Enabling user equipment to report used power levels

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products enabling a user equipment (UE) to report a used power level (PC). A method may include sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The method may also include receiving a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method may also include sending a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or a start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 395,510, filed on August 5, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) access technologies, or above 5G or other communication systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to apparatus, systems and / or methods for enabling a user equipment (UE) to report a used power class (PC). Background Art

[0004] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. Fifth generation (5G) wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G network technologies are mostly based on new radio (NR) technology, but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRAN radio. It is estimated that NR may provide bit rates of about 10-20Gbit / s or higher and may support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide extreme broadband and ultra-robust low latency connections and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). Summary of the invention

[0005] Some example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The method may also include receiving a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle evaluation and a length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation. The method may also include sending a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation.

[0006] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may also be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least send a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The apparatus may also be configured to receive a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also be configured to send a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

[0007] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include means for sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The apparatus may also include means for receiving a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also include means for sending a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

[0008] According to other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may include sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The method may also include receiving a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method may also include sending a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

[0009] Other example embodiments may be directed to a computer program product for performing a method. The method may include sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The method may also include receiving a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method may also include sending a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

[0010] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that may include circuitry configured to measure a radio altimeter signal at a device. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to send a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to receive a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to send a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

[0011] Certain example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include receiving a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The method may also include sending a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method also includes receiving a report from the user equipment, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the method includes scheduling resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0012] Other example embodiments may relate to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive at least a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The apparatus may also be configured to send a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or the start timing of the uplink duty cycle assessment and the length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also be configured to receive a report from the user equipment, the report including the start timing and length of the power level information or the uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the apparatus may be configured to schedule resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0013] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include a component for receiving a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The apparatus may also include a component for sending a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also include a component for receiving a report from the user equipment, the report including power level information or a start timing and length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the apparatus may include a component for scheduling resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0014] According to other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may include receiving a message from a user device including user device capability information. The method may also include sending a configuration to the user device in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment, and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method also includes receiving a report from the user device, the report including power level information or a start timing and length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the method includes scheduling resources for the user device based on the report.

[0015] Other example embodiments may relate to a computer program product for performing a method. The method may include receiving a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The method may also include sending a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method also includes receiving a report from the user equipment, the report including power level information or a start timing and a length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the method includes scheduling resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0016] Other example embodiments may relate to an apparatus that may include a circuit system configured to receive a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The apparatus may also include a circuit system configured to send a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also include a circuit system configured to receive a report from the user equipment, the report including power level information or a start timing and length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the apparatus may include a circuit system configured to schedule resources for the user equipment based on the report. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 An example relationship between power level transitions and full power mode is illustrated.

[0019] Figure 2 An example signal flow diagram is illustrated in accordance with certain example embodiments.

[0020] Figure 3 An example flow diagram of a method according to certain example embodiments is illustrated.

[0021] Figure 4 An example flow diagram of another method according to certain example embodiments is illustrated.

[0022] Figure 5 A set of apparatuses according to certain example embodiments is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated herein in the accompanying drawings, may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for enabling a user equipment (UE) to report a power class (PC) to be used or a PC currently being used.

[0024] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "particular embodiments," "example embodiments," or "some embodiments" throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases "in certain embodiments," "example embodiments," "in some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. In addition, the terms "cell," "node," "gNB," "network," or other similar language may be used interchangeably throughout this specification.

[0025] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions (wherein a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) mean at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0026] The technical specification of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduces several power classes (PC) higher than the default PC to improve uplink (UL) coverage and capacity. For example, Table 1 shows an example defined PC list in frequency range 1 (FR1).

[0027] Table 1: PCs defined in FR1

[0028]

[0029] Due to regulatory requirements such as specific absorption rate (SAR), UEs that support a higher PC than the default PC can fall back to (multiple) lower PCs of the default power level in FR1. In addition, many UE features can be related to PC, and UE behavior can be defined based on the UE's fallback to (multiple) lower PCs. However, it has not been considered when the UE should fall back completely and when the UE should return from a lower PC to a higher PC. In addition, without knowing the PC status, the network may not know how to handle these features appropriately.

