Method and apparatus for scheduling availability / restriction and measurement sharing for measurement gap-free SSB-based inter-frequency measurements

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for scheduling availability / restriction and measurement sharing for SSB-based inter-frequency measurements without measurement gaps. Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. SSB-based inter-frequency measurements may include configuring a UE to perform inter-frequency measurements without measurement gaps within a measurement window, and applying scheduling restrictions to prioritize the inter-frequency measurements over uplink transmissions within the measurement window. The measurement window includes an SMTC window duration. Measurement resource sharing or restrictions are described for SSB-based inter-frequency measurement objects without measurement gaps.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a Chinese patent application with an application date of December 15, 2020, an application number of 2020800962310, and an invention title of "Method and Apparatus for Scheduling Availability / Limit and Measurement Sharing for SSB-Based Inter-Frequency Measurement without Measurement Gap". Technical Field

[0002] The present application generally relates to wireless communication systems and, more particularly, to measurements based on Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs). Background Art

[0003] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between a base station and a wireless mobile device. Wireless communication system standards and protocols may include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is commonly referred to by industry organizations as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), which is commonly referred to by industry organizations as Wi-Fi. In the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) of an LTE system, a base station may include RAN nodes such as evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB) and / or a Radio Network Controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicates with a wireless communication device known as a User Equipment (UE). In a fifth generation (5G) wireless RAN, the RAN nodes may include 5G nodes, New Radio (NR) nodes, or gNodeB (gNB).

[0004] The RAN uses Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to communicate between RAN nodes and UEs. The RAN may include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and / or E-UTRAN, which provide access to communication services through a core network. Each RAN in the RAN operates according to a specific 3GPP RAT. For example, GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RATs, and E-UTRAN implements LTE RAT.

[0005] The core network may be connected to the UE through RAN nodes. The core network may include a Serving Gateway (SGW), a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW), an Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) server, an Enhanced Packet Data Gateway (ePDG), and / or a Mobility Management Entity (MME). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] To facilitate the identification of any discussion of a particular element or act, one or more of the most significant digits in the reference numerals refer to the drawing number in which the element was first introduced.

[0007] Figure 1 Method 100 according to one embodiment is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 Method 200 according to one embodiment is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 Exemplary service-based architecture 300 according to certain embodiments is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 UE 400 according to one embodiment is shown.

[0011] Figure 5 Network node 500 according to one embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Scheduling Availability / Limitations

[0013] In certain communication systems (e.g., Rel-16 NR), a new type of measurement has been introduced, namely SSB-based inter-frequency measurement without a measurement gap (MG), which is defined such that if the target SSB is fully contained within the UE's active BWP, the UE can perform SSB-based inter-frequency measurement without a measurement gap.

[0014] With this inter-frequency measurement without MG, new scheduling restrictions or availability can be designed if the inter-frequency SSB has a different SCS from the data or control channel SCS in the UE's active BWP in FR1 or FR2, or if Rx beam scanning is performed based on the inter-frequency SSB in FR2.

[0015] For example, the current scheduling availability requirements in 3GPP TS 38.133 are as follows.

[0016] In FR1, for a UE that does not support simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology (i.e., the UE supports concurrent intra-frequency measurements on serving or neighboring cells with different numerologies and PDCCH or PDSCH reception from the serving cell), the following restrictions may apply due to SS-RSRP / RSRQ / SINR measurements. If deriveSSB_IndexFromCell is enabled, it is not expected that the UE transmits PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS for CQI or receives PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS on the SSB symbol to be measured and on one data symbol before each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured and on one data symbol after each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured within the SMTC window duration. If the higher layer in the 3GPP TS 38.331 signaling for smtc2 is configured, the SMTC period follows smtc2; otherwise, the SMTC period follows smtc1. If deriveSSB_IndexFromCell is not enabled, it is not expected that the UE transmits PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS for CQI or receives PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS on all symbols within the SMTC window duration. If the higher layer in the 3GPP TS 38.331 signaling for smtc2 is configured, the SMTC period follows smtc2; otherwise, the SMTC period follows smtc1.

[0017] In FR2, it is not expected that the UE transmits PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS for CQI or receives PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS on the SSB symbol to be measured and on one data symbol before each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured and on one data symbol after each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured within the SMTC window duration (i.e., in some specific implementations, the signaling deriveSSB_IndexFromCell is always enabled for FR2). If the higher layer in the 3GPP TS 38.331 signaling for smtc2 is configured, the SMTC period follows smtc2; otherwise, the SMTC period follows smtc1.

[0018] However, the above UE / network mechanism cannot be applied to inter-frequency measurements without MG because deriveSSB_IndexFromCell cannot help the UE derive the timing between the serving cell and the target cell, and the inter-frequency measurement object can only have one SMTC configuration. In intra-frequency and inter-frequency measurements, the measurement object indicates the frequency / time position and subcarrier spacing of the reference signal to be measured. Associated with this measurement object, the network can configure a list of cell-specific offsets.

