User equipment (UE) capability signaling for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell handover

Abstract

A method of wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) includes reporting UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell handover. The UE capabilities include at least one pair of band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell handover. Each of the at least one pair of frequency band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. The method also includes transmitting a first PUCCH having a first frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types. The method also includes switching to a second band type selected from the at least one pair of band types for transmitting a second PUCCH.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 18 / 078,867, filed on December 9, 2022, entitled “User Equipment (UE) Capability Signaling for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) Cell Switching”, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 333,957, filed on April 22, 2022, entitled “User Equipment (UE) Capability Signaling for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) Cell Switching”, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to user equipment (UE) capability signaling for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies that can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, and long term evolution (LTE). LTE / LTE Advanced is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard issued by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Narrowband (NB) Internet of Things (IoT) and enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) are sets of enhancements to LTE for machine type communication.

[0005] A wireless communication network may include multiple base stations (BSs) that may support communication for multiple user equipments (UEs). A UE may communicate with a base station (BS) via a downlink and an uplink. A downlink (or forward link) refers to a communication link from a BS to a UE, while an uplink (or reverse link) refers to a communication link from a UE to a BS. As will be described in more detail, a BS may be referred to as a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a gNB, an access point (AP), a radio head, a transmit and receive point (TRP), a new radio (NR) BS, a 5G Node B, etc.

[0006] The above multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different UEs to communicate at a city, country, region, or even global level. New Radio (NR), which may also be referred to as 5G, is an enhancement set of the LTE mobile standard released by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). NR is designed to better integrate with other open standards by improving spectrum efficiency, reducing costs, improving services, utilizing new spectrum, and using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (CP-OFDM) with cyclic prefix (CP) on the downlink (DL), using CP-OFDM and / or SC-FDM (e.g., also known as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM)) on the uplink (UL), and supporting beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation, thereby better supporting mobile broadband Internet access. Summary of the invention

[0007] In various aspects of the present disclosure, a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) includes reporting UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. The UE capabilities include at least one pair of band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each band type in the at least one pair of band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission. The method also includes sending a first PUCCH having a first band type selected from the at least one pair of band types. The method also includes switching to a second band type selected from the at least one pair of band types for sending a second PUCCH.

[0008] In other aspects of the present disclosure, a method for wireless communication by a network device includes receiving a user equipment (UE) capability report. The UE capability report includes at least one pair of frequency band types that support PUCCH cell switching. Each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. The method also includes configuring the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells of two different frequency bands from the at least one pair of frequency band types.

[0009] Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a device for wireless communication. The device has a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to report UE capabilities for PUCCH cell switching. The UE capabilities have at least one pair of band types that can support PUCCH cell switching. Each band type in the at least one pair of band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. The processor is also configured to send a first PUCCH having a first band type selected from the at least one pair of band types. The processor is further configured to switch to a second band type selected from the at least one pair of band types for sending a second PUCCH.

[0010] Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a device for wireless communication. The device has a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to receive a UE capability report. The UE capability report has at least one pair of frequency band types that support PUCCH cell switching. Each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. The processor also configures the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells of two different frequency bands from the at least one pair of frequency band types.

[0011] Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus includes a component for reporting UE capabilities for PUCCH cell switching. The UE capabilities have at least one pair of band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching. Each band type in the at least one pair of band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. The apparatus also includes a component for transmitting a first PUCCH having a first band type selected from the at least one pair of band types. The apparatus also includes a component for switching to a second band type selected from the at least one pair of band types for transmitting a second PUCCH.

[0012] Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus includes a component for receiving a UE capability report, the UE capability report including at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission. The apparatus also includes a component for configuring the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells from two different frequency bands in the at least one pair of frequency band types.

[0013] Other aspects relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon. The program code is executed by a processor and includes program code for reporting UE capabilities for PUCCH cell switching, the UE capabilities including at least one pair of band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each band type in the at least one pair of band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission. The program code also includes program code for sending a first PUCCH having a first band type selected from the at least one pair of band types; and program code for switching to a second band type selected from the at least one pair of band types for sending a second PUCCH.

[0014] In still other aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has program code recorded thereon. The program code is executed by a processor and includes program code for receiving a UE capability report, the UE capability report including at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission. The program code also includes program code for configuring the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells of two different frequency bands from the at least one pair of frequency band types.

[0015] Aspects generally include methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products, non-transitory computer readable media, user equipment, base stations, wireless communication devices, and processing systems as generally described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and description.

[0016] The features and technical advantages of examples according to the present disclosure have been outlined quite broadly above so that the following specific embodiments may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described. The disclosed concepts and specific examples may be easily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for achieving the same purpose of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the disclosed concepts, both in terms of their organization and method of operation, and the associated advantages will be better understood by considering the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Each of the figures in the accompanying drawings is provided for the purpose of illustration and description and not as a definition of limitations to the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order that the features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more specific description may be made with reference to various aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only certain aspects of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof, as the description may allow for other equally effective aspects. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0018] Figure 1is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a wireless communication network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a base station communicating with a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example decomposed base station.

[0021] Figure 4 is a timing diagram illustrating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) group in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating frequency band combinations according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) capability reporting structure according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary PUCCH capability reporting structure for various configurations in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary PUCCH capability reporting structure for PUCCH cell switching according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary PUCCH capability reporting structure for when all band type pair combinations are not supported according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig.10 is a flow chart illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a user equipment (UE) according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating an example process, for example, performed by a network device, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The various aspects of the present disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout the present disclosure. Instead, these aspects are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings, those skilled in the art should recognize that the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the present disclosure, whether the aspect is implemented independently of any other aspect of the present disclosure or implemented in combination with any other aspect. For example, an apparatus or a method can be implemented using any number of aspects described. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover such apparatus or methods that are practiced using other structures, functionality, or structures and functionality as a supplement to the various aspects of the present disclosure described or in addition. It should be understood that any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed can be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0030] Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various devices and techniques. These devices and techniques will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Whether these elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0031] It should be noted that although various aspects may be described using terms commonly associated with 5G and later wireless technologies, various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied in communication systems based on other generations (such as and including 3G and / or 4G technologies).

