User equipment type switching

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to terminal device type switching. In one aspect, a terminal device sends capability information indicating multiple types of support for the terminal device to a network device. The network device then sends an indication to the terminal device for switching the type of the terminal device. In addition, the terminal device performs a type switch based on the indication and a request for an interruption caused by the type switch. In this manner, transmission failures caused by interruptions due to type switching are allowed to be avoided, and thereby resource utilization and transmission flexibility are improved.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to PCT application No. PCT / CN2023 / 110687 filed on August 2, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various example embodiments relate to the field of communications, and in particular to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for user equipment (UE) type switching. Background Art

[0004] In communication technology, there is a constant evolution to provide efficient and reliable solutions to utilize wireless communication networks. Each new generation faces its own technical challenges in dealing with different situations and processes required to connect and serve devices connected to wireless networks. In order to meet the demand for increased wireless data services since the deployment of the fourth generation (4G) communication system, efforts have been made to develop improved fifth generation (5G), pre-5G or 5G advanced communication systems. The new communication system can support various types of service applications for terminal devices.

[0005] According to the discussion of Radio Access Network (RAN) Working Group 4 (RAN4), Type 1 and Type 2 UE architectures are distinguished by the number of receive (Rx) chains. A UE with a Type 1 architecture receives from an in-band carrier via a single Rx chain (or with a single Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) assumption). A UE with Type 2 receives from different frequency bands or from different carriers on the same frequency band or overlapping frequency bands via separate Rx chains (or with separate FFT and low noise amplifier (LNA) and antennas). UE type switching between Type 1 and Type 2 is also discussed. However, there are still some unresolved issues in such UE type switching that will be studied in the near future. Summary of the invention

[0006] In general, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution related to UE type switching.

[0007] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the terminal device to at least: send capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices to a network device; receive an indication for switching the type of the terminal device from the network device; and perform type switching based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching.

[0008] In a second aspect, a first network device is provided. The first network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the first network device to at least: receive capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices from a terminal device; send an indication for switching the type of the terminal device to the terminal device; and determine scheduling of the terminal device based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0009] In a third aspect, a second network device is provided. The second network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the second network device to at least: receive a terminal switching indication indicating a switching of a type of a terminal device from a first network device; and determine a scheduling of the terminal device based on a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes sending capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices to a network device at a terminal device; receiving an indication for switching the type of the terminal device from the network device; and performing type switching based on the indication and a requirement for interruption caused by the type switching.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes receiving capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices from a terminal device at a first network device; sending an indication to the terminal device for switching the type of the terminal device; and determining scheduling of the terminal device based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes receiving, at a second network device, a terminal switching indication indicating switching of a type of a terminal device from a first network device; and determining scheduling of the terminal device based on a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0013] In a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a component for sending capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices to a network device at a terminal device; a component for receiving an indication from the network device for switching the type of the terminal device; and a component for performing type switching based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching.

[0014] In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises means for receiving capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices from a terminal device at a first network device, means for sending an indication to the terminal device for switching the type of the terminal device, and means for determining a schedule for the terminal device based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0015] In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a component for receiving, at a second network device, a terminal switching indication indicating a switching of a type of a terminal device from a first network device; and a component for determining a scheduling of the terminal device based on a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0016] In a tenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least execute a method according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects above.

[0017] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to at least perform a method according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects above.

[0018] In a twelfth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a sending circuit system configured to send capability information indicating support for multiple types of the terminal device to a network device; a receiving circuit system configured to receive an indication for switching the type of the terminal device from the network device; and an executing circuit system configured to perform type switching based on the indication and a requirement for an interrupt caused by the type switching.

[0019] In a thirteenth aspect, a first network device is provided. The first network device includes a receiving circuit system configured to receive capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices from a terminal device; a sending circuit system configured to send an indication for switching the type of the terminal device to the terminal device; and a determining circuit system configured to determine a scheduling of the terminal device based on the indication and a requirement for an interrupt caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0020] In a fourteenth aspect, a second network device is provided. The second network device includes a receiving circuit system configured to receive a terminal switching indication indicating a switching of a type of a terminal device from a first network device; and a determining circuit system configured to determine a scheduling of the terminal device based on a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0021] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to determine the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1A illustrates an example environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0024] Figure 1B illustrates an example UE architecture of type 2 associated with some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 1C illustrates example UE type handovers associated with some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 illustrates a signaling flow between a terminal device, a first network device, and a second network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3 illustrates an example UE type switching process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0029] Figure 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method implemented at a first network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method implemented at a second network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0031] Figure 7 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0032] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0033] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The principle of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described to illustrate and help those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways except the way described below.

[0035] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0036] In this disclosure, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and "an example embodiment" indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, those skilled in the art believe that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0037] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0038] The term used herein is used to describe a particular embodiment, but is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular form "one", "an" and "the" used herein also include plural forms, unless the context clearly states otherwise. It is further understood that the term "includes", "comprising", "having", "having", "including" and / or "comprising" specifies the existence of the features, elements and / or components when used in this article, but does not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or their combinations. As used in this article, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar wording (wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or") refer to at least any one element in these elements, or at least any two or more elements in these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0039] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one, more, or all of the following:

[0040] (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry), and

[0041] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0042] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0043] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor(s)) with software, software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0044] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), which requires software (e.g., firmware)

[0045] The software can be saved when no operation is needed.

