Method and apparatus for wireless communication at UE and base station

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for wireless communication at a UE and a base station are provided. A method for wireless communication at a UE includes identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operation; identifying a second configuration indicating a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operation, where the selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifier; and performing an inter-cell mobility operation based at least in part on the configured physical cell identifier and the selected physical cell identifier.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application date of April 29, 2021, application number 202180030757.3, and invention name “Physical cell identifier boundary configuration”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 018,408 of ZHOU et al., filed on April 30, 2020, entitled “PHYSICAL CELL IDENTIFIER LIMIT CONFIGURATION,” and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 243,287 of ZHOU et al., filed on April 28, 2021, entitled “PHYSICAL CELL IDENTIFIER LIMIT CONFIGURATION,” each of which is assigned to its assignee. Technical Field

[0004] The following relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to physical cell identifier (PCI) boundary configuration. Background Art

[0005] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These systems may be able to support communication for multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of these multiple access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, advanced LTE (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems (which may be referred to as new radio (NR) systems). These systems may employ techniques such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread spectrum orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple access communication system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each of which simultaneously supports communication for multiple communication devices, which may otherwise be referred to as user equipment (UE).

[0006] A UE may be configured with multiple candidate cells to communicate with a wireless communication network. The UE may be configured to communicate with a subset of the candidate cells at a time. Some techniques for configuring and managing subsets of candidate cells based on inter-cell mobility may be improved. Summary of the invention

[0007] The described technology relates to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses for supporting physical cell identifier (PCI) boundary configuration. In general, the described technology provides for configuring a user equipment (UE) with multiple (e.g., maximum number) configured PCIs (e.g., candidate PCIs), or multiple (e.g., maximum number) selected PCIs, or both. In some examples, the UE may be served by multiple cells. In some cases, the serving cell may have multiple transmit receive points (TRPs) at different locations, and each TRP may have a different PCI. The UE may be served by a subset of the PCIs of the serving cell. In some cases, the UE may be configured with a serving cell group, each serving cell may be associated with a single PCI, and the UE may be served by a selected subset of the serving cell group (e.g., one or more serving cells). The wireless communication system described herein may implement technology for enhanced PCI configuration and selection schemes. For example, a base station or a UE or both may identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs (e.g., the maximum number of configured PCIs) for inter-cell mobility operations. The base station or the UE or both may identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs (e.g., the maximum number of selected PCIs) for inter-cell mobility operations. In some cases, the selected PCI may be a subset of the configured PCI. In some cases, identifying the number of configured PCIs and the number of selected PCIs by the base station may be based on a capability report sent by the UE. In some cases, identifying the number of configured PCIs and the number of selected PCIs by the UE may be based on an indication from the base station. The UE and the base station may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI.

[0008] A wireless communication method at a UE is described. The method may include identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0009] An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to: identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and perform inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0010] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include components for: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0011] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to perform the following: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0012] A method of wireless communication at a base station is described. The method may include identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and performing the inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0013] An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executed by the processor to cause the apparatus to: identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and perform inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0014] Another apparatus for wireless communication at a base station is described. The apparatus may include components for: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0015] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a base station is described. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to perform the following: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0016] A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) is described, comprising: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifiers; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based at least in part on the configured physical cell identifiers and the selected physical cell identifiers.

[0017] A method for performing wireless communications at a base station is described, comprising: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifiers; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based at least in part on the configured physical cell identifiers and the selected physical cell identifiers.

[0018] A device for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) is described, comprising: one or more processors, one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories, which can be executed by the one or more processors to enable the device to: identify a first configuration, which indicates the number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration, which indicates a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifier; and perform inter-cell mobility operations at least partially based on the configured physical cell identifier and the selected physical cell identifier. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 An example of a system for wireless communications supporting physical cell identifier (PCI) boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 2 An example of a system supporting wireless communications for PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 3 An example of a process flow supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 4 and Figure 5 A block diagram of a device supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 6 A block diagram of a communications manager supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 7 A diagram of a system including a device supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 A block diagram of a device supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Fig.10 A block diagram of a communications manager supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Fig.11 A diagram of a system including a device supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figures 12 to 15 A flow chart illustrating a method of supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system may be served by one or more serving cells. As channel conditions change, the UE moves in the system, etc., the UE may be switched or reallocated to a serving cell over time. This change in serving cells may be referred to as inter-cell mobility, and in some cases, may be referred to as layer 1 (L1) / layer 2 (L2) inter-cell mobility. In some cases, inter-cell mobility may operate based on one of two modes. In the first mode, each serving cell may be associated with multiple transmit receive points (TRPs), wherein each TRP may be assigned a different physical cell identifier (PCI). In some cases, the TRPs may be located at different locations or the same location. The UE may be served by a subset of the PCIs of the serving cell, and the selected subset of PCIs may be changed, for example, via downlink control information (DCI) or media access control (MAC) control elements (CEs). In the second mode, the UE may be configured with a serving cell group, wherein each serving cell has a single PCI. The UE may be served by a selected subset of the serving cell group, which may be changed via DCI or MAC CEs.

[0030] In some wireless communication systems, the UE may store the configuration of each candidate PCI or serving cell associated with the UE. For example, the UE may store the configuration of each PCI in a subset of the PCI configured to the UE. The configuration may include resources for synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), random access channels (RACHs), control resource sets (CORESETs), search spaces, bandwidth parts (BWPs), etc. The UE may store the configuration so that the selected PCI or serving cell may be used shortly after selection. For example, the UE may determine or may receive an indication from a base station to switch to a different TRP or serving cell, where the different TRP or serving cell is in a subset of the TRP or serving cell configured to the UE. The UE may determine and implement the configuration associated with different TRPs or serving cells, and communicate with different TRPs or serving cells shortly after determining or indicating the switch.

[0031] In some cases, storing a large number of configurations may consume a large amount of UE memory. To mitigate the amount of memory consumed by PCI configurations, the UE may be configured with a number of PCIs from which the UE may select (e.g., a maximum number of PCIs), wherein the UE may store a certain number (up to the number configured to the UE) of PCI configurations. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may be configured with a number of PCIs that may be selected at one time (e.g., a maximum number of PCIs). The number of configurations of PCIs from which the UE may select or the number of configurations of PCIs that the UE may select at one time, or both, may be statically configured by signaling to the UE, based on one or more predefined rules, based on the capabilities of the UE, or some combination of these.

[0032] Certain aspects of the subject matter described herein can be implemented to achieve one or more advantages. The described techniques can support improvements in storing PCI configurations by enabling multiple PCIs (e.g., a maximum number of PCIs) from which a UE can select and / or multiple PCIs (e.g., a maximum number of PCIs) to which a UE can connect at one time to reduce memory consumption at the UE, as well as other advantages. Thus, the supported techniques can include improved network operation and, in some examples, improved network efficiency, among other benefits.

[0033] Aspects of the present disclosure are initially described in the context of wireless communication systems. Aspects are described with respect to process flows. Aspects of the present disclosure are further illustrated and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flow diagrams related to PCI boundary configuration.

[0034] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may be a long term evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a new radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communications, low-latency communications, communications with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

[0035] Base stations 105 may be dispersed throughout a geographic area to form wireless communication system 100, and may be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Base stations 105 and UEs 115 may communicate wirelessly via one or more communication links 125. Each base station 105 may provide a coverage area 110 over which UEs 115 and base stations 105 may establish one or more communication links 125. Coverage areas 110 may be examples of geographic areas over which base stations 105 and UEs 115 may support communication of signals according to one or more radio access technologies.

[0036] The UEs 115 may be dispersed throughout the coverage area 110 of the wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 may be stationary or mobile, or both, at different times. The UEs 115 may be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Figure 1 Some example UEs 115 are shown in FIG. 1. The UEs 115 described herein may be able to communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115, base stations 105, or network devices (e.g., core network nodes, relay devices, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or other network devices), such as Figure 1 shown.

[0037] Base stations 105 may communicate with core network 130 or with each other, or both. For example, base stations 105 may interface with core network 130 via one or more backhaul links 120 (e.g., via S1, N2, N3, or other interfaces). Base stations 105 may communicate with each other via backhaul links 120 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or other interfaces), directly (e.g., directly between base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via core network 130), or both. In some examples, backhaul links 120 may be or include one or more wireless links.

