Transmitter (Tx) power utilization for dual uplink (UL) carrier aggregation (CA) per band

Abstract

Various techniques are provided for a method comprising: receiving, at a network device, from a user equipment (UE) an indication of UE capability to support a maximum power per band of a radio band combination (BC) used by the UE; determining, based on the indication of the UE capability, whether the UE supports the maximum power per band of the radio BC; and in response to determining that the UE supports the maximum power per band of the radio BC, determining a total UE transmission power based on the sum of the maximum powers of each band in the radio BC.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. Application No. 17 / 301,370, filed on March 31, 2021, entitled “EXPLOITATION OF TRANSMITTER (TX) POWER FOR EACH BAND DUAL UP-LINK (UL) CARRIER AGGREGATION (CA)”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This description relates to wireless communications. Background Art

[0004] A communication system may be a facility that enables communication between two or more nodes or devices, such as fixed or mobile communication devices. Signals may be carried on wired or wireless carriers.

[0005] An example of a cellular communication system is an architecture standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The latest development in this area is generally referred to as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access technology. E-UTRA (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) is the air interface of the 3GPP's mobile network Long Term Evolution (LTE) upgrade path. In LTE, a base station or access point (AP) (referred to as an enhanced node AP (eNB)) provides wireless access within a coverage area or cell. In LTE, a mobile device or mobile station is referred to as a user equipment (UE). LTE includes many improvements or developments. Various aspects of LTE are also constantly improving.

[0006] 5G New Radio (NR) development is part of the ongoing mobile broadband evolution process to meet 5G requirements, similar to the early evolution of 3G and 4G wireless networks. In addition to mobile broadband, 5G also targets emerging use cases. The goal of 5G is to provide significant improvements in wireless performance, which may include new levels of data rate, latency, reliability and security. 5G NR can also be extended to effectively connect large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) and can provide new types of mission-critical services. For example, ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) devices may require high reliability and very low latency. Summary of the invention

[0007] In a general aspect, an apparatus, a system, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer executable program code executable on a computer system, and / or a method may perform a process utilizing a method comprising the following steps: indicating from a user equipment (UE) to a network device support for maximum power based on a per-band power class (PC) for a radio band combination (BC) comprising two or more uplink carriers; and applying maximum UE transmission in uplink power control based on the per-band PC for each band in the radio BC.

[0008] Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, the UE may support uplink carrier aggregation (CA). The radio BC may support two or more uplink CAs. The method may also include indicating, from the UE to the network device, the per-band PC for each band in the radio BC. The indication of the support for the maximum power based on each band indicates that the UE may be able to operate at full power in each uplink band. If a radio band includes two or more uplink carriers, the combined power may be limited to the PC for the associated radio band.

[0009] In general aspects, an apparatus, a system, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer-executable program code executable on a computer system, and / or a method may utilize a method comprising the following steps to perform a process: receiving, at a network device, an indication of UE capabilities supporting a maximum power per band of a radio band combination (BC) used by the UE; determining, based on the indication of the UE capabilities, whether the UE supports the maximum power per band of the radio BC; and in response to determining that the UE supports the maximum power per band of the radio BC, determining a total UE transmission power based on the sum of the maximum powers of each band in the radio BC.

[0010] Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, an indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band may indicate that the UE supports uplink carrier aggregation (CA). The radio BC may support two or more uplink CAs. An indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band may indicate that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band. An indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band may indicate that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band. An indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band may indicate that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band. An indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band may indicate that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band. The method may also include receiving a per-band PC for each frequency band in the radio BC from the UE.

[0011] The method may also include calculating a maximum allowed UE transmission power for each frequency band based on a maximum power level associated with the corresponding frequency band of the radio BC, and applying the maximum UE transmission power for each frequency band in uplink power control without considering the per-BC power level of the radio BC. The indication of the UE capability to support the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC used by the UE may be included in a UE power capability report, and if the UE power capability report does not include the indication of the UE capability to support the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC used by the UE, the uplink power control is based on default power control. If a radio frequency band includes two or more uplink carriers, the combined power may be limited to the PC for the associated radio frequency band.

[0012] The method may also include relaxing the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power to be equal to the sum of the maximum powers of each band in the radio BC minus a delta value of the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR bands or intra-band NR CA UE power levels within the corresponding band configuration. The method may also include relaxing the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power by replacing the UL power level of the UL CA with the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR bands or intra-band NR CA UE power levels of the UL CA. The method may also include relaxing the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power of UL inter-band CA by replacing the UL power level of the UL CA instead of the sum in the formula to determine the lower bound formula for the UL power level of the UL CA.

[0013] The details of one or more examples of the embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network according to an example embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram of signal flow according to an example embodiment.

