disabled for the UE-specific search space set and the public search space set, respectively.

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