Systems and methods for dynamically pruning radio access technologies (RATs) in wireless communication network

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed for performing operations that include obtaining data representative of: one or more characteristics of a first wireless link between a UE device and a wireless network, and one or more characteristics of a second wireless link between the UE device and the wireless network; determining, based on the data: a first estimated data throughput between the UE device concurrently using the first radio link and the second radio link and the wireless network, and a second estimated data throughput between the UE device using the first radio link and not using the second radio link and the wireless network; determining whether a first set of criteria is satisfied based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; and terminating the second wireless link when it is determined that the first set of criteria is satisfied.

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 406,049, filed on September 13, 2022, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY PRUNING RADIO ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES (RATS) IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Wireless communication networks provide integrated communication platforms and telecommunication services to wireless user devices. Example telecommunication services include telephone, data (e.g., voice, audio and / or video data), messaging, Internet access and / or other services. Wireless communication networks have wireless access nodes that exchange wireless signals with wireless user devices using wireless network protocols (such as protocols described in various telecommunication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)). Example wireless communication networks include code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, time division multiple access (TDMA) networks, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) networks, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) networks, long term evolution (LTE) and fifth generation new radio (5G NR). Wireless communication networks use technologies such as OFDM, multiple input multiple output (MIMO), advanced channel coding, massive MIMO, beamforming and / or other features to facilitate mobile broadband services. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) device includes: obtaining data representing: one or more characteristics of a first wireless link between the UE device and a wireless network; and one or more characteristics of a second wireless link between the UE device and the wireless network; determining, based on the data: a first estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network that concurrently uses the first wireless link and the second wireless link; and a second estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network that uses the first wireless link and does not use the second wireless link; determining whether a first set of criteria is met based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; and terminating the second wireless link when it is determined that the first set of criteria is met.

[0005] Implementations of this aspect may include one or more of the following features.

[0006] In some implementations, the one or more characteristics of the first wireless link can include a signal strength of the first wireless link, and the one or more characteristics of the second wireless link can include a signal strength of the second wireless link.

[0007] In some implementations, the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput can be determined based on a signal strength of the first wireless link and a signal strength of the second wireless link.

[0008] In some implementations, the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput can be determined based on historical data obtained from one or more additional UE devices.

[0009] In some implementations, the first set of criteria can include a criterion that the second estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the first estimated data throughput and a constant value.

[0010] In some implementations, the constant value can be zero.

[0011] In some implementations, the constant value can be greater than zero.

[0012] In some implementations, the first set of criteria may also include a criterion indicating that a first measure of upload activity of the UE device is greater than a first threshold.

[0013] In some implementations, the first metric can be calculated based on an uplink duty cycle of the UE device.

[0014] In some implementations, the first set of criteria may also include a criterion indicating that a second metric of download activity of the UE device is less than a second threshold.

[0015] In some implementations, the second metric can be calculated based on a downlink duty cycle of the UE device.

[0016] In some implementations, the first wireless link can be established using a first radio access technology (RAT), and the second wireless link can be established using a second RAT different from the first RAT.

[0017] In some implementations, the first RAT can be an independent RAT and the second RAT can be a non-independent RAT.

[0018] In some implementations, the first RAT may be a fourth generation (4G) RAT, and the second RAT may be a fifth generation non-standalone (5G-NSA) RAT.

[0019] In some implementations, the method may further include, after terminating the second wireless link: re-determining, based on the data: the first estimated data throughput; and

[0020] a second estimated data throughput; determining whether a second set of criteria is met based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; and re-establishing the second wireless link when it is determined that the second set of criteria is met.

[0021] In some implementations, the second set of criteria can include a criterion that the first estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the second estimated data throughput and a constant value.

[0022] In some implementations, the second set of criteria can include a criterion that the second radio link is terminated earlier than a threshold time.

[0023] In another aspect, an apparatus comprises one or more baseband processors configured to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0024] In another aspect, a system includes one or more processors and one or more storage devices having stored thereon instructions operable when executed by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0025] In another aspect, a non-transitory computer storage medium is encoded with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0026] The details of one or more embodiments of these systems and methods are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of these systems and methods will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 A wireless network according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0028] Figure 2 An example radio access technology (RAT) pruning circuit is illustrated.

[0029] Figure 3 An example process for dynamically pruning a RAT is illustrated.

[0030] Figure 4 An example graph for estimating throughput based on signal strength of a wireless link is illustrated.

[0031] Figure 5 Flowcharts illustrating example methods according to some implementations are shown.

[0032] Figure 6 A user equipment (UE) according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0033] Figure 7 An access node according to some implementations is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Generally speaking, electronic devices can communicate with each other via wireless networks. As an example, a first electronic device can establish one or more wireless links with a second electronic device (e.g., using one or more wireless radio components, transmitters, receivers, transceivers, etc.). In addition, the first electronic device can use the one or more wireless links to send data to the second device and / or receive data from the second device.

[0035] In some implementations, a user equipment (UE) device may establish one or more wireless links with a base station of a wireless network and use the base station as an intermediary to communicate with one or more other devices (e.g., other UE devices, base stations, etc.). For example, a UE device may establish one or more wireless links with a base station and send data to the base station via the one or more wireless links. The base station may then retain the data and / or send the data to one or more other devices (e.g., via one or more additional wired links and / or wireless links). In addition, the UE may receive data (e.g., data generated by a base station and / or a device communicatively coupled to the base station) from the base station via one or more wireless links.

[0036] In addition, the UE device can use one or more radio access technologies (RATs) to establish a wireless link. Generally speaking, RAT refers to the underlying physical connection method used for a wireless network. Example RATs for cellular networks include those defined by technical standards developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and 5G New Radio (5G NR).

[0037] In some specific implementations, the UE device may concurrently use multiple RATs to establish a wireless link. As an example, the UE may concurrently use a first RAT to establish a first wireless link with a first base station and a second wireless link with a second base station using a second RAT. In addition, the UE may concurrently exchange data with the first base station and the second base station using the first wireless link and the second wireless link. This is beneficial in, for example, enabling the UE device to exchange data faster and / or more reliably in at least some cases. For example, in some cases, the UE device may concurrently use multiple RATs (e.g., by combining the bandwidth or throughput of the wireless links established by these RATs) to send and / or receive data faster than using a single RAT alone. As another example, in some cases, the UE device may concurrently use multiple RATs to send and / or receive data more reliably or more resiliently than using a single RAT alone.