[0016] New Figure 3 is another block diagram of signal flow according to an example embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling uplink (UL) power according to an example embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 A block diagram of a method of controlling uplink (UL) power according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0019] Figure 6 A block diagram of a method of controlling uplink (UL) power according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a block diagram of a wireless station or wireless node (e.g., AP, BS, gNB, RAN node, relay node, UE or user equipment, network node, network entity, DU, CU-CP, CU-CP, ... or other node) according to an example implementation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network 130 according to an example embodiment. Figure 1In the wireless network 130 of FIG. 1 , user devices 131 , 132 , 133 , and 135 (also referred to as mobile stations (MS) or user equipment (UE)) may be connected (and communicate) with a base station (BS) 134, which may also be referred to as an access point (AP), an enhanced Node B (eNB), a BS, a next generation Node B (gNB), a next generation enhanced Node B (ng-eNB), or a network node. The terms user device and user equipment (UE) may be used interchangeably. The BS may also include or may be referred to as a RAN (Radio Access Network) node, and may include, for example, a portion of a BS or a portion of a RAN node (e.g., such as a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU) in the case of a split BS). At least a portion of the functionality of a BS (e.g., an access point (AP), a base station (BS), or an (e) Node B (eNB), a BS, a RAN node) may also be performed by any node, server, or host operably coupled to a transceiver (such as a remote radio head). BS (or AP) 134 provides wireless coverage within cell 136, including providing wireless coverage to user devices (or UEs) 131, 132, 133, and 135. Although only four user devices (or UEs) are shown as connected or attached to BS 134, any number of user devices may be provided. BS 134 is also connected to core network 150 via S1 interface or NG interface 151. This is just a simple example of a wireless network, and other networks may be used.

[0022] A base station (e.g., such as BS 134) is an example of a radio access network (RAN) node within a wireless network. A BS (or RAN node) may be or may include (or may alternatively be referred to as) for example an access point (AP), a gNB, an eNB or a portion thereof (such as a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU) in the case of a split BS or split gNB), or other network nodes. For example, a BS (or gNB) may include: a distributed unit (DU) network entity, such as a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU); and a centralized unit (CU) that may control multiple DUs. In some cases, for example, a centralized unit (CU) may be separated or divided into: a control plane entity, such as a gNB centralized (or central) unit control plane (gNB-CU-CP), and a user plane entity, such as a gNB centralized (or central) unit user plane (gNB-CU-UP). For example, the CU sub-entities (gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP) may be provided as different logical entities or different software entities (e.g., as separate or different software entities that communicate), which may run or be provided on the same hardware or server, in the cloud, etc., or may be provided on different hardware, systems, or servers (e.g., physically separated) or run on different systems, hardware, or servers.

[0023] As noted, in a split configuration of gNB / BS, gNB functionality may be separated into DU and CU. A distributed unit (DU) may provide or establish wireless communications with one or more UEs. Thus, a DU may provide one or more cells and may allow a UE to communicate with the DU and / or establish a connection to the DU in order to receive wireless services, such as allowing the UE to send or receive data. A centralized (or central) unit (CU) may provide control functions and / or data plane functions for one or more connected DUs, for example, including control functions such as gNB control of user data transmission, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc., except for functions specifically assigned to the DU. The CU may control the operation of the DU (e.g., the CU communicates with one or more DUs) via a fronthaul (Fs) interface.

[0024] According to an illustrative example, in general, a BS node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) or a radio access network (RAN) may be part of a mobile telecommunication system. The RAN (Radio Access Network) may include one or more BSs or RAN nodes that implement a radio access technology, for example, to allow one or more UEs to access a network or a core network. Thus, for example, a RAN (RAN node, such as a BS or gNB) may reside between one or more user devices or UEs and a core network. According to an exemplary embodiment, each RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) or BS may provide one or more wireless communication services for one or more UEs or user devices, for example, to allow UEs to wirelessly access a network via a RAN node.

[0025] Each RAN node or BS may perform or provide wireless communication services, such as, for example, allowing a UE or user device to establish a wireless connection to a RAN node, and sending data to and / or receiving data from one or more UEs. For example, after establishing a connection to a UE, a RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) may forward data received from a network or core network to the UE, and / or forward data received from the UE to the network or core network. A RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) may perform a variety of other wireless functions or services, such as, for example, broadcasting control information (e.g., such as system information) to the UE, paging the UE when there is data to be delivered to the UE, assisting the UE in switching between cells, scheduling resources for uplink data transmission from the UE and downlink data transmission to the UE, sending control information to configure one or more UEs, etc. These are a few examples of one or more functions that a RAN node or BS may perform. A base station may also be a DU (distributed unit) portion of an IAB (integrated access and backhaul) node (also known as a relay node). The DU facilitates access link connections of IAB nodes.

[0026] A user device (user terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal, handheld wireless device, etc.) may refer to a portable computing device including a wireless mobile communication device operating with or without a subscriber identification module (SIM) (which may be referred to as a universal SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: as examples, a mobile station (MS), a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a device using a wireless modem (alarm or measurement device, etc.), a laptop computer and / or a touch screen computer, a tablet computer, a tablet phone, a game console, a notebook computer, a vehicle, a sensor, and a multimedia device, or any other wireless device. It should be understood that a user device may also be (or may include) an almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to a network. A user device may also be the MT (mobile terminal) portion of an IAB (integrated access and backhaul) node (also known as a relay node). The MT facilitates the backhaul connection of the IAB node.