[0038] One or more of the base stations 105 described herein may include or may be referred to by one of ordinary skill in the art as a base transceiver station, a radio base station, an access point, a radio transceiver, a NodeB, an eNodeB (eNB), a next generation NodeB or a giga-NodeB (any of which may be referred to as a gNB), a Home NodeB, a Home eNodeB, or other suitable terminology.

[0039] Among other examples, UE 115 may include or may be referred to as a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a subscriber device, or some other suitable terminology, where a "device" may also be referred to as a unit, a station, a terminal, or a client. UE 115 may also include or may be referred to as a personal electronic device, such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a personal computer. In some examples, UE 115 may include or be referred to as a wireless local loop (WLL) station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a machine type communication (MTC) device, etc., which may be implemented in various objects such as appliances, or vehicles, meters, etc.

[0040] The UE 115 described herein may be able to communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115, which may sometimes act as relays, as well as base stations 105 and network devices, including macro eNBs or gNBs, small cell eNBs or gNBs, or relay base stations, among other examples, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0041] The UE 115 and the base station 105 may wirelessly communicate with each other via one or more communication links 125 on one or more carriers. The term "carrier" may refer to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting the communication link 125. For example, a carrier for the communication link 125 may include a portion of a radio frequency spectrum band (e.g., BWP) operating according to one or more physical layer channels for a given radio access technology (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR). Each physical layer channel may carry acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals, system information), control signaling to coordinate operations for the carrier, user data, or other signaling. The wireless communication system 100 may use carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation to support communication with the UE 115. Depending on the carrier aggregation configuration, the UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers. Carrier aggregation may be used for both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) component carriers.

[0042] The signal waveform transmitted on the carrier may be composed of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multi-carrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM)). In a system employing MCM techniques, a resource element may be composed of one symbol period (e.g., the duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element may depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme, the coding rate of the modulation scheme, or both). Therefore, the more resource elements received by the UE 115 and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate for the UE 115 may be. Wireless communication resources may refer to a combination of radio frequency spectrum resources, time resources, and spatial resources (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and the use of multiple spatial layers may also increase the data rate or data integrity used for communicating with the UE 115.

[0043] The time interval of the base station 105 or the UE 115 may be expressed in multiples of a basic time unit, which may refer to, for example, The sampling period is seconds, where can indicate the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and The maximum supported Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) size may be indicated. Time intervals of communication resources may be organized according to radio frames, each having a specified duration (e.g., 10 milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame may be identified by a System Frame Number (SFN) (e.g., in the range of 0 to 1023).

[0044] Each frame may include multiple consecutively numbered subframes or time slots, and each subframe or time slot may have the same duration. In some examples, a frame may be divided into (in the time domain) subframes, and each subframe may be further divided into multiple time slots. Alternatively, each frame may include a variable number of time slots, and the number of time slots may depend on the subcarrier spacing. Each time slot may include multiple symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix that precedes each symbol period). In some wireless communication systems 100, a time slot may also be divided into multiple small time slots containing one or more symbols. In addition to the cyclic prefix, each symbol period may contain one or more (e.g., ) sampling period. The duration of a symbol period may depend on the subcarrier spacing or frequency band of operation.

[0045] A subframe, a time slot, a mini-slot, or a symbol may be the smallest scheduling unit (e.g., in the time domain) of the wireless communication system 100 and may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the TTI duration (e.g., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 may be dynamically selected (e.g., in a burst of a shortened TTI (sTTI)).

[0046] Physical channels may be multiplexed on a carrier according to various techniques. Physical control channels and physical data channels may be multiplexed on a downlink carrier using, for example, one or more of a time division multiplexing (TDM) technique, a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technique, or a hybrid TDM-FDM technique. A control region (e.g., a control resource set (CORESET)) for a physical control channel may be defined by a plurality of symbol periods and may extend over a system bandwidth or a subset of a system bandwidth of a carrier. One or more control regions (e.g., CORESETs) may be configured for a UE set 115. For example, one or more of the UEs 115 may monitor or search for control information in a control region according to one or more search space sets, and each search space set may include one or more control channel candidates in one or more aggregation levels arranged in a cascaded manner. An aggregation level for a control channel candidate may refer to a plurality of control channel resources (e.g., control channel elements (CCEs)) associated with coded information for a control information format having a given payload size. A search space set may include a common search space set configured for sending control information to a plurality of UEs 115 and a UE-specific search space set for sending control information to a particular UE 115.

[0047] In some examples, base stations 105 may be mobile and thus provide communication coverage for mobile geographic coverage areas 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may overlap, but the different geographic coverage areas 110 may be supported by the same base station 105. In other examples, overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may be supported by different base stations 105. The wireless communication system 100 may, for example, include a heterogeneous network in which different types of base stations 105 provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110 using the same or different radio access technologies.

[0048] The wireless communication system 100 can be configured to support ultra-reliable communication or low-latency communication or various combinations thereof. For example, the wireless communication system 100 can be configured to support ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) or mission-critical communication. UE115 can be designed to support ultra-reliable, low-latency or critical functions (e.g., mission-critical functions). Ultra-reliable communication can include private communication or group communication, and can be supported by one or more mission-critical services (such as mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT), mission-critical video (MCVideo), or mission-critical data (MCData)). Support for mission-critical functions can include prioritization of services, and mission-critical services can be used for public safety or general commercial applications. The terms ultra-reliable, low-latency, mission-critical, and ultra-reliable low-latency can be used interchangeably in this article.

[0049] In some examples, the UE 115 may also be able to communicate directly with other UEs 115 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 135 (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or D2D protocol). One or more UEs 115 utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105. Other UEs 115 in this group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105 or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station 105. In some examples, a group of UEs 115 communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE 115 transmits to each other UE 115 in the group. In some examples, the base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between UEs 115 without the involvement of the base station 105.

[0050] The core network 130 may provide user authentication, access authentication, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 130 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), which may include at least one control plane entity that manages access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) and at least one user plane entity that routes packets or interconnections to an external network (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)). The control plane entity may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for UEs 115 served by base stations 105 associated with the core network 130. User IP packets may be transmitted through a user plane entity, which may provide IP address allocation and other functions. The user plane entity may be connected to a network operator IP service 150. Operator IP services 150 may include access to the Internet, Intranet(s), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or packet-switched streaming services.

[0051] Some of the network devices, such as base stations 105, may include subcomponents, such as access network entities 140, which may be examples of access node controllers (ANCs). Each access network entity 140 may communicate with the UE 115 through one or more other access network transport entities 145, which may be referred to as radio heads, smart radio heads, or TRPs. Each access network transport entity 145 may include one or more antenna panels. In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity 140 or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and ANCs), or merged into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

[0052] The wireless communication system 100 may operate using one or more frequency bands typically in the range of 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Typically, the region of 300 MHz to 3 GHz is referred to as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band, as wavelengths range from approximately one decimeter to one meter long. UHF waves may be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, however, the waves may penetrate structures sufficiently for a macro cell to provide service to a UE 115 located indoors. Transmissions using UHF waves may be associated with smaller antennas and shorter distances (e.g., less than 100 kilometers) than transmissions using the lower frequencies and longer waves of the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz.

[0053] The wireless communication system 100 can utilize licensed radio frequency spectrum bands and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, the wireless communication system 100 can use license assisted access (LAA), LTE unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed band such as the 5 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band. When operating in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, devices such as base stations 105 and UEs 115 can use carrier sensing for conflict detection and avoidance. In some examples, operations in unlicensed bands can be combined with component carriers operating in licensed bands (e.g., LAA) based on carrier aggregation configuration. Operations in unlicensed spectrum can include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, P2P transmissions, or D2D transmissions, etc.

[0054] The base station 105 or UE 115 may be equipped with multiple antennas that may be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, or beamforming. The antennas of the base station 105 or UE 115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels that may support MIMO operations, or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may be co-located at an antenna assembly, such as an antenna tower. In some examples, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with the base station 105 may be located at different geographic locations. The base station 105 may have an antenna array having multiple rows and columns of antenna ports that the base station 105 may use to support beamforming for communications with the UE 115. Similarly, the UE 115 may have one or more antenna arrays that may support various MIMO or beamforming operations. In addition or alternatively, the antenna panel may support radio frequency beamforming for signals sent via the antenna ports.