[0038] However, in some cases, it may be more beneficial for a UE device to establish a wireless link using a single RAT at a time. For example, a UE device may have limited resources (e.g., limited power resources, computing resources, etc.) that may be deployed to send and / or receive data. Due at least in part to these limitations, in some cases, network performance of a UE device may be improved by establishing a wireless link with a base station using a single RAT at a time rather than using multiple RATs concurrently.

[0039] As an example, a UE may include multiple antennas, each of which is used to send or receive data using a different corresponding RAT. In addition, the UE device may have a limited transmit power budget that can be shared across the antennas (e.g., based on technical and / or regulatory considerations). In some cases, the UE device can send and / or receive data with a base station more quickly, efficiently, and / or reliably by establishing a wireless link using a single RAT (e.g., using a single corresponding antenna) rather than concurrently using multiple RATs (e.g., using multiple corresponding antennas). For example, this may be the case when the UE device is far away from the base station.

[0040] In order to improve the performance of the UE device, the UE device can dynamically adjust the number and / or type of RATs used to establish a wireless link with a base station. For example, the UE device can concurrently use multiple RATs to establish multiple corresponding wireless links with one or more base stations. In addition, once it is determined that doing so will improve the network performance of the UE device, the UE can dynamically terminate the use of one or more RATs (and, accordingly, the wireless links associated with the terminated RATs). This can be referred to as "pruning" one or more RATs in the RAT.

[0041] As an example, the UE device may use two RATs to establish two concurrent radio links with one or more base stations, and concurrently use the radio links to send and / or receive data. Upon determining that it would be more beneficial to use a single RAT instead, the UE may dynamically terminate the use of one of the RATs (e.g., "prune" one of the RATs) so that a single radio link is maintained using the single RAT, and the remaining radio link is used to send and / or receive data. In addition, upon determining that it would be beneficial to use the two RATs concurrently, the UE device may dynamically reestablish the previously terminated radio link using the previously pruned RAT, and concurrently use the two radio links to send and / or receive data.

[0042] Example systems and techniques for dynamically adjusting the number and / or types of RATs used by a UE device are described in further detail below.

[0043] Figure 1 A wireless network 100 is illustrated according to some implementations. The wireless network 100 includes UEs 102 and base stations 104 connected via one or more channels 106A, 106B across an air interface 108. The UEs 102 and base stations 104 communicate using a system that supports control for managing access of the UEs 102 to the network via the base stations 104.

[0044] In some implementations, the wireless network 100 may be a non-standalone (NSA) network that combines Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication standards as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical specifications. For example, the wireless network 100 may be an E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) network or an NR-EUTRA dual connectivity (NE-DC) network. However, the wireless network 100 may also be a standalone (SA) network that combines only 5G NR. In addition, other types of communication standards are possible, including future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G) systems), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11a; IEEE 802.11b; IEEE 802.11g; IEEE802.11-2007; IEEE 802.11n; IEEE 802.11-2012; IEEE 802.11ac; or other currently or future developed IEEE 802.11 technologies), IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc. Although various aspects may be described herein using terms generally associated with 5G NR, various aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to other systems, such as 3G, 4G, and / or systems after 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0045] In the wireless network 100, the UE 102 and any other UEs in the system may be, for example, laptops, smart phones, tablet computers, machine-type devices such as smart meters or dedicated devices for healthcare, intelligent transportation systems, or any other wireless devices with or without a user interface. In the network 100, the base station 104 provides the UE 102 with a network connection to a wider network (not shown). The UE 102 connection is provided via an air interface 108 in a base station service area provided by the base station 104. In some specific implementations, this wider network may be a wide area network operated by a cellular network provider, or may be the Internet. Each base station service area associated with the base station 104 is supported by an antenna integrated with the base station 104. The service area is divided into a plurality of sectors associated with certain antennas. Such sectors may be physically associated with fixed antennas, or may be assigned to physical areas with tunable antennas or antenna settings that may be adjusted in a beamforming process for directing signals to a particular sector.

[0046] UE 102 includes control circuitry 110 coupled to transmit circuitry 112 and receive circuitry 114. Transmit circuitry 112 and receive circuitry 114 may each be coupled to one or more antennas. Control circuitry 110 may include various combinations of dedicated circuitry and baseband circuitry. Transmit circuitry 112 and receive circuitry 114 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively, and may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry or front end module (FEM) circuitry.

[0047] In various implementations, aspects of the transmit circuitry 112, receive circuitry 114, and control circuitry 110 may be integrated in various ways to implement the operations described herein. The control circuitry 110 may be adapted or configured to perform various operations, such as the UE-related operations described elsewhere in this disclosure. For example, the control circuitry 110 may be adapted or configured to (e.g., using the transmit circuitry 112 and / or receive circuitry 114) dynamically adjust the number and / or type of RATs used to establish a wireless link between the UE 102 and the base station 104.

[0048] The transmission circuit 112 may perform various operations described in this specification. For example, the transmission circuit 112 may be adapted or configured to dynamically establish and / or terminate one or more wireless links between the user equipment 102 and the base station 104 (e.g., using one or more RATs according to commands provided by the control circuit 110). In addition, the transmission circuit 112 may transmit a plurality of multiplexed uplink physical channels. The plurality of uplink physical channels may be multiplexed according to time division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and carrier aggregation. The transmission circuit 112 may be configured to receive block data from the control circuit 110 for transmission across the air interface 108.

[0049] The receiving circuit 114 may perform various operations described in this specification. For example, the receiving circuit 114 may be adapted or configured to dynamically establish and / or terminate one or more wireless links between the user equipment 102 and the base station 104, 104 (e.g., using one or more RATs according to commands provided by the control circuit 110). Additionally, the receiving circuit 114 may receive a plurality of multiplexed downlink physical channels from the air interface 108 and relay these physical channels to the control circuit 110. The plurality of downlink physical channels may be multiplexed according to TDM or FDM and carrier aggregation. The transmitting circuit 112 and the receiving circuit 114 may transmit and receive both control data and content data (e.g., messages, images, videos, etc.) structured within data blocks carried by the physical channels.

[0050] Figure 1 A base station 104 is also illustrated. In a specific implementation, the base station 104 may be an NG radio access network (RAN) or a 5G RAN, an E-UTRAN, a non-terrestrial cell, or a traditional RAN such as a UTRAN or a GERAN. As used herein, the term "NG RAN" or the like may refer to a base station 104 operating in an NR or 5G wireless network 100, and the term "E-UTRAN" or the like may refer to a base station 104 operating in an LTE or 4G wireless network 100. The UE 102 utilizes connections (or channels) 106A, 106B, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer.

