Managing uplink transmission chain handover period locations

Abstract

A method in a user equipment (UE) equipped with a plurality of transmitters includes receiving (314) an uplink switching configuration from a radio access network (RAN), the uplink switching configuration indicating respective priorities for a plurality of frequency bands including a first frequency band and a second frequency band. The method further comprises determining (334), for uplink transmissions to the RAN and based on the respective priorities, whether to allocate a time resource in a first time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a second time slot associated with the second frequency band for the UE to switch at least one of the plurality of transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of provisional U.S. patent application No. 63 / 377,705, entitled “MANAGING UPLINK TRANSMISSIONCHAIN ​​SWITCHING PERIOD LOCATION,” filed on September 29, 2022. The entire contents of the provisional application are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to supporting uplink (UL) transmitter switching between multiple carrier frequencies or frequency bands. Background Art

[0004] This background description is provided for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors (to the extent that it is described in this background section) and aspects of this description that may not be identified as prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art to the present disclosure.

[0005] For some user equipment (UE), if the UE has two transmitters and is configured with physical uplink (UL) shared channel (PUSCH) configuration on component carriers on two frequency bands, the UE configures one transmitter (also called "Tx" or antenna) for the component carrier on one frequency band and another transmitter for the component carrier on the other frequency band. In some such cases, the UE is scheduled to send 1-port transmission on the component carrier on one frequency band and two concurrent 1-port transmissions on the component carriers on the two frequency bands. However, for the case where the base station schedules 1-port transmission on only one frequency band, only one transmitter is used, leaving the other transmitter idle. To better utilize the idle transmitter, UL switching technology supports scenarios such as inter-band Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (DC) (EN-DC) without Supplementary Uplink (SUL), inter-band UL Carrier Aggregation (CA), and Standalone SUL. With UL switching, the UE is able to configure two transmitters for the same frequency band. As such, in some such scenarios, a UE is additionally scheduled for 2-port transmission (UL-MIMO) on a carrier on one frequency band.

[0006] When the UE switches the antenna configuration from a carrier on one frequency band to another carrier on another frequency band, the UE determines the starting position of the switching period (e.g., in one of the carriers) based on the RRC parameter (e.g., uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation) in the serving cell configuration. If the value of the RRC parameter (e.g., uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation) is set to true (TRUE) in the serving cell configuration of carrier 1, the switching period occurs in the time slot of carrier 1, regardless of whether the antenna is switched to or from carrier 1. Similarly, if the value of the RRC parameter (e.g., uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation) is set to false (FALSE) in the serving cell configuration of carrier 1, the switching period occurs in the time slot of carrier 2, regardless of whether the antenna is switched to or from carrier 2. If the base station configures a value of an RRC parameter (eg, uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation) as true for a carrier on one frequency band, the base station configures a value of the RRC parameter (eg, uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation) as false for a carrier on another frequency band. Summary of the invention

[0007] An example embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure is a method in a UE equipped with multiple transmitters. The method includes: receiving an uplink switching configuration from a RAN, the uplink switching configuration indicating respective priorities for multiple frequency bands including a first frequency band and a second frequency band; and for uplink transmission to the RAN and based on the respective priorities, determining whether to allocate time resources in a first time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a second time slot associated with the second frequency band, the time resources for the UE to switch at least one of the multiple transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

[0008] Another example embodiment of these techniques is a UE comprising one or more processors and configured to perform the above method.

[0009] Another example embodiment of the techniques is a method in a RAN node, the method comprising: sending an uplink switching configuration to a UE equipped with multiple transmitters, the uplink switching configuration indicating respective priorities for multiple frequency bands including a first frequency band and a second frequency band, the respective priorities being used by the UE to determine whether to allocate time resources in a first time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a second time slot associated with the second frequency band for uplink transmission to the RAN, and the time resources being used by the UE to switch at least one of the multiple transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

[0010] Yet another example embodiment of the techniques is a RAN node comprising one or more processors and configured to perform the above method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1A is a block diagram of an example wireless communication system in which a RAN and / or a UE implements the disclosed techniques for managing Tx states for UL switching;

[0012] Figure 1B Yes, you can Figure 1A A block diagram of an example base station including a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) operating in a system of FIG.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1A A block diagram of an example protocol stack according to which a UE communicates with a base station;

[0014] Figure 3 is a message passing diagram of an example of UL switching;

[0015] Figure 4A is a message passing diagram for delivering UL handover configuration in a specific cell group configuration path under DC;

[0016] Figure 4B is with Figure 4A Similar message passing diagrams, where different cell group configuration paths are used to execute scenarios;

[0017] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example method 500 describing a general UE process when determining a UL Tx switching period position;

[0018] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example method 600 in which a UE determines a UL Tx switching period position according to a cell index configured by a base station;

[0019] Fig. 7A is a flow chart of an example method 700 in which a UE determines a UL Tx switching period position according to a cell / band priority configured by a base station;

[0020] Figure 7B is a flow chart of an example method 700, in which a UE determines a UL Tx switching period position according to a serving cell index configured by a base station;

[0021] Figure 8 is a flow chart of an example method 800, in which a UE determines a UL Tx switching period position according to a UL Tx switching period position indication for each UL switching case (e.g., frequency band pair) configured by a base station;

[0022] Fig. 9A and Fig. 9A is a flow chart of an example method 900 in which a UE determines a UL Tx switching period position according to a UL Tx switching period position indicator carried by a scheduled DCI format.

[0023] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B is a flow chart of example methods 1000A and 1000B, in which a UE determines a UL Tx switching period position according to a single or multiple UL Tx switching period position configurations.