[0032] A Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) group is a group of cells used for uplink transmissions in a carrier aggregation configuration. Previously, PUCCH transmissions were only allowed on the primary cell (Pcell) of a carrier aggregation configuration. PUCCH cell switching has since been introduced to allow PUCCH switching between the primary cell and a single additional secondary cell (Scell). One reason for allowing PUCCH cell switching is to reduce PUCCH feedback latency and improve PUCCH reliability. PUCCH cell switching applies to all PUCCH types.

[0033] It would be beneficial to define a User Equipment (UE) capability reporting structure to enable the UE to indicate support for PUCCH cell switching. If the feature is supported, the structure should provide details for supporting the PUCCH cell switching feature.

[0034] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the UE reports at least one pair of band types that can support PUCCH cell switching. Each of these reported band types is selected from the band types that support PUCCH cell transmission. That is, the UE can select each band type from a list of supported band types for PUCCH transmission in a configured PUCCH group for a band combination in carrier aggregation.

[0035] If multiple PUCCH grouping configurations are available for a particular band combination, the UE may report the PUCCH cell switching capability for each PUCCH grouping configuration for the band combination. If multiple PUCCH groups are available for the PUCCH grouping configuration for the band combination, the UE may report the PUCCH cell switching capability for each PUCCH grouping configuration for the band combination. In some aspects, the UE does not report all combinations of band type pairs.

[0036] Once the base station receives the UE capability report (including at least one pair of frequency band types), the base station may configure the UE to operate in PUCCH cell switching between two cells of two different frequency bands from the at least one pair of frequency band types. The configuration may be per frequency band combination, per PUCCH group and / or per PUCCH grouping configuration for each frequency band combination.

[0037] Reporting PUCCH cell switching capability according to the described structure reduces reporting signaling overhead.

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a diagram illustrating a network 100 in which various aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced. The network 100 may be a 5G or NR network, or some other wireless network (such as an LTE network). The wireless network 100 may include a plurality of BSs 110 (shown as BSs 110a, BSs 110b, BSs 110c, and BSs 110d) and other network entities. A BS is an entity that communicates with a user equipment (UE), and may also be referred to as a base station, an NR BS, a Node B, a gNB, a 5G Node B, an access point, a transmission and reception point (TRP), a network node, a network entity, etc. A base station may be implemented as an aggregated base station, a decomposed base station, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay node, a side link node, etc. A base station may be implemented in an aggregated or monolithic base station architecture, or alternatively, in a decomposed base station architecture, and may include one or more of a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a radio unit (RU), a near real-time (near RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC), or a non-real-time (non-RT) RIC.

[0039] Each BS can provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" can refer to the coverage area of ​​a BS and / or a BS subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0040] A BS may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, and / or another type of cell. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access by UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG)). A BS for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In Figure 1 In the example shown in , BS 110a may be a macro BS for macro cell 102a, BS 110b may be a pico BS for pico cell 102b, and BS 110c may be a femto BS for femto cell 102c. A BS may support one or more (e.g., three) cells. The terms "eNB", "base station", "NR BS", "gNB", "AP", "Node B", "5G NB", "TRP", and "cell" may be used interchangeably.

[0041] In some aspects, the cell need not be stationary, and the geographic area of ​​the cell may move depending on the location of the mobile BS. In some aspects, the BSs may be interconnected with each other and / or to one or more other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless network 100 through various types of backhaul interfaces (such as direct physical connections, virtual networks, etc.) using any suitable transport network.

[0042] The wireless network 100 may also include a relay station. A relay station is an entity that can receive transmissions of data from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or a UE) and transmit the transmissions of the data to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or a BS). A relay station may also be a UE that can relay transmissions for other UEs. Figure 1 In the example shown in FIG. 1 , a relay station 110 d may communicate with a macro BS 110 a and a UE 120 d to facilitate communication between the BS 110 a and the UE 120 d. A relay station may also be referred to as a relay BS, a relay base station, a relay, or the like.

[0043] The wireless network 100 may be a heterogeneous network including different types of BSs (e.g., macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, relay BSs, etc.). These different types of BSs may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in the wireless network 100. For example, a macro BS may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 5 watts to 40 watts), while a pico BS, a femto BS, and a relay BS may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 0.1 watt to 2 watts).

[0044] For example, BSs 110 (shown as BS 110a, BS 110b, BS 110c, and BS 110d) and core network 130 may exchange communications via backhaul links 132 (e.g., S1, etc.). Base stations 110 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through core network 130) through other backhaul links (e.g., X2, etc.).

[0045] The core network 130 may be an evolved packet core (EPC), which may include at least one mobile management entity (MME), at least one serving gateway (S-GW), and at least one packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW). The MME may be a control node that handles signaling between the UE 120 and the EPC. All user IP packets may be delivered through the S-GW, which itself may be connected to the P-GW. The P-GW may provide IP address allocation and other functions. The P-GW may be connected to the IP services of the network operator. The operator's IP services may include the Internet, the intranet, the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), and the packet switched (PS) streaming media services.

[0046] The core network 130 may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, IP connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. One or more of the base stations 110 or access node controllers (ANCs) may interface with the core network 130 via a backhaul link 132 (e.g., S1, S2, etc.) and may perform radio configuration and scheduling for communications with the UE 120. In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity or base station 110 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., a radio head and an access network controller) or merged into a single network device (e.g., a base station 110).