[0055] Beamforming (which may also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception) is a signal processing technique that may be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (e.g., a base station 105, a UE 115) to shape and steer an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit or receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting device and the receiving device. Beamforming may be achieved by combining signals transmitted via antenna elements of an antenna array so that some signals propagating at a particular orientation relative to the antenna array experience constructive interference, while other signals experience destructive interference. Adjustments to signals transmitted via antenna elements may include the transmitting device or the receiving device applying an amplitude offset, a phase offset, or both to signals carried via antenna elements associated with the device. Adjustments associated with each of the antenna elements may be defined by a set of beamforming weights associated with a particular orientation (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting device or the receiving device, or relative to some other orientation).

[0056] UE 115 may be configured with a set of candidate PCIs from which UE 115 may select to perform communications with the network. Each PCI may be associated with a TRP or a serving cell. In some cases, UE 115 may switch between a serving cell (e.g., inter-cell mobility) or a TRP or both based on network conditions, mobility of UE 115 through the network, and the like. For efficient inter-cell mobility, UE 115 may store PCI configurations of configured PCIs. When selecting one or more of the candidate PCIs, UE 115 may identify the stored configuration associated with each selected PCI and implement the identified configuration. In some wireless communication systems, UE 115 may be configured with multiple (e.g., maximum number) configured PCIs (e.g., candidate PCIs), or multiple (e.g., maximum number) selected PCIs, or both. For example, base station 105 or UE 115 or both may identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The base station 105 or the UE 115 or both may identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. In some cases, the selected PCI may be a subset of the configured PCI. Identifying the number of configured PCIs and the number of selected PCIs by the base station 105 and the UE 115 may be based on a capability report configured by the UE 115. The UE 115 and the base station 105 may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI.

[0057] Figure 2 An example of a wireless communication system 200 supporting PCI limit configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In some examples, the wireless communication system 200 can implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100. The wireless communication system 200 may include a UE 115-a, which may be an example of a UE 115 described herein. The UE 115-a may communicate with one or more TRPs 210, which may be an example of a base station 105 or a serving cell as described herein. In some cases, one or more of the TRPs 210 may determine and configure the UE 115-a with multiple PCI configurations 215 (e.g., a maximum number of PCI configurations). In addition or alternatively, other wireless devices such as the UE 115-a, the base station, or some combination of these devices may determine the number of PCI configurations 215, or the number of PCI configurations 215 may be pre-configured and static.

[0058] UE 115-a may be configured with one or more cells to communicate with a wireless communication network. UE 115-a may receive an indication of a PCI set and communicate with the network via one or more cells corresponding to one or more of the PCIs in the PCI set. In some cases, the PCI may be provided by a base station 105 or one or more TRPs 210. For example, a base station 105 may provide one or more cells for UE 115-a. Additionally or alternatively, one or more TRPs 210 may be distributed in the wireless communication system 200 and may provide one or more cells for UE 115-a.

[0059] The wireless communication system 200 may support enhanced technologies for inter-cell mobility. For example, the wireless communication system 200 may support inter-cell mobility based on L1 and L2. In some examples, L1 may refer to a physical layer, and L2 may refer to MAC, RLC, and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layers.

[0060] In some cases, inter-cell mobility based on L1 and L2 may include two modes. In the first mode of inter-cell mobility, a serving cell (e.g., each serving cell) may have multiple TRPs 210. In some cases, TRPs 210 may be at different locations or at the same location. In the first mode, each TRP 210 may have a different PCI. The PCI for the TRP 210 in the first mode may be carried by the SSB sent by the TRP 210. UE 115 may be served by a subset of the PCI of the serving cell. In some cases, the subset of the serving PCI may be changed by DCI or MAC CE information.

[0061] As an example of a first mode, UE 115-a may have a serving cell having multiple TRPs 210, such as TRP 210-a and TRP 210-b. TRP 210-a and TRP 210-b may provide active PCIs for UE 115-a, which may be indicated to UE 115-a via DCI or MAC-CE. For example, TRP 210-a may be associated with a first PCI and provide link 205-a for UE 115-a, and TRP 210-b may be associated with a second PCI and provide link 205-b for UE 115-a. In some examples, TRP 210-a and TRP 210-b may be distributed to different locations within the wireless communication network 200, which may provide improved spatial diversity for UE 115-a. TRP 210-a and TRP 210-b may each send an SSB carrying a corresponding PCI. UE 115-a can receive the SSB and identify the PCIs of TRP 210-a and TRP 210-b respectively.

[0062] In the second mode, the UE 115 may be configured with a serving cell group, each of which has a single PCI. For example, the UE 115 may be configured with multiple serving cells, each of which may have a different PCI. Each serving cell may be configured with one or more TRPs 210, each of which shares the same PCI with the serving cell to which the TRP 210 is associated. The UE 115 may be configured to measure the L1 metrics of the serving cells (e.g., per serving cell) in the group. For example, the UE 115 may measure the L1 reference signal received power (RSRP), signal plus noise and interference ratio (SINR), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or other L1 characteristic metrics of each candidate serving cell. The UE 115 may be served by a subset of the serving cell group at a time. The base station 105 (e.g., providing the serving cell) or the UE 115 may determine the subset based on the L1 report configured by the UE 115. In some cases, the subset may be changed by the DCI or MAC-CE. For example, UE 115 may send L1 reports for RSRP, SINR, RSRQ, etc. to a selected serving cell or to an anchor serving cell in the group. The selected serving cell or anchor serving cell may determine a subset or group of serving cells that UE 115 may potentially be served by and send an indication of the subset to UE 115.

[0063] As an example of a second mode, TRP 210-a may be associated with one or more serving cells of UE 115-a. For example, TRP 210-a may be associated with a serving cell having a first PCI to provide link 205-a for UE 115-a. In some cases, TRP 210-a may be an example of base station 105. UE 115-a may perform measurements on one or more serving cells provided by TRP 210-a and report the measurements to TRP 210-a. TRP 210-a may select a subset of serving cells based on the report and configure the subset as active serving cells (e.g., configured serving cells) for UE 115-a. In some other examples, multiple TRPs 210 may provide serving cells. For example, TRP 210-a may provide one or more serving cells, and TRP 210-b may provide one or more serving cells. In an example, TRP 210-b may provide a second serving cell having a second PCI to provide link 205-b for UE 115-a.

[0064] UE 115-a may operate according to Mode 1 or Mode 2. In either mode, UE 115-a may be configured with a set of candidate PCIs (e.g., PCIs associated with a TRP, or PCIs associated with a serving cell, where each TRP served by a serving cell shares the same PCI) that UE 115-a may select for communication with the network at a given time. In some cases, the set of candidate PCIs may be determined based on measurements performed by UE 115-a (such as layer 3 (L3) measurements, long term, etc.), where L3 may refer to a network layer. UE 115-a may report the L3 measurements to a network entity, which may determine the set of candidate PCIs based on the measurements. UE 115-a may select a subset of PCIs from the set of candidate PCIs at a given time based on network conditions, or L1 or L2 measurements, or a combination thereof. For example, UE 115-a may be configured with ten candidate PCIs. At a first time, UE 115-a may select a certain number of the ten candidate PCIs. At a second time, UE 115-a may select a different subset or a partially different subset of the ten candidate PCIs associated with the first time. In some cases, UE 115-a may store a configuration associated with each candidate PCI in the set of candidate PCIs for inter-cell mobility (e.g., L1 / L2 inter-cell mobility), such as PCI configuration 215 (e.g., TRP configuration, serving cell configuration, network configuration per candidate PCI). In some cases, the configuration may include resources for synchronization signaling (e.g., SSB signaling), random access signaling (e.g., RACH signaling), control signaling (e.g., CORESET), search space, BWP, etc., so that the selected PCI can be used shortly after selection.