[0019] Measurement Sharing / Limitations

[0020] In some communication systems (e.g., Rel-15 NR), the inter-frequency measurement object (MO) is associated with the MG, and thus if the intra-frequency measurement SSB conflicts with the inter-frequency measurement SSB in the MG, the network can configure the UE to follow the MG sharing mechanism to share the MG resources between the intra-frequency MO and the inter-frequency MO, which is replicated below as an example (in 3GPP TS 38.133). The MO can include a list of objects on which the UE performs measurements.

[0021] For NR stand-alone UEs without NR-DC operation and configured with per-UE measurement gaps, measurement gap sharing is applied when the UE needs a measurement gap to identify and measure cells on an intra-frequency carrier, or when the SMTC configured for intra-frequency measurement completely overlaps with the per-UE measurement gap, and when the UE is configured to identify and measure cells on an inter-frequency carrier and / or an inter-RAT E-UTRAN carrier.

[0022] When the network signals "01", "10", or "11" with the RRC parameter MeasGapSharingScheme and the value of X is defined as in Table 9.1.2.1a-1 (3GPP TS 38.133), Kintra = 1 / X * 100, Kinter = 1 / (100 – X) * 100, and when the network signals "00" indicating equal split gap sharing, X is not applied.

[0023] The RRC parameter MeasGapSharingScheme can be applied to the calculation of the carrier-specific scaling factor as specified in clause 9.1.5.2.2 of 3GPP TS 38.133.

[0024] However, if the inter-frequency MOs are not associated with the MG and they conflict with the intra-frequency measurement MOs without MG, it may be necessary to specify measurement resource sharing / limitation for explicit UE behavior, such as: when the SSB-based inter-frequency MO without MG completely overlaps with the SSB-based intra-frequency MO without MG; when the SSB-based inter-frequency MO without MG partially overlaps with the SSB-based intra-frequency MO without MG; when the SSB-based inter-frequency MO without MG completely overlaps with the SSB-based intra-frequency MO with MG; and / or when the SSB-based inter-frequency MO without MG partially overlaps with the SSB-based intra-frequency MO with MG.

[0025] Exemplary Embodiments for New Scheduling Availability / Limitations

[0026] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide scheduling availability for a UE performing MG-free inter-frequency measurements in a TDD band on FR1.

[0027] In one embodiment, when a UE performs MG-free inter-frequency measurements in a TDD band, the following restrictions are applied due to SS-RSRP or SS-SINR measurements: It is not desirable for the UE to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS on all symbols within the SMTC window duration. Additionally, or in other embodiments, when a UE performs MG-free inter-frequency measurements in a TDD band, the following restrictions are applied due to SS-RSRQ measurements: It is not desirable for the UE to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS on all symbols within the SMTC window duration. In one embodiment, when performing TDD in-band carrier aggregation, the scheduling restrictions caused by a given serving cell should also be applied to all other serving cells in the same band on symbols that completely or partially overlap with the above restricted symbols.

[0028] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide scheduling availability for a UE performing MG-free inter-frequency measurements with a subcarrier spacing different from that of PDSCH / PDCCH on FR1. In one embodiment, for a UE that does not support simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology, the following restrictions are applied due to SS-RSRP / RSRQ / SINR measurements: It is not desirable for the UE to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS for CQI or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS on all symbols within the SMTC window duration. In one embodiment, when performing in-band carrier aggregation, the scheduling restrictions caused by a given serving cell should also be applied to all other serving cells in the same band on symbols that completely or partially overlap with the above restricted symbols.

[0029] Some embodiments provide scheduling availability for a UE that performs inter-frequency measurements without MG on FR2. In one embodiment, the following scheduling restrictions are applied due to SS-RSRP or SS-SINR measurements on an inter-frequency cell in FR2: It is not desirable for the UE to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS for CQI or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS on all symbols within the SMTC window duration. Additionally, or in other embodiments, the following scheduling restrictions apply to SS-RSRQ measurements on an inter-frequency cell in FR2: It is not desirable for the UE to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS for CQI or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS on all symbols within the SMTC window duration. In one embodiment, when performing in-band carrier aggregation, the scheduling restrictions caused by a given serving cell should also be applied to all other serving cells in the same frequency band on symbols that fully or partially overlap with the above restricted symbols.

[0030] Example Embodiments for Measurement Sharing / Limitations

[0031] Some embodiments provide an MG-free inter-frequency MO based on SSB that fully overlaps with an MG-free intra-frequency MO based on SSB in FR1 or FR2, and these SSBs have different parameter sets. In one embodiment, if the UE does not support simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology, the new sharing factor PL3_SSB_measurement will be used to indicate the measurement resources for the MG-free inter-frequency MO based on SSB and the MG-free intra-frequency MO based on SSB. This PL3_SSB_measurement can be indicated by the network or can be a specified constant. For example, for the MG-free inter-frequency MO, PL3_SSB_measurement = 3 means that the measurement period of the MG-free inter-frequency MO will be scaled by 3, i.e., for the MG-free inter-frequency MO, the UE will use 1 out of 3 measurement opportunities. Additionally, or in other embodiments, if the UE supports simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology, no measurement sharing or restrictions are applied to the UE.