[0047] UE 120 (e.g., 120a, 120b, 120c) may be dispersed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE may be stationary or mobile. UE may also be referred to as an access terminal, terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. UE may be a cellular phone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet computer, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, a medical device or equipment, a biosensor / device, a wearable device (smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet)), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device or a satellite radio), a component or sensor of a vehicle, a smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium.

[0048] One or more UEs 120 may establish a protocol data unit (PDU) session for a network slice. In some cases, the UE 120 may select a network slice based on an application or subscription service. By enabling different network slices to serve different applications or subscriptions, the UE 120 may improve its resource utilization in the wireless network 100 while also meeting the performance specifications of the respective applications of the UE 120. In some cases, the AMF ( Figure 1 ), to serve the network slice used by UE 120. In addition, session management of the network slice can be performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0049] The UE 120 may include a PUCCH cell switching configuration module 140. For simplicity, only one UE 120d is shown as including the PUCCH cell switching configuration module 140. The PUCCH cell switching configuration module 140 may report UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. The UE capabilities include at least one pair of band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each band type in the at least one pair of band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission. The PUCCH cell switching configuration module 140 may also transmit a first PUCCH having a first band type selected from at least one pair of band types. The PUCCH cell switching configuration module 140 may also switch to a second band type selected from at least one pair of band types for transmitting a second PUCCH.

[0050] The core network 130 or the base station 110 may include a PUCCH cell switching configuration module 138. For simplicity, only one base station 110a is shown as including the PUCCH cell switching configuration module 138. The PUCCH cell switching configuration module 138 may receive a user equipment (UE) capability report. The UE capability report includes at least one pair of band types supported for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. Each band type in the at least one pair of band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. The PUCCH cell switching configuration module 138 may also configure the UE to operate a PUCCH cell switching between two cells of two different bands from at least one pair of band types.

[0051] Some UEs may be considered as machine type communication (MTC) or evolved or enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) UEs. For example, MTC and eMTC UEs include robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc. that can communicate with a base station, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. A wireless node may provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network (such as the Internet) or a cellular network), for example, via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs may be considered as Internet of Things (IoT) devices and / or may be implemented as NB-IoT (narrowband Internet of Things) devices. Some UEs may be considered as customer premises equipment (CPE). UE 120 may be included in a housing that houses components of UE 120 (e.g., processor components, memory components, etc.).

[0052] Generally speaking, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network can support a specific radio access technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. RAT can also be referred to as radio technology, air interface, etc. Frequency can also be referred to as carrier, frequency channel, etc. In a given geographic area, each frequency can support a single RAT to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks can be deployed.

[0053] In some aspects, two or more UEs 120 (e.g., shown as UE 120a and UE 120e) may communicate directly (e.g., without using base station 110 as an intermediary to communicate with each other) using one or more sidelink channels. For example, UE 120 may communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocols (e.g., which may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocols, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocols, etc.), mesh networks, etc. In this case, UE 120 may perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and / or other operations described elsewhere herein performed by base station 110. For example, base station 110 may configure UE 120 via downlink control information (DCI), radio resource control (RRC) signaling, medium access control-control element (MAC-CE), or via system information (e.g., system information block (SIB)).

[0054] As pointed out above, Figure 1 This is provided as an example only. Other examples can be found in the reference Figure 1 The examples described are different.

[0055] Figure 2 A block diagram of a design 200 of a base station 110 and a UE 120 is shown, where the base station and the UE may be Figure 1 A base station in the base station and Figure 1 Base station 110 may be equipped with T antennas 234a through 234t, and UE 120 may be equipped with R antennas 252a through 252r, where in general T≧1 and R≧1.

[0056] At the base station 110, the transmit processor 220 may receive data for one or more UEs from the data source 212, select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for each UE based at least in part on a channel quality indicator (CQI) received from the UE, process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for the UE based at least in part on the MCS selected for each UE, and provide data symbols for all UEs. Reducing the MCS lowers throughput but increases the reliability of transmission. The transmit processor 220 may also process system information (e.g., for semi-static resource allocation information (SRPI), etc.) and control information (e.g., CQI requests, grants, upper layer signaling, etc.), and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. The transmit processor 220 may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., primary synchronization signals (PSS) and secondary synchronization signals (SSS)). The transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 may perform spatial processing (e.g., pre-coding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, overhead symbols, and reference symbols where applicable, and may provide T output symbol streams to T modulators (MOD) 232a to 232t. Each modulator 232 may process a corresponding output symbol stream (e.g., for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or the like) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator 232 may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and up-convert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The T downlink signals from modulators 232a to 232t may be transmitted via T antennas 234a to 234t, respectively. According to various aspects described in more detail below, position coding may be used to generate synchronization signals to convey additional information.

[0057] At UE 120, antennas 252a to 252r may receive downlink signals from base station 110 and / or other base stations, and may provide received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 254a to 254r, respectively. Each demodulator 254 may condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) the received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator 254 may further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 256 may obtain received symbols from all R demodulators 254a to 254r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols (if applicable), and provide detected symbols. A receive processor 258 may process (e.g., demodulate and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for UE 120 to a data sink 260, and provide decoded control information and system information to a controller / processor 280. The channel processor may determine reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), channel quality indicator (CQI), etc. In some aspects, one or more components of UE 120 may be included in a housing.

[0058] On the uplink, at the UE 120, a transmit processor 264 may receive data from a data source 262 and control information (e.g., for reports including RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, CQI, etc.) from a controller / processor 280 and process the data and control information. The transmit processor 264 may also generate reference symbols for one or more reference signals. The symbols from the transmit processor 264 may be pre-decoded by a TX MIMO processor 266 (if applicable), further processed by modulators 254a through 254r (e.g., for DFT-s-OFDM, CP-OFDM, etc.), and transmitted back to the base station 110. At the base station 110, uplink signals from the UE 120 and other UEs may be received by the antenna 234, processed by the demodulator 254, detected by the MIMO detector 236 (if applicable), and further processed by the receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by the UE 120. The receive processor 238 may provide the decoded data to the data sink 239 and the decoded control information to the controller / processor 240. The base station 110 may include a communication unit 244 and communicate with the core network 130 via the communication unit 244. The core network 130 may include a communication unit 294, a controller / processor 290, and a memory 292.