[0027] In LTE (as an illustrative example), the core network 150 may be referred to as an evolved packet core (EPC), which may include a mobility management entity (MME) that may handle or assist mobility / handover of user devices between BSs, one or more gateways that may forward data and control signals between BSs and a packet data network or the Internet, and other control functions or blocks. Other types of wireless networks, such as 5G (which may be referred to as new radio (NR)), may also include a core network (e.g., which may be referred to as 5GC in 5G / NR).

[0028] In addition, by way of illustrative example, the various example embodiments or techniques described herein may be applied to various types of user devices or data service types, or may be applied to user devices that may have multiple applications running thereon, which may be different data service types. New radio (5G) developments may support a variety of different applications or a variety of different data service types, such as: such as machine type communications (MTC), enhanced machine type communications (eMTC), massive MTC (mMTC), Internet of Things (IoT) and / or narrowband IoT user devices, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC). Many of these new 5G (NR) related applications may generally require higher performance than previous wireless networks.

[0029] IoT may refer to a growing group of objects that may have an Internet or network connection, so that these objects can send information to and receive information from other network devices. For example, many sensor-type applications or devices may monitor physical conditions or states and may, for example, send reports to a server or other network device when an event occurs. For example, machine-type communications (MTC, or machine-to-machine communications) may be characterized by fully automatic data generation, exchange, processing, and actuation between intelligent machines with or without human intervention. Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) may support much higher data rates than currently available in LTE. Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) are new data service types or new usage scenarios that may be supported by new radio (5G) systems.

[0030] This enables emerging new applications and services such as industrial automation, autonomous driving, vehicle safety, e-health services, etc. By way of illustrative example, the goal of 3GPP is to provide connections with reliability corresponding to a block error rate (BLER) of 10-5 and up to 1ms U-plane (user / data plane) latency. Thus, for example, a URLLC user device / UE may require significantly lower block error rates and low latency (with or without requiring simultaneous high reliability) than other types of user devices / UEs. Thus, for example, a URLLC UE (or a URLLC application on a UE) may require much shorter latency than an eMBB UE (or an eMBB application running on a UE).

[0031] Various example embodiments may be applied to a variety of wireless technologies or wireless networks, such as LTE, LTE-A, 5G (New Radio (NR)), cmWave and / or mmWave band networks, IoT, MTC, eMTC, mMTC, eMBB, URLLC, etc., or any other wireless network or wireless technology. These example networks, technologies, or data service types are provided as illustrative examples only.

[0032] Initially, power class 3 (23dBm, hereinafter referred to as PC3) was included in the LTE specification. Later, power class 2 (26dBm, hereinafter referred to as PC2) was introduced into many TDD bands for single-band operation. In response to the PC2 specification for a single band becoming stable in 3GPP, PC2 began to be applied to band combinations, such as inter-band CA, dual connectivity, etc. Dual connectivity was also created as a promotion of carrier aggregation, and most aspects of CA (such as UL power) can also apply DC (this dual connectivity is sometimes commonly referred to as multi-connectivity). The demand for PC2 initially came from operators whose primary bands were TDD bands. Now, since allowing UEs to transmit at higher power plays a big role in improving network coverage and network capacity, more operators are requiring the use of PC2 in their operating bands.

[0033] Current standards define power classes (PCs) such that in some cases the PCs may limit the UE from utilizing the full UE hardware capabilities. For example, current specifications limit the UE's hardware capabilities to transmit at the maximum possible power during uplink (UL) inter-band carrier aggregation (CA). Table 1 shows an example standard UE PC2 for UL inter-band CA. Table 1 shows that even if the sum of the power from carriers x and y exceeds 26 dBm, such as 27.8 dBm for cases b and c and 29 dBm for case d, the total power is still limited by the UE power class for UL inter-band CA (i.e., 26 dBm).

[0034]

[0035] Table 1

[0036] A solution to the above problem may be to enable the network device to know that it can control the UE's UL power per frequency band based on the UE's capabilities. In other words, the UE may report the capabilities associated with the PC to the network device and indicate that the UE can operate at full power in each UL frequency band. The network device may control the UE power based on the reported UE capabilities associated with the PC configured for the frequency band used. A field may be added to the UE capability report to indicate that the UE can operate at full power in each UL frequency band. If this field is not present in the UE capability report, the network may assume that the UE is not capable (and / or not expected at this time) to operate at full power in each UL frequency band at the same time.

[0037] From the UE's perspective, if the UE does not indicate to the network in its UE capabilities that the UE is capable of being configured for full power operation for the UL CA (and MR-DC) band (sometimes labeled as UE capabilities fullPowerUL-CA in this document) and / or the UE does not report a PC, a default (per-band configuration) PC may be used. For example, a default (per-band configuration) PC may be applied (e.g., in NR RRC, UE capabilities BandCombination::powerClass-v1530 or BandCombination::ue-PowerClass-v1610). If the UE does not indicate to the network in its UE capabilities that the UE is capable of being configured for full power operation for the UL CA (and MR-DC) band (e.g., fullPowerUL-CA), and the UE reports a PC configured for the UL CA band, the reported PC may be applied. If the UE indicates to the network in its UE capabilities that the UE is capable of being configured for full power operation for the UL CA (and MR-DC) band (e.g., fullPowerUL-CA), the UE indication means that the network device may control the UE power based on the reported per-band capabilities associated with the PC.