[0051] The base station 104 circuitry may include a control circuit 116 coupled to a transmit circuit 118 and a receive circuit 120. The transmit circuit 118 and the receive circuit 120 may each be coupled to one or more antennas that may be used to enable communication via the air interface 108. The transmit circuit 118 and the receive circuit 120 may be adapted to transmit and receive data, respectively, to any UE connected to the base station 104. The transmit circuit 118 may transmit a downlink physical channel including a plurality of downlink subframes. The receive circuit 120 may receive a plurality of uplink physical channels from various UEs including the UE 102.

[0052] exist Figure 1In the embodiment, one or more channels 106A, 106B are illustrated as air interfaces for implementing communication coupling, and may conform to cellular communication protocols, such as GSM protocols, CDMA network protocols, UMTS protocols, 3GPP LTE protocols, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) protocols, LTE-based unlicensed spectrum access (LTE-U), 5G protocols, NR protocols, NR-based unlicensed spectrum access (NR-U) protocols, and / or any other communication protocols discussed herein. In a specific implementation, UE 102 may directly exchange communication data via the ProSe interface. The ProSe interface may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface and may include one or more logical channels, including, but not limited to, a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), and a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH).

[0053] As described above, in order to improve the performance of the UE device, the UE device can dynamically adjust the number and / or type of RATs used to establish a wireless link with a base station. For example, the UE device can concurrently use multiple RATs to establish multiple corresponding wireless links with one or more base stations, and dynamically prune the RATs and terminate their corresponding wireless links when it is determined that doing so will improve the network performance of the UE device. Similarly, the UE device can use the previously pruned RAT to reestablish the previously terminated wireless link when it is determined that doing so will improve the network performance of the UE device.

[0054] Figure 2 An example RAT pruning circuit 200 is shown for performing at least some of the operations described herein. The RAT pruning circuit 200 includes a duty cycle monitor 202, a throughput estimator 204, and a RAT controller 206. In some implementations, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may be at least partially implemented in a UE device (e.g., Figure 1 In some specific implementations, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may be implemented at least partially in the control circuit, the transmission circuit and / or the reception circuit of the UE device (e.g., Figure 1 The invention is implemented in the control circuit 110, the transmitting circuit 112 and / or the receiving circuit 114 shown in FIG.

[0055] In general, the RAT controller 206 is adapted to or configured to control the establishment and / or termination of wireless links between electronic devices using one or more RATs. As an example, if the RAT pruning circuit 200 is implemented in a UE device, the RAT controller 206 may be configured to dynamically establish one or more wireless links between the UE device and another electronic device (e.g., a base station), and dynamically terminate one or more of the established wireless links.

[0056] In addition, the RAT controller 206 may specify which specific RAT is used to establish each corresponding radio link, and which RAT should be terminated or pruned. For example, the RAT controller 206 may specify that two radio links are established using two corresponding RATs. In addition, the RAT may specify that one of the RATs (and its corresponding radio link) is terminated or pruned. In addition, the RAT may specify that the pruned RAT (and its corresponding radio link) is reestablished.

[0057] In general, the duty cycle monitor 202 is adapted or configured to determine a proportion of time that a device (e.g., a UE device) of the RAT pruning circuit 200 is performing certain network operations. As an example, the duty cycle monitor 202 may be adapted or configured to determine a proportion of time that the UE device is uploading data (e.g., sending data to another device such as a base station). As another example, the duty cycle monitor may be adapted or configured to determine a proportion of time that the UE device is downloading data (e.g., receiving data from another device such as a base station).

[0058] In general, the throughput estimator 204 is adapted or configured to estimate the network performance of a device (e.g., a UE device) of the RAT pruning circuit 200 based on various conditions or configurations of the device. As an example, the throughput estimator 204 may be configured to estimate the data throughput between the UE device and the base station using the current network configuration of the UE device (e.g., using the current configuration of the RAT). As another example, the throughput estimator 204 may be configured to estimate the data throughput between the UE device and the base station if the UE device will establish one or more additional radio links with the base station using one or more additional RATs (e.g., concurrently with previously established radio links). As another example, the throughput estimator 204 may be configured to estimate the data throughput between the UE device and the base station if the UE device will terminate (or "prune") one or more RATs and their corresponding radio links.

[0059] In some implementations, the RAT controller 206 controls establishment and / or termination of the radio link based on data provided by the duty cycle monitor 202 and the throughput estimator 204 .

[0060] As an example, the RAT controller 206 may receive data from the duty cycle monitor 202 and the throughput estimator 204 and determine that the data meets a particular set of criteria. In response, the RAT controller may cause multiple radio links to be established (e.g., between a UE device and a base station) using multiple RATs concurrently. These criteria may indicate, for example, situations where it would be advantageous to concurrently send and / or receive data via multiple radio links and multiple RATs (e.g., concurrently use multiple radio links to quickly and reliably transmit data, etc.).

[0061] As another example, the RAT controller 206 may receive data from the duty cycle monitor 202 and the throughput estimator 204 and determine that the data meets another set of criteria. In response, the RAT controller may cause one or more of the RATs (and their corresponding radio links) to be terminated or pruned. For example, the criteria may indicate circumstances where it would be advantageous to send and / or receive data via fewer radio links and RATs (e.g., using a single radio link of a single RAT at a time).

[0062] The example process 300 for dynamically pruning a RAT Figure 3 . Specifically, process 300 may be performed by a UE device to determine whether to concurrently use two RATs to maintain two concurrent wireless links with one or more base stations, or to selectively prune one of the RATs (and terminate its corresponding wireless link) so that only a single RAT and a single wireless link are maintained. For example, process 300 may be performed by a UE device to determine: (i) concurrently maintain a first wireless link (established using a first RAT) and a second wireless link (established using a second RAT); or (ii) selectively prune the second RAT and terminate the second wireless link so that only the first wireless link is maintained using the first RAT. For example, process 300 may be performed using the RAT pruning circuit 200 of the UE device.

[0063] In process 300, RAT pruning circuitry 200 monitors the proportion of time that a UE device is performing certain network operations (block 302). As an example, as described above, RAT pruning circuitry 200 may receive data from duty cycle monitor 202 indicating the proportion of time that a UE device is uploading data to a base station (e.g., an "uplink duty cycle"). As another example, RAT pruning circuitry 200 may receive data from duty cycle monitor 202 indicating the proportion of time that a UE device is downloading data (e.g., a "downlink duty cycle").

[0064] In some implementations, the uplink duty cycle may be calculated according to the following relationship:

[0065] dc T,UL =ActiveTime UL / TotalTime,

[0066] where dc T,UL is the uplink duty cycle, ActiveTime UL is the amount of time (or number of time slots) for uplink transmission from the UE device to the base station in the time window TotalTime. In some implementations, the uplink duty cycle is calculated periodically (eg, within a sliding time window TotalTime).