[0059] The controller / processor 240 of the base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120, and / or Figure 2Any other components of the base station 110 may perform one or more techniques associated with PUCCH cell switching, as described in more detail elsewhere. For example, the controller / processor 240 of the base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of the UE 120, and / or Figure 2 Any other component of the Figure 4 and Figure 5 The processes and / or operations of other processes as described. Memory 242 and memory 282 may store data and program codes for base station 110 and UE 120, respectively. Scheduler 246 may schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0060] In some aspects, the UE 120 may include means for reporting, means for sending, means for switching, and / or means for selecting. Such means may include combining Figure 2 One or more components of a UE 120 or base station 110 are described.

[0061] In some aspects, the base station 110 may include means for receiving and / or means for configuring. Such means may include combining Figure 2 One or more components of a UE 120 or base station 110 are described.

[0062] As pointed out above, Figure 2 This is provided as an example only. Other examples can be found in the reference Figure 2 The examples described are different.

[0063] The deployment of a communication system (such as a 5G New Radio (NR) system) can be arranged with various components or constituent parts in a variety of ways. In a 5G NR system or network, a network node, a network entity, a mobility element of a network, a radio access network (RAN) node, a core network node, a network element or a network equipment (such as a base station (BS), or one or more units (or one or more components) that perform base station functionality can be implemented in an aggregated or decomposed architecture. For example, a BS (such as a Node B (NB), an evolved NB (eNB), an NR BS, a 5G NB, an access point (AP), a transmit and receive point (TRP) or a cell, etc.) can be implemented as an aggregated base station (also referred to as an independent BS or a monolithic BS) or a decomposed base station.

[0064] A converged base station may be configured to utilize a radio protocol stack physically or logically integrated within a single RAN node. A decomposed base station may be configured to utilize a protocol stack physically or logically distributed between two or more units, such as one or more central or centralized units (CUs), one or more distributed units (DUs), or one or more radio units (RUs). In some aspects, a CU may be implemented within a RAN node, and one or more DUs may be co-located with the CU, or alternatively, may be geographically or virtually distributed in one or more other RAN nodes. A DU may be implemented to communicate with one or more RUs. Each of a CU, a DU, and a RU may also be implemented as a virtual unit (e.g., a virtual central unit (VCU), a virtual distributed unit (VDU), or a virtual radio unit (VRU)).

[0065] Base station type operations or network designs may take into account the aggregated nature of base station functionality. For example, a disaggregated base station may be used in an integrated access backhaul (IAB) network, an open radio access network (O-RAN (network configurations such as those initiated by the O-RAN Alliance)), or a virtualized radio access network (vRAN, also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN)). Decomposition may include distributing functionality across two or more units at various physical locations, as well as virtually distributing functionality of at least one unit, which may enable flexibility in network design. Individual units of a disaggregated base station or disaggregated RAN architecture may be configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one other unit.

[0066] Figure 3 A diagram illustrating an example decomposed base station 300 architecture is shown. The decomposed base station 300 architecture may include one or more central units (CUs) 310 that may communicate directly with a core network 320 via a backhaul link, or indirectly with the core network 320 through one or more decomposed base station units, such as a near real-time (near-RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) 325 via an E2 link, or a non-real-time (non-RT) RIC 315 associated with a service management and orchestration (SMO) framework 305, or both. The CU 310 may communicate with one or more distributed units (DUs) 330 via respective midhaul links, such as an F1 interface. The DU 330 may communicate with one or more radio units (RUs) 340 via respective fronthaul links. The RU 340 may communicate with respective UEs 120 via one or more radio frequency (RF) access links. In some implementations, a UE 120 may be served simultaneously by multiple RUs 340.

[0067] Each of these units (e.g., CU 310, DU 330, RU 340, and near-RT RIC 325, non-RT RIC 315, and SMO framework 305) may include one or more interfaces, or may be coupled to one or more interfaces configured to receive or send signals, data, or information (collectively referred to as signals) via a wired or wireless transmission medium. Each of these units or an associated processor or controller that provides instructions to the communication interface of these units may be configured to communicate with one or more of the other units via a transmission medium. For example, these units may include a wired interface that is configured to receive or send signals to one or more of the other units via a wired transmission medium. Additionally, these units may include a wireless interface that may include a receiver, a transmitter, or a transceiver (such as a radio frequency (RF) transceiver) that is configured to receive or send signals, or both, to one or more of the other units on a wireless transmission medium.

[0068] In some aspects, CU 310 may host one or more higher layer control functions. Such control functions may include radio resource control (RRC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), etc. Each control function may be implemented as having an interface configured to communicate signals with other control functions hosted by CU 310. CU310 may be configured to handle user plane functions (e.g., central unit-user plane (CU-UP)), control plane functions (e.g., central unit-control plane (CU-CP)), or a combination thereof. In some specific implementations, CU 310 may be logically divided into one or more CU-UP units and one or more CU-CP units. When implemented in an O-RAN configuration, the CU-UP unit may communicate bidirectionally with the CU-CP unit via an interface (such as an E1 interface). As needed, CU 310 may be implemented to communicate with DU 330 for network control and signaling.

[0069] DU 330 may correspond to a logical unit that includes one or more base station functions for controlling the operation of one or more RU 340. In some aspects, DU 330 may host one or more of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and one or more high physical (PHY) layers (such as modules for forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, scrambling, modulation and demodulation, etc.) depending at least in part on a functional partitioning such as that defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In some aspects, DU 330 may further host one or more low PHY layers. Each layer (or module) may be implemented with an interface that is configured to communicate signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by DU 330 or with control functions hosted by CU 310.

