Bandwidth part (BWP) switching method, apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a partial bandwidth BWP switching method and device, electronic equipment and computer readable storage medium, and relate to the technical field of communication. The method comprises: determining the maximum number of transmission PRBs that can be carried by a user equipment (UE) under the premise that the maximum transmission power of a single resource element (RE) is not reduced based on the power headroom reported by the UE within a statistical period; and determining whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on a preconfigured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs if the current active partial bandwidth BWP of the UE is a first BWP. According to the embodiments of the present application, the maximum number of transmission PRBs that can be carried by the UE under the premise that the maximum transmission power of a single resource element (RE) is not reduced is determined based on the power headroom reported by the UE, and then it is determined whether to perform BWP switching based on the maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, so that the normal service of the UE in a poor network or a coverage-limited area can be ensured, and the purpose of energy saving can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a partial bandwidth BWP switching method, apparatus, device, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In the 5th Generation New Radio (5G NR) system, considering the radio frequency (RF) capabilities of the user equipment (UE) and energy saving, the 5G NR system introduces the concept of Band Width Part (BWP). That is, for a UE, a frequency band is divided into several BWPs. The UE is configured to work (or activate) on at least one BWP at the same time, controlled by the signaling of the configured BWP, and performs measurements on it.

[0003] In current technical solutions, considering traffic volume, when the UE's data transmission volume is relatively small or there is no data transmission requirement, a smaller bandwidth BWP can be configured for the UE. The UE listens for or sends control information on the smaller bandwidth to save power. If there is a large amount of data to send or receive, it switches to a larger bandwidth BWP. However, at mid-to-long-range locations, UE power is easily limited. When the UE's traffic demand is large, but its power is insufficient to support a large number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs), activating the UE on a larger BWP in this case will result in power waste and is not conducive to UE power saving. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a partial bandwidth BWP switching method, apparatus, device, and computer-readable storage medium, which can solve at least one technical problem in the prior art.

[0005] Firstly, a partial bandwidth BWP switching method is provided, the method comprising:

[0006] Based on the power margin reported by the user equipment (UE) within the statistical period, determine the maximum number of transmission physical resource blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE).

[0007] If the UE's current active partial bandwidth (BWP) is the first BWP, based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP.

[0008] In one possible implementation, determining whether to switch the UE's currently active BWP based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs includes:

[0009] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP;

[0010] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, a decision is made based on the UE's traffic volume whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0011] In yet another possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0012] If the UE's current active BWP is a second BWP that is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

[0013] In another possible implementation, the pre-configured threshold is a power-dependent decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from a first BWP to a second BWP smaller than the first BWP.

[0014] Secondly, a partial bandwidth BWP switching device is provided, applied to base station equipment, the device comprising:

[0015] The determination module is used to determine the maximum number of Transmission Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single Resource Unit (RE) based on the power margin reported by the User Equipment (UE) within the statistical period.

[0016] If the current active partial bandwidth (BWP) of the UE is the first BWP, the determining module is further configured to determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs.

[0017] In one possible implementation, when the determining module determines whether to switch the UE's currently active BWP based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs, it is specifically used for:

[0018] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP;

[0019] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, a decision is made based on the UE's traffic volume whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0020] In another possible implementation, the determining module is further configured to: if the current active BWP of the UE is a second BWP which is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE to the first BWP based on the traffic volume of the UE.

[0021] In another possible implementation, the pre-configured threshold is a power-dependent decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from a first BWP to a second BWP smaller than the first BWP.

[0022] Thirdly, a base station is provided, the device comprising:

[0023] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0024] Transceiver, used to send and receive data under the control of the processor;

[0025] A processor is configured to read a computer program from the memory and execute it to implement the partial bandwidth BWP switching method shown in the first aspect of this application.

[0026] Fourthly, a processor-readable storage medium is provided, the processor-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program being used to cause a processor to execute and implement the partial bandwidth BWP switching method shown in the first aspect of this application.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided in this application are:

[0028] By using the power margin reported by the UE, the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE) is determined. Then, based on this maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, it is determined whether the UE's transmit power is more likely to reach the maximum transmit power. This determines whether to perform a BWP handover, which can ensure the normal service of UEs in poor or limited coverage areas of the network and achieve the goal of energy saving. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of partial bandwidth BWP switching in the prior art;

[0031] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a partial bandwidth BWP switching method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 3A flowchart illustrating a partial bandwidth BWP switching method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a partial bandwidth BWP switching device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0036] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein may also include the plural forms. It should be further understood that the term “comprising” as used in this application means the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we say an element is “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Furthermore, “connected” or “coupled” as used herein can include wireless connections or wireless coupling. The term “and / or” as used herein includes all or any units and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various systems, especially 5G systems. For example, applicable systems include Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), and 5G New Radio (NR). All of these systems include terminal equipment and network-side equipment. The systems may also include a core network component, such as Evolved Packet System (EPS) and 5G system (5GS).