[0065] In some wireless communication systems, the number of PCI configurations 215 that can be stored by UE 115-a can be limited to save memory. In some cases, the number of PCI configurations 215 that can be stored by UE 115 (e.g., the maximum number of PCI configurations) can be statically configured (e.g., based on one or more predefined rules). In some cases, a network entity (such as a base station, TRP210, access point, etc.) can configure (e.g., via control or configuration signaling) the number of PCI configurations 215 that can be stored by UE 115-a. In some implementations, the number of PCI configurations 215 that can be stored by UE 115-a can be based on the capabilities of UE 115-a. For example, UE 115-a can determine its capabilities, such as memory storage capabilities, and send a capability report to the network entity. In some cases, the network entity can be a serving cell to which UE 115-a is currently connected, or a serving base station, etc. Based on the capability report, the network entity can determine the number of candidate PCI configurations 215 that can be stored by UE 115-a. The network entity can indicate the number to UE 115-a. UE 115-a may receive the indication, identify the number of candidate PCIs, and identify multiple (up to the number) PCIs as candidate PCIs. In some cases, UE 115-a may identify multiple (less than the number) PCIs as candidate PCIs. In some cases, the indication from the network entity may include which PCIs are candidate PCIs.

[0066] In some implementations, the UE 115-a may determine its capabilities and may be configured to determine a number of PCIs that the UE 115-a may store as candidates (e.g., a maximum number of PCIs), and indicate the number or a capability report, or a combination thereof, to a network entity. In some cases, the network entity may confirm or reject the number, or indicate candidate PCIs (up to a number determined by the UE 115-a or by the network entity, or a combination thereof). In some implementations, the UE 115-a may determine its capabilities and may be configured to determine a number of PCIs that the UE 115-a may store as candidates, and determine PCI candidates based on the number. The UE 115-a may send an indication of the number of candidate PCIs to the network entity, or send an indication of the candidate PCIs to the network entity, or a combination thereof.

[0067] The candidate PCI determined by the network entity or the UE 115-a may be determined based at least on network conditions, measurements performed by the network entity, measurements performed by the UE 115-a (e.g., L3 measurements, long-term measurements), indications from the network, etc. In some cases, a PCI in the network may be selected as a candidate PCI based on a PCI that is close to the UE 115-a, or based on a PCI that has a strong connection with the UE 115-a, or based on an available PCI, or a combination thereof.

[0068] In some implementations, such as in Mode 1, the number of configured PCIs (e.g., the maximum number of configured PCIs) may be per component carrier. For example, a serving cell may support component carriers. If a serving cell serves multiple TRPs, where each TRP is assigned a different PCI (e.g., Mode 1), the PCI configuration metric may be per component carrier. Thus, for each component carrier, the UE may be configured with up to that number of candidate PCIs. If the number of candidate PCIs is ten, then for each component carrier, the UE 115-a may be configured with up to ten PCIs, where the UE 115-a may be configured with up to several times ten (e.g., n×10) PCI candidates because the UE 115-a may be configured with more than one component carrier.

[0069] In some cases, such as in Mode 1 with carrier aggregation, multiple component carriers may be implemented (e.g., a maximum number of component carriers). The number of configured PCIs and the number of component carriers may be under a common limit. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs includes the number of configured PCIs for an aggregated component carrier group (e.g., a maximum number of configured PCIs). For example, UE 115-a may be configured with a total number of candidate PCIs regardless of the number of component carriers configured for UE 115-a.

[0070] In some cases, the static configuration or signaling from the network entity indicating the number of PCI configurations may indicate an inter-cell mobility mode (e.g., Mode 1 or Mode 2). The static configuration or signaling from the network entity indicating the number of PCI configurations that the UE 115-a may store may indicate which parameter is relevant, such as per component carrier, across all component carriers, per serving cell, etc.

[0071] Additionally or alternatively, the network entity may configure a plurality of PCIs (e.g., a maximum number of PCIs) that the UE 115a may select from the candidate PCIs at a time. In some cases, the number of PCIs that the UE 115 may select at a time may be statically configured. As described with reference to the number of configured PCIs, the number of selected PCIs may be determined by the UE 115-a, the base station 105-a, or a combination thereof. The UE 115-a or the base station 105-a or both may determine which PCIs among the candidate PCIs the UE 115-a may use. The PCI may be selected based on an L1 metric (e.g., L1-RSRP, L1-SINR, L1-RSRQ) per serving cell or TRP. In some cases, the UE 115-a may receive an explicit indication of the number of PCI candidates, or an explicit indication of the number of selected PCIs, or a combination thereof, from the network entity. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 115-a may receive an explicit indication of one of the metrics and implicitly determine another metric based on the explicitly indicated metric. For example, UE 115-a may be configured with multiple PCIs that UE 115-a may select, and UE 115-a may implicitly determine the number of PCIs configured to UE 115-a, or vice versa. In some cases, UE 115-a may receive an explicit configuration indication of which PCIs are candidate PCIs, or an explicit configuration indication of which PCIs are selected PCIs, or both. Additionally or alternatively, UE 115-a may receive an explicit configuration indication and implicitly determine another configuration based on the explicitly indicated configuration.

[0072] In some implementations, such as in Mode 1, the number of selected PCIs (e.g., the maximum number of selected PCIs) may be per component carrier. For example, a serving cell may support component carriers. If the serving cell serves multiple TRPs, where each TRP is assigned a different PCI (e.g., Mode 1), the PCI selection metric may be per component carrier. Thus, for each component carrier, the UE 115-a may be configured to select up to that number of PCIs. If the number of PCIs to select is ten, then for each component carrier, the UE 115-a may select up to ten PCIs, where the UE 115-a may select up to several times ten (e.g., n×10) PCIs because the UE 115-a may be configured with more than one component carrier.

[0073] In some cases, such as in Mode 1 with carrier aggregation, multiple component carriers may be implemented (e.g., a maximum number of component carriers). The number of selected PCIs and the number of component carriers may be under a common limit. In some cases, the number of selected PCIs includes the number of selected PCIs for aggregated component carrier groups. For example, UE 115-a may be configured with a number of PCIs that UE 115 may select in total, regardless of the number of component carriers configured to UE 115-a. For example, if UE 115-a is configured with multiple component carriers and the number of selected PCIs is ten, UE 115-a may select ten PCIs, where the selected PCIs may be across component carriers, or in the same component carrier if the total number selected is ten.

[0074] In some cases, static configuration or signaling from a network entity indicating the number of PCI configurations that UE 115-a can select from may indicate an inter-cell mobility mode (e.g., Mode 1 or Mode 2). Static configuration or signaling from a network entity indicating the number of PCI configurations that UE 115-a can select from may indicate which parameter is relevant, such as per component carrier, across all component carriers, per serving cell, etc.

[0075] Figure 3 An example of a process flow 300 for supporting PCI limit configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The process flow 300 may illustrate an example PCI configuration and selection scheme. For example, a base station 105-b or a UE 115-b may identify the number of configured PCIs (e.g., the maximum number of configured PCIs) of a UE 115-a, or the number of selected PCIs (e.g., the maximum number of selected PCIs) of a UE 115-b, or both. The base station 105-b and the UE 115-b may be reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 Examples of corresponding wireless devices described. In some examples, another network entity (e.g., another base station, access point, TRP) can identify the number of configured PCIs, the number of selected PCIs, or both. The following alternative examples can be implemented, in which some of the steps are performed in a different order than described or not performed at all. In some cases, the steps may include additional features not mentioned below, or additional steps may be added.

[0076] At 305, the base station 105-b may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. At 310, the base station 105-b may identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. In some cases, the selected PCIs may include a subset of the configured PCIs. The number of configured PCIs and the number of selected PCIs may be based on the inter-cell mobility mode configured for the UE 115-a (e.g., Mode 1 or Mode 2 or some other mode).

[0077] At 315, UE 115-b may identify a first configuration that indicates a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations (e.g., a maximum number of configured PCIs). The number of configured PCIs may be based on the inter-cell mobility mode configured for UE 115-a (e.g., mode 1 or mode 2 or some other mode). The number of configured PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode may include the number of configured PCIs per component carrier. The number of configured PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation may include the number of configured PCIs applicable to a group of aggregated component carriers. For example, the number of configured PCIs and the number of component carriers may be under a common limit. The number of configured PCIs for the second inter-cell mobility mode may include the number of configured PCIs in a candidate serving cell group.