[0024] Fig.11A , Fig. 11B , Fig. 11C , Fig.11D , Fig.11E , Fig.11F and Fig.11G are flow diagrams of example methods 1100A, 1100B, 1100C, 1100D, 1100E, 1100F, and 1100G, which illustrate base station processes that generally correspond to UE methods 600, 700A, 700B, 800, 900A, 900B, 1000A, 1000B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In general, the technology of the present disclosure introduces an UL switching configuration with a Tx selection indication for the UE to configure the Tx state across cells in at least 3 frequency bands. The UE triggers the UL switching based on the UL transmission scheduled by the base station (via DCI or RRC). In some scenarios, the scheduled UL transmission can be associated with multiple Tx states, which introduces uncertainty between the base station and the UE. With the antenna selection indication in the UL switching configuration, the UE follows the UL switching rules to update the Tx state, thereby solving the non-unique Tx state problem.

[0026] As such, the present technology increases the number of supported frequency bands to 3 and 4. For example, the base station configures UL carriers on bands A, B, and C for the UE, and the UE supports antenna switching in band pairs AB, AC, and BC. In the current technology, if the base station configures the switching period position in band A, the UE does not know where the switching period should be allocated when switching from a carrier on band B to a carrier on band C. In another example, if the base station configures the switching period position in band A and band B, the UE may not know where the switching should be allocated when switching between carriers on band A and band B. As such, the present technology illustrates how to indicate the switching period position to the UE.

[0027] Figure 1AAn example wireless communication system 100 in which the UL switching techniques of the present disclosure may be implemented is depicted. The wireless communication system 100 includes UEs 102A and 102B, and base stations 104, 106A, 106B having a radio access network (RAN) (e.g., RAN 105) connected to a core network (CN) 110. For ease of reading, UE 102 is used herein to represent UE 102A, UE 102B, or both UE 102A and UE 102B, unless otherwise noted. The base stations 104, 106A, 106B may be any one or more suitable types of base stations, such as, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), or a 5G Node B (gNB). As a more specific example, the base station 104 may be an eNB or a gNB, and the base stations 106A and 106B may be gNBs.

[0028] Base station 104 supports cell 124, base station 106A supports cell 126A, and base station 106B supports cell 126B. Cell 124 partially overlaps with both cells 126A and 126B, so that UE 102 can be within the range of communicating with base station 104 while being within the range of communicating with base station 106A or 106B (or within the range of detecting or measuring signals from both base stations 106A and 106B). For example, the overlap can enable UE 102 to hand over between cells (e.g., from cell 124 to cell 126A or 126B) or between base stations (e.g., from base station 104 to base station 106A or base station 106B) before UE 102 experiences a radio link failure. In addition, the overlap allows UE 102 to operate with RAN 105 under dual connectivity (DC). For example, UE 102 may communicate with base station 104 (operating as a master node (MN)) and base station 106A (operating as a secondary node (SN)) in DC, and after completing handover to base station 106B, may communicate with base station 106B (operating as a MN). As another example, UE 102 may communicate with base station 104 (operating as a MN) and base station 106A (operating as a SN) in DC, and after completing the SN change, may communicate with base station 104 (operating as a MN) and base station 106B (operating as a SN).

[0029] More specifically, when UE 102 is in DC with base station 104 and base station 106A, base station 104 operates as a master eNB (MeNB), a master ng-eNB (Mng-eNB) or a master gNB (MgNB), and base station 106A operates as a secondary gNB (SgNB) or a secondary ng-eNB (Sng-eNB).

[0030] UE 102 includes processing hardware 150, which may include one or more general-purpose processors (eg, CPUs) and computer-readable memory storing machine-readable instructions executable on the general-purpose processors, and / or special-purpose processing units. Figure 1A The processing hardware 150 in the example implementation of includes a UE UL handover controller 152, which is configured to manage the UE Tx state for UL transmission. For example, the UE UL handover controller 152 can be configured to support RRC configuration, procedures and messaging associated with the UL handover process, and / or support necessary operations, as discussed below.

[0031] CN 110 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) 111 or a fifth generation core (5GC) 160, both of which are Figure 1A . Base station 104 may be an eNB supporting an S1 interface for communicating with EPC 111, an ng-eNB supporting an NG interface for communicating with 5GC 160, or a gNB supporting an NR radio interface and an NG interface for communicating with 5GC 160. Base station 106A may be an EUTRA-NR DC (EN-DC) gNB (en-gNB) with an S1 interface to EPC 111, an en-gNB not connected to EPC 111, a gNB supporting an NR radio interface and an NG interface to 5GC 160, or an ng-eNB supporting an EUTRA radio interface and an NG interface to 5GC 160. In order to exchange messages directly with each other during the scenarios discussed below, base stations 104, 106A, and 106B may support an X2 or Xn interface.

[0032] Among other components, the EPC 111 may include a serving gateway (SGW) 112, a mobility management entity (MME) 114, and a packet data network gateway (PGW) 116. The SGW 112 is generally configured to transmit user plane packets related to audio calls, video calls, Internet traffic, etc., and the MME 114 is configured to manage authentication, registration, paging, and other related functions. The PGW 116 provides connectivity from the UE to one or more external packet data networks, such as an Internet network and / or an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. The 5GC 160 includes a user plane function (UPF) 162 and an access and mobility management (AMF) 164, and / or a session management function (SMF) 166. The UPF 162 is generally configured to transmit user plane packets related to audio calls, video calls, Internet traffic, etc., the AMF 164 is configured to manage authentication, registration, paging, and other related functions, and the SMF 166 is configured to manage PDU sessions.