[0039] First, let's introduce and explain several terms used in this application:

[0040] The terminal devices involved in the embodiments of this application can be devices that provide voice and / or data connectivity to users, handheld devices with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. The names of the terminal devices may differ in different systems; for example, in a 5G system, a terminal device can be called User Equipment (UE). Wireless terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks (CNs) via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Wireless terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones) and computers with mobile terminal devices, for example, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the RAN. Examples include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, or user device, but is not limited to these terms in the embodiments of this application.

[0041] The network-side equipment involved in this application embodiment can be a base station, which may include multiple cells providing services to terminals. Depending on the specific application, a base station may also be called an access point, or a device in the access network that communicates with wireless terminal devices through one or more sectors on the air interface, or other names. The network-side equipment can be used to exchange received air frames with Internet Protocol (IP) packets, acting as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, where the rest of the access network may include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network-side equipment can also coordinate the attribute management of the air interface.

[0042] For example, the network-side equipment involved in the embodiments of this application can be a base transceiver station (BTS) in Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), a network-side device (NodeB) in Wide-band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), an evolved network-side device (eNB or e-NodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system, a 5G base station (gNB) in a next generation system, a Home evolved Node B (HeNB), a relay node, a femto, a pico, etc., and is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In some network structures, the network-side equipment may include centralized unit (CU) nodes and distributed unit (DU) nodes, and the centralized unit and distributed unit may also be geographically separated.

[0043] Network-side equipment and terminal equipment can each use one or more antennas for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. MIMO transmission can be single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) or multiple-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). Depending on the configuration and number of antenna combinations, MIMO transmission can be 2D-MIMO, 3D-MIMO, FD-MIMO, or massive-MIMO, and can also be diversity transmission, precoding transmission, or beamforming transmission, etc.

[0044] NR's frequency points are divided into two parts: Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and Frequency Range 2 (FR2), supporting bandwidths from 5MHz to 400MHz. FR1 bandwidths can be 5MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz, 20MHz, 25MHz, 30MHz, 40MHz, 50MHz, 60MHz, 80MHz, and 100MHz. FR2 bandwidths can be 50MHz, 100MHz, 200MHz, and 400MHz, etc. If all UEs require support for the maximum bandwidth, the performance requirements for the UE would be too high. Furthermore, large bandwidth means a high sampling rate, which in turn means high power consumption, hindering UE power saving. Therefore, NR introduced the concept of BWP (Bandwidth Controller). Different bandwidth BWPs can be allocated based on UE capabilities or based on service transmission volume. When the UE's data transmission volume is relatively small or there is no data transmission requirement, a smaller bandwidth BWP can be configured for the UE, allowing the UE to listen for or send control information on the smaller bandwidth, thus achieving power saving. If there is a large amount of data to send and receive, then switch to the high-bandwidth BWP.

[0045] In existing partial bandwidth BWP handover schemes, the handover is primarily triggered based on UE data volume (service volume). For details, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 1 In the first moment, when the UE's traffic is high, the system allocates a larger bandwidth (BWP1) to the UE; in the second moment, when the UE's traffic is low, the system allocates a smaller bandwidth (BWP2) to the UE, which is sufficient to meet basic communication needs.

[0046] In existing solutions, when the power of UEs at mid-to-far points is easily limited, the UE's service demand is large, but the power is insufficient to support a large number of PRBs. In this case, the UE is activated on BWP1, resulting in power waste. Therefore, the solution of this application mainly solves the problem of BWP handover when the power of mid-to-far point UEs (which are located in poor or coverage-limited areas of the network) is easily limited. The specific process is as follows: when the number of PRBs that the UE's power can support reaches a certain threshold, BWP handover is triggered, and the UE is put into operation on BWP2, so as to ensure the UE's service experience while achieving the purpose of UE energy saving.