[0046] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0047] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocol and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0048] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device can access the communication network and receive services therefrom. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), a radio access network (RAN) node, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), infrastructure equipment for V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication, a transmission reception point (TRP), a reception point (RP), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low power node (such as a femto BS, a pico BS, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0049] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of an industrial and / or automated processing chain), consumer electronic devices, commercially operated equipment, and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “terminal device”, “communication device”, “terminal”, “end device”, “station”, “STA”, “user equipment” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0050] Hereinafter, principles and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] First reference Figure 1A , Figure 1AAn example environment 100 is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Environment 100, which may be part of a communication network, includes terminal device 110, network devices 120 and 130 (referred to as first network device 120 and second network device 130). Communications between terminal device 110, first network device 120 and second network device 130 may be direct or indirect. For example, terminal device 110, first network device 120 and second network device 130 may communicate with each other. Figure 1A The device may communicate with one or more other devices not shown.

[0052] In some example embodiments for an intra-band non-co-located NR-CA scenario, a first cell provided by a first network device 120 and a second cell provided by a second network device 120 are non-co-located. The first network device 120 may provide a primary cell (PCell) for the terminal device 110, and the second network device 130 may provide a secondary cell (SCell) for the terminal device 110 to operate with carrier aggregation (CA).

[0053] In some example embodiments for an inter-band EN-DC scenario with overlapping frequency bands, the first network device 120 may include a master node, and the second network device 130 may include a secondary node. The master node and the secondary node may be used as a dual connection for the terminal device 110. The first network device 120 may provide a master cell group (MCG) for the terminal device 110, and the second network device 130 may provide a secondary cell group (SCG) for the terminal device 110.

[0054] In order to transmit data and / or control information, the terminal device 110 may perform communication with the first network device 120 and / or the second network device 130. A link from the first network device 120 and / or the second network device 130 to the terminal device 110 is called a downlink (DL), and a link from the terminal device 110 to the first network device 120 and / or the second network device 130 is called an uplink (UL).

[0055] Despite Figure 1A The communication environment 100 of FIG. 1 describes the terminal device 110, the first network device 120 and the second network device 130, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to any other suitable communication devices that communicate with each other. That is, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to Figure 1A In this regard, note that although Figure 1AIn the figure, the terminal device is schematically depicted as a mobile phone and the first network device 120 and the second network device 130 are schematically depicted as base stations, but it should be understood that these depictions are exemplary in nature and do not represent any limitation. In other embodiments, the terminal device 110, the first network device 120 and the second network device 130 can be any other communication device, such as any other wireless communication device.

[0056] It should be understood that Figure 1A The specific number of various communication devices and the specific number of various communication links shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent any limitation. The communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of communication devices and any suitable number of communication links for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, it should be understood that various wireless and wired communications (if necessary) may exist between all communication devices.

[0057] Communications in environment 100 may follow any suitable communications standards or protocols that already exist or will be developed in the future, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standards, and employ any suitable communications technology, including, for example, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), Carrier Aggregation (CA), Dual Connectivity (DC), and New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) technology.

[0058] As mentioned above, according to RAN4 discussions, Type 1 and Type 2 UE architectures are distinguished by the number of Rx chains. Type 1 is a baseline or traditional architecture for intra-band new radio carrier aggregation (NR-CA) and intra-band evolved universal terrestrial radio access network new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC) (where co-location deployment is always assumed). A UE with Type 1 receives from an intra-band carrier via a single Rx chain (or with a single FFT assumption). It is assumed that Type 2 supports inter-band operations, including inter-band NR-CA and inter-band EN-DC. Since Release 16, it has been further agreed that frequency range 1 (FR1) intra-band non-co-location scenarios can be supported. The intra-band non-co-location scenarios here include intra-band non-co-location NR-CA and intra-band non-co-location EN-DC (which is also called inter-band EN-DC with overlapping frequency bands). In the case of an inter-band scenario, a UE with Type 2 receives from different frequency bands via a separate Rx chain (or with a separate FFT and LNA and antenna), or in the case of an intra-band non-co-location scenario, a UE with Type 2 receives via different carriers on the same frequency band or overlapping frequency bands.

[0059] Prior to Release 17 (Rel-17), when defining the RRM requirements for intra-FR1 NR-CA, only co-location scenarios were assumed, but from an operator's perspective, UE requirements for non-co-location deployments are critical to enhancing EN-DC / NR-CA available areas. In Release 18 (Rel-18), at the RAN#95e meeting, RAN4 Work Item (WI) RP-221004 was approved to define UE requirements to support intra-band non-co-location EN-DC / NR-CA deployments. In RP-221809, RAN#96 further updated the WI Description (WID) as shown below, where the RRM requirements need to be revisited or defined to support intra-FR1 non-co-location scenarios.

[0060]

[0061] The UE capability "interBandMRDC-WithOverlappDL-Bands-r16" indicates support for intra-band non-co-located EN-DC, which is defined in Release 16 (Rel-16) as follows.

[0062]

[0063] In the RAN4#107 meeting, a similar UE capability was also introduced for non-co-located intra-band NR-CA [intraBandNonColocatedCA-r18], as shown below. In any case, a UE indicating this capability is considered a type 2 UE, and the network can configure a frequency band combination with potential non-co-location deployment for FR1 intra-band CA / EN-DC, such as n42+n77 / 78.

[0064] Otherwise, the network shall not be configured with such a band combination.