[0033] In general, the wireless communication network 100 may include any suitable number of base stations supporting NR cells and / or EUTRA cells. More specifically, the EPC 111 or the 5GC 160 may be connected to any suitable number of base stations supporting NR cells and / or EUTRA cells. Although the examples below specifically mention specific CN types (EPC, 5GC) and RAT types (5G NR and EUTRA), in general, the techniques of the present disclosure may also be applicable to other suitable radio access technologies and / or core network technologies, such as, for example, sixth generation (6G) radio access and / or 6G core network or 5G NR-6G DC.

[0034] In different configurations or scenarios of the wireless communication system 100, the base station 104 can operate as a MeNB, Mng-eNB, or MgNB, the base station 106B can operate as a MeNB, Mng-eNB, MgNB, SgNB, or Sng-eNB, and the base station 106A can operate as an SgNB or Sng-eNB. The UE 102 can communicate with the base station 104 and the base stations 106A or 106B via the same radio access technology (RAT) such as EUTRA or NR, or via different RATs.

[0035] When the base station 104 is a MeNB and the base station 106A is an SgNB, the UE 102 may be in EN-DC with the MeNB 104 and the SgNB 106A. When the base station 104 is a Mng-eNB and the base station 106A is an SgNB, the UE 102 may be in Next Generation (NG) EUTRA-NR DC (NGEN-DC) with the Mng-eNB 104 and the SgNB 106A. When the base station 104 is a MgNB and the base station 106A is an SgNB, the UE 102 may be in NR-NR DC (NR-DC) with the MgNB 104 and the SgNB 106A. When the base station 104 is a MgNB and the base station 106A is an Sng-eNB, the UE 102 may be in NR-EUTRA DC (NE-DC) with the MgNB 104 and the Sng-eNB 106A.

[0036] Figure 1B An example distributed implementation of any one or more of base stations 104, 106A, 106B is depicted. In this implementation, base stations 104, 106A, or 106B include a central unit (CU) 172 and one or more distributed units (DUs) 174. CU 172 includes processing hardware, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs) and computer-readable memory storing machine-readable instructions executable on the general-purpose processors, and / or special-purpose processing units. For example, CU 172 may include Figure 1Aprocessing hardware 130 or 140.

[0037] Each DU in DU 174 also includes processing hardware, which may include one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs) and computer-readable memory storing machine-readable instructions executable on one or more general-purpose processors, and / or special-purpose processing units. For example, the processing hardware may include: a media access control (MAC) controller configured to manage or control one or more MAC operations or processes (e.g., random access processes); and a radio link control (RLC) controller configured to manage or control one or more RLC operations or processes when a base station (e.g., base station 106A) operates as a MN or SN. The processing hardware may also include a physical layer controller configured to manage or control one or more physical layer operations or processes.

[0038] In some implementations, the CU 172 may include a logical node CU-CP 172A that hosts a control plane portion of a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) protocol of the CU 172 and / or a Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol of the CU 172. The CU 172 may also include a logical node CU-UP 172B that hosts a user plane portion of a PDCP protocol and / or a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) protocol of the CU 172. The CU-CP 172A may send UL switching control information.

[0039] CU-CP 172A may be connected to multiple CU-UPs 172B via an E1 interface. CU-CP 172A selects an appropriate CU-UP 172B for the requested service of UE 102. In some implementations, a single CU-UP 172B may be connected to multiple CU-CPs 172A via an E1 interface. CU-CP 172A may be connected to one or more DUs 174 via an F1-C interface. CU-UP 172B may be connected to one or more DUs 174 via an F1-U interface under the control of the same CU-CP 172A. In some implementations, one DU 174 may be connected to multiple CU-UPs 172B under the control of the same CU-CP 172A. In such implementations, the connection between CU-UP 172B and DU 174 is established by CU-CP 172A using a bearer context management function.

[0040] Figure 2 An example protocol stack 200 is illustrated in a simplified manner, according to which a UE 102 may communicate with an eNB / ng-eNB or gNB (e.g., one or more of base stations 104, 106A, 106B).

[0041] In the example stack 200, the physical layer (PHY) 202A of EUTRA provides transport channels to the EUTRA MAC sublayer 204A, which in turn provides logical channels to the EUTRA RLC sublayer 206A. The EUTRA RLC sublayer 206A in turn provides RLC channels to the EUTRA PDCP sublayer 208 and, in some cases, to the NR PDCP sublayer 210. Similarly, the NRRPHY 202B provides transport channels to the NR MAC sublayer 204B, which in turn provides logical channels to the NR RLC sublayer 206B. The NR RLC sublayer 206B in turn provides RLC channels to the NR PDCP sublayer 210. In some implementations, the UE 102 supports the following: Figure 2 The EUTRA and NR stacks shown in the figure can support handover between EUTRA and NR base stations and / or support DC through EUTRA and NR interfaces. Figure 2 As illustrated, the UE 102 may support layering of the NR PDCP 210 on the EUTRA RLC 206A and layering of the SDAP sublayer 212 on the NR PDCP sublayer 210.

[0042] The EUTRA PDCP sublayer 208 and the NR PDCP sublayer 210 receive packets, which may be referred to as service data units (SDUs) (e.g., from an Internet Protocol (IP) layer layered directly or indirectly on the PDCP layer 208 or 210), and output packets, which may be referred to as protocol data units (PDUs) (e.g., to the RLC layer 206A or 206B). Except where the distinction between SDUs and PDUs is relevant, for simplicity, the present disclosure refers to both SDUs and PDUs as "packets." Packets may include application content for different services, such as IPv4 / IPv6 multicast delivery, IPTV, wireless software delivery, group communications, IoT applications, V2X applications, and / or emergency messages related to public safety.