[0047] The system will configure a larger BWP (hereinafter referred to as the first BWP) and a smaller BWP (hereinafter referred to as the second BWP) for the UE. The larger BWP can be configured based on the bandwidth of FR2, and the smaller BWP can be configured based on the bandwidth of FR1.

[0048] The decision to perform a BWP handover is determined by assessing whether the UE's transmit power can more easily reach its maximum transmit power. Specifically, for UEs that can easily reach their maximum transmit power, a switch to a smaller BWP is recommended. For UEs that cannot easily reach their maximum transmit power, the previously activated BWP is retained, and the handover decision is made according to the existing BWP based on traffic volume.

[0049] During data service, the base station calculates the maximum number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) that the UE can support without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single Resource Element (RE) based on the Power Headroom (PHR) reported by the UE. When this maximum number of PRBs is less than the set threshold, it is determined that the UE can easily reach the maximum transmit power. Otherwise, when this maximum number of PRBs is greater than the set threshold, it is determined that the UE cannot easily reach the maximum transmit power.

[0050] When it is determined that the UE's power is likely to reach the maximum transmit power, if the UE is currently operating on the first BWP, the UE will be switched to the second BWP, which is smaller than the first BWP, to ensure the UE's data service requirements while reducing the UE's power consumption. If the UE is currently operating on the second BWP, the switch will remain unchanged. When it is determined that the UE's power is unlikely to reach the maximum transmit power, the existing handover strategy will remain unchanged. That is, if the UE was originally operating on the first BWP, it will continue to operate on the first BWP, and if the UE was originally operating on the second BWP, it will continue to operate on the second BWP. The decision on BWP handover will continue to adopt the existing decision strategy based on data volume (also known as service volume).

[0051] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] This application provides a partial bandwidth BWP switching method, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes:

[0053] S101. Based on the power margin reported by the user equipment (UE) within the statistical period, determine the maximum number of transmission physical resource blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE).

[0054] S102. If the current active partial bandwidth (BWP) of the UE is the first BWP, determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs.

[0055] In other words, in this embodiment, within the duration of the statistical period, based on the power margin reported by the UE, the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can support with each power margin without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource element (RE) can be calculated. If the UE is currently operating on the first BWP, then based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs, it is determined whether to switch the current BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0056] In the above embodiments of this application, the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE) is determined based on the power margin reported by the UE. Then, based on the maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, it is determined whether the UE's transmit power is more likely to reach the maximum transmit power, thereby determining whether to perform BWP handover. This can ensure the normal service of UEs in poor or limited coverage areas of the network and achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0057] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the statistical period is a configurable parameter, which can be set based on changes in business conditions during actual implementation. It can be configured to be at the level of hundreds of milliseconds, and this embodiment does not limit it.

[0058] Power headroom (PH) is the difference between the maximum allowable transmission power of the UE and the currently assessed transmission power of the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). It represents how much transmission power the UE has available beyond the transmission power currently used by the PUSCH transmission.

[0059] In this embodiment, the remaining power of the UE can be determined based on the power margin reported by the UE. The maximum transmit power configuration for a single RE limits the power that a single PRB can occupy. Therefore, the number of PRBs that the remaining power can support can be calculated. Adding this to the currently occupied PRBs gives the maximum number of PRBs that the current power can support. It should be understood that in actual implementation, resource power consumption may also need to be considered.

[0060] If the maximum transmit power of a single RE is reduced, the number of PRBs that can be carried can be increased. However, reducing the maximum transmit power of a single RE will reduce the signal-to-noise ratio of the channel and worsen the decoding conditions. Therefore, not reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit RE is a prerequisite for ensuring that the current channel remains consistent with the one before the BWP handover.

[0061] In one possible implementation, S102 may specifically include:

[0062] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP;

[0063] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, a decision is made based on the UE's traffic volume whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0064] Specifically, in this embodiment, a timer can be used to set the duration of the statistical period. Since the UE can report power margin multiple times within the statistical period, it is necessary to calculate the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource element (RE) based on each received power margin. Each calculated maximum transmission PRB number is compared with a pre-configured threshold, and this comparison process is repeated until the timer expires. If, within the statistical period, all maximum transmission PRB numbers are less than the pre-configured threshold, it is determined that the UE's current active BWP will be switched to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP; if, within the statistical period, all maximum transmission PRB numbers are greater than the pre-configured threshold, it is determined whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

[0065] It should be noted that if, within the statistical period, the maximum number of transmission PRBs calculated based on the power margin reported by the UE does not continuously meet the conditions, for example, if the statistical period is 100 milliseconds, and within the first 95 milliseconds, all the maximum number of transmission PRBs calculated based on the power margin reported by the UE are less than the pre-configured threshold, and in the 96th millisecond, the maximum number of transmission PRBs calculated based on the power margin reported by the UE is greater than the pre-configured threshold, then the comparison and judgment process will be terminated, and the comparison and judgment process can be restarted in the next statistical period.