[0070] The lower layer functionality may be implemented by one or more RUs 340. In some deployments, a RU 340 controlled by a DU 330 may correspond to a logical node that hosts RF processing functions or low PHY layer functions (such as performing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Inverse FFT (iFFT), digital beamforming, physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering, etc.), or both, based at least in part on functional partitioning (such as lower layer functional partitioning). In such an architecture, the RU 340 may be implemented to handle over-the-air (OTA) communications with one or more UEs 120. In some implementations, real-time and non-real-time aspects of control plane and user plane communications with the RU 340 may be controlled by the corresponding DU 330. In some scenarios, this configuration may enable the implementation of the DU 330 and the CU 310 in a cloud-based RAN architecture (such as a vRAN architecture).

[0071] The SMO framework 305 may be configured to support RAN deployment and provisioning of non-virtualized network elements and virtualized network elements. For non-virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 305 may be configured to support the deployment of dedicated physical resources for RAN coverage requirements, which may be managed via an operation and maintenance interface (such as an O1 interface). For virtualized network elements, the SMO framework 305 may be configured to interact with a cloud computing platform (such as an open cloud (O-Cloud) 390) to perform network element lifecycle management (such as instantiating virtualized network elements) via a cloud computing platform interface (such as an O2 interface). Such virtualized network elements may include, but are not limited to, CU 310, DU 330, RU 340, and near-RT RIC 325. In some specific implementations, the SMO framework 305 may communicate with hardware aspects of the 4G RAN (such as an open eNB (O-eNB) 311) via the O1 interface. Additionally, in some specific implementations, the SMO framework 305 may communicate directly with one or more RUs 340 via the O1 interface. The SMO framework 305 may also include a non-RT RIC 315 configured to support the functionality of the SMO framework 305 .

[0072] The non-RT RIC 315 may be configured to include logic functions that enable non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) workflows including model training and updating, or policy-based guidance of applications / features in the near-RT RIC 325. The non-RT RIC 315 may be coupled to or communicate with the near-RT RIC 325 (such as via an A1 interface). The near-RT RIC 325 may be configured to include logic functions that enable near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources via data collection and actions through an interface (such as via an E2 interface) that connects one or more CUs 310, one or more DUs 330, or both, and the O-eNB 311 with the near-RT RIC 325.

[0073] In some implementations, in order to generate an AI / ML model to be deployed in the near-RT RIC 325, the non-RT RIC 315 may receive parameters or external enrichment information from an external server. Such information may be utilized by the near-RT RIC 325 and may be received from a non-network data source or from a network function at the SMO framework 305 or the non-RT RIC 315. In some examples, the non-RT RIC 315 or the near-RT RIC 325 may be configured to tune RAN behavior or performance. For example, the non-RT RIC 315 may monitor long-term trends and patterns of performance and employ AI / ML models to perform corrective actions through the SMO framework 305 (such as via reconfiguration of O1) or via the creation of RAN management policies (such as A1 policies).

[0074] A physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) group is a group of cells used for uplink transmission in a carrier aggregation configuration. Previously, PUCCH transmission was only allowed on the primary cell (Pcell) of a carrier aggregation configuration. PUCCH cell switching has since been introduced to allow PUCCH switching between the primary cell and a single additional secondary cell (Scell). That is, in addition to the Pcell in the PUCCH group, one additional Scell ​​can transmit PUCCH. The reason for allowing PUCCH cell switching is to reduce PUCCH feedback latency and improve PUCCH reliability. PUCCH cell switching applies to all PUCCH types, including hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK), channel state information (CSI) and scheduling request (SR) on PUCCH.

[0075] Figure 4 is a timing diagram illustrating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) group 400 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4 In the example of , the PUCCH group 400 includes a primary component carrier (PCC) 405, a first secondary component carrier (SCC) 410, and a second SCC 415. The PCC 405 has a first and a second time slot (D) for downlink transmissions and a special time slot (S), followed by an uplink time slot (U). The pattern repeats. For the first SCC 410, the special time slot (S) is followed by an uplink time slot (U), and then two downlink time slots (D). The pattern repeats. The second SCC 415 has the same uplink-downlink pattern as the first SCC 410. Figure 4 In the example of , PUCCH transmission is supported on the PCC 405 and the first SCC 410. PUCCH transmission is not allowed on the second SCC 415. Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling configures the first SCC 410 for PUCCH transmission.

[0076] Both dynamic and semi-static cell switching modes are available. With dynamic cell switching, the downlink control information (DCI) field can indicate the target PUCCH cell for sending PUCCH. The target PUCCH cell can be a Pcell or Scell ​​configured through RRC signaling. For semi-static cell switching, the cell switching time pattern can be configured through RRC signaling. This can occur without dynamically scheduling DCI messages. Figure 4 In the example of , the cell switching time pattern starts with the first SCC 410 for two time slots and then switches to the PCC 405 for the next two time slots. The pattern repeats. The PUCCH resources used to send uplink control information (UCI) can be interpreted based on the PUCCH resources configured on the target PUCCH cell.

[0077] It would be beneficial to define a UE capability reporting structure to enable the UE to indicate support for PUCCH cell switching. If the feature is supported, the structure should provide details for supporting the cell switching feature. UE capability reporting is defined on a per-band combination (BC) basis. The details of reporting per band combination are currently undefined.

[0078] Ideally, per-band combination reporting is exhaustive. That is, for each combination of {band X, band Y}, the UE reports whether it supports semi-static and dynamic PUCCH cell switching between a cell in band X and a cell in band Y. Given a total of N bands, the total number of bits reported per band combination is C(N,2), where C(N,2) represents the number of combinations for selecting two from N (e.g., N selects two).