[0065]

[0066] In addition, there is also discussion on UE type switching between type 1 and type 2. For example, in the RAN4#106bis-e meeting, it is suggested that a UE supporting type 2 should support the function of switching between type 1 and type 2 based on a request from a BS.

[0067] In RAN4#107 meeting, R4-2310300 is further discussed as follows: In the discussion so far, it is agreed that the UE type can be switched between type 1 and type 2 based on network indication.

[0068]

[0069]

[0070] In addition, in the RAN4#106bis-e meeting, it is suggested that UEs supporting type 2 can operate type 1 or type 2 based on network signaling. It should be understood that UEs indicating this capability will operate under the default UE type and can switch to other UE types based on network instructions.

[0071] Figure 1B illustrates an example UE architecture of type 2 associated with some example embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 1C An example UE type switching between type 1 and type 2 associated with some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. When the UE switches between different types, the UE may need to turn on / off some RF units, such as Rx chains. For example, when the UE switches from type 1 to type 2, the UE may need to turn on additional Rx chains and direct data transmission from a single Rx chain to multiple Rx chains. Otherwise, when the UE switches from type 2 to type 1, such as Figure 1C As shown, some Rx chains can be bypassed and all data will pass through a single Rx chain.

[0072] It is observed that it may take some time, such as a switching period, for the new type of architecture to take effect, and during the switching period, data transmission on at least some Rx chains may be affected. So far, there is no effective way to support UE type switching. In order to minimize the negative impact on data transmission, it is expected that the network will be aware of UE type switching and its potential impact, and therefore be able to adjust the scheduling of the UE accordingly. Optimizing UE type switching remains an important issue that needs to be addressed. The present invention considers some enhancements to the interaction between UE and BS for UE type switching. For example, relevant radio resource management (RRM) requirements for UE type switching need to be discussed.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a scheme for UE type switching is provided. Through the scheme, a terminal device sends capability information indicating support for multiple types of the terminal device to a network device. Then, the network device sends an indication for switching the type of the terminal device to the terminal device. In addition, the terminal device performs type switching based on the indication and the requirement for interruption caused by the type switching.

[0074] The solution optimizes the type switching process by introducing requirements for the interruption caused by type switching. According to the requirements, the terminal device and the network device are consistent on the interruption caused by type switching. This can help the network device adjust the cell configuration and / or data scheduling based on the requirements. In this way, transmission failures caused by the interruption caused by type switching can be minimized or avoided, and thus resource utilization and transmission flexibility can be improved.

[0075] Figure 2 FIG. 2 illustrates a signaling flow 200 between a terminal device, a first network device, and a second network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to FIG. Figure 1A The signaling flow 200 is described.

[0076] like Figure 2 As shown, the terminal device 110 sends (205) capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices to the first network device 120. Accordingly, the first network device 120 receives (210) capability information from the terminal device 110. For example, the type of the terminal device 110 includes a UE architecture type. The capability information may be included in a radio access control (RRC) message.

[0077] As an example, the capability information may include one or more switching periods required to perform type switching at the terminal device 220. The terminal device 110 may indicate the switching period required for switching the UE type, so that the network side can determine how long the interruption caused by the type switching can last. As another example, the capability information may include one or more switching directions. One or more switching directions may correspond to one or more switching periods. Alternatively or additionally, the capability information may also indicate whether the interruption caused by the type switching is allowed for one or more switching directions respectively. The terminal device 110 may indicate whether the interruption is allowed in the UE type switching for each of the one or more switching directions.

[0078] In some example embodiments in which the terminal device 110 supports at least a first type and a second type, the switching direction may include a first switching direction from type 1 to type 2 and a second switching direction from type 2 to type 1. In this case, two different switching periods may be indicated, i.e., a first switching period required for switching from the first type to the second type and a second switching period required for switching from the second type to the first type. The first switching period or the second switching period may be set to zero. In the case where the first type is type 1 and the second type is type 2, the switching period from type 2 to type 1 may be set to zero, i.e., no additional time is required for UE type switching.

[0079] As another example, the capability information may include one or more cells or carriers on which the interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device 110 is allowed (or expected). Such (multiple) cells or (multiple) carriers may also be referred to as (multiple) victim cells or (multiple) victim carriers. For example, when the terminal device 110 switches from type 1 to type 2, the interruption may be allowed (or expected) on all in-band serving cells. As another example, when the terminal device 110 switches from type 2 to type 1, the interruption may be allowed (or expected) on a specific carrier, and the interruption may not be allowed (or expected) on a specific carrier. As another example, the terminal device 110 may indicate the (multiple) victim operators (if any) in which the interruption is allowed (or expected) at each switching. One or more carriers may be indicated via an index of a cell or carrier, or a bitmap may be used to indicate which or which serving cells are victim carriers. As another example, the absence of one or more cells may indicate that there is no interruption at the time of type switching.

[0080] Alternatively or additionally, the capability information may include support for type switching of non-co-located intra-band Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and / or non-co-located intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA). In this case, the one or more switching periods include at least one switching period for EN-DC and / or at least one switching period for NR-CA. For example, different switching periods may be indicated for EN-DC and NR-CA, respectively. Compared to NR-CA, in the case of EN-DC, the terminal device 110 may indicate a longer switching period when switching from type 1 to type 2, and different RATs may be considered for the EN-DC case.