[0066] In the above embodiments, for UEs located in poor or limited coverage areas of the network, the UE is switched to a smaller BWP based on power conditions. This can save energy while ensuring user experience, and is an effective supplement to the existing BWP handover strategy.

[0067] It should also be noted that the UE will trigger a Power Headroom Report (PHR) when any of the following conditions are met:

[0068] (1) When the UE has uplink resources to transmit new data, the prohibitPHR-Timer is prohibited from timeout or has already timed out, and the path loss change value has exceeded the path loss change threshold (dl-PathlossChange) dB since the last transmission of the power margin report.

[0069] First, the "change value" of path loss in this condition refers to the absolute difference in path loss, regardless of whether the current path loss is increasing or decreasing. Second, if the prohibitPHR-Timer is still running, PHR cannot be triggered, no matter how much the path loss changes. The existence of the prohibitPHR-Timer is to prevent the UE from frequently sending PHR due to frequent changes in path loss or a path loss threshold set too low.

[0070] (2) Periodic power margin report timer periodicPHR-Timer timer timeout.

[0071] (3) When the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer configures or reconfigures the PHR function or parameters, and this configuration or reconfiguration does not disable PHR. For example, the RRC reconfigures the value of a timer.

[0072] In this embodiment, the UE's currently active BWP can be switched to a second BWP smaller than the first BWP via RRC signaling or Downlink control Information (DCI). Specifically, the triggering of the BWP switch and the specific process of the BWP switch are implemented using existing related technologies, which will not be elaborated here for the sake of brevity.

[0073] In another possible implementation, the method may also include:

[0074] S103. If the current active BWP of the UE is a second BWP which is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE to the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

[0075] In other words, in this embodiment, if the current UE is operating in a second BWP that is less than the first BWP, within the statistical period, regardless of whether the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than or less than the pre-configured threshold, the UE will determine whether to switch to the first BWP based on the existing traffic volume.

[0076] In the above embodiments, the pre-configured threshold is a power-limited decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from the first BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0077] This application provides a partial bandwidth BWP switching method, such as... Figure 3 As shown, this method can be executed by a base station. The base station can pre-configure the maximum transmit power of a single RE, a power-limited decision threshold Th_bwpSwB2S when switching from a first BWP to a second BWP smaller than the first BWP, and set a statistical period T_BWP Switch Change. Specifically, the duration of the statistical period can be set by setting a timer. This method includes:

[0078] S201. Receive the power margin reported by the UE.

[0079] S202. Within the set statistical period, based on the received power margin, calculate the maximum number of PRBs that the UE can support without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single RE, which can be denoted as N_puschrb.

[0080] S203. Determine whether the UE is currently working in the first BWP (i.e., determine whether the UE's current active BWP is the first BWP). If not, proceed to step S204; if yes, proceed to step S205.

[0081] S204. Use the existing BWP switching strategy based on traffic volume to determine whether to switch.

[0082] In other words, in this embodiment, if the current UE's active BWP is a second BWP that is less than the first BWP, and within the statistical period T_BWPSwichChange, whether N_puschrb is greater than or less than the first BWP configured by the base station, the switch to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP is limited by the power decision threshold Th_bwpSwB2S. The UE makes a decision on whether to switch to the first BWP based on the existing service volume.

[0083] S205. Determine if the timer has timed out (i.e., determine if it is no longer within the statistical period). If yes, proceed to step S206; otherwise, proceed to step S202.

[0084] In other words, in this embodiment, if no timeout occurs, it is necessary to repeatedly execute the steps of calculating the maximum number of transmission PRBs based on the power margin reported by the UE, determining whether the UE is currently working in the first BWP, and whether the timer has expired, until the timer expires. Then, it is determined whether all the maximum number of transmission PRBs obtained within the statistical period are less than the first BWP configured by the base station. Switching to the second BWP, which is less than the first BWP, is limited by the power decision threshold.