[0032] Certain embodiments provide MG-free inter-frequency MO that partially overlaps with the MG-free intra-frequency MO based on SSB in FR1 or FR2, and these SSBs have different parameter sets. In one embodiment, if the UE does not support simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology, the UE will perform MG-free inter-frequency measurements at the SMTC occasion of the inter-frequency MO that does not conflict with the SMTC occasion of the intra-frequency MO. For example, the scaling factor for the MG-free inter-frequency measurement delay or measurement time is

[0033]

[0034] provided that T smtcPeriod_inter-frequency <T smtcPeriod_intra-frequency ;

[0035] where T smtcPeriod_inter-frequency is the SMTC periodicity for the MG-free inter-frequency MO, and T smtcPeriod_intra-frequency is the SMTC periodicity for the MG-free intra-frequency MO (based on network configuration, which can be smtc1 or smtc2).

[0036] Certain embodiments provide MG-free inter-frequency MO that completely overlaps with the MG occasion. In one embodiment, the network will indicate the MG sharing factor to the UE, and the UE will use the MG sharing factor to determine at which MG time occasions the UE can perform MG-free inter-frequency MO. Additionally, or in another embodiment, when the network signals "01", "10", or "11" with the RRC parameter MeasGapSharingScheme and the value of X is the MG sharing factor (e.g., 25%, 50%, or 75%), the measurement delay scaling factor can be:

[0037] Kintra = 1 / X * 100 (for all intra-frequency measurements),

[0038] Kinter = 1 / (100 – X) * 100 (for all inter-frequency measurements).

[0039] Some embodiments provide an MG-free SSB-based inter-frequency MO that partially overlaps with the MG opportunity. In one embodiment, the UE will always perform the MG-free SSB-based inter-frequency MO outside the MG opportunity. Additionally, or in another embodiment, outside the MG opportunity, if the MG-free SSB-based inter-frequency MO completely overlaps with the MG-based SSB-based intra-frequency MO, the UE will only perform the MG-free SSB-based inter-frequency MO. In some embodiments, outside the MG opportunity, if the MG-free SSB-based inter-frequency MO partially overlaps with the MG-based SSB-based intra-frequency MO, the UE will only perform the MG-free SSB-based inter-frequency MO.

[0040] Examples

[0041] Example 1 may include an apparatus that includes means for performing one or more elements of the methods described herein.

[0042] Example 2 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the methods described in any other method or process described herein.

[0043] Example 3 may include an apparatus that includes logic components, modules, or circuits for performing one or more elements of the methods described in or related to any other method or process described herein.

[0044] Example 4 may include a method, technique, or process according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, or related thereto, or a part or component thereof.

[0045] Embodiment 5 may include an apparatus that includes: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process described in or related to any embodiment herein, or a part thereof.

[0046] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the above examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

[0047] Figure 1It is a flowchart of method 100 for a UE to perform inter-frequency measurements based on SSB. In block 102, method 100 configures the UE to perform inter-frequency measurements without measurement gaps (MGs) within a measurement window. In block 104, method 100 applies scheduling restrictions to prioritize inter-frequency measurements over uplink transmissions within the measurement window, where the measurement window includes the SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window duration.

[0048] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of method 200 for a UE to perform measurement resource sharing or restriction on an inter-frequency measurement object (MO) based on SSB without measurement gaps (MGs). In block 202, method 200 determines whether the inter-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs completely or partially overlaps with an intra-frequency MO based on SSB with MGs or an intra-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs. In block 204, method 200 configures measurement resource sharing or restriction based on one or more of blocks 206, 208, 210, or 212. In block 206, method 200 configures measurement resource sharing or restriction based on the complete overlap of the inter-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs with the intra-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs. In block 208, method 200 configures measurement resource sharing or restriction based on the partial overlap of the inter-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs with the intra-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs. In block 210, method 200 configures measurement resource sharing or restriction based on the complete overlap of the inter-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs with the intra-frequency MO based on SSB with MGs. In block 212, method 200 configures measurement resource sharing or restriction based on the partial overlap of the inter-frequency MO based on SSB without MGs with the intra-frequency MO based on SSB with MGs.

[0049] Exemplary System Architecture

[0050] In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture supports data connectivity and services, enabling the deployment to use technologies such as network function virtualization and software-defined networking. The 5G system architecture can utilize service-based interactions between control plane network functions. Separating the user plane functions from the control plane functions allows for independent scalability, evolution, and flexible deployment (e.g., centralized location or distributed (remote) location). The modular function design allows for function reuse and enables flexible and efficient network slicing. Network functions and their network function services can interact directly or indirectly via a service communication proxy with another NF and its network function services. Another intermediate function can assist in routing control plane messages. The architecture minimizes the dependencies between the AN and the CN. The architecture can include an aggregated core network with a common AN-CN interface integrating different access types (e.g., 3GPP access and non-3GPP access). The architecture can also support a unified authentication framework, stateless NFs with decoupled computing and storage resources, capability exposure, concurrent access to local and centralized services (to support low-latency services and access to local data networks, where user plane functions can be deployed near the AN) and / or roaming with both home routed traffic and local breakout traffic in the visited PLMN.