[0067] Similarly, the uplink duty cycle can be calculated according to the following relationship:

[0068] dc T,DL =ActiveTime DL / TotalTime,

[0069] where dc T,DL is the downlink duty cycle, ActiveTime DL is the amount of time (or number of time slots) for downlink transmission from the base station to the UE device in the time window TotalTime. In some implementations, the downlink duty cycle is calculated periodically (eg, within a sliding time window TotalTime).

[0070] In some implementations, the weighted duty cycle may be determined based on the historical activity of the UE device. For example, the weighted uplink duty cycle may be calculated according to the following relationship:

[0071] DC T,UL =(1-α)*DC T-1,UL +α*dc T,UL ,

[0072] DC T,UL is the weighted uplink duty cycle (eg, at time T), dc T,UL is the uplink duty cycle, DC T-1,UL is a previously determined (e.g., at time T-1) weighted uplink duty cycle, and α is a weighting factor. The weighting factor α is an adjustable value and can be set based on empirical studies. As an example, in some implementations, the weighting factor α can be 1 / 8. In implementations, higher or lower weighting factors can be used to weight historical activities differently.

[0073] Similarly, the weighted downlink duty cycle can be calculated according to the following relationship:

[0074] DC T,DL =(1-α)*DC T-1,DL +α*dc T,DL ,

[0075] DC T,DL is the weighted downlink duty cycle (eg, at time T), dc T,DL is the downlink duty cycle, DC T-1,DLis a previously determined (e.g., at time T-1) weighted downlink duty cycle, and α is a weighting factor. As described above, the weighting factor α is an adjustable value and can be set based on empirical studies. As an example, in some specific implementations, the weighting factor α can be 1 / 8. In implementations, higher or lower weighting factors can be used to weight historical activities differently.

[0076] In addition, according to process 300, RAT pruning circuit 200 determines whether the UE device is running any application that can be considered "uplink-centric" (block 304). Uplink-centric applications can refer to applications that upload data (e.g., from the UE to the base station) at a particular high frequency or rate.

[0077] In some implementations, the RAT pruning circuit 200 can be configured to reduce the weighted uplink duty cycle DC T,UL Threshold UL A comparison is performed to determine if the UE device is running any uplink-centric applications. For example, if the DC T,UL >Threshold UL , the RAT pruning circuit 200 may determine that the UE device is running an uplink-centric application. As another example, if the DC T,UL ≤Threshold UL , the RAT pruning circuit 200 can determine that the UE device is not running an uplink-centric application. UL is an adjustable value and can be set based on empirical studies.

[0078] If the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that the UE device is not running any uplink-centric applications, the RAT pruning circuit 200 causes the two corresponding RATs to be used to maintain the two radio links between the UE and the base station (block 306). For example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may avoid pruning any of the RATs (and avoid terminating their corresponding radio links between the UE device and the base station). As another example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may use the RAT controller 206 to instruct the transmitting circuit 112 and / or the receiving circuit 114 to maintain the two RATs (and maintain their corresponding radio links between the UE device and the base station).

[0079] Alternatively, if the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that the UE device is running an uplink-centric application, the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines whether the UE device is running any application that can be considered "downlink-centric" (block 308). A downlink-centric application may refer to an application that downloads data (e.g., from a base station to a UE) at a particular high frequency or high rate.

[0080] In some implementations, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may be configured to prune the downlink traffic by setting the weighted downlink duty cycle DC T,DL Threshold DL A comparison is performed to determine if the UE device is running any downlink-centric applications. For example, if the DC T,DL >Threshold DL , the RAT pruning circuit 200 may determine that the UE device is running a downlink-centric application. As another example, if the DC T,DL ≤Threshold DL , the RAT pruning circuit 200 can determine that the UE device is not running a downlink-centric application. DL is an adjustable value and can be set based on empirical studies.

[0081] If the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that the UE device is running a downlink-centric application, the RAT pruning circuit 200 causes the two corresponding RATs to be used to maintain the two radio links between the UE and the base station (block 306). For example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may avoid pruning any of the RATs (and avoid terminating their corresponding radio links between the UE device and the base station). As another example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may use the RAT controller 206 to instruct the transmitting circuit 112 and / or the receiving circuit 114 to maintain the two RATs (and maintain their corresponding radio links between the UE device and the base station).

[0082] Alternatively, if the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that the UE device is not running a downlink-centric application, the RAT pruning circuit 200 estimates the throughput of the UE device (block 310). Specifically, the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines the throughput (referred to as TTP) of the UE device to the base station based on the current network configuration of the UE device (e.g., where two RATs are used concurrently to maintain two wireless links). current In addition, if one of the RATs is to be pruned and its corresponding radio link is to be terminated, the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines the throughput (referred to as THTP) of the UE device to the base station. prune ).

[0083] As described above, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may receive an estimate of the throughput of the UE device from the throughput estimator 204. In some implementations, the throughput estimator 204 may estimate the throughput of the UE device based on the properties or characteristics of the wireless link between the UE device and the base station. For example, the throughput estimator 204 may obtain data representing the signal strength of the wireless link, such as reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), or any other metric representing the signal strength of the wireless link. In addition, the throughput estimator may obtain data representing radio configuration parameters of the UE device, such as channel bandwidth (BW), modulation and coding scheme (MSC), etc.

[0084] Based on the data, the throughput estimator 204 can estimate the throughput of the UE (eg, THTP current and THTP prune For example, in some implementations, given a particular signal strength and radio configuration of a UE device, the throughput estimator 204 can estimate the throughput of the UE using a lookup table or chart (e.g., a predefined table or chart) showing a particular estimated bandwidth.

[0085] Figure 4 An example graph 400 adapted from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Report 36.942 V10.3.0 is shown in FIG. 400. Graph 400 indicates the corresponding estimated throughput (vertical axis) for a given radio configuration (specific plotted line) and a given signal strength (horizontal axis). In graph 400, the estimated throughput is indicated in bits per second per Hz of bandwidth. The total effective throughput can be determined by multiplying this number by the bandwidth of the wireless link.