[0030] Many UE capabilities and UE performance according to these capabilities can be associated with the UE PC for each frequency band or each frequency band combination (BC). For example, the UE can report a PC for each frequency band or each BC, and in some cases, the UE is allowed to fall back to (multiple) lower PCs and return to the declared (i.e., highest) PC or a PC between the default PC and the declared PC at a certain point. However, it is not yet accurately defined when the UE falls back to a lower PC or default PC, or when the UE returns to the declared PC. In some cases, there may be some conditions that allow the UE to fall back, such as, for example, a UL duty cycle threshold or P-max. However, the UL duty cycle evaluation period is not clearly defined. Therefore, the network cannot know what the exact PC being used is at a particular moment. This may cause certain problems, for example, the network configures a specific feature associated with the PC for the UE, and the UE may not be in the expected PC at that time. Therefore, the UE cannot follow the instructions provided by the network. Another problem is that even if some UE radio frequency (RF) performance requirements vary from PC to PC, the network cannot schedule resources, such as resource blocks (RBs), modulation and coding schemes (MCSs), etc., according to the PC currently being used.

[0031] Figure 1 An example relationship between PC transition (fallback / return) and full power mode is illustrated. Figure 1 As shown, another issue may be associated with the relationship between PC and the associated ul-FullPowerTransmission. The ul-FullPowerTransmission parameter may include various transmission modes that can be used to overcome problems in UL codebook-based transmissions, non-coherent and partially coherent codebook subsets. This may also apply to lower rank transmissions where the maximum output power (declared by the UE) cannot be reached through the power scaling mechanism. Assuming that the UE supports PC1.5 (29 decibel milliwatts (dBm)) band for a frequency band (e.g., n41), the UE may be able to support ul-FullPwrMode1-r16, where the UE can achieve full power with TPMI=2, i.e. Because PC1.5 of n41 performance requirement is developed under the assumption of 26dBm capability PA×2 implementation. On the other hand, in some cases, UE using n41 may be allowed to fall back to PC2 (26dBm), for example, as described in TS38.101-1, if the UE capability field maxUplinkDutyCycle-PC2-FR1 and the UE capability field maxUplinkDutyCycle-MPE-FR1 do not exist, and the percentage of UL symbols sent within a certain evaluation period is greater than 25%, then the exact evaluation period is not less than one radio frame. In addition, in the above case, if the percentage is greater than 50%, it is allowed to fall back to even PC3 (23dBm).

[0032] If PC1.5 falls back to PC2, the supported ul-FullPwr mode(s) may become different (i.e., ul-FullPwrMode-r16), and the network cannot know which PC is currently being used. Therefore, the network cannot know whether the UE can determine which ul-FullPwr mode(s) are applied, and the network may incorrectly configure ul-FullPwrMode1-r16 for the UE even if the UE is in PC2 state of n41. In this case, the network may configure ul-FullPwrMode1-r16 for the UE if one of the port channel conditions is bad. or Then, the achievable power is half of the rated power level (ie, 23 dBm even if the UE is in the PC2 state, and 20 dBm if the UE is in the PC3 state, respectively).

[0033] Other issues associated with UE PC per band or per BC may arise between PC and associated sounding reference signal (SRS) antenna switching. For example, assuming that the UE supports a band (e.g., n41) of PC1.5 (29dBm), if the UE is in PC1.5 state, the network may want to use 2T4R for antenna switching to shorten the time for channel evaluation. On the other hand, the UE may be in PC2 (26dBm) state. In this case, if the network continues to configure 2T4R for the UE, the power of each antenna may become less than or equal to 23dBm because the total power from the two antenna ports is capped at 26dBm. If the network knows that the UE is in PC2, it may want to configure 1T4R for the UE to increase the power of each antenna to up to 26dBm, at the cost of more switching opportunities.