[0051] The 5G architecture can be defined as service-based, and the interactions between network functions can include service-based representations, where network functions within the control plane (e.g., AMF) enable other authorized network functions to access their services. The service-based representation can also include point-to-point reference points. The reference point representation can also be used to show the interactions between NF services in network functions described by point-to-point reference points (e.g., N11) between any two network functions (e.g., AMF and SMF).

[0052] Figure 3 A service-based architecture 300 in the 5GS according to one embodiment is shown. As described in 3GPP TS23.501, the service-based architecture 300 includes NFs such as NSSF 302, NEF 304, NRF 306, PCF 308, UDM 310, AUSF 312, AMF 314, and SMF 316 for communicating with the UE 320, (R)AN 322, UPF 324, and DN 326. NFs and NF services can communicate directly (referred to as direct communication) or indirectly via the SCP 318 (referred to as indirect communication). Figure 3 The corresponding service-based interfaces including Nutm, Naf, Nudm, Npcf, Nsmf, Nnrf, Namf, Nnef, Nnssf, and Nausf and reference points N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6 are also shown. Some example functions provided by the NFs shown in Figure 3 are described below.

[0053] The NSSF 302 supports functions such as: selecting a set of network slice instances for serving the UE; determining the permitted NSSAI and, if required, determining the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAI; determining the configured NSSAI and, if required, determining the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAI; and / or determining the set of AMFs to be used for serving the UE or, based on the configuration, determining a list of candidate AMFs by querying the NRF.

[0054] The NEF 304 supports the exposure of capabilities and events. NF capabilities and events can be securely exposed by the NEF 304 (e.g., for third parties, application functions, and / or edge computing). The NEF 304 can use the standardized interface to the UDR (Nudr) to store / retrieve information as structured data. The NEF 304 can also securely provide information from external applications to the 3GPP network and can provide application functions to securely provide information to the 3GPP network (e.g., expected UE behavior, 5GLAN group information, and service-specific information), where the NEF 304 can authenticate and authorize and help restrict the application functions. The NEF 304 can provide the transformation of internal-external information by transforming between the information exchanged with the AF and the information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 304 transforms between the AF service identifier and internal 5G core information (such as DNN and S-NSSAI). The NEF 304 can handle the masking of network and user-sensitive information for external AFs according to network policies. The NEF 304 can receive information from other network functions (based on the exposure capabilities of other network functions) and store the received information as structured data using the standardized interface to the UDR. Then, the stored information can be accessed by the NEF 304 and re-exposed to other network functions and application functions and used for other purposes such as analysis. For the external exposure of services related to a specific UE, the NEF 304 can reside in the HPLMN. According to the operator agreement, the NEF 304 in the HPLMN can have an interface with the NFs in the VPLMN. When the UE is capable of switching between the EPC and 5GC, the SCEF+NEF can be used for service exposure.

[0055] The NRF 306 supports the service discovery function by receiving NF discovery requests from NF instances or the SCP and providing the information of the discovered NF instances to NF instances or the SCP. The NRF 306 can also support P-CSCF discovery (a special case of SMF discovering the AF), maintain the NF profiles of the available NF instances and the services they support, and / or notify subscribed NF service consumers or the SCP of newly registered / updated / deregistered NF instances along with their NF services. In the context of network slicing, based on the network implementation, multiple NRFs can be deployed at different levels, such as the PLMN level (the NRF is configured with information for the entire PLMN), the shared slice level (the NRF is configured with information belonging to a set of network slices), and / or the slice-specific level (the NRF is configured with information belonging to an S-NSSAI). In the context of roaming, multiple NRFs can be deployed in different networks, where the NRF in the visited PLMN (referred to as vNRF) is configured with information for the visited PLMN, and the NRF in the home PLMN (referred to as hNRF) is configured with information for the home PLMN, and the vNRF references the hNRF via the N27 interface.

[0056] The PCF 308 supports a unified policy framework to control network behavior. The PCF 308 provides policy rules for control plane functions to enforce them. The PCF 308 accesses subscription information related to policy decisions in the unified data repository (UDR). The PCF 308 can access the UDR located in the same PLMN as the PCF.

[0057] The UDM 310 supports generating 3GPP AKA authentication credentials, user identification processing (e.g., storage and management of the SUPI for each subscriber in the 5G system), de-hiding of the privacy-protected subscription identifier (SUCI), access authorization based on subscription data (e.g., roaming restrictions), service NF registration management for the UE (e.g., storing the serving AMF for the UE, storing the serving SMF for the PDU session of the UE), service / session continuity (e.g., by maintaining the SMF / DNN allocation for ongoing sessions), MT-SMS delivery, lawful interception functions (especially in the case of outbound roaming where the UDM is the only contact point for LI), subscription management, SMS management, 5GLAN group management processing, and / or external parameter configuration (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters). To provide such functions, the UDM 310 uses subscription data (including authentication data) that can be stored in the UDR. In this case, the UDM implements the application logic and may not require an internal user data storage, and several different UDMs can serve the same user in different transactions. The UDM 310 can be located in the HPLMN of the subscriber it serves and can access the information of the UDR located in the same PLMN.