[0038] From the network's perspective, if a field indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power for UL CA (and MR-DC) band configuration (e.g., fullPowerUL-CA) is not present, the network considers the UE's PC to be the default. For example, if the PC for UL CA can be explicitly signaled, it is PC3 or PC. Therefore, the network can control the power per band of the UE by considering the power allocation per band within the total power of UL CA. If a field indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power for UL CA (and MR-DC) band configuration (e.g., fullPowerUL-CA) is present, the network can ignore the per-BC PC for UL CA (if signaled) and only utilize the per-band PC, and control the per-band power of the UE independently of the per-BC power allocation.

[0039] Furthermore, if there is a field (e.g., fullPowerUL-CA) indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power for UL CA (and MR-DC) band configurations, then the PC for UL CA is configured as the sum of the corresponding PCs for each band applicable for single-band operation. Alternatively, the UE may report an additional PC for each band of the UL CA band configuration within the UE capabilities, and this is understood to override any legacy (per-band or per-BC) PC signaling that may limit power.

[0040] Some advantages of the above solution are that the example implementation can be extended to apply it to UL CA as well as MR-DC. The network can be configured to maximize the actual device capabilities of the UE, so that the coverage and capacity of UL CA / MR-DC can be increased. In addition, whenever a new PC is introduced, the network can reduce the necessity to update the network software for the newly defined PC. Network operators can maximize the power capabilities of the UE, thereby allowing UE / chipset vendors to freely design the UE. UEs with better hardware designs can operate according to the power that the UE can achieve during the UL inter-band CA mode within the network. The introduction of technology for indicating the power levels of individual NR bands for UL inter-band CA enables the network to know the maximum power that can be achieved per band for UL inter-band CA. Therefore, the example implementation enables the network to optimize scheduling based on individual powers.

[0041] Figure 2 is a block diagram of signal flow according to an example embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the signal flow includes communication between UE 205 and network device 210. UE 205 transmits (215) (e.g., a message or signal) a UE capability report to network device 210. For example, the UE capability report may include power class (PC) information. The PC information may include a PC per band. For example, the PC information may include a PC (e.g., PC2, PC3, etc.) for each band (e.g., band A, band B, etc.). In addition, the PC information may include a PC per band combination (BC) for UL CA. For example, the PC information may include a PC per BC (e.g., PC2, PC3, etc.). If the PC information does not include a PC per BC, the default PC per BC may be PC3.

[0042] According to an example implementation, the PC information may include a field indicating that the UE 205 is capable of operating at full power in each UL band. This field may indicate that the UE 205 is capable of operating at full power for UL CA (and MR-DC) band configurations (sometimes labeled fullPowerUL-CA).

[0043] If this field is included, the network device 210 may control the UL power for each band independently (220). In an example implementation, the network device 210 may determine the UE 205 power level as the sum of the corresponding NR bands and / or intra-band NR CA power levels supported by the UE 205 on the individual bands and / or intra-band CA of the band combination. If the band includes two or more UL component carriers, the combined power is limited to the PC of the associated band. If this field is not present, the power level of the band combination (BC) can be the reported power level, for example, as specified in 3GPP TS 38.101-1 and 3GPP TS 38.101-3.

[0044] The network device 210 transmits (225) (e.g., a message or signal) per-band CA power signaling to the UE 205. The per-band CA power may be a PC (e.g., PC2, PC3, etc.) per BC transmitted as PC information. As described above, the UE 205 power level may be the sum of the corresponding NR bands and / or intra-band NR CA power levels supported by the UE 205 on the individual bands and / or intra-band CA of the band combination. The UE 205 may then operate with a maximum UL CA power independent for each band (230). The maximum UL CA power may be a UE-reported PC for the associated band. If the band includes two or more UL component carriers (e.g., intra-band CA), the combined power may be limited to the UE-reported PC for the associated band.

[0045] New Figure 3 is another block diagram of signal flow according to an example embodiment. Figure 3 As shown, the signal flow includes communications between the UE 205 and the network device 210. The signal flow may correspond to signaling a UE capability report. The network device 210 transmits (310) (e.g., a message or signal) a UE capability query. The UE capability query may be a request for UE capability information. The UE capability query may be transmitted when the UE 205 is in a radio resource control (RRC) connection (305). The UE capability query may be an RRC message transmitted during an initial RRC registration process and / or at any time during an RRC connected state. The UE capability query may include the maximum number of component carriers for which the network device 210 requests supported CA band configurations and non-CA bands supported by the UE.