[0086] In some implementations, the throughput estimator 204 may use crowdsourced measurements or observations to estimate the throughput of the UE device. For example, the monitoring system may collect data about the network performance (e.g., throughput) of multiple UE devices under various conditions (e.g., location, signal strength of the wireless link, radio configuration, RAT, telecommunications operator or provider, device type, etc.). In addition, the monitoring system may determine correlations or trends between the conditions of the UE device and its network performance. Based on these correlations or trends, the monitoring system may estimate the network performance of the UE device given a specific set of conditions of the UE device (e.g., by interpolating or extrapolating the estimated network performance from the correlations or trends given the set of conditions of the UE device). In some implementations, the monitoring system may be implemented as part of the throughput estimator 204 and / or the RAT pruning circuit 200. In some implementations, the monitoring system may be implemented away from the throughput estimator 204 and / or the RAT pruning circuit 200 (e.g., on a remote server or cloud computing platform), and may provide data about the estimated throughput to the throughput estimator 204 and / or the RAT pruning circuit 200 via a wired link or a wireless link.

[0087] In some implementations, the throughput THTP curr The throughput TTP may be determined by measuring the signal strength of a wireless link currently established (eg, using a currently active RAT) and determining a throughput TTP corresponding to the measured signal strength. curr (e.g., using a lookup table or graph and / or a monitoring system, as described above).

[0088] In addition, by measuring the signal strength of the currently established radio link and estimating the signal strength if one of the RATs and its corresponding radio link is to be terminated or pruned, the throughput THTP can be estimated. prune This estimated signal strength may then be used (eg, using a lookup table or graph and / or a monitoring system, as described above) to determine a throughput THTP prune .

[0089] As an example, the throughput THTP curr The SNR of the currently established wireless link can be measured. curr ) and determining (e.g., using a lookup table or graph and / or a monitoring system, as described above) a signal strength SNR corresponding to the measured signal strength curr The corresponding throughput THTP current To estimate.

[0090] Furthermore, if one of the wireless links is to be terminated (or “pruned”), the signal strength (SNP) can be estimated according to the following relationship: prune) to estimate the throughput THTP curr :

[0091]

[0092] Where P is the transmit power and N ant,curr is the number of antennas used in the current network configuration (eg, using two RATs concurrently), and N ant,prune is the number of antennas that will be used in the network configuration in which one of the RATs and the radio link will be terminated or pruned.

[0093] For example, for the example UE device, N ant,curr =2 and N ant,prune =1. Accordingly, for this example UE device, SNR prune =SNR curr +3dB. During implementation, the UE device may have a configuration other than the above configuration.

[0094] Re-reference Figure 3 , the RAT pruning circuit 200 will increase the throughput THTP prune THTP with throughput curr A comparison is performed (block 312).

[0095] If the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that THTP prune ≤THTP curr , indicating that by maintaining two RATs and their corresponding radio links instead of only maintaining a single RAT and a single radio link, the network performance of the UE device can be higher. Based on the determination, the RAT pruning circuit 200 causes the two corresponding RATs to be used to maintain the two radio links between the UE and the base station (block 306). For example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 can avoid pruning any of the RATs (and avoid terminating their corresponding radio links between the UE device and the base station). As another example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 can use the RAT controller 206 to instruct the transmission circuit 112 and / or the reception circuit 114 to maintain the two RATs (and maintain their corresponding radio links between the UE device and the base station).

[0096] Alternatively, if the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that THTP prune >THTP curr, indicating that by selectively pruning one of the RATs and terminating its corresponding radio link rather than maintaining both RATs and radio links, the network performance of the UE device can be higher. Based on the determination, the RAT pruning circuit 200 selectively causes one of the RATs to be terminated or pruned (block 314). For example, the RAT pruning circuit 200 can use the RAT controller 206 to instruct the transmitting circuit 112 and / or the receiving circuit 114 to maintain a first radio link between the UE device and the base station using the first RAT, and terminate a second radio link between the UE device and the base station using the second RAT.

[0097] In general, the UE device may perform process 300 to determine whether to concurrently use two RATs to maintain two wireless links, or to selectively prune the RATs and terminate their corresponding wireless links. As an example, the UE device may establish a first wireless link using a first RAT and a second wireless link using a second RAT. If a certain set of criteria is met (e.g., the UE device is running an uplink-centric application, no downlink-centric application is running, and the THTP prune >THTP curr ), the UE device may selectively prune the second RAT, terminate the second radio link, and maintain the first radio link using the first RAT. Otherwise, if the set of criteria is not met (e.g., the UE device is not running an uplink-centric application, is running a downlink-centric application, and / or the THTP prune ≤THTP curr ), the UE device can use the first RAT and the second RAT to maintain both the first wireless link and the second wireless link, respectively.

[0098] As described above, in some implementations, different corresponding RATs may be used to establish the first wireless link and the second wireless link. In addition, in some implementations, the RAT may enable the UE device to establish an "independent" (SA) wireless link (e.g., a wireless link that can operate independently of other wireless links) with one or more base stations and / or establish a "non-independent" (NSA) wireless link (e.g., a wireless link that operates in conjunction with other wireless links) with one or more base stations. For example, a first RAT may enable the UE device to establish a first SA wireless link, and a second RAT may enable the UE device to establish a second NSA wireless link. The first SA wireless link may operate independently of or in conjunction with the second NSA wireless link, while the second NSA wireless link operates only in conjunction with the first SA wireless link.

[0099] As an example, according to 5G E-UTRAN New Radio Dual Connectivity (5G ENDC), a UE device may concurrently use a 4G (e.g., LTE) wireless link and a 5G wireless link to access a wireless network. In this example, the first SA wireless link may be an LTE wireless link, and the second NSA wireless link may be a 5G NSA FR1 wireless link (which operates only in conjunction with the LTE wireless link). The UE device may perform process 300 to determine whether to concurrently maintain the LTE wireless link and the 5G NSA FR1 wireless link, or to selectively terminate the 5G NSA FR1 wireless link and maintain only the LTE wireless link.

[0100] Although example types of wireless links and RATs are described above, during implementation, the systems and techniques described herein may be used to coordinate operation of other types of wireless links and RATs (eg, in addition to or in place of those described above).

[0101] In addition, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may continue to monitor the network performance of the UE device to determine whether to re-add the previously pruned RAT and re-establish its corresponding wireless link. As an example, after pruning the RAT, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may determine the throughput (referred to as THT) of the UE device to the base station based on the current network configuration of the UE device (e.g., where a single RAT is used to maintain a single wireless link). current In addition, the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines the throughput (referred to as THTP) of the UE device to the base station if the previously pruned RAT is to be re-added or reactivated and its corresponding radio link is to be re-established. after_rat_addition ). If the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that THTP after_rat_addition >THTP curr , this indicates that by selectively re-adding or reactivating the previously pruned RAT and re-establishing its corresponding RAT, rather than using only a single RAT and a single radio link, the network performance of the UE device can be higher. Based on the determination, the RAT pruning circuit 200 selectively causes the previously pruned RAT to be re-added or reactivated and its corresponding radio link to be re-established. Otherwise, the RAT pruning circuit 200 maintains the use of a single RAT and a single corresponding radio link.