[0058] AF 328 interacts with the core network to provide services such as supporting the following: the impact of the application on traffic routing; accessing the NEF 304; interacting with the policy framework for policy control; and / or the interaction between IMS and 5GC. Based on the operator's deployment, application functions considered to be operator-trusted may be allowed to directly interact with relevant network functions. Application functions that the operator does not allow to directly access network functions can interact with relevant network functions via the NEF 304 using the external exposure framework.

[0059] The AUSF 312 supports authentication for 3GPP access and non-trusted non-3GPP access. The AUSF 312 can also provide support for network slice-specific verification and authorization.

[0060] The AMF 314 supports the termination of the RAN CP interface (N2), the termination of the NAS (N1) for NAS encryption and integrity protection, registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception (for AMF events and the interface to the LI system), the transmission of SM messages between the UE and the SMF, transparent proxy for routing SM messages, access authentication, access authorization, the transmission of SMS messages between the UE and the SMSF, SEAF, location service management for regulatory services, the transmission of location service messages between the UE and the LMF and between the RAN and the LMF, EPS bearer ID allocation for EPS interworking, UE mobility event notification, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, user plane CIoT 5GS optimization, configuring external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters) and / or network slice-specific verification and authorization. Some or all of the AMF functions may be supported in a single instance of the AMF 314. Regardless of the number of network functions, in some embodiments, there is only one instance of the NAS interface terminating at one of the network functions that implement at least NAS security and mobility management for each access network between the UE and the CN. The AMF 314 may also include policy-related functions.

[0061] In addition to the above functions, the AMF 314 may further include the following functions to support non-3GPP access networks: support for the N2 interface with N3IWF / TNGF, on which some information (e.g., 3GPP cell identifier) and procedures (e.g., handover-related) defined on 3GPP access may not apply, and non-3GPP access-specific information not applicable to 3GPP access may be applied; support for NAS signaling with the UE through N3IWF / TNGF, where some procedures supported by NAS signaling over 3GPP access may not apply to non-trusted non-3GPP (e.g., paging) access; support for the authentication of the UE connected through N3IWF / TNGF; management of the mobility, authentication, and separate security context states of the UE connected via non-3GPP access or simultaneously via 3GPP access or non-3GPP access; support for the coordinated RM management context valid on 3GPP access and non-3GPP access; and / or support for the dedicated CM management context for the UE to connect through non-3GPP access. Support for all of the above functions may not be required in the instance of a network slice.

[0062] The SMF 316 supports session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and release, including tunnel maintenance between the UPF and the AN node), UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization) (where the UE IP address can be received from the UPF or from an external data network), DHCPv4 (server and client) and DHCPv6 (server and client) functions, functions for responding to Address Resolution Protocol requirements and / or IPv6 neighbor requirements requests based on Ethernet PDU local cache information (e.g., the SMF responds to ARP and / or IPv6 neighbor requirements requests by providing the MAC address corresponding to the IP address sent in the request), selection and control of the user plane function (including controlling the UPF to proxy ARP or IPv6 neighbor discovery or forwarding all ARP / IPv6 neighbor requirements traffic to the SMF for the Ethernet PDU session), traffic steering configuration at the UPF to route traffic to the appropriate destination, 5G VN group management (e.g., maintaining the topology of the PSA UPFs involved, establishing and releasing N19 tunnels between the PSA UPFs, configuring traffic forwarding at the UPF to apply local handover, and / or forwarding based on N6 or N19), terminating the interface towards the policy control function, lawful interception (for SM events and the interface to the LI system), charging for data collection and supporting the charging interface, controlling and coordinating the charging data collection at the UPF, terminating the SM part of the NAS message, downlink data notification, the initiator of AN-specific SM information sent to the AN via the AMF over N2, determination of the SSC mode of the session, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, header compression, acting as an I-SMF in a deployable / removable / repositionable I-SMF deployment, configuring external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters), P-CSCF discovery for IMS services, roaming functions (e.g., handling local implementation to apply QoS SLA (VPLMN), charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN), and / or lawful interception (in the VPLMN for SM events and the interface to the LI system), interacting with the external DN to transmit signaling for PDU session authentication / authorization by the external DN and / or instructing the UPF and the NG-RAN to perform redundant transmission on the N3 / N9 interface. Some or all of the SMF functions can be supported in a single instance of the SMF. However, in some embodiments, not all functions need to be supported in an instance of the network slice. In addition to the functions, the SMF 316 can include policy-related functions.

[0063] SCP 318 includes one or more of the following functions: indirect communication; delegated discovery; message forwarding and routing to destination NF / NF services; communication security (e.g., authorization for an NF service consumer to access an NF service manufacturer API), load balancing, monitoring, overload control, etc.; and / or optionally interact with the UDR to resolve the UDM group ID / UDR group ID / AUSF group ID / PCF group ID / CHF group ID / HSS group ID based on the UE identity (e.g., SUPI or IMPI / IMPU). Some or all of the SCP functions may be supported in a single instance of the SCP. In some embodiments, SCP 318 may be deployed in a distributed manner and / or more than one SCP may be present in the communication path between NF services. The SCP may be deployed at the PLMN level, shared slice level, and slice-specific level. Operator deployment may be left to ensure that the SCP can communicate with the relevant NRF.