[0078] At 320, UE 115-b may identify a second configuration that indicates a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations (e.g., a maximum number of selected PCIs). The number of selected PCIs may be based on the inter-cell mobility mode configured for UE 115-a (e.g., mode 1 or mode 2 or some other mode). In some cases, the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The number of selected PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode may include the number of selected PCIs per component carrier. The number of selected PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation may include the number of selected PCIs applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers. For example, the number of configured PCIs and the number of component carriers may be under a common limit. The number of selected PCIs for the second inter-cell mobility mode may include the number of selected PCIs in the group of candidate serving cells.

[0079] In some implementations, the inter-cell mobility pattern may include a first inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each TRP from a TRP group of a serving cell with a unique PCI (e.g., Mode 1). In some implementations, the inter-cell mobility pattern may include a second inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each serving cell from a configured serving cell group with a unique PCI (e.g., Mode 2).

[0080] Steps 305 to 320 may be performed simultaneously, or a subset of the steps may be performed simultaneously. In some cases, steps 305 and 310 may be based on steps 315 and 320. Additionally or alternatively, steps 315 and 320 may be based on steps 305 and 310. For example, UE 115-b may receive configuration signaling indicating a first configuration, a second configuration, or both. In another example, UE 115-b may send a capability report associated with a storage cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based on the capability report. In some cases, the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are statically configured for UE 115-b. The first configuration or the second configuration or both may be statically configured for UE 115-a based on one or more predefined rules. In some implementations, UE 115-a may receive configuration signaling indicating a first configuration. Additionally or alternatively, UE 115-a may receive configuration signaling indicating a second configuration.

[0081] In some cases, the base station 105-b or UE 115-b may identify a set of configured PCIs based on a first measurement type (e.g., L3 measurement, long-term measurement) having a first measurement periodicity, where the set of configured PCIs may be based on a first configuration (e.g., based on a maximum number of PCIs that may be configured). In some implementations, the base station 105-b or UE 115-b may identify a set of selected PCIs based on a second measurement type (e.g., L1 measurement) having a second measurement periodicity that is less than the first measurement periodicity, where the set of selected PCIs may be based on a second configuration (e.g., based on a maximum number of PCIs that may be selected).

[0082] At 325, the UE 115-b and the base station 105-b may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configurations associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. In some cases, the inter-cell mobility operations may include L1 or L2 inter-cell mobility operations. For example, the UE 115-a may switch between a serving cell (e.g., inter-cell mobility) or a TRP or both based on network conditions, the mobility of the UE 115-a through the network, etc. For efficient inter-cell mobility, the UE 115 may store PCI configurations of up to an identified number (e.g., an identified maximum number) of configured PCIs. When selecting one or more of the candidate PCIs up to the identified number, the UE 115 may identify the stored configurations associated with each selected PCI and implement the identified configurations to perform inter-cell mobility operations. In some cases, the stored cell configurations may include resources for synchronization signaling (e.g., SSB signaling), random access signaling (e.g., RACH signaling), CORESET signaling, search space, BWP, or a combination thereof.

[0083] Figure 4 A block diagram 400 of a device 405 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 405 may be an example of aspects of the UE 115 as described herein. The device 405 may include a receiver 410, a communication manager 415, and a transmitter 420. The device 405 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0084] Receiver 410 may receive information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to PCI boundary configuration, etc.), such as packets, user data, or control information. The information may be delivered to other components of device 405. Receiver 410 may be a reference Figure 7 Examples of aspects of transceiver 720 are described. Receiver 410 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0085] The communication manager 415 may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs. The communication manager 415 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 710 described herein.

[0086] The communication manager 415 or its subcomponents may be implemented in hardware, in code executed by a processor (e.g., software or firmware), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager 415 or its subcomponents may be performed by a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designated to perform the functions described in the present disclosure.

[0087] The communication manager 415 or its subcomponents may be physically located in various locations, including being distributed so that portions of the functionality are implemented by one or more physical components at different physical locations. In some examples, the communication manager 415 or its subcomponents may be separate and distinct components according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the communication manager 415 or its subcomponents may be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to input / output (I / O) components, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0088] Transmitter 420 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 405. In some examples, transmitter 420 can be co-located with receiver 410 in a transceiver unit (e.g., module). For example, transmitter 420 can be a reference Figure 7 Examples of aspects of the transceiver 720 are described. The transmitter 420 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0089] The communication manager 415 as described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more potential advantages. One implementation may allow the device 405 to perform inter-cell mobility procedures more efficiently while reducing the amount of memory used. For example, the device 405 may identify the number of PCI configurations that the device 405 may store, and identify the number of PCIs that the device 405 may select from the configured PCIs to allow the device 405 to quickly implement the PCI configuration after the selection.

[0090] Based on implementing the PCI configuration and selection scheme as described herein, the processor of UE 115 (e.g., as described in reference Figure 7 The described control receiver 410, transmitter 420, or transceiver 720) may improve efficiency and alleviate memory usage associated with inter-cell mobility procedures.

[0091] Figure 5A block diagram 500 of a device 505 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 505 can be an example of aspects of the device 405 or UE 115 as described herein. The device 505 can include a receiver 510, a communication manager 515, and a transmitter 535. The device 505 can also include a processor. Each of these components can communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0092] Receiver 510 may receive information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to PCI boundary configuration, etc.), such as packets, user data, or control information. The information may be delivered to other components of device 505. Receiver 510 may be a reference Figure 7 Examples of aspects of transceiver 720 are described. Receiver 510 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0093] The communication manager 515 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 415 as described herein. The communication manager 515 may include a configured PCI identifier 520, a selected PCI identifier 525, and an inter-cell mobility executor 530. The communication manager 515 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 710 as described herein.

[0094] The configured PCI identifier 520 may identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The selected PCI identifier 525 may identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The inter-cell mobility executor 530 may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0095] Transmitter 535 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 505. In some examples, transmitter 535 can be co-located with receiver 510 in a transceiver unit. For example, transmitter 535 can be a reference Figure 7 Examples of aspects of the transceiver 720 are described. The transmitter 535 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0096] Figure 6A block diagram 600 of a communication manager 605 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The communication manager 605 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 415, the communication manager 515, or the communication manager 710 described herein. The communication manager 605 may include a configured PCI identifier 610, a selected PCI identifier 615, an inter-cell mobility executor 620, and a capability report sender 625. Each of these elements may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0097] The configured PCI identifier 610 may identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The selected PCI identifier 615 may identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The inter-cell mobility executor 620 may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0098] In some cases, the number of configured PCIs and the number of selected PCIs are based on an inter-cell mobility mode configured for the UE. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured PCIs per component carrier. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of configured PCIs applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured PCIs in the group of candidate serving cells.

[0099] In some cases, the number of selected PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of selected PCIs per component carrier. The number of selected PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of selected PCIs applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers. In some cases, the number of selected PCIs for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of selected PCIs in the group of candidate serving cells.

[0100] In some cases, the inter-cell mobility pattern includes a first inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each TRP from a TRP group of a serving cell with a unique PCI. In some cases, the inter-cell mobility pattern includes a second inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each serving cell from a configured serving cell group with a unique PCI.

[0101] In some examples, configured PCI identifier 610 may receive configuration signaling indicating a first configuration. In some cases, the first configuration is statically configured based on one or more predefined rules.

[0102] In some examples, selected PCI identifier 615 may receive configuration signaling indicating the second configuration. In some cases, the second configuration is statically configured based on one or more predefined rules.

[0103] The capability report transmitter 625 may transmit a capability report associated with the stored cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based on the capability report.

[0104] In some examples, the configured PCI identifier 610 can identify a configured PCI set based on a first measurement type having a first measurement periodicity, wherein the configured PCI set is based on a first configuration. In some examples, the selected PCI identifier 615 can identify a selected PCI set based on a second measurement type having a second measurement periodicity less than the first measurement periodicity, wherein the selected PCI set is based on a second configuration. In some cases, the first measurement type includes layer three measurements. In some cases, the second measurement type includes layer one measurements.

[0105] In some cases, the stored cell configuration includes resources for synchronization signaling, random access signaling, control resource set signaling, search space, BWP, or a combination thereof.In some cases, the inter-cell mobility operation includes layer one or layer two inter-cell mobility operation.

