Method, device and system for UE capability coordination

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for coordinating user equipment (UE) capabilities. A method includes receiving, by a primary network node from a user equipment (UE), capability information for UE aggregation of at least one multi-connection band combination (BC); and sending, by the primary network node to the secondary network node, a first message indicating a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node, where the set of capability resources comprises at least one of: a bandwidth of aggregation allowed for the secondary network node, or a MIMO layer of aggregation allowed for the secondary network node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure is generally directed to wireless communications and, more particularly, to methods, devices, and systems for coordinating user equipment (UE) capabilities. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication technologies are driving the world toward an increasingly interconnected and networked society. High-speed and low-latency wireless communications rely on efficient network resource management and allocation between user devices and radio access network nodes (including but not limited to base stations). Next-generation networks are expected to provide high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-reliable communication capabilities to meet the needs of diverse industries and users.

[0003] For fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technologies, user equipment (UE), such as smartphones, may need to report its ability to connect to one or more network nodes. There are various challenges / problems associated with this situation, such as how the UE reports the maximum aggregate bandwidth and / or total multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer limits for each supported frequency band combination to one or more network nodes. For another example, on the network side with a dual-connectivity (DC) or multi-connectivity (MC) structure, how one or more network nodes coordinate on the maximum aggregate bandwidth and / or aggregated MIMO layers to comply with the UE capabilities.

[0004] This disclosure describes various embodiments for coordinating UE capabilities, resolving at least one of the issues / problems described in this disclosure, increasing efficiency of wireless communications, and / or improving wireless communications performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This document relates to methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications, and more particularly, to methods, systems, and devices for coordinating user equipment (UE) capabilities.

[0006] In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method for wireless communication. The method includes: receiving, by a primary network node, UE aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC) from a user equipment (UE); and sending, by the primary network node, a first message to a secondary network node, the first message indicating a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node, wherein the set of capability resources includes at least one of the following: an aggregated bandwidth allowed for the secondary network node, or an aggregated MIMO layer allowed for the secondary network node.

[0007] In another embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method for wireless communication. The method includes: transmitting, by a user equipment (UE), UE-aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC), the UE-aggregated capability information having a per-BC or per-feature set entry granularity; wherein the UE-aggregated capability information includes at least one of the following: aggregated MIMO layer capability; aggregated bandwidth capability; aggregated CC number capability; or aggregated modulation order capability.

[0008] In another embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method for wireless communication. The method includes: receiving, by a secondary network node, a first message from a primary network node, the first message indicating a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node, wherein the primary network node receives UE aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connectivity band combination (BC) from a user equipment (UE) and determines the set of capability resources allowed for a second network node, and wherein: the set of capability resources includes at least one of the following: aggregated bandwidth allowed for the secondary network node, or aggregated MIMO layers allowed for the secondary network node.

[0009] In some other embodiments, an apparatus for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and a processing circuit in communication with the memory. When the processing circuit executes the instructions, the processing circuit is configured to perform the above method.

[0010] In some other embodiments, a device for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and a processing circuit in communication with the memory. When the processing circuit executes the instructions, the processing circuit is configured to perform the above method.

[0011] In some other embodiments, a computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the above method. The computer-readable medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0012] These and other aspects and embodiments thereof are described in more detail in the drawings, the description, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system including one or more network nodes and one or more user equipments is shown.

[0014] Figure 2 An example of a network node is shown.

[0015] Figure 3 An example of a user device is shown.

[0016] Figure 4AA user equipment (UE) capability structure for an exemplary embodiment of wireless communications is shown.

[0017] Figure 4B Aggregated channel bandwidth / total multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers per feature set entry for an exemplary embodiment of wireless communication are shown.

[0018] Figure 4C Aggregated channel bandwidth / total multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers per band combination are shown for an exemplary embodiment of wireless communication.

[0019] Figure 4D A list of capability set entries for frequency band combinations for an exemplary embodiment of wireless communication is shown.

[0020] Figure 4E Capability limitation indication between a primary node and a secondary node for an exemplary embodiment of wireless communication is shown.

[0021] Figure 5A A flow chart of a method for wireless communication is shown.

[0022] Figure 5B A flow chart illustrating another method for wireless communication is shown.

[0023] Figure 5C A flow chart illustrating another method for wireless communication is shown.

[0024] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0025] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0026] Figure 7A A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0027] Figure 7B A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0028] Figure 8A A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0029] Figure 8B A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0030] Figure 9A A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0031] Figure 9BA schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present disclosure will now be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and show by way of illustration specific examples of embodiments. However, it should be noted that the present disclosure may be embodied in a variety of different forms, and thus, the subject matter covered or claimed is intended to be construed as not limited to any of the embodiments set forth below.

[0033] Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied by the context, rather than just the explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in some embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and the phrases "in another embodiment" or "in other embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to different embodiments. The phrases "in one embodiment" or "in some embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and the phrases "in another embodiment" or "in other embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to different embodiments. For example, the claimed subject matter is intended to include, in whole or in part, exemplary embodiments or combinations of embodiments.