[0079] Figure 5 5 is a block diagram 500 illustrating frequency band combinations according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 5 In the example block diagram 500 shown, three frequency bands are available: Band 1, Band 2, and Band 3. In this example, three different frequency band combinations are possible: {Pcell in Band 1, Scell ​​in Band 2}, {Pcell in Band 1, Scell ​​in Band 3}, and {Pcell in Band 2, Scell ​​in Band 3}. However, if many frequency bands are available, the exhaustive report may be large, thereby incurring significant signaling overhead. According to aspects of the present disclosure, a UE capability reporting structure is proposed that can reduce the reporting signaling overhead.

[0080] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the UE reports at least one pair of band types that can support PUCCH cell switching. Each of these reported band types is selected from the band types that support PUCCH cell transmission. That is, the UE can select each band type from a list of supported band types for PUCCH transmission in a carrier aggregation configuration. For example, if the PUCCH cell includes a frequency range one (FR1) licensed time division duplex (TDD) band type, a FR1 unlicensed TDD band type, a FR1 licensed frequency division duplex (FDD) band type, and a frequency range two (FR2) band type, the PUCCH cell switching band pair can be: {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD], [FR1 TDD, FR2], [FR2, FR2]}. In other words, switching can occur between FR1TDD and FR1 TDD, or between FR1 TDD and FR2, or between FR2 and FR2.

[0081] The FR1 licensed TDD band type is a PUCCH cell that includes FR1 in the licensed spectrum and supports TDD operation. Similarly, the FR1 licensed FDD band type is a PUCCH cell that includes FR1 in the licensed spectrum and supports FDD operation. The FR1 unlicensed TDD band type is a PUCCH cell that includes FR1 in the unlicensed spectrum and supports TDD operation. The FR2 band type is a PUCCH cell that includes FR2. Although these four band types are described, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, as other supported band types are also contemplated for the reporting structure, including those that may be available in the future.

[0082] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary PUCCH capability reporting structure according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 6In the example of , report 600 includes a first PUCCH grouping configuration (e.g., configuration 1) for a band combination (BC), which includes a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group. In this example, the primary PUCCH group band type for data transmission (e.g., uplink or downlink) includes {FR1 TDD, FR1 FDD, FR2}. The secondary PUCCH group band type for data transmission includes {FR1TDD, FR1 unlicensed, FR2}. The primary PUCCH group also lists the band types supported for the PUCCH cell, including {FR1 TDD, FR1 FDD, FR2}. The secondary PUCCH group also includes the band types for the PUCCH cell, including {FR1 TDD, FR1 unlicensed}. In configuration 1 for frequency band combination, report 600 lists frequency band types for PUCCH cell switching, including {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD], [FR1 TDD, FR2 (TDD only)], [FR2 (TDD), FR2 (TDD)}. For secondary PUCCH groups, report 600 lists frequency band types for PUCCH cell switching, including {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD], [FR1 TDD, FR1 unlicensed], [FR1 unlicensed, FR1 unlicensed]}.

[0083] If multiple PUCCH grouping configurations are available for a specific band combination, the UE may report the PUCCH cell switching capability for each PUCCH grouping configuration for the band combination. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) capability reporting structure for multiple configurations in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 7 In the example shown in , report 700 includes a second PUCCH grouping configuration (e.g., configuration 2) for a specific frequency band combination. The second configuration includes a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group. The primary PUCCH group band type for data transmission in the second configuration includes {FR1 TDD, FR1 unlicensed}. The secondary PUCCH group band type for data transmission includes {FR1 TDD, FR1 FDD, FR2}. The primary PUCCH group also includes a frequency band type for a PUCCH cell, including {FR1 TDD}. The secondary PUCCH group includes a frequency band type for a PUCCH cell, including {FR1 TDD, FR1FDD}. In configuration 2, report 700 lists the frequency band types that can be used for PUCCH cell switching of the primary PUCCH group, including {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD]}. For the secondary PUCCH group, report 700 lists the frequency band types that can be used for PUCCH cell switching, including {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD]}.

[0084] According to aspects of the present disclosure, if multiple PUCCH groups are available for configuration of a frequency band combination, the UE may report the PUCCH cell switching capability of each PUCCH group for each PUCCH grouping configuration of the frequency band combination. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary PUCCH capability reporting structure for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 8 In the example of FIG80 , a report 800 is provided for a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group configured for each PUCCH group. For a first configuration (Configuration 1), PUCCH cell switching for the primary PUCCH group is supported for the following frequency band combinations: {[FR1 TDD, FR1TDD], [FR1 TDD, FR2](TDD), [FR2(TDD), FR2(TDD)]}. For the secondary PUCCH group in the first configuration (Configuration 1), PUCCH cell switching is supported for the following frequency band combinations: {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD], [FR1 TDD, FR1 unlicensed], [FR1 unlicensed, FR1 unlicensed]}. For a second configuration (Configuration 2), PUCCH cell switching for the primary PUCCH group is supported for the following frequency band combinations: {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD]}. For the secondary PUCCH groups of the second configuration (Configuration 2), PUCCH cell switching is supported for the following frequency band combinations: {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD]}.

[0085] In some aspects, the UE does not report all combinations of band type pairs. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary physical downlink control channel (PUCCH) capability reporting structure for when all band type pair combinations are not supported according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 In the example of , the supported PUCCH band types include FR1 TDD, FR1 FDD, and FR2. The UE may generate a report 900 that lists the PUCCH cell switching capability for the primary PUCCH group in configuration 1 as: {[FR1 TDD, FR1 TDD], [FR2(TDD), FR2(TDD)]}. Fig. 9 In the example of , the UE omits [FR1 TDD, FR2(TDD)] from the primary PUCCH group, as seen by the strikethrough. Report 900 also omits [FR1 Unlicensed, FR1 Unlicensed]} from the secondary PUCCH group, as seen by the strikethrough.