[0043] For example, on the control plane, the EUTRA PDCP sublayer 208 and the NR PDCP sublayer 210 may provide SRBs to exchange RRC messages or non-access stratum (NAS) messages. On the user plane, the EUTRA PDCP sublayer 208 and the NR PDCP sublayer 210 may provide DRBs to support data exchange. The data exchanged on the NR PDCP sublayer 210 may be SDAP PDUs, Internet Protocol (IP) packets, or Ethernet packets.

[0044] In a scenario where the UE 102 operates in EN-DC with the base station 104 operating as a MeNB and the base station 106A operating as an SgNB, the wireless communication system 100 can provide the UE 102 with a bearer terminated at the MN using the EUTRA PDCP sublayer 208, or a bearer terminated at the MN using the NR PDCP sublayer 210. In various scenarios, the wireless communication system 100 can also provide the UE 102 with a bearer terminated at the SN, which bearer terminated at the SN uses only the NR PDCP sublayer 210. The bearer terminated at the MN can be an MCG bearer, a split bearer, or an SCG bearer terminated at the MN. The bearer terminated at the SN can be an SCG bearer, a split bearer, or an MCG bearer terminated at the SN. The bearer terminated at the MN can be an SRB (e.g., SRB1 or SRB2) or a DRB. The bearer terminated at the SN can be an SRB or a DRB.

[0045] To simplify the following description, UE 102 refers to UE 102A and UE 102B unless explicitly described otherwise.

[0046] Figure 3 An example scenario 300 is shown, which depicts a messaging process for UL switching, where the UE 102 is equipped with a first Tx and a second Tx. The process begins at event 302, where the base station 104 communicates with the UE 102 to request the UE's capabilities regarding UL switching. In response to event 302, the UE 102 sends 304 to the base station 104 the capability to perform UL Tx switching for multiple (e.g., 2, 3, and / or 4) frequency bands, where the capability to perform UL Tx switching includes UL switching related information, such as frequency band combinations, frequency band pair lists, MIMO capabilities per component carrier, supported UL switching options, switching periods, etc. At event 305, the base station 104 receives the capability to perform UL Tx switching for multiple (e.g., 2, 3, and / or 4) frequency bands. Then, the base station 104 sends 312 a cell group configuration to the UE 102, wherein the cell group configuration includes a SpCell configuration (e.g., SpCellConfig), a SCell configuration (e.g., SCellConfig), and other parameters related to the UE 102 transmitting signals and / or receiving signals from multiple cells. The base station 104 sends 314 a UL switching configuration to the UE 102, wherein the UL switching configuration includes a carrier index (e.g., uplinkTxSwitchingCarrier), a UL switching option, a UL Tx switching period location (e.g., uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation), and the like.

[0047] The base station 104 then sends 322 the configured grant to the UE 102, thereby scheduling one or more PUSCH transmissions, which includes scheduling 342 the second PUSCH transmission. The base station 104 sends 324 a first downlink control information (DCI) to the UE 102, wherein the first DCI schedules the first PUSCH transmission 344. In response to the first DCI, the UE 102 determines 334 a first Tx state for the first Tx and the second Tx. In response to the first Tx state, the UE 102 determines 335 a first Tx switching period position, and configures the first Tx and the second Tx to the first Tx state by using the first Tx switching period. The UE sends 344 the first PUSCH to the base station 104 in the first Tx state. Then, according to the configured grant, the UE 102 determines 332 a second Tx state for the first Tx and the second Tx. In response to the second Tx state, the UE 102 determines 333 a second Tx switching period position, and configures the first Tx and the second Tx to the second Tx state by using the second Tx switching period. The UE sends 342 a second PUSCH to the base station 104 in a second Tx state.

[0048] Figure 4A An example scenario 400A is shown, which is similar to scenario 300, with differences described below. At event 402, UE 102 communicates with MN 104 and SN 106 to request UE capabilities regarding UL switching. In response to event 402, UE 102 sends 404 to MN 104 the capability to perform UL Tx switching for multiple (e.g., 2, 3, and / or 4) frequency bands. At event 405, MN 104 receives 404 the capability to perform UL Tx switching for multiple (e.g., 2, 3, and / or 4) frequency bands. Then, MN 104 sends 406 an SN message to SN 106, the SN message including the capability to perform UL Tx switching for multiple (e.g., 2, 3, and / or 4) frequency bands. Based on the SN message 406, SN 106 sends 410A to UE 102 a cell group configuration including the UL switching configuration.

[0049] Figure 4B An example scenario 400A is shown, which is similar to scenarios 300 and 400A, with differences described below. According to SN message 406, SN 106 sends 410B a cell group configuration including a UL handover configuration to MN 104. Then, MN 104 sends 411B a cell group configuration including a UL handover configuration to UE 102.

[0050] Figure 5 A method 500 for UE procedures in UL handover is illustrated, which may be applied to Figure 3 Scene 300, Figure 4A Scenario 400A and / or Figure 4BScenario 400B in . The process starts at box 512, where the UE (e.g., UE 102) receives configuration 1, ..., N, which includes configuration parameters for cells 1, ..., N, respectively, where N is an integer greater than 1 (e.g., cell group configuration, event 312). At box 514, UE 102 receives (e.g., event 314) an UL switching configuration. At box 520, UE 102 receives an UL grant in DCI and / or a configured grant (e.g., events 322, 324) from base station 104 to send PUSCH. At box 530, UE 102 determines to send an UL transmission on one of cells 1, ..., N, and determines whether the UL Tx switching period position is on the current cell or on a scheduled cell. Finally, at box 540, UE 102 sends an UL transmission according to the Tx state (e.g., events 342, 344).