[0046] The UE 205 may compile (or generate) UE capabilities, including at least supported frequency bands and frequency band combinations (BCs). The UE capabilities may include RF capabilities, including at least power capabilities. The power capabilities may be frequency band capabilities or frequency band combination capabilities. The power capabilities may include power class (PC) information of the frequency band or power class (PC) information of the carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) frequency band combination.

[0047] In response to the UE capability query, the UE 205 transmits (320) (e.g., a message or signal) UE capability information to the network device 210. The network device then determines (325) a UE power class (PC) based on the UE capabilities. As discussed in more detail above, in an example implementation, the network device 210 may determine the UE 205 power class as the sum of the corresponding NR bands and / or intra-band NR CA power levels supported by the UE 205 on each band and / or intra-band CA of the band configuration. If the band includes two or more UL component carriers, the combined power is limited to the PC of the associated band. If this field is not present, the power class of the band configuration (BC) can be the reported power class, for example, as specified in 3GPP TS 38.101-1 and 3GPP TS 38.101-3.

[0048] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling uplink (UL) power according to an example embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, in step S405, an uplink (UL) carrier aggregation (CA) power capability report is received. For example, the UE may transmit (e.g., a message or signal) a UE capability report to the network device. The UE capability report may include power class (PC) information. The PC information may include a PC per frequency band. The PC information may include a PC (e.g., PC2, PC3, etc.) for each frequency band (e.g., band A, band B, etc.). In addition, the PC information may include a PC per frequency band combination (BC) for UL CA. The PC information may include a PC per BC (e.g., PC2, PC3, etc.). If the PC information does not include a PC per BC, the default PC per BC may be PC3. According to an example implementation, the PC information may include a field indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each UL frequency band. This field may indicate that the UE is capable of operating at full power (sometimes marked as fullPowerUL-CA) for ULCA (and MR-DC) frequency band configurations.

[0049] In step S410, it is determined whether the report includes a field indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each UL band (e.g., fullPowerUL-CA). If the report does not include a field indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each UL band, the process continues to step S415. Otherwise, if the report includes a field indicating that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each UL band, the process continues to step S425.

[0050] In step S415, the UL power is controlled based on the total uplink power and the UL power allocation for each frequency band within the PC for UL CA. For example, the UL power can be the maximum UE power associated with the PC (e.g., PC2 or PC3) with the UL power allocation per frequency band, where only one of the UL powers per frequency band can be the maximum value. It should be noted that the two UL powers per frequency band can only be the maximum value when the PC of the UL CA is equal to the sum of the PCs per frequency band within the CA. The UL power can be a linear value of the PC. As discussed above, the PC can be based on a standard. Then, in step S420, the UE is signaled to control the UL power based on the total UL power and the UL power per frequency band. For example, the UE power control is transmitted to the UE (e.g., in a message or signal).

[0051] In step S425, the UL power of each frequency band is controlled independently. For example, the UL power level of UL CA may be determined as the sum of the corresponding NR frequency bands and / or intra-band NR CA power levels supported by the UE on the various frequency bands and / or intra-band CA of the frequency band combination. In addition, the UL power level of UL CA may be determined using (or based on) the maximum output power specified in 3GPP TS 38.101-1 or 3GPP TS38.101-3, which may allow the lower boundary of the total configured maximum output power to be relaxed to an equal delta value associated with the aforementioned sum minus the maximum value of the corresponding NR frequency bands and / or intra-band NR CA UE power levels within the frequency band configuration. In other words, the lower boundary of the total configured maximum output power is relaxed by replacing the UL power level of UL CA with the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR frequency bands or intra-band NR CA UE power levels of UL CA.

[0052] The UE may operate with a maximum UL CA power independent for each frequency band. The maximum UL CA power may be a PC reported by the UE for the associated frequency band. If the frequency band includes two or more UL component carriers (e.g., intra-band CA), the combined power may be limited to the PC reported by the UE for the associated frequency band. Then, in step S430, the UE is signaled to independently control the UL power for each frequency band. For example, the maximum UL CA power for each frequency band is transmitted to the UE (e.g., in a message or signal) without considering the power allocation.

[0053] In an example implementation, the aforementioned sum is replaced in the formula with the UL power level of UL CA to determine the upper bound of the total configured maximum output power, while the maximum value of the corresponding NR band and / or intra-band NR CA UE power level of UL CA is replaced in the formula with the UL power level of UL CA to determine the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power. In other words, the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power of UL inter-band CA is relaxed by replacing the UL power level of UL CA in the formula instead of the sum to determine the lower bound formula for the UL power level of UL CA. In another example implementation, the aforementioned sum is replaced in the formula with the UL power level of UL CA to determine the upper bound of the total configured maximum output power, while the UL power level of UL CA is retained in the formula to determine the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power. In other words, the lower bound of the total configured maximum output power of UL inter-band CA is relaxed by replacing the UL power level of UL CA in the formula instead of the sum to determine the lower bound formula for the UL power level of UL CA.