[0086] Once the base station receives the UE capability report (including at least one pair of frequency band types), the base station may configure the UE to operate in PUCCH cell switching between two cells of two different frequency bands from at least one pair of frequency band types. The configuration may be per band combination, per PUCCH group, and / or per PUCCH grouping configuration for each band combination. Although some specific band combinations have been discussed, other configurations of band combinations are possible for the disclosed reporting structure, but are not described for the sake of brevity.

[0087] By reporting the PUCCH cell switching capability according to the described structure, the reporting signaling overhead is reduced.

[0088] Fig.10 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example process 1000 performed, for example, by a user equipment (UE) in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Example process 1000 is an example of user equipment (UE) capability signaling for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. The operations of process 1000 may be implemented by UE 120.

[0089] At block 1002, a user equipment (UE) reports UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. The UE capabilities include at least one pair of band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each band type in the at least one pair of band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission. For example, the UE (e.g., using the controller / processor 280 and / or the memory 282) may report UE capabilities for PUCCH cell switching. The report may be per band combination, per PUCCH group configuration of a PUCCH grouping of a band combination, and / or per PUCCH grouping configuration of a band combination.

[0090] At block 1004, the user equipment (UE) transmits a first PUCCH having a first frequency band type selected from at least one pair of frequency band types. For example, the UE (e.g., using antenna 252, DEMOD / MOD 254, TX MIMO processor 266, transmit processor 264, controller / processor 280, and / or memory 282) may transmit the first PUCCH. At block 406, the user equipment (UE) switches to a second frequency band type selected from at least one pair of frequency band types for transmitting a second PUCCH. For example, the UE (e.g., using controller / processor 280 and / or memory 282) may switch to the second frequency band type.

[0091] Fig.1111 is a flow chart illustrating an example process 1100, for example, performed by a network device, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The example process 1100 is an example of configuring for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. The operations of the process 1100 may be implemented by a base station 110.

[0092] At block 1102, a network device receives a user equipment (UE) capability report. The UE capability report includes at least one pair of band types supported for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching. Each band type in the at least one pair of band types supports PUCCH cell transmission. For example, a network device (e.g., using antenna 234, MOD / DEMOD 232, MIMO detector 236, receiving processor 238, controller / processor 240, and / or memory 242) may receive a UE capability report. The report may be performed by band combination, by each PUCCH group configured by a PUCCH grouping of a band combination, and / or by a PUCCH grouping configuration of a band combination.

[0093] At block 1104, the network device configures the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells from two different frequency bands in the at least one pair of frequency band types. For example, the network device (e.g., using antenna 234, MOD / DEMOD 232, TX MIMO processor 230, transmit processor 220, controller / processor 240, and / or memory 242) may configure the UE.

[0094] Example aspects

[0095] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: reporting UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, the UE capabilities comprising at least one pair of frequency band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; sending a first PUCCH having a first frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types; and switching to a second frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types for sending a second PUCCH.

[0096] Aspect 2: The method according to aspect 1, wherein the switching is based on a semi-static indication of cell switching.

[0097] Aspect 3: The method according to aspect 1, wherein the switching is based on a dynamic indication of cell switching.

[0098] Aspect 4: A method according to any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types comprises one of the following: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD} or {FR2TDD, FR2 TDD}.

[0099] Aspect 5: The method according to any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the reporting is performed by frequency band combination.

[0100] Aspect 6: The method according to any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the report is for a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group configured by PUCCH grouping for a frequency band combination.

[0101] Aspect 7: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the reporting is performed according to the PUCCH grouping configuration of the frequency band combination.

[0102] Aspect 8: The method according to any of the preceding aspects, wherein the reporting is restricted to a subset of combinations of frequency band types transmitted by PUCCH cells supporting the PUCCH in the PUCCH group.

[0103] Aspect 9: The method according to any one of the preceding aspects, further comprising selecting each frequency band type from a list of supported frequency band types for PUCCH transmission in a configured PUCCH group for frequency band combination in carrier aggregation.

[0104] Aspect 10: A method for wireless communication by a network device, the method comprising: receiving a user equipment (UE) capability report, the user equipment (UE) capability report including at least one pair of frequency band types supporting physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; and configuring the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells from two different frequency bands in the at least one pair of frequency band types.

[0105] Aspect 11: The method according to aspect 10, wherein the configuration is a semi-static indication of cell switching.

[0106] Aspect 12: The method according to aspect 10, wherein the configuration is a dynamic indication of cell switching.

[0107] Aspect 13: A method according to any one of Aspects 10 to 12, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types comprises one of the following: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD} or {FR2 TDD, FR2 TDD}.

[0108] Aspect 14: The method according to any one of aspects 10 to 13, wherein the configuration is performed by frequency band combination.

[0109] Aspect 15: The method according to any one of aspects 10 to 13, wherein the configuration is performed for each PUCCH group of a PUCCH grouping of a frequency band combination.

[0110] Aspect 16: The method according to any one of aspects 10 to 13, wherein the configuration is performed by PUCCH grouping configuration of a frequency band combination.

[0111] Aspect 17: A device for wireless communication, the device comprising: a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to: report UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, the UE capabilities comprising at least one pair of frequency band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; send a first PUCCH having a first frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types; and switch to a second frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types for sending a second PUCCH.

[0112] Aspect 18: The apparatus according to aspect 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform switching based on a semi-static indication of cell switching.

[0113] Aspect 19: The apparatus according to aspect 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform switching based on a dynamic indication of cell switching.

[0114] Aspect 20: An apparatus according to any one of Aspects 17 to 19, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types includes one of the following: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD} or {FR2 TDD, FR2 TDD}.

[0115] Aspect 21: The apparatus according to any one of aspects 17 to 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report by frequency band combination.

[0116] Aspect 22: The apparatus according to any one of aspects 17 to 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report on a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group configured for a PUCCH grouping per frequency band combination.