[0064] UE 320 may include a device with radio communication capabilities. For example, UE 320 may include a smart phone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks). UE 320 may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), pager, laptop computer, desktop computer, wireless handheld device, or any computing device including a wireless communication interface. The UE is also referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, or reconfigurable mobile device. UE 320 may include an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connections. The IoT UE may exchange data with an MTC server or device via a PLMN, other UEs using ProSe or D2D communication, a sensor network, or an IoT network using technologies (e.g., M2M, MTC, or mMTC technologies). The M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure). The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connection to the IoT network.

[0065] The UE 320 can be configured to be connected to or communicatively coupled with the (R)AN 322 via a radio interface 330, which can be a physical communication interface or layer configured to operate with cellular communication protocols such as GSM protocol, CDMA network protocol, Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, Cellular PTT (POC) protocol, UMTS protocol, 3GPP LTE protocol, 5G protocol, NR protocol, etc. For example, the UE 320 and the (R)AN 322 can use the Uu interface (e.g., the LTE-Uu interface) to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack including a PHY layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer, a PDCP layer, and an RRC layer. DL transmissions can be from the (R)AN 322 to the UE 320, and UL transmissions can be from the UE 320 to the (R)AN 322. The UE 320 can also communicate directly with another UE (not shown) using sidelink for D2D, P2P, and / or ProSe communications. For example, the ProSe interface can include one or more logical channels, which include but are not limited to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0066] (R)AN 322 can include one or more access nodes, which can be referred to as base stations (BSs), Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next-generation Node Bs (gNBs), RAN nodes, controllers, transmission reception points (TRPs), etc., and can include terrestrial stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographical area (e.g., a cell). (R)AN 322 can include one or more RAN nodes for providing macro cells, pico cells, femto cells, or other types of cells. A macro cell can cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., with a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A pico cell can cover a relatively small geographical area and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A femto cell can cover a relatively small geographical area (e.g., a home) and can allow restricted access by UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.).

[0067] Although not shown, multiple RAN nodes (such as (R)AN 322) may be used, where an Xn interface is defined between two or more nodes. In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and support / provide data forwarding and traffic control functions. Xn-C may provide management and error handling functions for managing the functions of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for the UE 320 in the connected mode (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing the mobility of the UE in the connected mode between one or more (R)AN nodes. This mobility support may include context transfer from an old (source) serving (R)AN node to a new (target) serving (R)AN node; and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving (R)AN node and the new (target) serving (R)AN node.

[0068] The UPF 324 may act as an anchor point for mobility within and between RATs, an external PDU session point for interconnecting with the DN 326, and a branching point for supporting multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF 324 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, execute the user plane part of the policy rules, legally intercept packets (UP collection); traffic usage reporting, perform QoS processing on the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic verification (e.g., SDF to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 324 may include an uplink classifier for supporting routing traffic flows to the data network. The DN 326 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The DN 326 may include, for example, an application server.

[0069] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a configurable exemplary UE 400 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including by executing instructions corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein on a computer-readable medium. The UE 400 includes one or more processors 402, a transceiver 404, a memory 406, a user interface 408, and a control interface 410.

[0070] The one or more processors 402 may include, for example, an application processor, an audio digital signal processor, a central processing unit, and / or one or more baseband processors. Each of the one or more processors 402 may include internal memory and / or may include an interface for communicating with external memory (including memory 406). The internal or external memory may store software code, programs, and / or instructions for execution by the one or more processors 402 to configure and / or facilitate the UE 400 to perform various operations, including the operations described herein. For example, the execution of the instructions may configure the UE 400 to communicate using one or more wired or wireless communication protocols (including one or more wireless communication protocols standardized by 3GPP, such as those commonly referred to as 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, etc.) or any other current or future protocol that may be used in conjunction with the one or more transceivers 404, user interface 408, and / or control interface 410. As another example, the one or more processors 402 may execute program code stored in memory 406 or other memory corresponding to MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP (e.g., for NR and / or LTE). As yet another example, the processor 402 may execute program code stored in memory 406 or other memory that, together with the one or more transceivers 404, implements corresponding PHY layer protocols, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA).

[0071] Memory 406 may include memory regions for the one or more processors 402 to store variables used in the protocols, configurations, controls, and other functions of the UE 400 (including operations corresponding to or including any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein). In addition, memory 406 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), or a combination thereof. In addition, memory 406 may interact with memory slots through which one or more formats of removable memory cards (e.g., SD cards, memory sticks, compact flash, etc.) may be inserted and removed.

[0072] The one or more transceivers 404 may include radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that facilitates communication of the UE 400 with other devices that support similar wireless communication standards and / or protocols. For example, the one or more transceivers 404 may include switches, mixer circuitry, amplifier circuitry, filter circuitry, and synthesizer circuitry. Such RF circuitry may include a receive signal path having circuitry that downconverts an RF signal received from a front-end module (FEM) and provides a baseband signal to a baseband processor of the one or more processors 402. The RF circuitry may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry for upconverting a baseband signal provided by the baseband processor and providing an RF output signal for transmission to the FEM. The FEM may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry configured to operate on an RF signal received from one or more antennas, amplify the received signal, and provide an amplified version of the received signal to the RF circuitry for further processing. The FEM may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify a transmit signal provided by the RF circuitry for transmission by one or more antennas. In various embodiments, amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be accomplished only in the RF circuitry, only in the FEM, or in both the RF circuitry and the FEM circuitry. In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation.