[0054] An example implementation can be illustrated mathematically. For example, for uplink inter-band carrier aggregation of one serving cell c per operating band, when the same slot symbol pattern is used in all aggregated serving cells, it can be

[0055] P CMAX_L =MIN{10log 10 ∑MIN[p EMAX，c / (Δt C，c ), p PowerClass，c / (MAX(mpr c , a-mpr c )·Δt C，c ΔtI B，c ·Δt RxSRS，c ), p PowerClass，c / pmpr c ], P EMAX，CA , P PowerClass,CA -ΔT Full}, P CMAX_H =MIN{10log 10 Σp EMAX，c , P EMAx , C A ,P PowerClass , C A},

[0056] in

[0057] p EMAX，c is the P given by IE P-Max for serving cell c EMAX,c The linear value of

[0058] p PowerClass,c is the linear value of the maximum UE power for serving cell c specified in Table 6.2.1-1 of 3GPP TS 38.101-1 without considering the margin;

[0059] If the field fullPowerUL-CA does not exist, P PowerClass,CA is the maximum UE power specified in Table 6.2A.1.3-1 of 3GPP TS 38.101-1 without taking into account the tolerance specified in Table 6.2A.1.3-1 of 3GPP TS 38.101-1;

[0060] p PowerClass,CA YesP PowerClass,CA The linear value of

[0061] If the field fullPowerUL-CA is present, then p PowerClass,CA =∑p PowerClass，c ;

[0062] Δt Full is ΔT Full The linear value of Δt Full =∑p PowerClass,c -MAX(p PowerClass,c ). If the field fullPowerUL-CA is present, ΔT is applied Full .

[0063] Example 1. Figure 5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a block diagram of a method for controlling uplink (UL) power according to an example embodiment. Operation S505 includes indicating support for a maximum power based on a per-band power class (PC) for a radio band combination (BC) including two or more uplink carriers from a user equipment (UE) to a network device. Operation S510 includes applying a maximum UE transmission according to the per-band PC for each band in the radio BC in uplink power control.

[0064] Example 2. The method of Example 1, wherein the UE supports uplink carrier aggregation (CA).

[0065] Example 3. The method of Example 2, wherein the radio BC supports two or more uplink CAs.

[0066] Example 4. The method of Examples 1 to 3, further comprising indicating, from the UE to the network device, the per-band PC for each band in the radio BC.

[0067] Example 5. The method of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the indication of the support for the maximum power on a per-band basis indicates that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink band.

[0068] Example 6. The method of Examples 1 to 5, wherein if a radio band includes two or more uplink carriers, the combined power is limited to the PC for the associated radio band.

[0069] Example 7. Figure 6 is a block diagram of a method for controlling uplink (UL) power according to an example embodiment. Operation 705 includes receiving, at a network device, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of a UE capability to support a maximum power per band of a radio band combination (BC) used by the UE. Operation 710 includes determining, based on the indication of the UE capability, whether the UE supports the maximum power per band of the radio BC. Operation 715 includes, in response to determining that the UE supports the maximum power per band of the radio BC, determining a total UE transmit power based on the sum of the maximum power of each band in the radio BC.

[0070] Example 8. The method of Example 7, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE supports uplink carrier aggregation (CA).

[0071] Example 9. The method of Examples 7 and 8, wherein the radio BC supports two or more uplink CAs.

[0072] Example 10. The method of Examples 7 to 9, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band.

[0073] Example 11. The method of Examples 7 to 10, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band.

[0074] Example 12. The method of Examples 7 to 11, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band.

[0075] Example 13. The method of Examples 7 to 12, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink frequency band.

[0076] Example 14. The method of Examples 7 to 13, further comprising receiving the per-band PC for each band in the radio BC from the UE.

[0077] Example 15. The method as described in Examples 7 to 14 further includes calculating the maximum allowed UE transmission power for each frequency band based on the maximum power level associated with the corresponding frequency band of the radio BC, and applying the maximum UE transmission power for each frequency band in uplink power control without considering the per-BC power level of the radio BC.

[0078] Example 16. A method as described in Examples 7 to 15, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC used by the UE is included in a UE power capability report, and if the UE power capability report does not include the indication of the UE capability to support the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC used by the UE, then the uplink power control is based on default power control.

[0079] Example 17. The method of Examples 7 to 16, wherein if a radio band includes two or more uplink carriers, the combined power is limited to the PC for the associated radio band.

[0080] Example 18. The method as described in Examples 7 to 17 further includes relaxing the lower boundary of the total configured maximum output power to a delta value equal to the sum of the maximum powers of each band in the radio BC minus the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR bands within the corresponding band configuration or the NR CA UE power levels within the band.

[0081] Example 19. The method as described in Examples 7 to 18 also includes relaxing the lower boundary of the total configured maximum output power by replacing the UL power level of the UL CA with the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR bands of the UL CA or the NR CA UE power levels within the band.

[0082] Example 20. The method of Examples 7 to 19, further comprising relaxing a lower bound of a total configured maximum output power of the UL inter-band CA by replacing the UL power level of the UL CA instead of the sum in a formula to determine a lower bound formula for the UL power level of the UL CA.