[0106] Figure 7 A diagram of a system 700 including a device 705 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 705 may be an example of or include components of a device 405, a device 505, or a UE 115 as described herein. The device 705 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, including a communication manager 710, an I / O controller 715, a transceiver 720, an antenna 725, a memory 730, and a processor 740. These components may communicate electronically via one or more buses (e.g., bus 745).

[0107] The communication manager 710 can identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and perform inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0108] I / O controller 715 can manage the input and output signals of device 705. I / O controller 715 can also manage peripheral devices that are not integrated into device 705. In some cases, I / O controller 715 can represent physical connection or port to external peripheral devices. In some cases, I / O controller 715 can utilize such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX® operating system or another known operating system. In other cases, I / O controller 715 can represent modem, keyboard, mouse, touch screen or similar device or interact with it. In some cases, I / O controller 715 can be implemented as part of processor. In some cases, user can interact with device 705 via I / O controller 715 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 715.

[0109] The transceiver 720 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links as described above. For example, the transceiver 720 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 720 can also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to an antenna for transmission, and demodulate packets received from an antenna.

[0110] In some cases, a wireless device may include a single antenna 725. However, in some cases, a device may have more than one antenna 725, which may be capable of sending or receiving multiple wireless transmissions simultaneously.

[0111] The memory 730 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory 730 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 735 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 730 may contain, among other things, a basic I / O system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0112] The processor 740 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor 740 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 740. The processor 740 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 730) to cause the device 705 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks that support PCI boundary configuration).

[0113] The code 735 may include instructions for implementing aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions for supporting wireless communications. The code 735 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the code 735 may not be directly executable by the processor 740, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0114] Figure 8 A block diagram 800 of a device 805 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 805 can be an example of aspects of a base station 105 as described herein. The device 805 can include a receiver 810, a communication manager 815, and a transmitter 820. The device 805 can also include a processor. Each of these components can communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0115] The receiver 810 may receive information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to PCI boundary configuration, etc.), such as packets, user data, or control information. The information may be delivered to other components of the device 805. The receiver 810 may be a reference Fig.11 Examples of aspects of the transceiver 1120 are described. The receiver 810 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0116] The communication manager 815 may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs. The communication manager 815 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 1110 described herein.

[0117] The communication manager 815 or its subcomponents may be implemented in hardware, in code executed by a processor (e.g., software or firmware), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communication manager 815 or its subcomponents may be performed by a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure.

[0118] The communication manager 815 or its subcomponents may be physically located in various locations, including being distributed so that portions of the functionality are implemented by one or more physical components at different physical locations. In some examples, the communication manager 815 or its subcomponents may be separate and distinct components according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the communication manager 815 or its subcomponents may be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to input / output (I / O) components, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0119] The transmitter 820 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 805. In some examples, the transmitter 820 can be co-located with the receiver 810 in a transceiver unit. For example, the transmitter 820 can be a reference Fig.11 Examples of aspects of the transceiver 1120 are described. The transmitter 820 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0120] The communication manager 815 as described herein may be implemented to achieve one or more potential advantages. One implementation may allow the device 805 to perform inter-cell mobility procedures more efficiently while reducing the amount of memory used by the UE. For example, the device 505 may identify the number of PCI configurations that the UE may store, and identify the number of PCIs that the UE may select from the configured PCIs to allow the UE to quickly implement the PCI configuration after selection.

[0121] Based on implementing the PCI configuration and selection scheme as described herein, the processor of the base station 105 (e.g., as described in reference Fig.11 The described control receiver 810, transmitter 820 or transceiver 1120) may improve efficiency and alleviate memory usage of the UE associated with inter-cell mobility procedures.

[0122] Fig. 9A block diagram 900 of a device 905 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 905 may be an example of aspects of the device 805 or base station 105 as described herein. The device 905 may include a receiver 910, a communication manager 915, and a transmitter 935. The device 905 may also include a processor. Each of these components may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0123] The receiver 910 may receive information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to PCI boundary configuration, etc.), such as packets, user data, or control information. The information may be delivered to other components of the device 905. The receiver 910 may be a reference Fig.11 Examples of aspects of the transceiver 1120 are described. The receiver 910 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0124] The communication manager 915 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 815 as described herein. The communication manager 915 may include a configured PCI identification unit 920, a selected PCI identification unit 925, and an inter-cell mobility performance unit 930. The communication manager 915 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 1110 described herein.

[0125] The configured PCI identification unit 920 may identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The selected PCI identification unit 925 may identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCI includes a subset of the configured PCIs. The inter-cell mobility execution unit 930 may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0126] The transmitter 935 can transmit signals generated by other components of the device 905. In some examples, the transmitter 935 can be co-located with the receiver 910 in the transceiver unit. For example, the transmitter 935 can be a reference Fig.11 Examples of aspects of the transceiver 1120 are described. The transmitter 935 may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

[0127] Fig.10A block diagram 1000 of a communication manager 1005 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The communication manager 1005 may be an example of aspects of the communication manager 815, the communication manager 915, or the communication manager 1110 described herein. The communication manager 1005 may include a configured PCI identification unit 1010, a selected PCI identification unit 1015, an inter-cell mobility performance unit 1020, a PCI selection transmitter 1025, a PCI configuration transmitter 1030, and a capability report transmitter 1035. Each of these units may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0128] The configured PCI identification unit 1010 may identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The selected PCI identification unit 1015 may identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCI includes a subset of the configured PCIs. The inter-cell mobility execution unit 1020 may execute inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0129] In some cases, the number of configured PCIs and the number of selected PCIs are based on an inter-cell mobility mode configured for the UE. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured PCIs per component carrier. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of configured PCIs applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers. In some cases, the number of configured PCIs for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured PCIs in the group of candidate serving cells.

[0130] In some cases, the number of selected PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of selected PCIs per component carrier. The number of selected PCIs for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of selected PCIs applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers. In some cases, the number of selected PCIs for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of selected PCIs in the group of candidate serving cells.

[0131] In some cases, the inter-cell mobility pattern includes a first inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each TRP from a TRP group of a serving cell with a unique PCI. In some cases, the inter-cell mobility pattern includes a second inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each serving cell from a configured serving cell group with a unique PCI.

[0132] PCI configuration transmitter 1030 may send configuration signaling indicating a first configuration. PCI selection transmitter 1025 may send configuration signaling indicating a second configuration. In some cases, the first configuration is statically configured based on one or more predefined rules. In some cases, the second configuration is statically configured based on one or more predefined rules.

[0133] The capability report receiver 1035 may receive a capability report associated with a stored cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based on the capability report.

[0134] In some examples, the configured PCI identification unit 1010 may identify a configured PCI set based on a first measurement type having a first measurement periodicity, wherein the configured PCI set is based on a first configuration. In some examples, the selected PCI identification unit 1015 may identify a selected PCI set based on a second measurement type having a second measurement periodicity less than the first measurement periodicity, wherein the selected PCI set is based on a second configuration. In some cases, the first measurement type includes layer three measurements. In some cases, the second measurement type includes layer one measurements.

[0135] In some cases, the stored cell configuration includes resources for synchronization signaling, random access signaling, control resource set signaling, search space, BWP, or a combination thereof.In some cases, the inter-cell mobility operation includes layer one or layer two inter-cell mobility operation.

[0136] Fig.11 A diagram of a system 1100 including a device 1105 supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The device 1105 may be an example of or include components of a device 805, a device 905, or a base station 105 as described herein. The device 1105 may include components for two-way voice and data communications, including components for sending and receiving communications, including a communication manager 1110, a network communication manager 1115, a transceiver 1120, an antenna 1125, a memory 1130, a processor 1140, and an inter-station communication manager 1145. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 1150).

[0137] The communication manager 1110 can identify a first configuration indicating the number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations; identify a second configuration indicating the number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs; and perform inter-cell mobility operations based on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCIs and the selected PCIs.

[0138] The network communications manager 1115 may manage communications with the core network (eg, via one or more wired backhaul links). For example, the network communications manager 1115 may manage the transmission of data communications for client devices, such as one or more UEs 115.