[0051] Figure 6 , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 8 , Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B The detailed process and variations of the method 500 for determining the UL Tx switching period position by the UE are described. In general, Figures 5 to 9B Similar events in the same manner are labeled with similar reference numerals (e.g., event 512 is the same as event 514). Figure 6 Event 612, Fig. 7A and Figure 7B 712, etc.), differences will be discussed below where appropriate. In addition to the differences shown in the figures and discussed below, any of the alternative implementations discussed with respect to a particular event (e.g., for message delivery and processing) may be applied to events labeled with similar reference numerals in other figures. Further, it should be understood that Figures 6 to 9B Can depict Figure 5 An expanded view of the events in . For example, Figure 6 The block 630 including blocks 632, 634, 636 and 637 may be shown in detail. Figure 5 530, indicated by a dotted line around a component event. As such, it should be understood that implementations of such extended events may be applicable to Figure 5 and vice versa.

[0052] Figure 6An example method 600 of a UE process is illustrated, which is similar to method 500, with differences described below. At block 614, the UE receives a UL switching configuration, which includes a UL Tx switching period position indication. At block 632, if the PUSCH transmission does not utilize Tx state updates, the process proceeds to block 640, where the UE sends PUSCH according to the Tx state. At block 632, if the PUSCH transmission utilizes Tx state updates, the process proceeds to block 635. At block 635, the UE determines the UL Tx switching period position according to the UL Tx switching period position configuration. At block 636, if the UL Tx switching period position indicates a scheduled cell, the process proceeds to block 638. At block 638, the UE configures Tx to the scheduled cell by using time resources in the scheduled cell. At block 636, if the UL Tx switching period position does not indicate a scheduled cell, the process proceeds to block 639. At block 639 , the UE configures Tx to the scheduled cell by using the time resources in the current cell. The flow also continues from blocks 638 and / or 639 to block 640 .

[0053] In one example, the UL Tx switching period location configuration is an RRC parameter uplinkTxSwitchingPeriodLocation-r18 with a Boolean (ie, true or false) value under a cell group configuration (eg, cellGroupConfig). If the value is true, the UL Tx switching period location occurs in the current cell / band, otherwise (false), the UL Tx switching period location occurs in the scheduled cell / band.

[0054] As an example of method 600 applicable to scenario 300, base station 104 sends 312 a cell group configuration to UE 102, the cell group configuration including a first serving cell index, a second serving cell index, and a third serving cell index for a first cell, a second cell, and a third cell on a first frequency band, a second frequency band, and a third frequency band, respectively (e.g., event 512). Base station 104 sends 314 a UL switching configuration to UE 102 (e.g., event 614), the UL switching configuration including a UL Tx switching period position configuration indicating the use of a current cell. In some implementations, UE 102 has a first Tx and a second Tx for UL transmission, and the current Tx state is the first Tx configured for the first cell and the second Tx configured for the second cell. Then, base station 104 sends 324 a first DCI scheduling a 2-port transmission (first PUSCH) on the first cell. In addition, the first DCI indicates the use of time resources in the current cell for Tx switching. Based on the UL Tx switching period position configuration at block 614 , UE 102 configures a second Tx for the first cell using time resources in the second cell (eg, event 335 ). UE 102 then transmits 344 a first PUSCH to base station 104 .

[0055] Fig. 7A An example method 700A of a UE process is illustrated, which is similar to methods 500 and 600, with differences described below. At block 714A, a UE (e.g., UE 102) receives an UL switching configuration (e.g., event 314, 514), which includes UL Tx switching priorities 1, ..., N for cells 1, ..., N, respectively (e.g., uplinkSwitchingPrioirty for each serving cell). At block 735A, UE 102 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the UL Tx switching priorities of the current cell / band and the scheduled cell / band.

[0056] As an example of method 700A applicable to scenario 300, base station 104 sends 312 a cell group configuration to UE 102, the cell group configuration including a first serving cell index, a second serving cell index, and a third serving cell index for a first cell, a second cell, and a third cell on a first frequency band, a second frequency band, and a third frequency band, respectively (e.g., event 512). The base station sends 314 a UL switching configuration to UE 102 (e.g., event 614), the UL switching configuration including UL Tx switching priorities 1, ..., N for cells 1, ..., N, respectively. In some implementations, UE 102 has a first Tx and a second Tx for UL transmission, and the current Tx state is the first Tx configured for the first cell and the second Tx configured for the second cell. Then, base station 104 sends 324 a first DCI scheduling a 2-port transmission (a first PUSCH) on the first cell. At block 335, if the second cell has a higher priority value than the first cell, UE 102 determines to use time resources in the second cell for Tx switching. As such, the UE 102 configures a second Tx for the first cell using time resources in the second cell. The UE 102 then sends 344 a first PUSCH to the base station 104.

[0057] Figure 7B An example method 700B of UE procedures is illustrated, which is similar to methods 500 and 600, with the differences described below.

[0058] At block 712B, a UE (e.g., UE 102) receives configurations 1, ..., N, which include configuration parameters for cells 1, ..., N, respectively, and serving cell indexes 1, ..., N, where N is an integer greater than 1. At block 735B, UE 102 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the serving cell index.

[0059] The example of method 700B applicable to scenario 300 is similar to the example of method 700A applicable to scenario 300, and the differences are described below. At block 335, if the second cell has a lower serving cell index than the first cell, the UE 102 determines to use the time resources in the second cell for Tx switching. As such, the UE 102 configures the second Tx for the first cell using the time resources in the second cell.