[0102] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated example process 300, the RAT pruning circuit 200 performs a pruning operation in part by comparing the throughput THTP prune and throughput THTP curr to determine whether to prune the RAT (block 312). However, in some implementations, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may determine whether to prune the RAT in part by comparing the throughput THTP pruneand throughput THTP curr A constant value C is added to determine whether to prune the RAT.

[0103] As an example, if the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that THTP prune >THTP curr +C1, this indicates that by selectively pruning one of the RATs and terminating its corresponding radio link instead of maintaining both RATs and radio links, the network performance of the UE device can be improved to a sufficiently large extent (e.g., the throughput is increased by at least C1). Based on this determination, the RAT pruning circuit 200 selectively causes one of the RATs to be terminated or pruned (block 314). Otherwise, the RAT pruning circuit 200 causes the two corresponding RATs to be used to maintain the two radio links between the UE and the base station (block 306).

[0104] Similarly, a constant value may be used to determine whether to re-add or reactivate a previously pruned RAT. For example, if the RAT pruning circuit 200 determines that THTP after_rat_addition >THTP curr +C2, this indicates that by selectively re-adding or reactivating the previously pruned RAT and re-establishing its corresponding radio link instead of using only a single RAT and a single radio link, the network performance of the UE device can be improved to a sufficiently large extent (e.g., the throughput is increased by at least C2). Based on this determination, the RAT pruning circuit 200 selectively causes the previously pruned RAT to be re-added or reactivated and its corresponding radio link to be re-established. Otherwise, the RAT pruning circuit 200 maintains the use of a single RAT and a single corresponding radio link.

[0105] The use of constant values ​​C1 and C2 may be beneficial, for example, in reducing the frequency with which a RAT is pruned and / or subsequently re-added or reactivated (which may degrade performance of the UE and / or the wireless network). In implementation, constant values ​​C1 and C2 are adjustable values ​​and may be set based on empirical studies. In some implementations, at least one of C1 and C2 may be zero. In some implementations, at least one of C1 and C2 may be greater than zero.

[0106] In some implementations, after the RAT pruning circuit 200 has pruned a RAT, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may avoid re-adding or reactivating the RAT for a time interval t1. In addition, after the RAT pruning circuit 200 has re-added or reactivated the RAT, the RAT pruning circuit 200 may avoid pruning the RAT for a time interval t2. For example, limiting pruning and reactivation in this manner may be beneficial in reducing the frequency with which a RAT is pruned and / or subsequently re-added or reactivated (which may degrade performance of the UE and / or wireless network). In implementations, the time intervals t1 and t2 are adjustable values ​​and may be set based on empirical studies. In some implementations, at least one of t1 and t2 may be zero. In some implementations, at least one of t1 and t2 may be greater than zero.

[0107] Figure 5 A flow chart of an example method 500 according to some specific implementations is illustrated. For clarity of presentation, the following description generally describes the method 500 in the context of other figures in this specification. For example, the method 500 can be performed by a UE 102 (e.g., Figure 1 ) and / or the RAT pruning circuit 200 (e.g., as shown in Figure 2 It should be understood that method 500 may be performed, for example, by any suitable system, environment, software, hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, and hardware. In some specific implementations, the steps of method 500 may be executed in parallel, in combination, in a loop, or in any order.

[0108] In method 500, a UE device obtains data representing: (i) one or more characteristics of a first wireless link between the UE device and a wireless network; and (ii) one or more characteristics of a second wireless link between the UE device and the wireless network (block 502).

[0109] In some implementations, the one or more characteristics of the first wireless link may include a signal strength of the first wireless link. In addition, the one or more characteristics of the second wireless link may include a signal strength of the second wireless link.

[0110] In addition, the UE device determines, based on the data: (i) a first estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network using the first wireless link and the second wireless link concurrently; and (ii) a second estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network using the first wireless link and not using the second wireless link (box 504).

[0111] In some implementations, the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput can be determined based on a signal strength of the first wireless link and a signal strength of the second wireless link.

[0112] In some implementations, the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput can be determined based on historical data obtained from one or more additional UE devices.

[0113] Additionally, the UE device determines whether a first set of criteria is met based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput (block 506).

[0114] In some implementations, the first set of criteria may include a criterion that the second estimated data throughput is greater than the sum of the first estimated data throughput and a constant value. In some implementations, the constant value may be zero. In some implementations, the constant value may be greater than zero.

[0115] In some implementations, the first set of criteria may include a criterion indicating that a first metric of upload activity of the UE device is greater than a first threshold. In some implementations, the first metric may be calculated based on an uplink duty cycle of the UE device.

[0116] In some implementations, the first set of criteria may include a criterion indicating that a second metric of download activity of the UE device is less than a second threshold. In some implementations, the second metric may be calculated based on a downlink duty cycle of the UE device.

[0117] Furthermore, upon determining that the first set of criteria is met, the UE device terminates the second radio link (block 508).

[0118] In some implementations, the first wireless link can be established using a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second wireless link can be established using a second RAT different from the first RAT.

[0119] In some implementations, the first RAT can be an independent RAT and the second RAT can be a non-independent RAT.

[0120] In some implementations, the first RAT may be a fourth generation (4G) RAT, and the second RAT may be a fifth generation non-standalone (5G-NSA) RAT.

[0121] In some implementations, after terminating the second radio link, the UE device may re-determine based on the data: (i) the first estimated data throughput; and (ii) the second estimated data throughput. In addition, the UE device may determine whether a second set of criteria is met based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput. In addition, when it is determined that the second set of criteria is met, the UE device may re-establish the second radio link.

[0122] In some implementations, the second set of criteria can include a criterion that the first estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the second estimated data throughput and a constant value.

[0123] In some implementations, the second set of criteria can include a criterion that the second radio link is terminated earlier than a threshold time.

[0124] Figure 5 The example method 500 shown may be modified or reconfigured to include additional, fewer, or different steps ( Figure 5 ), these steps can be performed in the order shown or in a different order.

[0125] Figure 6 UE 600 according to some specific implementations is illustrated. UE 600 may be similar to Figure 1 UE 102 and is substantially interchangeable therewith.

[0126] UE 600 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, a tablet, an industrial wireless sensor (e.g., a microphone, a pressure sensor, a thermometer, a motion sensor, an accelerometer, an inventory sensor, a voltage / current meter, etc.), a video device (e.g., a camera, a camcorder, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), or a loose IoT device.