[0034] In addition, between PC fallback and UL resource allocation, issues associated with UE PC per band or per BC may arise. In this case, if the UE is in PC2 state due to fallback, the UE can continue to use PC2 as long as the percentage is less than or equal to 50%. In addition, performance requirements such as additional maximum power reduction (A-MPR), MPR, maximum sensitivity reduction (MSD), etc. may be different. If the network is able to know that the UE is in PC2 state, the network will be able to avoid allocating more than 50% UL duty cycle. This will enable the network to avoid situations where the UE further falls back to PC3, and will schedule / configure appropriate resources and / or features for the UE based on PC2 performance requirements (such as MPR / A-MPR) as one of these factors. In addition, the network can infer the PC state of the UE based on the UL duty cycle, but it cannot be known accurately because the accurate evaluation period is not defined to leave some UE implementation flexibility.

[0035] Another problem associated with UE PC for each band or each BC may occur between PC fallback and reference sensitivity. Here, when the reference sensitivity is reduced due to self-interference within the same UE (mainly due to the noise caused by the nonlinearity of its own Tx power to its own Rx band), and the network cannot know the reduction in sensitivity due to "self-interference", it may be recommended to allow UEs supporting the frequency division duplex (FDD) PC2 band to autonomously fall back to PC3. Therefore, if the UE autonomously falls back to PC3 or returns to PC2, the network will not know whether the UE is in PC2 or PC3 state.

[0036] Between PC fallback and Tx diversity, another issue may arise associated with UE PC bands per BC. In this case, the UE can indicate the following as a capability: if PC2 with Tx diversity UE falls back to PC3, then use one Tx. However, there is no means for the network to know in time which PC the UE is using at the time. Therefore, this capability alone may not be useful. Also, note that using PC CMAX，f，c The power headroom (PHR) of CMAX，f，c It is provided by UE in P CMAX，f，c_L To P CMAX，f，c_H The ranges can overlap even if the UE is in different PC states at the moment.

[0037] One way to solve the above problem may be to enable the UE to report the PC state being used (i.e., the currently used PC state) of a certain frequency band or BC to the network whenever the PC being used has changed. However, allowing the UE to autonomously report PC information means that the network needs to reserve certain UL resources for the UE to report it, and since PC state changes may not occur frequently under certain conditions, precious UL resources will be used in an inefficient manner.

[0038] Another possible way to solve the above problem is for the UE to share conditions with the network to determine when the UL duty cycle period evaluation starts and its period length. In this case, if the UL duty cycle exceeds a predefined threshold that is reported to the network as a UE capability, the UE can fall back to the defined default PC. However, the exact evaluation period for the evaluation and its start time (or triggering event condition) have not yet been specified. If the power is low enough (although the level may depend on the UE implementation), the UE may not have to fall back to the default power level because the UE can meet regulatory requirements such as SAR without any problems. In this case, the UE may not perform an evaluation at all. Therefore, it may be challenging to define a single evaluation period and / or its start time for the UE to report as a UE capability.

[0039] In view of the above problems, certain example embodiments may establish a signaling mechanism that allows the network to instruct the UE to report the PC currently being used and / or the start timing and length of the UL duty cycle assessment for a frequency band or BC at a given moment. The report may also include the frequency of the report and its window specified by the network. For example, in certain example embodiments, a signaling mechanism may be established that allows the network to instruct the UE to report the PC currently being used and / or the start timing and length of the UL duty cycle assessment for a frequency band or BC at a given moment. The report may also include the frequency of the report and the window specified by the network. For example, the window may correspond to a time window that allows the UE to report the PC being used.

[0040] In other example embodiments, the UE may report the UE capabilities to the network. The UE may also report the PC currently being used by the UE, and / or if requested by the network, report the UL duty cycle evaluation period and the length of the UL duty cycle evaluation period for fallback or return depending on the PC state.

[0041] According to some of the example embodiments, the UE may report to the network a threshold in terms of PHR to trigger an evaluation of UL duty cycle as a UE capability.