[0139] The transceiver 1120 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links as described above. For example, the transceiver 1120 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 1120 can also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to an antenna for transmission, and demodulate packets received from an antenna.

[0140] In some cases, a wireless device may include a single antenna 1125. However, in some cases, a device may have more than one antenna 1125, which may be capable of sending or receiving multiple wireless transmissions simultaneously.

[0141] Memory 1130 may include RAM, ROM, or a combination thereof. Memory 1130 may store computer readable code 1135 including instructions that, when executed by a processor (e.g., processor 1140), cause the device to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1130 may contain, among other things, a BIOS that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0142] Processor 1140 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 1140 may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 1140. Processor 1140 may be configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., memory 1130) to cause device 1105 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks that support PCI boundary configuration).

[0143] The inter-site communication manager 1145 can manage communications with other base stations 105 and can include a controller or scheduler for coordinating with other base stations 105 to control communications with UE 115. For example, the inter-site communication manager 1145 can coordinate scheduling of transmissions to UE 115 to implement various interference mitigation techniques such as beamforming or joint transmission. In some examples, the inter-site communication manager 1145 can provide an X2 interface within an LTE / LTE-A wireless communication network technology to provide communications between base stations 105.

[0144] The code 1135 may include instructions for implementing aspects of the present disclosure, including instructions for supporting wireless communications. The code 1135 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the code 1135 may not be directly executable by the processor 1140, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0145] Fig.12 1400 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1400 for supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1400 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the method 1400 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. Figures 4 to 7 The described communication manager performs the operations of method 1200. In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described below. In addition or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0146] At 1405, the UE may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The operations of 1205 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the first configuration may be performed by reference to Figures 4 to 7 Aspects of the operations of the configured PCI identifier execution 1205 are described.

[0147] At 1410, the UE may identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The operations of 1210 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the UE may be configured to perform the operations of the second configuration. Figures 4 to 7 Aspects of the operations of performing 1210 for a selected PCI identifier are described.

[0148] At 1415, the UE may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. The operations of 1215 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the UE may be configured to perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. Figures 4 to 7Aspects of the operations of the inter-cell mobility executor 1215 are described.

[0149] Fig.13 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1300 for supporting PCI boundary configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1300 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the method 1300 may be implemented by a UE 115 or a component thereof as described herein. Figures 4 to 7 The described communication manager performs the operations of method 1300. In some examples, the UE may execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described below. In addition or alternatively, the UE may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0150] At 1305, the UE may send a capability report associated with a stored cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based on the capability report. The operations of 1305 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the reference Figures 4 to 7 Aspects of the operations performed by the capability report transmitter 1305 are described.

[0151] At 1310, the UE may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The operations of 1310 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the first configuration may be performed by reference to Figures 4 to 7 Aspects of the operations of the configured PCI identifier execution 1310 are described.

[0152] At 1315, the UE may identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The operations of 1315 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the UE may be configured to perform the operations of the second configuration. Figures 4 to 7 Aspects of the operations of the selected PCI identifier execution 1315 are described.

[0153] At 1320, the UE may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. The operations of 1320 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the UE may be configured to perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. Figures 4 to 7 Aspects of the operations of the inter-cell mobility executor 1320 are described.

[0154] Fig.14 1400 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1400 for supporting PCI limit configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1400 may be implemented by a base station 105 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the method 1400 may be implemented by reference to Figures 8 to 11The communication manager described performs the operations of method 1400. In some examples, the base station can execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the base station to perform the functions described below. In addition or alternatively, the base station can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0155] At 1420, the base station may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The operations of 1420 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the first configuration may be performed by reference to Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operations of the configured PCI identification unit performing 1420 are described.

[0156] At 1425, the base station may identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The operations of 1425 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the reference Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operations of the selected PCI identification unit execution 1425 are described.

[0157] At 1430, the base station may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. The operations of 1430 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the base station may be configured to perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operations of the inter-cell mobility execution unit 1430 are described.

[0158] Fig.15 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method 1500 for supporting PCI limit configuration according to aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of the method 1500 may be implemented by a base station 105 or a component thereof as described herein. For example, the method 1500 may be implemented by reference to Figures 8 to 11 The described communication manager performs the operations of method 1500. In some examples, the base station can execute an instruction set to control the functional elements of the base station to perform the functions described below. In addition or alternatively, the base station can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0159] At 1505, the base station may identify a first configuration indicating a number of configured PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations. The operations of 1505 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the base station may be referred to as Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operations of the configured PCI identification unit to perform 1505 are described.

[0160] At 1510, the base station may identify a second configuration indicating a number of selected PCIs for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected PCIs include a subset of the configured PCIs. The operations of 1510 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the reference Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operations of the selected PCI identification unit execution 1510 are described.

[0161] At 1515, the base station may send configuration signaling indicating the first configuration. The operations of 1515 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the base station may send configuration signaling indicating the first configuration. Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operation of the PCI configuration transmitter execution 1515 are described.

[0162] At 1520, the base station may perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. The operations of 1520 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, the base station may be configured to perform inter-cell mobility operations based on the stored cell configuration associated with the configured PCI and the selected PCI. Figures 8 to 11 Aspects of the operations of the inter-cell mobility execution unit 1520 are described.

[0163] A summary of aspects of the disclosure is provided below.

[0164] Aspect 1: A method for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifiers include a subset of the configured physical cell identifiers; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based at least in part on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured physical cell identifiers and the selected physical cell identifiers.

[0165] Aspect 2: The method according to aspect 1, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers and the number of selected physical cell identifiers are based at least in part on the inter-cell mobility mode configured for the UE.

[0166] Aspect 3: The method according to aspect 2, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of configured physical cell identifiers per component carrier.

[0167] Aspect 4: The method according to any one of Aspects 2 to 3, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers applicable to an aggregated component carrier group.

[0168] Aspect 5: The method according to any one of Aspects 2 to 4, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers in the candidate serving cell group.

[0169] Aspect 6: The method according to any one of aspects 2 to 5, wherein the number of selected physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of selected physical cell identifiers per component carrier.

[0170] Aspect 7: The method according to any one of Aspects 2 to 6, wherein the number of selected physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of selected physical cell identifiers applicable to the aggregated component carrier group.

[0171] Aspect 8: The method according to any one of Aspects 2 to 7, wherein the number of selected physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of selected physical cell identifiers in the candidate serving cell group.

[0172] Aspect 9: A method according to any one of Aspects 2 to 8, wherein the inter-cell mobility pattern includes a first inter-cell mobility pattern, which associates each transmission and reception point from the transmission and reception point group of the serving cell with a unique physical cell identifier.

[0173] Aspect 10: A method according to any one of aspects 2 to 9, wherein the inter-cell mobility pattern comprises a second inter-cell mobility pattern, which second inter-cell mobility pattern associates each serving cell from a configured serving cell group with a unique physical cell identifier.

[0174] Aspect 11: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein identifying the first configuration includes: receiving configuration signaling indicating the first configuration.

[0175] Aspect 12: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein identifying the second configuration comprises: receiving configuration signaling indicating the second configuration.

[0176] Aspect 13: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the first configuration is statically configured based at least in part on one or more predefined rules.

[0177] Aspect 14: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the second configuration is statically configured based at least in part on one or more predefined rules.

[0178] Aspect 15: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, further comprising: sending a capability report associated with the stored cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based at least in part on the capability report.

[0179] Aspect 16: The method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15 further includes: identifying a configured set of physical cell identifiers based at least in part on a first measurement type having a first measurement periodicity, wherein the configured set of physical cell identifiers is based at least in part on a first configuration.

[0180] Aspect 17: The method according to Aspect 16 also includes: identifying a selected set of physical cell identifiers based at least in part on a second measurement type having a second measurement periodicity less than the first measurement periodicity, wherein the selected set of physical cell identifiers is based at least in part on a second configuration.

[0181] Aspect 18: The method according to aspect 17, wherein the first measurement type comprises layer three measurement; and the second measurement type comprises layer one measurement.

[0182] Aspect 19: A method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 18, wherein the stored cell configuration includes resources used for synchronization signaling, random access signaling, control resource set signaling, search space, bandwidth part or a combination thereof.