[0081] Then, if Figure 2 As shown, based on the acquired capability information, the first network device 120 sends (215) an indication to the terminal device 110 to switch the type of the terminal device 110. On the receiving side of the communication, the terminal device 110 receives (220) the indication from the first network device 120. In an embodiment in which the terminal device 110 supports type 1 and type 2, the indication may indicate a type switch from type 1 to type 2, or a type switch from type 2 to type 1. The indication may be included in an RRC message or a media access control (MAC) or layer 1 (L1) message.

[0082] The terminal device 110 may determine the requirement for interruption caused by type switching based on the capability information and the indication. In other words, when performing type switching, such as when switching architecture types, the terminal device 110 may be allowed to interrupt as required.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the requirement may include an interruption length, and the length of the interruption allowed for the terminal device 110 is not more than the length. The interruption length may be determined based on at least a switching period, a switching direction, and / or a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of (multiple) victim cells. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine the interruption length based on at least a switching period corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication from the first network device 120, and / or a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one cell or carrier (i.e., a victim cell or carrier) corresponding to the switching direction that may be affected by the interruption. For example, the interruption length may include at least a switching period for the corresponding direction of the switching. Different interruption lengths may be determined for different switching directions, for example, different interruption lengths may be determined for type 1->type 2 switching and type 2->type 1 switching, respectively.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the requirement may also include a processing time period required for the terminal device 110 to process the indication from the first network device 120. The terminal device 110 may start performing the type switching after the processing time period. When the terminal device 110 starts performing the type switching after the processing time period, the interruption caused by the type switching begins. In other words, the processing time period may be used to determine the interruption position at which the interruption starts. For example, after receiving network signaling indicating the type switching, the interruption on the victim cell or carrier may start after the processing time period in which the terminal device 110 has processed the network signaling.

[0085] In other words, according to the interruption window, the terminal device 110 is allowed to interrupt communication, such as interruption of communication on (multiple) victim cells or carriers. As described above, the interruption window can be defined based on the interruption length and the location of the interruption. For example, when the terminal device 110 receives a switching indication from the first network device 120, the interruption can start within a number of time slots / symbols / microseconds after the switching indication, because the terminal device 110 may need to process the indication from the first network device 120 within the number of time slots / symbols / microseconds, and then perform type switching according to the switching period, and therefore the interruption can last during the switching length.

[0086] Then, if Figure 2 As shown, the terminal device 110 performs (225) type switching based on the indication and requirement. The terminal device 110 can perform the indicated type switching based on its capabilities. After the type switching, data transmission with the network side can be resumed. When switching the type of the terminal device 110, the terminal device 110 is allowed to interrupt communication within the interruption length (in other words, the interruption window), such as communication interruption on (multiple) victim cells or carriers. For example, if the expected victim cell is not indicated in the capability information, or the interruption length and location cannot be determined, the interruption may not be performed / allowed.

[0087] Similarly, the first network device 120 may determine the requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device 110 based on the capability information and the indication. For example, the first network device 120 may determine the interruption length and the interruption location.

[0088] First network device 120 then determines 230 a schedule for terminal device 110 based on the requirement. In some example embodiments, first network device 120 may prevent scheduling of terminal device 110 based on the requirement. For example, first network device 120 may prevent scheduling of terminal device 110 after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the first network device 120 may send (235) a terminal switching indication to the second network device 130 indicating a switching of the type of the terminal device 110. Accordingly, the second network device 130 may receive (240) the terminal switching indication from the first network device 120. The terminal switching indication may include a switching period required for the terminal device 110 to perform the indicated switching. Alternatively or additionally, the terminal switching indication may include at least one cell or carrier, i.e., the victim cell(s) on which the interruption is allowed.

[0090] Similarly, second network device 130 may determine a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at terminal device 110 based on the terminal switch indication. Second network device 130 then determines (245) a schedule for terminal device 110 based on the requirement. In some example embodiments, second network device 130 may prevent scheduling of terminal device 110 based on the requirement. For example, second network device 130 may prevent scheduling of terminal device 110 after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

[0091] For example, a specification such as Technical Specification (TS) 38.133 could be modified as follows:

[0092] When the UE receives the network indication [UETypeSwitchingType 1->2], if the UE is capable of supporting the switching procedure from type 1 to type 2

[0093] [intraBandNonColocatedCA-r18], the UE is allowed to [WitimCells1->2]

[0094] interrupt, as indicated by the UE capabilities,

[0095] As specified in Table 8.2.2.xy-1, interrupt up to X1 time slots.

[0096] When the UE receives the network indication [UETypeSwitchingType 2->1], if the UE is capable of supporting the switching procedure from type 1 to type 2

[0097] [intraBandNonColocatedCA-r18], the UE is allowed to [WitimCells2->1]

[0098] interrupt, as indicated by the UE capabilities,

[0099] As specified in Table 8.2.2.xy-1, interrupt up to X2 time slots.

[0100] In this way, the terminal device can inform it how fast it needs to perform UE type switching, and how much negative impact each switching can have on other cells or carriers. In the case of a specified interruption, the terminal device and the network device are consistent in how long the switching can last, on which symbols / time slots the switching can be performed, and on which carriers the data transmission will be interrupted. This can help the network device adjust the cell configuration and data scheduling based on the interruption requirements. Therefore, transmission failures caused by interruptions caused by type switching can be minimized or avoided, and thus resource utilization and transmission flexibility can be improved.

[0101] Figure 3 300 illustrates an example UE type switching process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the process flow 300 can be viewed as follows Figure 2 A more specific example of the signaling flow 200 is shown. Accordingly, UE 301 may be an example of terminal device 110. And as an example, PCell 303 may be provided by first network device 120, and secondary cell (SCell) 305 may be provided by second network device 130.