[0042] In certain example embodiments, after the network receives the report from the UE, the network may calculate the UL duty cycle and monitor whether the UL duty cycle exceeds the reported threshold, or is close to the threshold. In some example embodiments, the threshold may be reported from the UE to the network as one of the UE capabilities in the maxUplinkDutyCycle-PC2-FR1 parameter. According to certain example embodiments, when the network determines that the UL duty cycle exceeds the threshold, the network may also consider how much power is left by utilizing the PHR information, at which point the network may not start and monitor the UL duty cycle. Alternatively, if the power is not maintained that much (i.e., the amount of power available is small), and if the PHR remains almost unchanged, the network may start and monitor the UL duty cycle. Therefore, in certain example embodiments, based on the UL duty cycle calculation and monitoring and / or PHR information, the network may be able to estimate when the UE changes the timing of its PC. The network may then reduce the number of requests to report the PC to the UE.

[0043] In other example embodiments, after the network receives the report from the UE, if the power is not maintained that much (i.e., the amount of available power is small), the network may calculate and monitor the UL duty cycle in a conservative manner (e.g., depending on the PHR information). For example, the UL duty cycle may be calculated and monitored by a sliding evaluation window. According to certain example embodiments, calculating and monitoring the UL duty cycle in a conservative manner may include calculating the UL duty cycle within a minimum evaluation period (e.g., one radio symbol) and / or by adopting a threshold in terms of PHR in a relaxed manner (i.e., the amount of available power may not be small). In addition, with respect to the sliding evaluation window, a window of one radio frame indexed m may be assumed, where each radio frame contains n symbols. After sliding one symbol, the duty cycle of each radio frame may be calculated.

[0044] According to certain example embodiments, the network may enable the UE to report the PC currently being used by the UE, or report the UL duty cycle evaluation start timing and its length as auxiliary information. According to some example embodiments, the UL duty cycle evaluation start timing and its length may be required because the PC at the timing reported by the UE may not be the previous PC, but will change or may change, where the UE is evaluating the necessity of fallback or return. With this information, if the threshold is met, the network can more accurately anticipate when fallback / return will occur, and ask the UE for its PC in a non-periodic manner if necessary.

[0045] Figure 2 An example signal flow diagram according to certain example embodiments is illustrated. In certain example embodiments, Figure 2 The functionality shown can be represented by something like Figure 5The device of one of the apparatuses 10 or 20 shown is executed. At 200, the UE may send a report to the gNB, which may include UE capability information indicating that the UE supports reporting of its PC and / or evaluation period / start timing / evaluation trigger threshold. At 205, the gNB may consider the UL duty cycle and / or PHR situation to determine whether a specific feature should be configured for the UE. In certain example embodiments, the PHR may be reported as a UE capability independently of the declared PC, and the PC may be reported by the features configured by the UE. At 210, the gNB may configure the UE to report the PC and / or UL duty cycle evaluation start timing and its length currently being used by the UE. According to certain example embodiments, the UE may report this information according to the configuration of the gNB via radio resource control (RRC).

[0046] like Figure 2 As further shown in FIG. 1 , at 215, the UE may send a response to the gNB to confirm the configuration provided by the gNB. At 220, the UE may determine that the condition has been met. That is, in certain example embodiments, if the evaluation has not started, the UE may not need to report anything. Only the UE may know the condition, and the network may ask the UE whether the evaluation has started or whether the PC has changed, and then the UE may report such information to the network. At 225, the UE may also send a scheduling request (SR) to the gNB to obtain an UL grant that the UE can use for data transmission. At 230, the gNB may consider the UL duty cycle and / or PHR conditions based on the received scheduling request to determine whether the gNB should give the UL grant to the UE. At 235, the gNB may send an UL grant to the UE via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). At 240, in response to the UL grant, the UE may send a report to the gNB of the PC currently being used by the UE and / or the UL duty cycle evaluation start timing and its length. In certain example embodiments, the declared PC may be reported as a UE capability. At 245, the gNB may schedule resources for the UE based on the received report.

[0047] Figure 3 An example flow chart of a method according to certain example embodiments is illustrated. In an example embodiment, Figure 3 The method may be performed by a network entity or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an example embodiment, Figure 3 The method can be similar to Figure 5 The UE of one of the apparatuses 10 or 20 shown is executed.

[0048] According to certain example embodiments, Figure 3The method may include, at 300, sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The method may also include, at 305, receiving a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle evaluation and a length of an uplink duty cycle evaluation. The method may also include, at 310, sending a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation.