[0060] Figure 8An example method 800 of a UE process is illustrated, which is similar to methods 500 and 600, with differences described below. At block 814, a UE (e.g., UE 102) receives an UL switching configuration (e.g., event 314, 514), which includes an indication of a UL Tx switching period position for each UL switching case (e.g., band pair). At block 835, UE 102 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the current UL switching case (e.g., band pair).

[0061] With respect to the UL switching configuration at block 814, in some implementations, the switching period location indication includes a bitmap (e.g., SwitchingPeriodLocationList) under the cell group configuration (e.g., RRC parameter CellGroupConfig) having the same length as the band pair list for UL switching (e.g., RRC parameter supportedBandPairListNR in UE capabilities). The first bit in the bitmap indicates the switching period location of the first band pair in the band pair list. The bit is set to 0 to indicate that the switching period location appears in a cell on the first band in the first band pair (e.g., RRC parameter bandIndexUL1 in ULTxSwitchingBandPair), and the bit is set to 1 to indicate that the switching period location appears in a cell on the second band in the first band pair (e.g., RRC parameter bandIndexUL2 in ULTxSwitchingBandPair), or vice versa. Thus, the UE 102 follows the bitmap to determine the timing for Tx switching in the first band or the second band.

[0062] Regarding block 814 and UL switching configuration, in some other implementations, the switching period location indication is configured per serving cell. For example, in scenario 300, base station 104 configures information element (IE) UplinkTxSwitchConfig in ServingCellConfig of a first cell for UE 102, where UplinkTxSwitchConfig includes a parameter SwitchingPeriodLocation-Presence indicating a list of serving cell indexes (e.g., ServCellIndex, SCellIndex, PCellIndex, uplinkTxSwitchingIndex). If UE 102 performs antenna switching from the first cell to a second cell in the list (e.g., SwitchingPeriodLocation-Presence), UE 102 determines that the Tx switching period location is in a time resource in the first cell.

[0063] In some other implementations, the UplinkTxSwitchConfig of the first cell includes a parameter SwitchingPeriodLocation-PresenceInTargetCell, which indicates a list of serving cell indexes (e.g., ServCellIndex, SCellIndex, PCellIndex, uplinkTxSwitchingIndex). If the UE 102 performs Tx switching from the first cell to a second cell in the list (e.g., SwitchingPeriodLocation-PresenceInTargetCell), the UE 102 determines that the Tx switching period location is in the time resources in the second cell.

[0064] Fig. 9A An example method 900A of a UE process is illustrated, which is similar to methods 500 and 600, with differences described below. At block 914, a UE (e.g., UE 102) receives an UL switching configuration (e.g., event 314, 514) that enables a UL Tx switching period indicator field in a DCI format. At block 924, UE 102 receives a DCI that schedules a PUSCH transmission and includes a UL Tx switching period indicator. At block 935A, UE 102 updates a Tx state by using a time resource in a cell indicated by the UL Tx switching period indicator.

[0065] In some implementations, the UL Tx Switching Period Indicator field is a one-bit flag. The bit is set to 0 to indicate the current cell, and the bit is set to 1 to indicate the scheduled cell.

[0066] The example of method 900A applicable to scenario 300 is similar to the example of method 600 applicable to scenario 300, with differences described below. The base station 104 sends 314 a UL configuration in a DCI format with a UL Tx switching period position indicator enabled to the UE 102. The base station sends 324 a first DCI indicating a first UL Tx switching period position to the UE 102. At event 335, the UE 102 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the first UL Tx switching period position indicated by the first DCI.

[0067] Fig. 9BAn example method 900B of UE process is illustrated, which is similar to methods 500, 600, and 900A, with differences described below. At block 922B, the UE (e.g., UE 102) receives a configured grant (e.g., event 322, 522) to transmit a PUSCH (e.g., the second PUSCH of 342). At block 931B, if the DCI schedules the PUSCH, the process proceeds to block 935A. At block 931B, if the DCI does not schedule the PUSCH, the process proceeds to block 935B. At block 935B, the UE 102 determines the UL Tx switching period position based on the UL Tx switching period position indicator in the last scheduled DCI.

[0068] The example of method 900B applicable to scenario 300 is similar to the example of method 900A applicable to scenario 300, and the differences are described below. UE 102 receives 322 a grant of a configuration for scheduling 342 a second PUSCH transmission from base station 104. If UE 102 is to send 342 a second PUSCH to base station 104 and utilizes Tx state update, UE 102 determines 333 a second UL Tx switching period position based on the UL Tx switching period in the first DCI 324 (the last scheduled DCI before block 342).

[0069] The disclosed method may also be applied to other UL channels, such as PUCCH transmissions triggered by dynamically or semi-persistently scheduled downlink transmissions (e.g., HARQ feedback, scheduling requests), or RRC-configured UL transmissions (e.g., channel state information reports).

[0070] In some implementations, the serving cell index, cell index, carrier index, cell / band indication, and / or Tx state indication in methods 600, 700B, 800, 900A, and 900B refers to a carrier index (e.g., uplinkTxSwitchingCarrier, which has a value of enumeration {carrier 1, carrier 2, carrier 3}) configured in an UL switching configuration (e.g., uplinkTxSwitching) in each serving cell configuration (e.g., ServingCellConfig). If the frequency ranges of multiple cells are within the same frequency band and can be operated with a single Tx in the UE, the base station configures the same carrier index to these cells for the UE.

[0071] In some other implementations, the serving cell index, cell index, carrier index, cell / band indication, and / or Tx state indication in methods 600, 700B, 800, 900A, and 900B refers to a cell index (e.g., secondary cell index, SCellIndex) configured in a cell group configuration (e.g., CellGroupConfig) for cross-carrier scheduling. In some implementations, for a primary cell (PCell l or a special cell in a cell group), the cell index is 0, a default value, or a cell index (e.g., PCellIndex) configured by a base station.