[0102] This example process assumes an intra-band non-co-located NR-CA scenario, but a similar process can also be applied to EN-DC scenarios, i.e., inter-band EN-DC scenarios with overlapping DL bands.

[0103] like Figure 3 As shown, at 306, UE 301 is connected to PCell 303. At 308, UE 301 sends UE capability information indicating that it supports intra-band non-co-located CA. The UE capability information may indicate that UE 301 supports multiple UE types, such as type 1 and type 2. Alternatively, the UE capability information may indicate that UE 301 supports UE type 2, which implicitly indicates that UE 301 supports both type 1 and type 2, because type 1 is the default UE type that UE 301 always supports. In addition, UE 301 may indicate in the UE capability information the switching period required for it to switch the UE type from type 1 to type 2 and from type 2 to type 1, respectively. In this case, as shown in the figure, there is no interruption in the type 2 to type 1 switch. The presence of the switching period may indicate that UE 301 supports UE type switching, otherwise if UE 301 indicates the capability of intra-band non-co-located CA, but the switching period is not indicated in the UE capability information, UE 301 may always operate under type 2. UE 301 may also indicate victim cells / carriers where interruption may occur when the UE type is switched.

[0104] At 310, the network configures non-co-located CA for UE 301 by adding SCell 305. After receiving the configuration, UE 301 operates under the default UE type (e.g., Type 1). Then, at 312 and 314, UE 301 receives data from PCell 303 and SCell 305 via a single Rx chain.

[0105] At 316, the network determines that PCell 303 and SCell 305 are not co-located, and sends a network signal (e.g., RRC message) to require UE 301 to switch to type 2. Alternatively or additionally, this step can be incorporated into step 310. That is, the network can instruct the UE type to switch when adding SCell 305.

[0106] After receiving the RRC message, UE 301 needs some time to switch to type 2. UE 301 undergoes a processing period for processing the RRC message (at 318) and a switching period for switching from type 1 to type 2 (at 320). At 322, PCell 303 indicates to SCell 305 that the UE type is switched "type 1->2", for example, together with switchingperiod1->2. At 324, the network determines the interruption length of the interruption based on the received switchingperiod1->2, and may not schedule UE 301 on the indicated (multiple) victim cells (i.e., SCell 305) during the interruption length. UE 301 may experience an interruption on SCell 305 during the interruption length. After the UE switches to type 2, the network may resume data transmission on the (multiple) victim cells.

[0107] Similarly, at 326, the network indicates a UE type switch from type 2 to type 1 via an RRC message, for example, when the PCell 303 and the SCell 305 are co-located. UE 301 may process the RRC message (at 328) and then perform a type switch within a target time window (at 330), as described above. At 332, PCell 303 indicates to SCell 305 a UE type switch "type 2->1", for example, together with switchingperiod2->1. At 334, the network determines that no interruption can be expected as indicated in the UE capability information. Therefore, interruptions due to UE type switching may not be allowed on PCell 303 or SCell 305. At 336 and 338, data transmission between UE 301 and the network is performed without any interruption.

[0108] As mentioned above Figure 2The operations and features described are also applicable to process 300 and have similar effects. For simplicity, the details will be omitted.

[0109] Figure 4 400 of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1A The method 400 is described from the perspective of the terminal device 110 .

[0110] In block 410, the terminal device 110 transmits capability information indicating support for multiple types of the terminal device 110 to the first network device 120. In block 420, the terminal device 110 receives an instruction for switching the type of the terminal device 110 from the first network device 120. In block 430, the terminal device 110 performs type switching based on the instruction and a requirement for interruption caused by the type switching.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may also determine the requirement based on the capability information and the indication.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the type of terminal device 110 may include a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the capability information may also include at least one of: one or more switching periods required to perform type switching; one or more switching directions; one or more cells or carriers on which interruption is allowed; or support for type switching for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and / or non-co-located intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA).

[0114] In some example embodiments, the requirement may include an interruption length, and the terminal device 110 may further determine the interruption length based on at least one of: a switching period in one or more switching periods corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication; and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one of the one or more cells or carriers corresponding to the switching direction. In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 is allowed an interruption of up to the interruption length.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the plurality of types may include a first type and a second type, and the one or more switching periods include: a first switching period required to switch from the first type to the second type; and a second switching period required to switch from the second type to the first type. In some example embodiments, the first switching period or the second switching period may be set to zero.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the one or more switching periods may include: at least one switching period for EN-DC; and at least one switching period for NR-CA.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the capability information may also indicate whether an interruption caused by type switching is allowed for one or more switching directions, respectively.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the requirement may include a processing time period required for the terminal device 110 to process the instruction from the first network device 120, and the terminal device 110 starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, when the terminal device 110 starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period, the interruption starts.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the capability information may be included in a Radio Access Control (RRC) message.Alternatively or additionally, the indication may be included in an RRC message.

[0120] Figure 5 A flowchart 500 of a method implemented at a first network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1A The method 500 is described from the perspective of the first network device 120 .

[0121] At block 510, the first network device 120 receives capability information indicating support for multiple types of the terminal device 110 from the terminal device 110. At block 520, the first network device 120 sends an indication to the terminal device 110 for switching the type of the terminal device 110. At block 530, the first network device 120 determines a schedule for the terminal device 110 based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device 110.