[0073] In some exemplary embodiments, the one or more transceivers 404 include transmitters and receivers that enable the device 1200 to communicate with various 5G / NR networks according to various protocols and / or methods proposed for standardization by 3GPP and / or other standards bodies. For example, such functionality may operate in cooperation with the one or more processors 402 to implement the PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA techniques, such as described herein with reference to other figures.

[0074] The user interface 408 can take various forms according to specific embodiments, or may not exist in the UE 400. In some embodiments, the user interface 408 includes a microphone, a speaker, a slidable button, a pressable button, a display, a touchscreen display, a mechanical or virtual keypad, a mechanical or virtual keyboard, and / or any other user interface features commonly present on a mobile phone. In other embodiments, the UE 400 can include a tablet computing device with a larger touchscreen display. In such embodiments, one or more of the mechanical features of the user interface 408 can be replaced by equivalent or functionally equivalent virtual user interface features (e.g., virtual keypad, virtual buttons, etc.) implemented using the touchscreen display, as is familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art. In other embodiments, the UE 400 can be a digital computing device, such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a workstation, etc., that includes a mechanical keyboard that can be integrated, disassembled, or removable according to specific exemplary embodiments. Such digital computing devices can also include a touchscreen display. Many exemplary embodiments of the UE 400 with a touchscreen display are capable of receiving user input, such as input related to the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein or known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE 400 includes an orientation sensor, which can be used in various ways by the features and functions of the UE 400. For example, the UE 400 can use the output of the orientation sensor to determine when the user has changed the physical orientation of the touchscreen display of the UE 400. The indication signal from the orientation sensor can be used in any application executed on the UE 400, such that the application can automatically change the orientation of the screen display (e.g., from portrait to landscape) when the indication signal indicates a change of approximately 90 degrees in the physical orientation of the device. In this way, the application can keep the screen display in a user-readable manner regardless of the physical orientation of the device. Additionally, the output of the orientation sensor can be used in combination with various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0076] The control interface 410 can take various forms according to specific embodiments. For example, the control interface 410 can include an RS-232 interface, an RS-485 interface, a USB interface, an HDMI interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE (“FireWire”) interface, an I 2 C interface, a PCMCIA interface, etc. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control interface 1260 can include an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface, as described above. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control interface 410 can include an analog interface circuit that includes, for example, one or more digital-to-analog (D / A) converters and / or analog-to-digital (A / D) converters.

[0077] Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the above list of features, interfaces, and radio communication standards is merely exemplary and not limiting to the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the UE 400 may include more functions than Figure 4 shown, including, for example, video and / or still image cameras, microphones, media players, and / or recorders, etc. In addition, the one or more transceivers 404 may include circuitry for communicating using additional radio communication standards including Bluetooth, GPS, and / or others. Further, the one or more processors 402 may execute software code stored in the memory 406 to control such additional functions. For example, the directional speed and / or position estimates output from a GPS receiver may be used by any application executed on the UE 400, including the various exemplary methods and / or computer-readable media according to the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0078] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary configurable network node 500 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including by executing instructions corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein on a computer-readable medium.

[0079] The network node 500 includes one or more processors 502, a radio network interface 504, a memory 506, a core network interface 508, and other interfaces 510. The network node 500 may include, for example, a base station, eNB, gNB, access node, or components thereof.

[0080] The one or more processors 502 may include any type of processor or processing circuitry and may be configured to execute one of the methods or processes disclosed herein. The memory 506 may store software code, programs, and / or instructions that are executed by the one or more processors 502 to configure the network node 500 to perform various operations, including those described herein. For example, execution of such stored instructions may configure the network node 500 to communicate with one or more other devices using protocols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including one or more of the methods and / or processes discussed above. Additionally, execution of such stored instructions may also configure and / or facilitate the network node 500 to communicate with one or more other devices using other protocols or protocol layers, such as one or more of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or NR, or any other higher layer protocol used in conjunction with the radio network interface 504 and the core network interface 508. By way of example and not limitation, the core network interface 508 includes the S1 interface, and the radio network interface 504 may include the Uu interface, as standardized by 3GPP. The memory 506 may also store variables used in the protocols, configurations, controls, and other functions of the network node 500. Thus, the memory 506 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), network-based (e.g., “cloud”) storage devices, or combinations thereof.

[0081] The radio network interface 504 may include a transmitter, a receiver, signal processors, ASICs, antennas, beamforming units, and other circuitry that enables the network node 500 to communicate with other equipment, such as, in some embodiments, a plurality of compatible user equipment (UE). In some embodiments, the network node 500 may include various protocols or protocol layers, such as the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G / NR. According to additional embodiments of the present disclosure, the radio network interface 504 may include a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies. In some embodiments, the functions of such a PHY layer may be provided collaboratively by the radio network interface 504 and the one or more processors 502.