[0085] S206, determine whether the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the decision threshold, that is: whether N_puschrb is less than Th_bwpSwB2S. If yes, proceed to step S207; otherwise, proceed to step S204.

[0086] S207, triggers a switch to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0087] In other words, in this embodiment, if the current UE's active BWP is the first BWP, and N_puschrb is less than the decision threshold Th_bwpSwB2S configured by the base station within the statistical period T_BWPSwichChange, then the UE's active BWP will be switched to the second BWP.

[0088] If the current UE's active BWP is the first BWP, and within the statistical period T_BWPSwichChange, N_puschrb is greater than the decision threshold Th_bwpSwB2S configured by the base station, then the UE will make a decision on whether to switch to the second BWP based on the existing traffic volume.

[0089] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the active BWP of the current UE can be switched from the first BWP to a second BWP smaller than the first BWP via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or Downlink Control Information (DCI). The specific triggering and switching processes are implemented using existing related technologies, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0090] In other words, the BWP handover method provided in this application determines the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource element (RE) based on the power margin reported by the UE. Then, based on the maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, it determines whether the UE's transmit power is more likely to reach the maximum transmit power, thereby determining whether to perform a BWP handover. This method can ensure that UEs in poor or coverage-limited areas of the network enter the second BWP, which can save energy while ensuring user experience. It is an effective supplement to the existing BWP handover strategy.

[0091] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a partial bandwidth BWP switching device, applied to a base station, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the device 30 includes: a determining module 301, wherein,

[0092] The determination module 301 is used to determine the maximum number of Transmission Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single Resource Unit (RE) based on the power margin reported by the User Equipment (UE) within the statistical period.

[0093] If the current active partial bandwidth (BWP) of the UE is the first BWP, the determining module 301 is further configured to determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs.

[0094] In some embodiments, when determining whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs, the determining module 301 is specifically used for:

[0095] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP;

[0096] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, a decision is made based on the UE's traffic volume whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0097] In other embodiments, the determining module 301 is further configured to: if the current active BWP of the UE is a second BWP which is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE to the first BWP based on the traffic volume of the UE.

[0098] In the above embodiments, the pre-configured threshold is a power-limited decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from the first BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0099] The partial bandwidth BWP switching device provided in this application embodiment can achieve... Figures 2 to 3 The various processes implemented in the method embodiments are not described in detail here to avoid repetition.

[0100] The partial bandwidth BWP handover device provided in this application determines the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE) based on the power margin reported by the UE. Then, based on the maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, it determines whether the UE's transmit power is more likely to reach the maximum transmit power, thereby determining whether to perform BWP handover. This can ensure the normal service of UEs in poor or limited coverage areas of the network and achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0101] The partial bandwidth BWP switching device in this application embodiment can execute the partial bandwidth BWP switching method provided in this application embodiment. The implementation principle is similar. The actions performed by each module and unit in the partial bandwidth BWP switching device in each embodiment of this application correspond to the steps in the partial bandwidth BWP switching method in each embodiment of this application. For detailed functional descriptions of each module of the partial bandwidth BWP switching device, please refer to the descriptions of the corresponding partial bandwidth BWP switching methods shown above. They will not be repeated here.

[0102] It should be noted that the module (unit) division in the embodiments of this application is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules.

[0103] If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a processor-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0104] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts that are the same as those in the method embodiment and the beneficial effects will not be described in detail.

[0105] Based on the same principle as the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application provides a base station, which includes: a memory and a processor; at least one program, stored in the memory, for execution by the processor, compared with the prior art: based on the power margin reported by the UE, determining the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE), and then judging whether the UE's transmit power is more likely to reach the maximum transmit power based on the maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, thereby determining whether to perform BWP handover, which can ensure the normal service of UEs in poor or limited coverage areas of the network and achieve the purpose of energy saving.

[0106] One type of base station provided in the embodiments of this application is, such as Figure 5 The base station device 40 shown includes: a memory 401, a transceiver 402, and a processor 403, wherein,

[0107] Memory 401 is used to store computer programs;

[0108] Transceiver 402 is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor;

[0109] Processor 403 is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations:

[0110] Based on the power margin reported by the user equipment (UE) within the statistical period, determine the maximum number of transmission physical resource blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE).