[0122] In some example embodiments, first network device 120 may also determine the requirement based on the capability information and the indication.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the type of terminal device 110 may include a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the capability information may also include at least one of: one or more switching periods required to perform type switching; one or more switching directions; one or more cells or carriers on which interruption is allowed; and support for type switching for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and / or non-co-located intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA).

[0125] In some example embodiments, the requirement may include an interruption length, and wherein the first network device 120 is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: a switching period in one or more switching periods corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication; and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one of the one or more cells or carriers corresponding to the switching direction. In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 is allowed an interruption of up to the interruption length.

[0126] In some example embodiments, in order to determine the schedule, the first network device 120 may refrain from scheduling the terminal device 110 based on the requirement.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the plurality of types may include a first type and a second type, and the one or more switching periods may include: a first switching period required to switch from the first type to the second type; and a second switching period required to switch from the second type to the first type. In some example embodiments, the first switching period or the second switching period may be set to zero.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the one or more switching periods may include: at least one switching period for EN-DC; and at least one switching period for NR-CA.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the capability information may also indicate whether an interruption caused by type switching is allowed for one or more switching directions, respectively.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the requirement includes a processing time period required for the terminal device 110 to process the instruction from the network device, and the terminal device 110 starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, the interruption starts when the terminal device 110 starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, in order to determine the scheduling of the terminal device 110, the first network device 120 may prevent the terminal device 110 from being scheduled after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the capability information may be included in a Radio Access Control (RRC) message.Alternatively or additionally, the indication may be included in an RRC message.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the first network device 120 may also send a terminal switching indication indicating the switching of the type of the terminal device 110 to the second network device 130. In some example embodiments, the terminal switching indication may include at least one of the following: a switching period required for the terminal device 110 to perform the indicated switching; and an interruption of at least one cell or carrier on which it is allowed.

[0133] Figure 6 600 of a method implemented at a second network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1A The method 600 is described from the perspective of the second network device 130 .

[0134] At block 610, second network device 130 receives a terminal switching indication indicating switching of the type of terminal device 110 from first network device 120. At block 620, second network device 130 determines scheduling of terminal device 110 based on a requirement for interruption caused by type switching at terminal device 110.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the second network device 130 may also determine the requirement based on a terminal switching indication.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the type of terminal device 110 may include a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the terminal switching indication may include at least one of the following: a switching period required for the terminal device 110 to perform the indicated switching; and at least one cell or carrier on which the interruption is allowed. In some example embodiments, the requirement may include an interruption length, and wherein the second network device 130 is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of the following: the switching period; and the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one cell or carrier. In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110 may be allowed to be interrupted for up to the interruption length.

[0138] In some example embodiments, in order to determine the schedule, the second network device 130 may refrain from scheduling the terminal device 110 based on the requirement.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the requirement may include a processing time period required for the terminal device 110 to process the instruction from the network device, and the terminal device 110 starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, when the terminal device 110 starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period, the interruption begins. In some example embodiments, in order to determine the scheduling of the terminal device 110, the second network device 130 may prevent the terminal device 110 from being scheduled after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

[0140] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing method 400 (e.g., terminal device 110) may include a component for executing the corresponding steps of method 400. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for sending capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices to a network device; a component for receiving an indication from the network device for switching the type of the terminal device; and a component for performing type switching based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching.

[0142] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining the requirement based on the capability information and the indication.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the type of terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

[0144] In some example embodiments, the capability information also includes at least one of: one or more switching periods required to perform type switching; one or more switching directions; one or more cells or carriers on which interruption is allowed; or support for type switching for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and / or non-co-located intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA).

[0145] In some example embodiments, the requirement comprises an interruption length, and wherein the terminal device is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: a switching period in one or more switching periods corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication; and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one of the one or more cells or carriers corresponding to the switching direction. In some example embodiments, the terminal device is allowed an interruption of up to the interruption length.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the plurality of types include a first type and a second type, and the one or more switching periods include: a first switching period required to switch from the first type to the second type; and a second switching period required to switch from the second type to the first type. In some example embodiments, the first switching period or the second switching period is set to zero.

[0147] In some example embodiments, the one or more switching periods include: at least one switching period for EN-DC; and at least one switching period for NR-CA.

[0148] In some example embodiments, the capability information further indicates whether an interruption caused by type switching is allowed for one or more switching directions, respectively.

[0149] In some example embodiments, the requirement includes a processing time period required for the terminal device to process the instruction from the network device, and the terminal device starts to perform type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, the interruption starts when the terminal device starts to perform type switching after the processing time period.

[0150] In some example embodiments, the capability information is included in a radio access control (RRC) message, or the indication is included in an RRC message.

[0151] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of the method 400. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to implement the above-mentioned operations of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0152] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing method 500 (e.g., first network device 120) may include components for executing corresponding steps of method 500. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0153] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes components for receiving capability information indicating support for multiple types of terminal devices from a terminal device; components for sending an indication to the terminal device for switching the type of the terminal device; and components for determining a schedule for the terminal device based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0154] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining the requirement based on the capability information and the indication.

[0155] In some example embodiments, the type of terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

[0156] In some example embodiments, the capability information also includes at least one of: one or more switching periods required to perform type switching; one or more switching directions; one or more cells or carriers on which interruption is allowed; and support for type switching for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and / or non-co-located intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA).