[0049] According to certain example embodiments, the method may further include sending an evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value to a network element to trigger an uplink duty cycle evaluation. According to some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving a configuration for a user equipment feature in response to the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation. According to other example embodiments, the method may further include receiving a resource grant allocation for data transmission in response to the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation.

[0050] Figure 4 An example of a flow chart of another method according to certain example embodiments is illustrated. In an example embodiment, Figure 4 The method may be performed by a network entity or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an example embodiment, Figure 4 The method can be performed by the gNB, network, cell or similar Figure 5 Any other device implementation of one of the illustrated apparatuses 10 or 20 .

[0051] According to certain example embodiments, Figure 4 The method may include, at 400, receiving a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The method may also include, at 405, sending a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or the start timing of the uplink duty cycle assessment and the length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The method may also include, at 410, receiving a report from the user equipment, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the method may include, at 415, scheduling resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0052] According to certain example embodiments, the method may further include receiving an evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value from a user equipment to trigger an uplink duty cycle evaluation. According to some example embodiments, resources may include configurations for user equipment features, or resource grant allocations for data transmission. In certain example embodiments, the UL grant may include an MCS and the number of RBs for data transmission. In other example embodiments, the resource grant allocation may correspond to the allocation of resource grants (i.e., DL resource allocations for sending PDCCH to UE). That is, it may correspond to granting (radio) resource allocations for data transmission. According to other example embodiments, the method may further include determining whether the uplink duty cycle evaluation exceeds a predefined threshold. In certain example embodiments, based on the determination, the method may further include starting or stopping uplink duty cycle monitoring. In other example embodiments, based on the determination, the method may further include determining the uplink duty cycle within a minimum evaluation period or by adopting a threshold in terms of a power headroom value in a loose manner.

[0053] Figure 5 A set of apparatuses 10 and 20 according to some example embodiments are illustrated. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be an element in a communication network, or an element associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art will understand that the apparatus 10 may include Figure 5 Components or features not shown.

[0054] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 10 may include Figure 5 Components or features not shown.

[0055] like Figure 5As shown in the example of , the device 10 may include or be coupled to a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 12 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 5 A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other example embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case the processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor). According to some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0056] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including Figures 1 to 4 The process shown in .

[0057] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0058] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the apparatus 10 to perform Figures 1 to 4Any of the methods shown in .

[0059] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the apparatus 10 via the UL. The apparatus 10 may also include a transceiver 18 configured to send and receive information. The transceiver 18 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 15. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or UL, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0060] For example, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0061] In certain example embodiments, the memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 12. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide the device 10 with additional functionality. The components of the device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to certain example embodiments, the device 10 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 20 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology (such as NR).

[0062] According to some example embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in the processing circuit system or the control circuit system, or may form a part of the processing circuit system or the controller circuit system. In addition, in some example embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in the transceiver circuit system, or may form a part of the transceiver circuit system.

[0063] For example, in certain example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to send a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a configuration from the network element in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle evaluation and a length of an uplink duty cycle evaluation. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to send a report to the network element in response to the configuration, the report including power level information or a start timing and length of an uplink duty cycle evaluation.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown in the example of , the device 20 may be a network, a core network element, or an element in a communication network, or an element associated with such a network, such as a gNB. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art will understand that the device 20 may include Figure 5 Components or features not shown.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. For example, as an example, the processor 22 may include one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 5 A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other example embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in which case the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0066] According to certain example embodiments, processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of apparatus 20, which functions may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of apparatus 20, including Figures 1 to 4 The process shown.

[0067] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0068] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the apparatus 20 to perform Figures 1 to 4 The method shown.

[0069] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for transmitting signals and / or data to the apparatus 20 and for receiving signals and / or data from the apparatus 20. The apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna(s) 25. The radio interfaces may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interfaces may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via UL).

[0070] Thus, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 20. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly sending and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0071] In certain example embodiments, memory 24 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide device 20 with additional functionality. The components of device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0072] According to some example embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in the processing circuit system or the control circuit system, or may form a part of the processing circuit system or the controller circuit system. In addition, in some example embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in the transceiver circuit system, or may form a part of the transceiver circuit system.