[0111] If the UE's current active partial bandwidth (BWP) is the first BWP, based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP.

[0112] Optionally, the processor 403 is specifically used for:

[0113] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP;

[0114] If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, a decision is made based on the UE's traffic volume whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0115] Optionally, the processor 403 is further configured to:

[0116] If the UE's current active BWP is a second BWP which is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

[0117] In the above embodiments, the pre-configured threshold is a power-limited decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from the first BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

[0118] Among them, Figure 5 In this context, the bus architecture can include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, specifically linking various circuits together, represented by one or more processors (processor 403) and memory (memory 401). The bus architecture can also link various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 402 can be multiple elements, including transmitters and receivers, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over transmission media, including wireless channels, wired channels, optical fibers, etc. The processor 403 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 401 can store data used by the processor 403 during operation.

[0119] The processor 403 can be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The processor 403 can also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0120] The processor 403 executes any of the methods described in the embodiments of this application by calling a computer program stored in the memory 401, according to the obtained executable instructions. The processor 403 and the memory 401 may also be physically separated.

[0121] It should be noted that the apparatus provided in this application embodiment can implement all the method steps implemented in the above method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. Here, the parts that are the same as those in the method embodiment and the beneficial effects will not be described in detail.

[0122] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the program is run on a computer, it enables the computer to execute the corresponding content in the aforementioned method embodiments. Compared with the prior art, based on the power margin reported by the UE, the maximum number of transmission PRBs that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE) is determined. Then, based on this maximum number of transmission PRBs and a preset threshold, it is determined whether the UE's transmit power is more likely to reach the maximum transmit power, thereby determining whether to perform a BWP handover. This can ensure the normal service of UEs in poor or coverage-limited areas of the network and achieve energy saving.

[0123] The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that the processor can access, including but not limited to magnetic storage (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, magneto-optical disk (MO)), optical storage (e.g., CD, DVD, BD, HVD), and semiconductor storage (e.g., ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, non-volatile memory (NAND FLASH), solid-state drive (SSD)).

[0124] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, can implement the steps and corresponding content of the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0125] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage and optical storage) containing computer-usable program code.

[0126] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0127] These processor-executable instructions may also be stored in a processor-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the processor-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0128] These processors can execute instructions that can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable device for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0129] The above description is only a partial embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A partial bandwidth BWP switching method, characterized in that, The method includes: Based on the power margin reported by the user equipment (UE) within the statistical period, determine the maximum number of transmission physical resource blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE). If the UE's current active partial bandwidth (BWP) is the first BWP, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs. The step of determining whether to switch the UE's currently active BWP based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs includes: If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP; If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the UE's current active BWP is a second BWP that is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The pre-configured threshold is a power-dependent decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from the first BWP to a second BWP smaller than the first BWP.

4. A partial bandwidth BWP switching device, characterized in that, The device includes: The determination module is used to determine the maximum number of Transmission Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single Resource Unit (RE) based on the power margin reported by the User Equipment (UE) within the statistical period. If the current active partial bandwidth (BWP) of the UE is the first BWP, the determining module is further configured to determine whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on a pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmission PRBs. Specifically, when determining whether to switch the current active BWP of the UE based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs, the determining module is used for: If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP; If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

5. A base station, characterized in that, include: Memory, used to store computer programs; A transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of a processor. The processor is configured to read the computer program from the memory and perform the following operations: Based on the power margin reported by the user equipment (UE) within the statistical period, determine the maximum number of transmission physical resource blocks (PRBs) that the UE can carry without reducing the maximum transmit power of a single resource unit (RE). If the UE's current active partial bandwidth (BWP) is the first BWP, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP based on the pre-configured threshold and the maximum number of transmitted PRBs. Specifically, the processor is used for: If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is less than the pre-configured threshold, determine to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is less than the first BWP; If the maximum number of transmitted PRBs is greater than the pre-configured threshold, a decision is made based on the UE's traffic volume whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

6. The base station according to claim 5, characterized in that, The processor is also used for: If the UE's current active BWP is a second BWP which is less than the first BWP, determine whether to switch the UE's current active BWP to the first BWP based on the UE's traffic volume.

7. The base station according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The pre-configured threshold is a power-dependent decision threshold when switching the UE's current active BWP from the first BWP to a second BWP that is smaller than the first BWP.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program for causing a processor to perform the partial bandwidth BWP switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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