[0117] Aspect 23: The apparatus according to any one of aspects 17 to 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report per PUCCH grouping configuration of a frequency band combination.

[0118] Aspect 24: An apparatus according to any one of aspects 17 to 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to be restricted to reporting on a subset of combinations of frequency band types transmitted by PUCCH cells in the PUCCH group that support the PUCCH.

[0119] Aspect 25: An apparatus according to any one of aspects 17 to 24, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select each band type from a list of supported band types for PUCCH transmission in a configured PUCCH group for a band combination in carrier aggregation.

[0120] Aspect 26: A device for wireless communication, the device comprising: a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to: receive a user equipment (UE) capability report, the user equipment (UE) capability report comprising at least one pair of frequency band types supporting physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; and configure the UE to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells from two different frequency bands in the at least one pair of frequency band types.

[0121] Aspect 27: The apparatus according to aspect 26, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure a semi-static indication of cell switching.

[0122] Aspect 28: The apparatus according to aspect 26, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure a dynamic indication of a cell switching.

[0123] Aspect 29: An apparatus according to any one of Aspects 26 to 28, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types includes one of the following: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD} or {FR2 TDD, FR2 TDD}.

[0124] Aspect 30: The apparatus according to any one of aspects 26 to 29, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to be configured by frequency band combination.

[0125] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations may be made in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of these aspects.

[0126] As used, the term "component" is intended to be broadly interpreted as hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software. As used, a processor is implemented using hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software.

[0127] Some aspects are described in conjunction with thresholds. As used, satisfying a threshold may refer to a value being greater than a threshold, greater than or equal to a threshold, less than a threshold, less than or equal to a threshold, equal to a threshold, not equal to a threshold, etc., depending on the context.

[0128] It will be apparent that the described systems and / or methods can be implemented in various forms of hardware, firmware, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods does not limit the aspects. Therefore, the operation and performance of these systems and / or methods are described without reference to specific software code, and it should be understood that software and hardware used to implement these systems and / or methods can be designed based at least in part on these descriptions.

[0129] Although the specific combination of features is set forth in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various aspects. In fact, many of these features can be combined in a manner that is not specifically set forth in the claims and / or is not disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly rely only on one claim, the disclosure of various aspects includes each dependent claim combined with each other claim in the claim set. The phrase "at least one" mentioned in the list of items refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, "at least one of a, b or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc and abc, and any combination with multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc and ccc, or any other ordering of a, b and c).

[0130] The elements, actions or instructions used should not be interpreted as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. In addition, as used, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items, and they can be used interchangeably with "one or more". In addition, as used, the terms "set" and "group" are intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related items and unrelated items, etc.), and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". If only one item is intended to be referred to, the phrase "only one" or similar terms will be used. In addition, as used, the terms "having" and the like are intended to be open terms. In addition, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on", unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Reporting UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, the UE capabilities comprising at least one pair of frequency band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; transmitting a first PUCCH having a first frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types; as well as Switching to a second frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types for transmitting a second PUCCH.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching is based on a semi-static indication of a cell switching. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching is based on a dynamic indication of a cell switch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types comprises one of the following: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD} or {FR2TDD, FR2 TDD}. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reporting is performed by frequency band combination. 6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the report is for a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group configured by PUCCH grouping of frequency band combination.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reporting is performed according to the PUCCH grouping configuration of the frequency band combination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting is restricted to a subset of combinations of frequency band types transmitted by PUCCH cells supporting the PUCCH in the PUCCH group.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting each band type from a list of supported band types for PUCCH transmission in a configured PUCCH group for a band combination in carrier aggregation.

10. A method for wireless communication by a network device, the method comprising: receiving a user equipment (UE) capability report, the user equipment (UE) capability report including at least one pair of frequency band types supporting physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; and The UE is configured to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells from two different frequency bands of the at least one pair of frequency band types. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the configuration is a semi-static indication of cell switching. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the configuration is a dynamic indication of cell switching.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types comprises one of: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD} or {FR2TDD, FR2 TDD}. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the configuring is performed by frequency band combination.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the configuration is performed for each PUCCH group of a PUCCH grouping of a frequency band combination. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the configuration is performed by PUCCH grouping configuration of a frequency band combination.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: Memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to: Reporting UE capabilities for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, the UE capabilities comprising at least one pair of frequency band types capable of supporting PUCCH cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; transmitting a first PUCCH having a first frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types; as well as Switching to a second frequency band type selected from the at least one pair of frequency band types for transmitting a second PUCCH.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform switching based on a semi-static indication of cell switching.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform switching based on a dynamic indication of a cell switch.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types comprises one of: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD}, or {FR2TDD, FR2 TDD}.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report by frequency band combination.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report for a primary PUCCH group and a secondary PUCCH group configured for a PUCCH grouping by frequency band combination.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report per PUCCH grouping configuration for a frequency band combination.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to report a subset of combinations of frequency band types that support PUCCH cell transmissions in a PUCCH group.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select each band type from a list of supported band types for PUCCH transmission in a configured PUCCH group for a band combination in carrier aggregation.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: Memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to: receiving a user equipment (UE) capability report, the user equipment (UE) capability report including at least one pair of frequency band types supporting physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) cell switching, each frequency band type in the at least one pair of frequency band types supporting PUCCH cell transmission; and The UE is configured to operate PUCCH cell switching between two cells from two different frequency bands of the at least one pair of frequency band types.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure a semi-static indication of a cell handover.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure a dynamic indication of a cell switching.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one pair of frequency band types comprises one of: {frequency range one (FR1) time division duplex (TDD), FR1 TDD}, {FR1 TDD, frequency range two (FR2) TDD}, or {FR2TDD, FR2 TDD}.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to be configured by frequency band combination.

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