[0157] In some example embodiments, the requirement includes an interruption length, and wherein the first network device is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: a switching period in one or more switching periods corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication; and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one of the one or more cells or carriers corresponding to the switching direction. In some example embodiments, the terminal device is allowed an interruption for up to the interruption length. In some example embodiments, the means for determining the schedule includes means for preventing the terminal device from being scheduled based on the requirement.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the plurality of types include a first type and a second type, and the one or more switching periods include: a first switching period required to switch from the first type to the second type; and a second switching period required to switch from the second type to the first type. In some example embodiments, the first switching period or the second switching period is set to zero.

[0159] In some example embodiments, the one or more switching periods include: at least one switching period for EN-DC; and at least one switching period for NR-CA.

[0160] In some example embodiments, the capability information further indicates whether an interruption caused by type switching is allowed for one or more switching directions, respectively.

[0161] In some example embodiments, the requirement includes a processing time period required for the terminal device to process the indication from the network device, and the terminal device begins to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, the interruption begins when the terminal device begins to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, the means for determining the scheduling of the terminal device includes means for preventing the terminal device from being scheduled after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the capability information is included in a radio access control (RRC) message, or the indication is included in an RRC message.

[0163] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for sending a terminal switching indication indicating a switching of the type of the terminal device to the second network device. In some example embodiments, the terminal switching indication comprises at least one of: a switching period required for the terminal device to perform the indicated switching; and at least one cell or carrier on which the interruption is allowed.

[0164] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 500. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to implement the above-mentioned operations of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0165] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of executing method 600 (e.g., second network device 130) may include components for executing corresponding steps of method 600. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0166] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving a terminal switching indication from a first network device indicating a switching of a type of a terminal device; and means for determining a scheduling of the terminal device based on a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching at the terminal device.

[0167] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining the requirement based on a terminal handover indication.

[0168] In some example embodiments, the type of terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

[0169] In some example embodiments, the terminal handover indication comprises at least one of: a handover period required for the terminal device to perform the indicated handover; and at least one cell or carrier on which the interruption is allowed. In some example embodiments, the includes an interruption length, and wherein the second network device is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: the handover period; and a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one cell or carrier. In some example embodiments, the terminal device is allowed to be interrupted for up to the interruption length.

[0170] In some example embodiments, the means for determining the schedule comprises means for preventing scheduling of the terminal device based on the requirement.

[0171] In some example embodiments, the requirement includes a processing time period required for the terminal device to process the indication from the network device, and the terminal device begins to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, the interruption begins when the terminal device begins to perform the type switching after the processing time period. In some example embodiments, the means for determining the scheduling of the terminal device includes means for preventing the terminal device from being scheduled after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

[0172] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for performing other steps of some embodiments of method 600. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code, and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to implement the above-mentioned operations of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0173] Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. The device 700 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1A The terminal device 110, the first network device 120 or the second network device 130 shown in the figure. As shown in the figure, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to the processor 710.

[0174] The communication module 740 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0175] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0176] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage devices and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0177] The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 may be stored in the ROM 724. The processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 730 into the RAM 722.

[0178] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by means of program 730, so that device 700 can execute reference Figure 2 and Figure 3Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0179] In some example embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0180] Figure 8 800 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer readable medium 800 has a program 730 stored thereon. It should be noted that although Figure 8 Computer readable medium 800 is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but computer readable medium 800 may be in any other form suitable for carrying or storing program 730.

[0181] Generally, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while other aspects may be implemented using firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0182] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above reference Figures 4 to 6 Any of the methods described in . Typically, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functions of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. The machine executable instructions of program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0183] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code is implemented when executed by the processor or controller in the flow chart and / or the block diagram. The program code can be executed completely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0184] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0185] Computer readable medium can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. Computer readable medium can include but is not limited to electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A more specific example of a computer readable storage medium will include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" used herein is a restriction on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a restriction on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0186] In addition, although the operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in order or performing all the operations shown to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0187] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Instead, the specific features or actions described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: sending capability information indicating support for multiple types of the terminal device to a network device; receiving, from the network device, an instruction for switching the type of the terminal device; as well as The type switching is performed based on the indication and the requirement for interruption caused by the type switching.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: The requirement is determined based on the capability information and the indication.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the type of the terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the capability information further includes at least one of the following: One or more switching periods required to perform type switching; one or more switching directions; The one or more cells or carriers on which the outage is allowed; or Support for the described type of handover for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), and / or Non-co-located Intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA).

5. The terminal device of claim 4, wherein the requirement comprises an interruption length, and wherein the terminal device is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: a switching period of the one or more switching periods corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication; and A subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one cell or carrier of the one or more cells or carriers corresponding to the switching direction.

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the terminal device is allowed to be interrupted for as long as the interruption length.

7. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of types include a first type and a second type, and the one or more switching periods include: a first switching period required for switching from the first type to the second type; as well as a second switching period required to switch from the second type to the first type. 8 . The terminal device according to claim 7 , wherein the first switching period or the second switching period is set to zero.

9. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the one or more switching periods include: at least one switching period for said EN-DC; as well as At least one switching period for the NR-CA. 10 . The terminal device according to claim 4 , wherein the capability information further indicates whether an interruption caused by type switching is allowed for each of the one or more switching directions.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the requirement comprises: The terminal device processes the instruction from the network device for a processing time period, and the terminal device starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period. 12 . The terminal device according to claim 11 , wherein the interruption starts when the terminal device starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period.

13. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one of the following: The capability information is included in a Radio Access Control (RRC) message; or The indication is included in an RRC message.