[0082] The core network interface 508 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 500 to communicate with other equipment in a core network (in some embodiments, such as a circuit-switched (CS) and / or packet-switched core (PS) network). In some embodiments, the core network interface 508 may include an S1 interface standardized by 3GPP. In some embodiments, the core network interface 508 may include one or more interfaces to one or more SGWs, MMEs, SGSNs, GGSNs, and other physical devices, and the one or more interfaces include functions known to those of ordinary skill in the art present in GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN, and CDMA2000 core networks. In some embodiments, these one or more interfaces may be multiplexed together on a single physical interface. In some embodiments, the lower layers of the core network interface 508 may include one or more of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Internet protocol over Ethernet (IP), SDH over fiber optic, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper wire, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0083] The other interface 510 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 500 to communicate with an external network, a computer, a database, etc. for operating, managing, and maintaining the network node 500 or other network devices operably connected thereto.

[0084] Examples

[0085] 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 of the operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods described in the following embodiments. For example, a baseband circuit or other processor or processing circuitry as described herein may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the following embodiments. Also, for example, the circuitry associated with a UE, a base station, a network element, etc. described above in connection with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the embodiments set forth below in the embodiments.

[0086] Embodiment 1 may include an apparatus that includes means for performing one or more elements of the methods described herein.

[0087] Embodiment 2 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the methods or processes described herein.

[0088] Example 3 may include an apparatus that includes logic components, modules, or circuits for performing one or more elements of the methods or processes described herein.

[0089] Example 4 may include a method, technique, or process according to, or related to, any one of Examples 1 to 3, or a part or component thereof.

[0090] Embodiment 5 may include an apparatus that includes one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process according to, or related to, any embodiment herein, or a part thereof.

[0091] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, any of the above examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

[0092] Embodiments and specific implementations of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations that may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components that include specific logic components for performing the operations, or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0093] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific embodiments. These embodiments may be combined into a single system, partially incorporated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Additionally, it is contemplated that the parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment. For clarity, these parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. are described in only one or more embodiments, and it should be recognized that, unless specifically stated herein, these parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. may be combined with or substituted for the parameters / attributes, etc. of another embodiment.

[0094] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for the purposes of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing both the processes and apparatus described herein. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the specification is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE) to perform inter-frequency measurements based on synchronization signal blocks (SSBs), the method comprises: configuring the UE to perform inter-frequency measurements without a measurement gap (MG) within a measurement window; and applying a scheduling restriction such that the inter-frequency measurement without MG on an adjacent cell has priority over an uplink transmission to a serving cell within the measurement window, wherein the measurement window includes an SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window duration.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: configuring the UE to perform the inter-frequency measurement without MG in a time-division duplex (TDD) band within a first frequency range (FR1).

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprises: applying a scheduling restriction due to an SS reference signal received power (SS-RSRP) measurement, an SS reference signal received quality (SS-RSRQ) measurement, or an SS signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SS-SINR) measurement performed by the UE, wherein the UE is restricted from transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a sounding reference signal (SRS) on restricted symbols including all symbols within the SMTC window duration.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprises: when performing TDD in-band carrier aggregation, applying the scheduling restriction corresponding to a specific serving cell to other serving cells in the same frequency band on one or more symbols that completely or partially overlap with the restricted symbols.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: configuring the UE to perform the inter-frequency measurement without MG using time-division duplex (TDD) or frequency-division duplex (FDD) with a subcarrier spacing (SCS) different from that of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a first frequency range (FR1).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the UE does not support concurrent intra-frequency measurements on a serving cell or an adjacent cell with different parameter sets and reception of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) from the serving cell, the method further comprises: applying a scheduling restriction due to an SS reference signal received power (SS-RSRP) measurement, an SS reference signal received quality (SS-RSRQ) measurement, or an SS signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SS-SINR) measurement performed by the UE, wherein the UE is restricted from transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a sounding reference signal (SRS) on restricted symbols including all symbols within the SMTC window duration, and wherein the UE is restricted from receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a tracking reference signal (TRS), or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) for a channel quality indicator (CQI) on the restricted symbols.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprises: When performing in-band carrier aggregation, apply the scheduling restriction corresponding to a specific serving cell to other serving cells in the same frequency band on one or more symbols that completely or partially overlap with the restricted symbol.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: generating UE capability information for communicating with a cellular network to indicate that the UE does not support simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: configuring the UE to perform the MG-free inter-frequency measurement on a second frequency range FR2; applying a scheduling restriction due to an SS reference signal received power (SS-RSRP) measurement, an SS reference signal received quality (SS-RSRQ) measurement, or an SS signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SS-SINR) measurement performed by the UE, wherein the UE is restricted from transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), or a sounding reference signal (SRS) on restricted symbols including all symbols within the SMTC window duration, and wherein the UE is restricted from receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a tracking reference signal (TRS), or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) for a channel quality indicator (CQI) on the restricted symbols.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: When performing in-band carrier aggregation, apply the scheduling restriction corresponding to a specific serving cell to other serving cells in the same frequency band on one or more symbols that completely or partially overlap with the restricted symbol.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the method according to any one of claims 1-10 to be performed.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-10.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-10.

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