[0072] In some examples, the base station configures method 900A / 900B according to the techniques of method 600 / 700A / 700B / 800. For PUSCH scheduled by DCI format, the UE may apply the techniques of method 900A / 900B to determine the UL Tx switching period position. Otherwise, the UE may apply the techniques of method 600 / 700A / 700B / 800 to determine the UL Tx switching period position.

[0073] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B A description of applying one or more of the techniques in methods 600, 700A, 700B, 800, 900A, 900B to determine the UL Tx switching period position is provided. Figures 6 to 9B similar, Fig. 10A To FIG. 10C and Figures 5 to 9B Similar events are labeled with similar reference numbers (e.g., event 512 is Fig. 10A 10C ), differences will be discussed below where appropriate. In addition to the differences shown in the figures and discussed below, any of the alternative implementations discussed with respect to a particular event (e.g., for message delivery and processing) can be applied to events labeled with similar reference numerals in other figures.

[0074] Fig. 10A An example method 1000A similar to method 500 is illustrated, which addresses the behavior of a UE communicating with a RAN. In some implementations, the Tx state determination process is based on a single UL Tx switching period configuration. The following describes the differences between method 1000A and method 500. At block 1014A, a UE (e.g., UE 102) receives a single UL Tx switching period configuration (e.g., 514, 614, 714A, 814, 914) from the RAN. At block 1035A, UE 102 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the single UL Tx switching period configuration.

[0075] Fig. 10BAn example method 1000B similar to methods 500 and 1000A is illustrated, with differences described below. At block 1014A, a UE (e.g., UE 102) receives first and second UL switching UL Tx switching period configurations (e.g., 514, 614, 714A, 814, 914) from a RAN. At block 1035A, UE 102 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the first UL Tx switching period configuration and the second UL Tx switching period configuration.

[0076] Fig.11A , Fig. 11B , Fig. 11C , Fig.11D , Fig.11E , Fig.11F and Fig.11G The present invention illustrates a base station process for configuring a UL Tx switching period configuration and / or indicating a UL Tx switching period position to a UE. Figure 6 Similar to FIG. 10C , FIG. 11A to FIG. 11G in Figure 5 Similar events to those of FIG. 10C are labeled with similar reference numerals (e.g., event 512 is similar to event 514). FIG. 11A to FIG. 11G 1112, etc.), differences will be discussed below where appropriate. In addition to the differences shown in the figures and discussed below, any of the alternative implementations discussed with respect to a particular event (e.g., for message delivery and processing) can be applied to events labeled with similar reference numerals in other figures.

[0077] Fig.11A An example method 1100A is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of method 600. The process begins at block 1112, and the base station (e.g., BS 104) sends configurations 1, ..., N to the UE, where the configurations 1, ..., N include configuration parameters for cells 1, ..., N, respectively, where N is an integer greater than 1 (e.g., event 512). At block 1114A, the base station 104 sends a UL Tx switching period indication to the UE (e.g., UE 102) (e.g., event 614). At block 1121, the base station 104 sends a DL transmission on cells 1, ..., N to the UE 102 according to the configurations 1, ..., N (e.g., event 520). At block 1123A, the base station 104 determines a UL Tx switching period according to the UL Tx switching period indication (e.g., event 635). At block 1120, the base station 104 schedules the UE 102 to send an UL transmission on one of the cells 1, ..., N according to the Tx state. At block 1140, the base station receives a UL transmission from UE 102 (eg, event 540).

[0078] Fig. 11BAn example method 1100B is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of method 700A. Method 1100B is similar to method 1100A, and the differences are described below. At block 1114B, base station 104 sends UL Tx switching priorities 1, ..., N for cells 1, ..., N, respectively, to UE 102 (e.g., event 714A). At block 1123B, base station 104 determines a UL Tx switching period position based on the UL Tx switching priorities 1, ..., N associated with cells 1, ..., N, respectively.

[0079] Fig. 11C An example method 1100C is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of method 700B. Method 1100C is similar to method 1100A, and the differences are described below. At box 1112C, base station 104 sends configuration 1,...,N to UE 102, which configuration 1,...,N includes configuration parameters for cells 1,...,N respectively and serving cell indexes 1,...,N, where N is an integer greater than 1 (e.g., 712B). At box 1114, base station 104 sends a UL switching configuration to UE 102 (e.g., event 514). At box 1123C, base station 104 determines the UL Tx switching period position based on serving cell indexes 1,..,N, where serving cell indexes 1,...,N are associated with cells 1,...,N, respectively.

[0080] Fig.11D An example method 1100D is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of method 800. Method 1100D is similar to method 1100A, and the differences are described below. At block 1114D, the base station 104 sends a UL Tx switching period position configuration for each UL switching case (e.g., frequency band pair) to the UE 102. At block 1123D, the base station 104 determines the UL Tx switching period position based on the UL Tx switching period position configuration for the current UL switching case.

[0081] Fig.11E An example method 1100E is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of methods 900A and 900B. Method 1100E is similar to method 1100A, with differences described below. At block 1114E, base station 104 sends a UL switching configuration to UE 102 that enables a field in a DCI format indicating a UL Tx switching period position. At block 1123E, base station 104 determines a Tx state based on an upcoming transmission in serving cell index 1, .., N. At block 1120E, base station 104 schedules UE 102 to send an UL transmission on one of cells 1, ..., N, and indicates the UL Tx switching period position in the scheduled DCI.