[0183] Aspect 20: The method according to any one of aspects 1 to 19, wherein the inter-cell mobility operation includes layer 1 or layer 2 inter-cell mobility operation.

[0184] Aspect 21: A method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a number of selected physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifiers include a subset of the configured physical cell identifiers; and performing inter-cell mobility operations based at least in part on a stored cell configuration associated with the configured physical cell identifiers and the selected physical cell identifiers.

[0185] Aspect 22: The method according to aspect 21, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers and the number of selected physical cell identifiers are based at least in part on the inter-cell mobility mode configured for the UE.

[0186] Aspect 23: The method according to aspect 22, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of configured physical cell identifiers per component carrier.

[0187] Aspect 24: The method according to any one of Aspects 22 to 23, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers applicable to the aggregated component carrier group.

[0188] Aspect 25: The method according to any one of Aspects 22 to 24, wherein the number of configured physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of configured physical cell identifiers in the candidate serving cell group.

[0189] Aspect 26: The method according to any one of Aspects 22 to 25, wherein the number of selected physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of selected physical cell identifiers per component carrier.

[0190] Aspect 27: A method according to any one of Aspects 22 to 26, wherein the number of selected physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation comprises the number of selected physical cell identifiers applicable to the aggregated component carrier group.

[0191] Aspect 28: The method according to any one of Aspects 22 to 27, wherein the number of selected physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode comprises the number of selected physical cell identifiers in the candidate serving cell group.

[0192] Aspect 29: A method according to any one of Aspects 22 to 28, wherein the inter-cell mobility pattern includes a first inter-cell mobility pattern, which associates each transmission and reception point from the transmission and reception point group of the serving cell with a unique physical cell identifier.

[0193] Aspect 30: A method according to any one of aspects 22 to 29, wherein the inter-cell mobility pattern comprises a second inter-cell mobility pattern, which associates each serving cell from the configured serving cell group with a unique physical cell identifier.

[0194] Aspect 31: The method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 30 further includes: sending configuration signaling indicating the first configuration.

[0195] Aspect 32: The method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 31 further includes: sending configuration signaling indicating the second configuration.

[0196] Aspect 33: The method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 32, wherein the first configuration is statically configured based at least in part on one or more predefined rules.

[0197] Aspect 34: The method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 33, wherein the second configuration is statically configured based at least in part on one or more predefined rules.

[0198] Aspect 35: The method according to any one of aspects 21 to 34 further comprises: receiving a capability report associated with the stored cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based at least in part on the capability report.

[0199] Aspect 36: The method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 35 further includes: identifying a configured set of physical cell identifiers based at least in part on a first measurement type having a first measurement periodicity, wherein the configured set of physical cell identifiers is based at least in part on a first configuration.

[0200] Aspect 37: The method according to Aspect 36 also includes: identifying a selected set of physical cell identifiers based at least in part on a second measurement type having a second measurement periodicity less than the first measurement periodicity, wherein the selected set of physical cell identifiers is based at least in part on a second configuration.

[0201] Aspect 38: The method according to aspect 37, wherein the first measurement type includes layer three measurements; and the second measurement type includes layer one measurements.

[0202] Aspect 39: A method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 38, wherein the stored cell configuration includes resources used for synchronization signaling, random access signaling, control resource set signaling, search space, bandwidth part or a combination thereof.

[0203] Aspect 40: The method according to any one of aspects 21 to 39, wherein the inter-cell mobility operation comprises a layer 1 or layer 2 inter-cell mobility operation.

[0204] Aspect 41: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 20.

[0205] Aspect 42: An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE, comprising at least one component for performing the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 20.

[0206] Aspect 43: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a UE, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to perform the method according to any one of aspects 1 to 20.

[0207] Aspect 44: An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 40.

[0208] Aspect 45: An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising at least one component for performing a method according to any one of Aspects 21 to 40.

[0209] Aspect 46: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a base station, the code being executable by a processor to perform instructions of the method according to any one of aspects 21 to 40.

[0210] It should be noted that the methods described herein describe possible implementations, and that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more of the methods may be combined.

[0211] Although aspects of LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR systems may be described for purposes of example, and LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR terminology may be used in many descriptions, the techniques described herein are applicable beyond LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR networks. For example, the techniques described may be applicable to various other wireless communication systems, such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and other systems and radio technologies not explicitly mentioned herein.

[0212] The information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different processes and technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the specification may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0213] The various illustrative blocks and components described in conjunction with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0214] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein may be implemented with a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or a combination of any of these. Features that implement the functions may also be physically located in different locations, including distributed, such that portions of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0215] Computer-readable media include non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, which include any media that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer. As an example and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or may be used to carry or store required program code components and any other non-transitory media that can be accessed by a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer or a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor in the form of instructions or data structures. Disks and optical disks as used herein include CDs, laser optical disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray disks, wherein disks usually copy data magnetically, and optical disks copy data optically with lasers. The above combination is also included in the scope of computer-readable media.

[0216] As used herein, including in the claims, "or" used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items beginning with a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, so that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). In addition, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step described as "based on condition A" can be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on."

[0217] In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference number. In addition, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference number with a dash and a second reference number that distinguishes the similar components. If only the first reference number is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar components having the same first reference number, regardless of the second reference number or other subsequent reference numbers.

[0218] The description set forth herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings describes example configurations and does not represent all examples that may be implemented or within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "used as an example, instance, or illustration," rather than "preferred" or "superior to other examples." In order to provide an understanding of the described techniques, this detailed description includes specific details. However, these techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0219] The description herein is provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make or use the present disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate various modifications, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment UE, comprising: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifiers; and Inter-cell mobility operations are performed based at least in part on the configured physical cell identifier and the selected physical cell identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The number of configured physical cell identifiers and the selected physical cell identifier are based at least in part on an inter-cell mobility mode configured for the UE.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The configured number of physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode comprises a configured number of physical cell identifiers per component carrier.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The number of configured physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The number of configured physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers in the candidate serving cell group.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The selected physical cell identifier for the first inter-cell mobility mode is associated with a component carrier.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The selected physical cell identifier for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation comprises a selected physical cell identifier applicable to a group of aggregated component carriers.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The selected physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode include selected physical cell identifiers in the set of candidate serving cells.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The inter-cell mobility pattern includes a first inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each transmission-reception point in a transmission-reception point group of a serving cell with a unique physical cell identifier.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The inter-cell mobility pattern includes a second inter-cell mobility pattern that associates each serving cell in a configured serving cell group with a unique physical cell identifier.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A capability report is sent in association with a stored cell configuration, wherein the first configuration, the second configuration, or both are based at least in part on the capability report.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A configured set of physical cell identifiers is identified based at least in part on a first measurement type having a first measurement periodicity, wherein the configured set of physical cell identifiers is based at least in part on the first configuration.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: identifying a selected set of physical cell identifiers based at least in part on a second measurement type having a second measurement periodicity less than the first measurement periodicity, wherein The selected set of physical cell identifiers is based at least in part on the second configuration.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The first measurement type includes layer 3 measurements; and The second measurement type includes layer one measurements.

15. A method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein The selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifiers; and Inter-cell mobility operations are performed based at least in part on the configured physical cell identifier and the selected physical cell identifier.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The number of configured physical cell identifiers and the selected physical cell identifier are based at least in part on an inter-cell mobility pattern configured for a user equipment UE.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The configured number of physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode comprises a configured number of physical cell identifiers per component carrier.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The number of configured physical cell identifiers for the first inter-cell mobility mode configured with carrier aggregation includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers applicable to the group of aggregated component carriers.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The number of configured physical cell identifiers for the second inter-cell mobility mode includes the number of configured physical cell identifiers in the candidate serving cell group.

20. An apparatus for performing wireless communication at a user equipment UE, comprising: one or more processors, one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories, the instructions being executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: identifying a first configuration indicating a number of configured physical cell identifiers for inter-cell mobility operations; identifying a second configuration indicating a selected physical cell identifier for inter-cell mobility operations, wherein the selected physical cell identifier is from the configured physical cell identifiers; and Inter-cell mobility operations are performed based at least in part on the configured physical cell identifier and the selected physical cell identifier.

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