14. A first network device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the first network device at least: receiving, from a terminal device, capability information indicating support for a plurality of types of the terminal device; Sending an instruction for switching the type of the terminal device to the terminal device; as well as A schedule for the terminal device is determined based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at the terminal device.

15. The first network device according to claim 14, wherein the first network device is further configured to: The requirement is determined based on the capability information and the indication.

16. The first network device of claim 14, wherein the type of the terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

17. The first network device according to claim 14, wherein the capability information further comprises at least one of the following: One or more switching periods required to perform type switching; one or more switching directions; the one or more cells or carriers on which the outage is enabled; as well as Support for the described type of handover for Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), and / or Non-co-located Intra-band New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR-CA).

18. The first network device of claim 17, wherein the requirement comprises an interruption length, and wherein the first network device is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: a switching period of the one or more switching periods corresponding to a switching direction of the switching indicated in the indication; and A subcarrier spacing (SCS) of at least one cell or carrier of the one or more cells or carriers corresponding to the switching direction.

19. The first network device according to claim 18, wherein the terminal device is allowed to be interrupted for as long as the interruption length.

20. The first network device of claim 14, wherein the first network device is caused to determine the schedule by: Scheduling of the terminal device based on the requirement is prevented.

21. The first network device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of types include a first type and a second type, and the one or more switching periods include: a first switching period required for switching from the first type to the second type; as well as a second switching period required to switch from the second type to the first type.

22. The first network device according to claim 21, wherein the first switching period or the second switching period is set to zero.

23. The first network device of claim 17, wherein the one or more switching periods include: at least one switching period for said EN-DC; as well as At least one switching period for the NR-CA. 24 . The first network device according to claim 17 , wherein the capability information further indicates whether an interruption caused by type switching is allowed for the one or more switching directions, respectively.

25. The first network device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein the requirement comprises: The terminal device processes the instruction from the network device for a processing time period, and the terminal device starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period.

26. The first network device of claim 25, wherein the interruption starts when the terminal device starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period.

27. The first network device of claim 25, wherein the first network device is caused to determine the schedule of the terminal device by: The terminal device is prevented from being scheduled after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

28. The first network device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein at least one of the following: The capability information is included in a Radio Access Control (RRC) message; or The indication is included in an RRC message.

29. The first network device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein the first network device is further configured to: A terminal switching indication indicating switching of the type of the terminal device is sent to the second network device.

30. The first network device according to claim 29, wherein the terminal switching instruction comprises at least one of the following: a switching period required for the terminal device to perform the indicated switching; and At least one cell or carrier on which the outage is enabled.

31. A second network device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the second network device at least: receiving, from the first network device, a terminal switching indication indicating switching of the type of the terminal device; and The scheduling of the terminal device is determined based on a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at the terminal device.

32. The second network device according to claim 31, wherein the second network device is further caused to: The requirement is determined based on the terminal switching indication.

33. The second network device of claim 31, wherein the type of the terminal device comprises a user equipment (UE) architecture type.

34. The second network device according to claim 31, wherein the terminal switching instruction comprises at least one of the following: a switching period required for the terminal device to perform the indicated switching; and At least one cell or carrier on which the outage is enabled.

35. The second network device of claim 34, wherein the requirement comprises an interruption length, and wherein the second network device is further caused to determine the interruption length based on at least one of: the switching period; and A subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the at least one cell or carrier.

36. The second network device according to claim 35, wherein the terminal device is allowed to be interrupted for as long as the interruption length.

37. The second network device of claim 31 , wherein the second network device is caused to determine the schedule by: Scheduling of the terminal device based on the requirement is prevented.

38. The second network device of claim 31, wherein the requirement comprises: The terminal device processes the instruction from the network device for a processing time period, and the terminal device starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period.

39. The second network device according to claim 38, wherein the interruption starts when the terminal device starts to perform the type switching after the processing time period.

40. The second network device of claim 38, wherein the second network device is caused to determine the schedule of the terminal device by: The terminal device is prevented from being scheduled after the processing time period and within the interruption length.

41. A method for communication, comprising: sending, at a terminal device, capability information indicating support for a plurality of types of the terminal device to a network device; receiving, from the network device, an instruction for switching the type of the terminal device; as well as The type switching is performed based on the indication and the requirement for interruption caused by the type switching.

42. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, at a first network device, capability information from a terminal device indicating support for a plurality of types of the terminal device; Sending an instruction for switching the type of the terminal device to the terminal device; as well as A schedule for the terminal device is determined based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at the terminal device.

43. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, at the second network device, from the first network device, a terminal switching indication indicating switching of the type of the terminal device; as well as The scheduling of the terminal device is determined based on a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at the terminal device.

44. An apparatus for communication, comprising: means for sending, at a terminal device, capability information to a network device indicating support for a plurality of types of said terminal device; means for receiving from the network device an indication for switching the type of the terminal device; as well as Means for performing the type switching based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by the type switching.

45. An apparatus for communication, comprising: means for receiving, at a first network device, capability information from a terminal device indicating support for a plurality of types of the terminal device; means for sending to the terminal device an indication for switching the type of the terminal device; as well as Means for determining a schedule for the terminal device based on the indication and a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at the terminal device.

46. ​​An apparatus for communication, comprising: means for receiving, at the second network device, from the first network device, a terminal switching indication indicating a switching of the type of the terminal device; as well as Means for determining a schedule for the terminal device based on a requirement for an interruption caused by a type switch at the terminal device.

47. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for communication, comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to any one of claims 41 to 43.

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