[0083] Example 21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processor are configured to cause a computing system to perform the method of any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0084] Example 22. An apparatus comprising means for performing a method as described in any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0085] Example 23. A device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising 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 device to at least perform the method described in any one of Examples 1 to 20.

[0086] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a wireless station 700 or a wireless node or a network node 700 according to an example embodiment. According to an example embodiment, the wireless node or wireless station or network node 700 may include, for example, one or more of an AP, a BS, a gNB, a RAN node, a relay node, a UE or user device, a network node, a network entity, a DU, a CU-CP, a CU-UP, ... or other nodes.

[0087] The wireless station 700 may include, for example, one or more (e.g., Figure 7 The wireless station also includes two (2) radio frequency (RF) or wireless transceivers 702A, 702B shown in the figure, each of which includes a transmitter for transmitting signals and a receiver for receiving signals. The wireless station also includes a processor or control unit / entity (controller) 704 for executing instructions or software and controlling the transmission and reception of signals, and a memory 706 for storing data and / or instructions.

[0088] The processor 704 may also make decisions or determinations, generate frames, packets or messages for transmission, decode received frames or messages for further processing, and perform other tasks or functions described herein. The processor 704 (which may be a baseband processor) may, for example, generate messages, packets, frames or other signals for transmission via the wireless transceiver 702 (702A or 702B). The processor 704 may control the transmission of signals or messages on a wireless network, and may control the reception of signals or messages, etc., via a wireless network (e.g., after being down-converted by the wireless transceiver 702). The processor 704 may be programmable and capable of executing software or other instructions stored on a memory or other computer medium to perform the various tasks and functions described above, such as one or more of the tasks or methods described above. The processor 704 may be (or may include) a programmable processor such as hardware, programmable logic, execution software or firmware, and / or any combination of these items. For example, using other terms, the processor 704 and the transceiver 702 may be considered together as a wireless transmitter / receiver system.

[0089] In addition, refer to Figure 7 , the controller (or processor) 708 can execute software and instructions and can provide overall control for the station 700 and can Figure 7Other systems not shown provide controls, such as controlling input / output devices (e.g., display, keyboard), and / or software that can execute one or more applications that may be provided on wireless station 700, such as, for example, an email program, an audio / video application, a word processor, an IP voice application, or other applications or software.

[0090] Additionally, a storage medium may be provided that includes stored instructions that, when executed by a controller or processor, may cause the processor 704 or other controller or processor to perform one or more of the functions or tasks described above.

[0091] According to another example embodiment, the RF or wireless transceiver 702A / 702B may receive signals or data and / or transmit or send signals or data. The processor 704 (and possibly the transceiver 702A / 702B) may control the RF or wireless transceiver 702A or 702B to receive, send, broadcast or transmit signals or data.

[0092] However, the example embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but those skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems. Another example of a suitable communication system is a 5G system. It is assumed that the network architecture in 5G will be very similar to that of advanced LTE. 5G is likely to use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, use many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that operate in conjunction with smaller stations, and perhaps also adopt multiple radio technologies to achieve better coverage and enhanced data rates.

[0093] It will be appreciated that future networks will most likely utilize network function virtualization (NFV), a network architecture concept that proposes virtualizing network node functions into "building blocks" or entities that are operably connected or linked together to provide services. A virtualized network function (VNF) may include one or more virtual machines that use standard or general-purpose type servers rather than custom hardware to run computer program code. Cloud computing or data storage devices may also be utilized. In radio communications, this may mean that node operations may be performed at least in part in a server, host, or node that is operably coupled to a remote radio head. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It will also be appreciated that the labor distribution between core network operations and base station operations may be different from that of LTE, or even nonexistent.

[0094] Example embodiments of the various technologies described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuits or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Example embodiments may be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier (e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal) for a data processing device (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer or multiple computers) to execute or control the operation of the data processing device. The implementation may also be provided on a computer-readable medium or a computer-readable storage medium that may be a non-transitory medium. The implementation of various technologies may also include implementations provided via transient signals or media, and / or programs and / or software implementations that may be downloaded via the Internet or other networks (wired networks and / or wireless networks). In addition, the implementation may be provided via machine type communication (MTC) and also via the Internet of Things (IOT).

[0095] A computer program may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optical and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals and software distribution packages. A computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers, depending on the processing power required.

[0096] In addition, example implementations of the various techniques described herein may use a cyber-physical system (CPS) (a system of collaborative computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, ...) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subclass of cyber-physical systems, in which the physical systems in question have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals. The popularity of smartphones has increased interest in the field of mobile cyber-physical systems. Therefore, various implementations of the techniques described herein may be provided via one or more of these technologies.

[0097] Computer programs (such as the above-mentioned computer programs) can be written in any form of programming language (including compiled or interpreted languages) and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine or other unit or part thereof suitable for a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed at multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0098] The method steps may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program or computer program portion to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The method steps may also be performed by, and the apparatus may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).