[0127] UE 600 may include a processor 602, RF interface circuitry 604, memory / storage 606, a user interface 608, a sensor 610, a driver circuit 612, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 614, antenna structures 616, and a battery 618. The components of UE 600 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of integrated circuits, discrete electronic devices or other modules, logical components, hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Figure 6 The block diagram of UE 600 is intended to show a high-level view of certain of the components of UE 600. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other implementations.

[0128] Components of UE 600 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 620, which may represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmission line, trace, optical connection, etc., which allows various circuit components (on a common or different chip or chipset) to interact with each other.

[0129] The processor 602 may include processor circuits such as a baseband processor circuit (BB) 622A, a central processor unit circuit (CPU) 622B, and a graphics processor unit circuit (GPU) 622C. The processor 602 may include any type of circuit or processor circuit that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program codes, software modules, or functional processes from the memory / storage device 606) to cause the UE 600 to perform operations as described herein.

[0130] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuit 622A may access a communication protocol stack 624 in the memory / storage device 606 to communicate over a 3GPP compatible network. Generally speaking, the baseband processor circuit 622A may access a communication protocol stack to: perform user plane functions at the physical (PHY) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, and the PDU layer; and perform control plane functions at the PHY layer, the MAC layer, the RLC layer, the PDCP layer, the RRC layer, and the non-access layer. In some implementations, the PHY layer operations may be additionally / alternatively performed by components of the RF interface circuit 604. The baseband processor circuit 622A may generate or process a baseband signal or waveform that carries information in a 3GPP compatible network. In some implementations, the waveform used for NR can be based on cyclic prefix orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) "CP-OFDM" in uplink or downlink, and discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM "DFT-S-OFDM" in uplink.

[0131] The memory / storage 606 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions (e.g., the communication protocol stack 624) that may be executed by one or more of the processors 602 to cause the UE 600 to perform various operations described herein. The memory / storage 606 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that may be distributed throughout the UE 600. In some implementations, some of the memory / storage 606 may be located on the processor 602 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage 606 are located external to the processor 602 but may be accessed via a memory interface. The memory / storage 606 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0132] The RF interface circuit 604 may include a transceiver circuit and a radio frequency front end module (RFEM), which allows the UE 600 to communicate with other devices through a radio access network. The RF interface circuit 604 may include various elements arranged in a transmit path or a receive path. These elements may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuits, control circuits, etc.

[0133] In the receive path, the RFEM may receive the radiated signal from the air interface via the antenna structure 616 and proceed to filter and amplify the signal (using a low noise amplifier). The signal may be provided to the transceiver's receiver, which down-converts the RF signal to a baseband signal provided to the baseband processor of the processor 602.

[0134] In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM may amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier before the signal is radiated across the air interface via the antenna 616. In various specific implementations, the RF interface circuit 604 may be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with the NR access technology.

[0135] Antenna 616 may include antenna elements to convert electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and convert received radio waves into electrical signals. These antenna elements may be arranged into one or more antenna panels. Antenna 616 may have an antenna panel that is omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to achieve beamforming and multiple-input / multiple-output communications. Antenna 616 may include a microstrip antenna, a printed antenna manufactured on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, a patch antenna, a phased array antenna, etc. Antenna 616 may have one or more panels that are designed for a specific frequency band included in a band in FR1 or FR2.

[0136] The user interface 608 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable a user to interact with the UE 600. The user interface 608 includes input device circuits and output device circuits. The input device circuit includes any physical or virtual components for accepting input, including in particular one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch screen, a microphone, a scanner, or a headset, etc. The output device circuit includes any physical or virtual components for displaying information or otherwise delivering information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). The output device circuit may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, including in particular one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary state indicators, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs, such as display devices or touch screens (e.g., liquid crystal displays "LCDs", LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), where the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. is generated or produced by the operation of the UE 600.

[0137] Sensor 610 may include a device, module, or subsystem that is designed to detect events or changes in its environment and to communicate information about the detected events (sensor data) to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors include, among others: an inertial measurement unit including an accelerometer, gyroscope, or magnetometer; a microelectromechanical system or nanoelectromechanical system including a three-axis accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope, or magnetometer; a fluid level sensor; a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor); a pressure sensor; an image capture device (e.g., a camera or a lensless aperture); a light detection and ranging sensor; a proximity sensor (e.g., an infrared radiation detector, etc.); a depth sensor; an ambient light sensor; an ultrasonic transceiver; a microphone or other similar audio capture device; and the like.

[0138] The driver circuit 612 may include software and hardware elements that operate to control specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 600. The driver circuit 612 may include separate drivers to allow other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present in or connected to the UE 600. For example, the driver circuit 612 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touch screen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touch screen interface, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings of the sensor circuit 628 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor circuit 628, a driver for obtaining an actuator position of an electromechanical component or controlling and allowing access to an electromechanical component, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0139] The PMIC 614 may manage the power provided to various components of the UE 600. Specifically, with respect to the processor 602, the PMIC 614 may control power source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC to DC conversion.

[0140] In some implementations, the PMIC 614 may control or otherwise function as part of various power saving mechanisms of the UE 600. The battery 618 may power the UE 600, but in some examples, the UE 600 may be installed or deployed in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to a power grid. The battery 618 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, the battery 618 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0141] Figure 7 An access node 700 (e.g., a base station or gNB) according to some implementations is illustrated. Access node 700 may be similar to base station 104 and substantially interchangeable therewith. Access node 700 may include a processor 702, RF interface circuitry 704, core network (CN) interface circuitry 706, memory / storage circuitry 708, and antenna structures 710.

[0142] The components of access node 700 may be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 712. Processor 702, RF interface circuitry 704, memory / storage circuitry 708 (including communication protocol stack 714), antenna structures 710, and interconnects 712 may be similar to those of reference 700. Figure 6Like-named elements are shown and described.For example, processor 702 may include processor circuits such as, for example, baseband processor circuit (BB) 716A, central processor unit circuit (CPU) 716B, and graphics processor unit circuit (GPU) 716C.

[0143] The CN interface circuit 706 may provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a 5th Generation Core Network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol such as a Carrier Ethernet protocol or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity may be provided to / from the access node 700 via optical fiber or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 706 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 706 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0144] As used herein, the terms "access node", "access point", etc. may be described as equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between a network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP or TRP, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., ground access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms "NG RAN node", etc. may refer to an access node 700 (e.g., a gNB) operating in an NR or 5G system, and the terms "E-UTRAN node", etc. may refer to an access node 700 (e.g., an eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system. According to various specific implementations, the access node 700 may be implemented as one or more of a dedicated physical device such as a macrocell base station and / or a low power (LP) base station for providing a femtocell, picocell or other similar cell with a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth than a macrocell.