[0082] Fig.11FAn example method 1100F is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of method 1000A. Method 1100F is similar to method 1100A, and the differences are described below. At block 1114F, the base station 104 sends a single UL Tx switching period position configuration to the UE 102. At block 1123F, the base station 104 determines the Tx state according to the single UL Tx switching period position configuration.

[0083] Fig.11G An example method 1100G is illustrated that reflects a base station angle similar to the UE angle of method 1000B. Method 1100G is similar to method 1100A, and the differences are described below. At block 1114G, the base station 104 sends a first UL Tx switching period position configuration and a second UL Tx switching period position configuration to the UE 102. At block 1123G, the base station 104 determines the Tx state according to the first UL Tx switching period position configuration and the second UL Tx switching period position configuration.

[0084] In some implementations, the base station proceeds from block 1121 to block 1120 (eg, skipping events 1123A, 1123B, 1123C, 1123D, 1123E, 1123F, 1123G).

[0085] The following additional considerations apply to the foregoing discussion.

[0086] In some implementations, "message" is used and "information element (IE)" may be used instead of "message". In some implementations, "IE" is used and "field" may be used instead of "IE". In some implementations, "configuration" may be replaced by "configurations" or configuration parameters.

[0087] The user device (e.g., UE 102) in which the technology of the present disclosure can be implemented can be any suitable device capable of wireless communication, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a mobile game console, a point of sale (POS) terminal, a health monitoring device, a drone, a camera, a media streaming dongle or another personal media device, a wearable device such as a smart watch, a wireless hotspot, a femtocell or a broadband router. Further, in some cases, the user device can be embedded in an electronic system, such as a head unit (headunit) or an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) of a vehicle. Further, the user device can be operated as an Internet of Things (IoT) device or a mobile Internet device (MID). Depending on the type, the user device may include one or more general-purpose processors, a computer-readable memory, a user interface, one or more network interfaces, one or more sensors, etc.

[0088] Certain embodiments are described in the present disclosure as including logic or multiple components or modules. A module may be a software module (e.g., a code or machine-readable instruction stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium) or a hardware module. A hardware module is a tangible unit that is capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a particular manner. A hardware module may include dedicated circuits or logic that are permanently configured (e.g., as a dedicated processor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP)) to perform certain operations. A hardware module may also include programmable logic or circuits (e.g., contained within a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that are temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. The decision to implement a hardware module with a dedicated and permanently configured circuit or with a temporarily configured circuit (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations.

[0089] When implemented in software, the techniques may be provided as part of an operating system, a library used by multiple applications, a specific software application, etc. The software may be executed by one or more general-purpose processors or one or more special-purpose processors.

[0090] After reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will appreciate additional and alternative structural and functional designs for managing radio bearers through the principles disclosed herein. Therefore, although specific embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein. Various modifications, changes and variations that will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art may be made to the arrangement, operation and details of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method in a user equipment UE equipped with multiple transmitters, the method comprising: receiving an uplink handover configuration from a radio access network RAN, the uplink handover configuration indicating respective priorities for a plurality of frequency bands including a first frequency band and a second frequency band; as well as For uplink transmission to the RAN and based on the corresponding priority, determine whether to allocate time resources in a first time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a second time slot associated with the second frequency band, the time resources being used by the UE to switch at least one of the multiple transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink transmission is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: Downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the PUSCH transmission is received from the RAN.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the time resource is a first time resource and the PUSCH transmission is a first PUSCH transmission, and wherein the method further comprises: receiving a grant from the RAN for scheduling a configuration for a second PUSCH transmission; as well as For the second PUSCH transmission and based on the corresponding priority, determine whether to allocate a second time resource in a third time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a fourth time slot associated with the second frequency band, the second time resource being used by the UE to switch at least one of the multiple transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: Prior to receiving the uplink switching configuration, a capability of the UE to perform uplink transmitter switching for the plurality of frequency bands is sent to the RAN.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: switching the at least one of the plurality of transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band during the first time slot when it is determined to allocate the time resource in the first time slot; as well as When it is determined to allocate the time resource in the second time slot, the at least one of the plurality of transmitters is switched from the first frequency band to the second frequency band during the second time slot.

7. A user equipment (UE), comprising one or more processors and configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method in a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, the method comprising: An uplink switching configuration is sent to a user equipment (UE) equipped with multiple transmitters, the uplink switching configuration indicating respective priorities for multiple frequency bands including a first frequency band and a second frequency band, the respective priorities being used by the UE to determine whether to allocate time resources in a first time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a second time slot associated with the second frequency band for uplink transmission to the RAN, and the time resources are used by the UE to switch at least one of the multiple transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the uplink transmission is a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: Sending downlink control information DCI for scheduling the PUSCH transmission to the UE.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the time resource is a first time resource and the PUSCH transmission is a first PUSCH transmission, and wherein the method further comprises: A configured authorization for scheduling a second PUSCH transmission is sent to the UE, the corresponding priority being further used by the UE to determine whether to allocate a second time resource in a third time slot associated with the first frequency band or in a fourth time slot associated with the second frequency band for the second PUSCH transmission, and the second time resource is used by the UE to switch at least one of the multiple transmitters from the first frequency band to the second frequency band.

12. The method of any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising: Prior to sending the uplink switching configuration, a capability of the UE to perform uplink transmitter switching for the plurality of frequency bands is received from the UE.

13. A Radio Access Network, RAN, node comprising one or more processors and configured to perform the method of any one of claims 8 to 12.

14. The RAN node of claim 13, wherein the RAN node comprises a primary node and a secondary node, and wherein the primary node performs said sending the uplink handover configuration.

15. The RAN node of claim 13, wherein the RAN node comprises a primary node and a secondary node, and wherein the secondary node performs said sending the uplink handover configuration.

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