[0073] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a (multiple) hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software that works together to enable a device (e.g., devices 10 and 20) to perform various functions, and / or (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors or portions thereof that operate using software, but where software is not required for operation, the software may not be present. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also cover 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. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0074] For example, in certain example embodiments, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive a message including user equipment capability information from the user equipment. The device 20 may also be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to send a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or the start timing of the uplink duty cycle assessment and the length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The device 20 may also be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive a report from the user equipment, the report including the start timing and length of the power level information or the uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to schedule resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0075] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 10 and / or apparatus 20) may include components for performing the methods, processes, or any variants discussed herein. Examples of the components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program codes for causing the execution of operations.

[0076] Certain example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus comprising means for performing any of the methods described herein, including, for example, means for sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element. The apparatus may also include means for receiving, in response to the message, a configuration from the network element, the configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also include means for sending, in response to the configuration, a report to the network element, the report including the power level information or the start timing and length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

[0077] Certain example embodiments may also be directed to an apparatus comprising a component for receiving a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment. The apparatus may also include a component for sending a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. The apparatus may also include a component for receiving a report from the user equipment, the report including power level information or a start timing and length of an uplink duty cycle assessment. In addition, the apparatus may include a component for scheduling resources for the user equipment based on the report.

[0078] Certain example embodiments described herein provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages. For example, in some example embodiments, it is possible to establish the following signaling mechanism that allows the network to instruct the UE to report the PC being used and / or the UL duty cycle evaluation start timing and its length for the frequency band or BC at a given moment. In certain example embodiments, the report may also include the reported frequency and its window specified by the network. In other example embodiments, the network may be provided with the precise PC status of the UE and may also be provided with such information in a more efficient manner.

[0079] A computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or part thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of some example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) software routines after addition or update. (Multiple) software routines may be downloaded to the device.

[0080] As an example, software or computer program code or parts thereof may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and may be stored in some type of carrier, distribution medium, or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such carriers may include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer, or may be distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0081] In other example embodiments, the functions may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functions may be implemented as signals, non-tangible components that may be carried by electromagnetic signals downloaded from the Internet or other networks.

[0082] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus (such as a node, a device or a corresponding component) may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element) or a chipset, which includes at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operations and an operation processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0083] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the above disclosure may be practiced in a different order of procedures, and / or with hardware elements of a configuration different from that disclosed. Therefore, although the present disclosure has been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments. Although the above embodiments relate to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments may also be applied to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as Advanced LTE and / or fourth generation (4G) technologies.

[0084] Partial glossary:

[0085] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0086] 5G: Fifth Generation

[0087] 5GCN: 5G Core Network

[0088] 5GS: 5G System

[0089] A-MPR: Additional Maximum Power Reduction

[0090] BC: Band Combination

[0091] BS: Base Station

[0092] CPE: Customer Premises Equipment

[0093] DL: Downlink

[0094] eNB: Enhanced Node B

[0095] E-UTRAN: Evolved UTRAN

[0096] FDD: Frequency Division Duplex

[0097] FR: Frequency range

[0098] gNB: 5G or Next Generation NodeB

[0099] HPUE: High Power UE

[0100] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0101] MCS: Modulation and Coding Scheme

[0102] MPR: Maximum Power Reduction

[0103] MSD: Maximum Sensitivity Degradation

[0104] NR: New Radio

[0105] NW: Network

[0106] PC: Power Level

[0107] PHR: Power Headroom

[0108] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0109] Rx: Receive

[0110] SAR: Specific Absorption Rate

[0111] TDD: Time Division Duplex

[0112] Tx: Transmission

[0113] UE: User Equipment

[0114] UL: Uplink

Claims

1. A method comprising: sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element; receiving, in response to the message, from the network element a configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment; as well as Based on the configuration, a report is sent to the network element, the report including the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: An evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value for triggering the uplink duty cycle evaluation is sent to the network element.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: Responsive to the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation, a configuration for a user equipment feature is received.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: A resource grant allocation for data transmission is received in response to the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: A response confirming the received configuration is sent to the network element.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: determining that at least one condition is satisfied; The report is sent when the at least one condition is met.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: When the at least one condition is satisfied, sending a scheduling request to the network element; receiving an uplink grant from the network element; Wherein the report is sent in response to receiving the uplink grant.

8. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: sending a message including user equipment capability information to a network element; receiving, in response to the message, from the network element a configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment; as well as Based on the configuration, a report is sent to the network element, the report including the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: An evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value for triggering the uplink duty cycle evaluation is sent to the network element.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Responsive to the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation, a configuration for a user equipment feature is received.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A resource grant allocation for data transmission is received in response to the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A response confirming the received configuration is sent to the network element.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determining that at least one condition is satisfied; The report is sent when the at least one condition is met.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: When the at least one condition is satisfied, sending a scheduling request to the network element; receiving an uplink grant from the network element; Wherein the report is sent in response to receiving the uplink grant.

15. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving a message including user equipment capability information from the user equipment; In response to the message, sending a configuration to the user equipment, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle evaluation and a length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation; receiving a report from the user equipment, the report comprising the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation; as well as Based on the report, resources are scheduled for the user equipment.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: An evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value for triggering the uplink duty cycle evaluation is received from the user equipment.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the resources include: Configuration specific to user device characteristics, or Resource authorization allocation for data transfer.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A determination is made as to whether the uplink duty cycle assessment exceeds a predefined threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein based on the determination, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Start or stop uplink duty cycle monitoring.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein based on the determination, the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, by storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The uplink duty cycle is determined within a minimum evaluation period or by adopting a threshold on the power headroom value in a relaxed manner.

21. A method comprising: receiving a message including user equipment capability information from the user equipment; In response to the message, sending a configuration to the user equipment, the configuration being used to report power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle evaluation and a length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation; receiving a report from the user equipment, the report comprising the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle evaluation; as well as Based on the report, resources are scheduled for the user equipment.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: An evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value for triggering the uplink duty cycle evaluation is received from the user equipment.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the resources include: Configuration specific to user device characteristics, or Resource authorization allocation for data transfer.

24. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, further comprising: A determination is made as to whether the uplink duty cycle assessment exceeds a predefined threshold.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein based on the determination, the method further comprises: Start or stop uplink duty cycle monitoring.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein based on the determination, the method further comprises: The uplink duty cycle is determined within a minimum evaluation period or by adopting a threshold on the power headroom value in a relaxed manner.

27. An apparatus comprising: means for sending a message comprising user equipment capability information to a network element; means for receiving, in response to the message, from the network element a configuration for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment; as well as Means for sending a report to the network element based on the configuration, the report comprising the power level information or the start timing and the length of the uplink duty cycle assessment.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising: Means for sending, to the network element, an evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value for triggering the uplink duty cycle evaluation.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27 or 28, further comprising: Means for receiving configuration for user equipment features in response to said power level information or said start timing and said length of said uplink duty cycle assessment.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 27 to 29, further comprising: Means for receiving a resource grant allocation for data transmission in response to said power level information or said start timing and said length of said uplink duty cycle assessment.

31. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving a message including user equipment capability information from a user equipment; means for sending a configuration to the user equipment in response to the message, the configuration being for reporting power level information, or a start timing of an uplink duty cycle assessment and a length of the uplink duty cycle assessment; means for receiving a report from said user equipment, said report comprising said power level information or said start timing and said length of said uplink duty cycle evaluation; as well as Means for scheduling resources for the user equipment based on the report.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , further comprising: Means for receiving, from said user equipment, an evaluation threshold in terms of a power headroom value for triggering said uplink duty cycle evaluation.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the resource comprises at least one of the following: Configuration specific to user device characteristics, or Resource authorization allocation for data transfer.

34. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 33, further comprising: Means for determining whether said uplink duty cycle assessment exceeds a predefined threshold.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising: Means for starting or stopping uplink duty cycle monitoring based on the determination.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34 or 35, further comprising: Means for determining an uplink duty cycle based on said determining, within a minimum evaluation period or by adopting a threshold on a power headroom value in a relaxed manner.

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