[0145] In some implementations, all or part of the access node 700 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network that may be referred to as a CRAN and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In a V2X scenario, the access node 700 may be or act as a "road side unit". The term "road side unit" or "RSU" may refer to any traffic infrastructure entity used for V2X communications. The RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable RAN node or a stationed (or relatively stationed) UE, where an RSU implemented in or by a UE may be referred to as a "UE-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by an eNB may be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU", an RSU implemented in or by a gNB may be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU", and so on.

[0146] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Representing a component configured to perform one or more tasks expressly intends that the component does not invoke the interpretation of 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

[0147] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods described in the following example section. For example, the baseband circuit described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below. For another example, the circuits associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc. described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples described below in the example section.

[0148] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to include all such variations and modifications.

[0149] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0150] Embodiment

[0151] Embodiment 1 is a method performed by a user equipment (UE) device. The method includes obtaining data representing: one or more characteristics of a first wireless link between the UE device and a wireless network; and one or more characteristics of a second wireless link between the UE device and the wireless network; determining based on the data: a first estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network using the first wireless link and the second wireless link concurrently; and a second estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network using the first wireless link and not using the second wireless link; determining whether a first set of criteria is met based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; and terminating the second wireless link when it is determined that the first set of criteria is met.

[0152] Embodiment 2 is a method including the method of embodiment 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the first wireless link include the signal strength of the first wireless link, and wherein the one or more characteristics of the second wireless link include the signal strength of the second wireless link.

[0153] Embodiment 3 is a method including the method of embodiment 2, wherein the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput are determined based on the signal strength of the first wireless link and the signal strength of the second wireless link.

[0154] Embodiment 4 is a method including the method of embodiment 1, wherein the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput are determined based on historical data obtained from one or more additional UE devices.

[0155] Embodiment 5 is a method including the method of embodiment 1, wherein the first set of criteria includes a criterion that the second estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the first estimated data throughput and a constant value.

[0156] Embodiment 6 is a method comprising the method of embodiment 5, wherein the constant value is zero.

[0157] Embodiment 7 is a method comprising the method of embodiment 5, wherein the constant value is greater than zero.

[0158] Embodiment 8 is a method including the method of embodiment 5, wherein the first set of criteria further includes a criterion indicating that a first measure of upload activity of the UE device is greater than a first threshold.

[0159] Embodiment 9 is a method including the method of embodiment 8, wherein the first metric is calculated based on an uplink duty cycle of the UE device.

[0160] Embodiment 10 is a method including the method of embodiment 9, wherein the first set of criteria further includes a criterion indicating that a second measure of download activity of the UE device is less than a second threshold.

[0161] Embodiment 11 is a method including the method of embodiment 9, wherein the second metric is calculated based on a downlink duty cycle of the UE device.

[0162] Embodiment 12 is a method including the method of embodiment 1, wherein the first wireless link is established using a first radio access technology (RAT), and the second wireless link is established using a second RAT different from the first RAT.

[0163] Embodiment 13 is a method including the method of embodiment 12, wherein the first RAT is a standalone RAT, and wherein the second RAT is a non-standalone RAT.

[0164] Embodiment 14 is a method including the method of embodiment 13, wherein the first RAT is a fourth generation (4G) RAT, and wherein the second RAT is a fifth generation non-standalone (5G-NSA) RAT.

[0165] Embodiment 15 is a method including the method of embodiment 1, and also includes, after terminating the second wireless link: redetermining based on the data: the first estimated data throughput; and the second estimated data throughput; determining whether a second set of criteria are met based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; and reestablishing the second wireless link when it is determined that the second set of criteria are met.

[0166] Embodiment 16 is a method including the method of embodiment 15, wherein the second set of criteria includes a criterion that the first estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the second estimated data throughput and the constant value.

[0167] Embodiment 17 is a method including the method of embodiment 16, wherein the second set of criteria includes a criterion that the second radio link is terminated earlier than a threshold time.

[0168] Embodiment 18 includes an apparatus comprising one or more baseband processors configured to perform the method of any one of embodiments 1 to 17.

[0169] Embodiment 19 is a system comprising one or more processors and one or more storage devices, on which instructions are stored, and when executed by the one or more processors, the instructions are capable of operating so that the one or more processors perform any one of the methods of embodiments 1 to 17.

[0170] Embodiment 20 is a non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of embodiments 1-17.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising: Obtain data representing: one or more characteristics of a first wireless link between the UE device and a wireless network; as well as one or more characteristics of a second wireless link between the UE device and the wireless network; Based on the data, determine: a first estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network concurrently using the first wireless link and the second wireless link, and a second estimated data throughput between the UE device and the wireless network using the first wireless link and not using the second wireless link; determining whether a first set of criteria is satisfied based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; as well as When it is determined that the first set of criteria is met, the second wireless link is terminated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the first wireless link include a signal strength of the first wireless link, and The one or more characteristics of the second wireless link include a signal strength of the second wireless link.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput are determined based on the signal strength of the first wireless link and the signal strength of the second wireless link. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput are determined based on historical data obtained from one or more additional UE devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of criteria comprises: The second estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the first estimated data throughput and a constant value. The method of claim 5 , wherein the constant value is zero. The method of claim 5 , wherein the constant value is greater than zero.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first set of criteria further comprises: A criterion indicating that a first metric of upload activity of the UE device is greater than a first threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first metric is calculated based on an uplink duty cycle of the UE device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of criteria further comprises: A second metric indicating that the download activity of the UE device is less than a second threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second metric is calculated based on a downlink duty cycle of the UE device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is established using a first radio access technology (RAT) and the second wireless link is established using a second RAT different from the first RAT.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first RAT is a standalone RAT, and wherein the second RAT is a non-standalone RAT.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first RAT is a fourth generation (4G) RAT, and wherein the second RAT is a fifth generation non-standalone (5G-NSA) RAT.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after terminating the second wireless link: Based on the data, re-determine: the first estimated data throughput; and the second estimated data throughput; determining whether a second set of criteria is satisfied based on the first estimated data throughput and the second estimated data throughput; as well as When it is determined that the second set of criteria is met, the second wireless link is re-established.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second set of criteria comprises: A criterion is that the first estimated data throughput is greater than a sum of the second estimated data throughput and the constant value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second set of criteria comprises: The time at which the second wireless link is terminated is earlier than a threshold time standard.

18. An apparatus comprising one or more baseband processors configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A system comprising one or more processors and one or more storage devices, wherein instructions are stored on the one or more storage devices, and when executed by the one or more processors, the instructions are operable to cause the one or more processors to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

20. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 17.

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