[0099] Processors suitable for executing computer programs include, for example, general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any type of digital computer, chip or chipset. In general, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. Elements of a computer may include at least one processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. In general, a computer may also include one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic, magneto-optical or optical disks, or be operatively coupled to the one or more mass storage devices to receive data from or transfer data to or both. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated into special purpose logic circuits.

[0100] To provide interaction with a user, embodiments may be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor) for displaying information to the user and a user interface, such as a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices may also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input.

[0101] Example embodiments may be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components (e.g., a data server), or includes middleware components (e.g., an application server), or includes front-end components (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser that a user can use to interact with the embodiment), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components may be interconnected by any digital data communication form or medium (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), such as the Internet.

[0102] Although certain features of the described embodiments have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It should therefore be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the various embodiments.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the UE at least executes: sending a capability report to a network device, wherein the capability report includes an indication of support for a maximum UE transmit power per band for a radio band combination (BC) including two or more uplink carriers, such that the UE can operate at full power in each uplink band; as well as Operate at a maximum UE transmit power (PCMAX) on the two or more uplink carriers, where an upper limit (PCMAX_H) of PCMAX and a lower limit (PCMAX_L) of PCMAX are determined using a sum of per-band power levels of respective bands of radio bands in radio BC.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the UE supports uplink carrier aggregation (CA). 3 . The UE of claim 2 , wherein the radio BC supports two or more uplink CAs.

4. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the instructions stored on the at least one memory, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to perform: The per-band PC for the band in the radio BC is indicated from the UE to the network device. 5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein if a radio band includes two or more uplink carriers, the combined power is limited to the PC for the associated radio band.

6. A network device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the network device at least performs: receiving a capability report from a user equipment (UE), wherein the capability report includes an indication of a UE capability to support a maximum power per band of a radio band combination (BC) including two or more uplink carriers used by the UE, such that the UE can operate at full power in each uplink band; determining whether the UE supports a maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC based on the indication of the UE capabilities; as well as In response to determining that the UE supports the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC, a maximum UE transmission power (PCMAX) is determined on the two or more uplink carriers, wherein an upper limit (PCMAX_H) of PCMAX and a lower limit (PCMAX_L) of PCMAX are determined using the sum of the per-frequency band power levels of the respective frequency bands of the radio frequency bands in the radio BC.

7. The network apparatus of claim 6, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE supports uplink carrier aggregation (CA).

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the radio BC supports two or more uplink CAs.

9. The network device of claim 6, wherein the instructions stored on the at least one memory, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to perform: A per-band power class (PC) for a band in the radio BC is received from the UE.

10. The network device of claim 6, wherein the instructions stored on the at least one memory, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to perform: Calculating a maximum allowed UE transmit power for a frequency band based on a maximum power level associated with a corresponding frequency band of the radio BC; and The maximum UE transmit power for a frequency band is applied in uplink power control without considering the per-BC power level of the radio BC.

11. The network device of claim 6, wherein The indication of the UE's capability to support the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC used by the UE is included in a UE power capability report, and If the UE power capability report does not include the indication of the UE capability to support the maximum power per band of the radio BC used by the UE, uplink power control is based on default power control.

12. The network device of claim 6, wherein if a radio band includes two or more uplink carriers, the combined power is limited to the PC for the associated radio band.

13. The network device of claim 6, wherein the instructions stored on the at least one memory, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to perform: The lower bound of the total configured maximum output power is relaxed to a delta value equal to the sum of the maximum powers of the bands in the radio BC minus the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR bands within the corresponding band configuration or the NR CA UE power level within the band.

14. The network device of claim 6, wherein the instructions stored on the at least one memory, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to perform: The lower bound of the total configured maximum output power is relaxed by replacing the UL power level of the UL CA with the maximum value of one of the corresponding NR bands or NR CA UE power levels within the band for the UL CA.

15. The network device of claim 6, wherein the instructions stored on the at least one memory, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network device to perform: The lower bound of the total configured maximum output power of UL inter-band CA is relaxed by substituting the UL power level of the UL CA instead of the sum in a formula to determine a lower bound formula for the UL power level of the UL CA.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause a computing system to: receiving, at a network device, a capability report from a user equipment (UE), wherein the capability report includes an indication of a UE capability to support a maximum power per band of a radio band combination (BC) including two or more uplink carriers used by the UE, such that the UE is capable of operating at full power in each uplink band; determining whether the UE supports a maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC based on the indication of the UE capabilities; as well as In response to determining that the UE supports the maximum power per frequency band of the radio BC, a maximum UE transmission power (PCMAX) is determined on the two or more uplink carriers, wherein an upper limit (PCMAX_H) of PCMAX and a lower limit (PCMAX_L) of PCMAX are determined using the sum of the per-frequency band power levels of the respective frequency bands of the radio frequency bands in the radio BC.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the indication of the UE capability to support maximum power per frequency band indicates that the UE supports uplink carrier aggregation (CA).

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the indication of the UE's ability to support the maximum power per band of the radio BC used by the UE is included in a UE power capability report, and If the UE power capability report does not include the indication of the UE capability to support the maximum power per band of the radio BC used by the UE, uplink power control is based on default power control.

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