[0034] In general, terms can be understood at least in part based on their usage in context. For example, terms such as "and," "or," and "and / or" as used herein can include multiple meanings that can depend at least in part on the context in which the terms are used. Typically, "or," if used in connection with a list such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean that A, B, and C are used in an inclusive sense herein, as well as A, B, or C are used in an exclusive sense herein. Furthermore, the terms "one or more" or "at least one" as used herein, depending at least in part on the context, can be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense, or can be used to describe a combination of features, structures, or characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms such as "a," "an," or "the" can also be understood to convey singular usage or plural usage, depending at least in part on the context. Furthermore, the terms "based on" or "determined by..." can be understood to not necessarily be intended to convey a set of exclusive factors, but can allow for the presence of additional factors that are not necessarily explicitly described, again depending at least in part on the context.

[0035] This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for coordinating user equipment (UE) capabilities.

[0036] Next-generation (NG) mobile communication systems are driving the world toward an increasingly interconnected and networked society. High-speed and low-latency wireless communications rely on efficient network resource management and allocation between user devices and radio access network nodes (including but not limited to wireless base stations). NG networks are expected to provide high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-reliable communication capabilities, meeting the demands of diverse industries and users.

[0037] For fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology, user equipment (UE), such as a smartphone, may need to report its ability to connect to one or more network nodes. There are various challenges / problems associated with this situation, such as how the UE reports the maximum aggregated bandwidth and / or total multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer limits for each supported frequency band combination to one or more network nodes. For another example, on the network side with a dual-connectivity (DC) or multi-connectivity (MC) structure, how one or more network nodes coordinate on the maximum aggregated bandwidth and / or aggregated MIMO layers to comply with the UE capabilities.

[0038] The present disclosure describes various embodiments for coordinating UE capabilities, solving at least one problem / problem described in the present disclosure, improving the efficiency of wireless communications, and / or improving the performance of wireless communications. In one or more scenarios, a user equipment (UE) may be connected to more than one network node simultaneously. The network nodes may, for example, include one or more radio access network (RAN) nodes and / or one or more core network (CN) nodes. In one embodiment, the UE may be connected to two or more network nodes simultaneously, which may be referred to as a "dual-active state" or a "multi-connected state," which requires the UE and / or one or more network nodes to coordinate multiple connections, thereby providing an efficient system for one or more scenarios.

[0039] One scenario may include that, for a UE with multiple subscriber identity modules (Multi-SIM) (or multiple universal subscriber identity modules (Multi-USIM)), the UE may be connected to multiple networks simultaneously. In another scenario, a UE with a single SIM may be connected to multiple networks simultaneously. Another scenario may include that a roaming UE may connect to multiple networks for different slices. In another scenario, as an enhancement to slicing, the wireless communication system may need to enable a roaming UE to simultaneously access network slices from multiple visited public land mobile networks (VPLMNs), which means that the UE can be connected to more than one network at the same time, which is similar to Multi-SIM. In another scenario, video, imaging and audio for professional applications (VIAPA) may require a method that enables the UE to receive data services from one network (e.g., a non-public network (NPN)) and simultaneously receive paging and data services from another network (e.g., a public land mobile network (PLMN)), which is similar to Multi-SIM. When a UE is configured to connect to multiple networks simultaneously, it may be necessary to coordinate the capabilities of the UE.

[0040] Figure 1 A wireless communication system 100 is shown that includes one or more network nodes (118 and 119) and one or more user equipments (UEs) (110, 111, and 112). In some embodiments, the two network nodes (118 and 119) may be from two different networks or from the same network.

[0041] For fifth-generation or later mobile communication technologies, a UE 110 (e.g., a smartphone) may have a single subscriber identity module (SIM) or multiple subscriber identity modules (Multi-SIM). When the UE has a single SIM, the UE may be connected to one network node 118, such as a radio access network (RAN) node and / or a core network (CN) node, or may be connected to more than one network node (118 and 119), such as two RAN nodes and / or two CN nodes. When the UE has a Multi-SIM, the UE may be connected to more than one network node (118 and 119), such as two RAN nodes, two CN nodes, and / or one RAN node and one CN node.

[0042] The radio network nodes (118 and 119) may include a network base station, which may be a nodeB (NB, such as an eNB or gNB) in a mobile telecommunication environment. Each of the UEs (110, 111, and / or 112) may wirelessly communicate with the radio network nodes (118 and / or 119) via one or more radio channels 115. For example, a first UE 110 may wirelessly communicate with a first network node 118 via a channel comprising multiple radio channels during a specific time period; during another time period or at the same time, the first UE 110 may wirelessly communicate with a second network node 119 via a channel comprising multiple radio channels.

[0043] The present disclosure describes various embodiments of user equipment (UE) capability coordination in dual connectivity (DC) for one, some, or all of the scenarios described in the present disclosure. The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and storage media for how a UE coordinates temporary UE capability restrictions (e.g., UE capability restriction information) to one or more networks (or network nodes), and / or how one or more network nodes coordinate temporary UE capability restrictions (e.g., UE capability restriction information) to other network nodes and / or UEs.

[0044] Figure 2 An example of an electronic device 200 implementing a network node or network base station is shown. The example electronic device 200 may include wireless transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) circuitry 208 to transmit / receive communications with UEs and / or other base stations. The electronic device 200 may also include network interface circuitry 209 to connect the base station to other base stations and / or a core network, such as optical or wired interconnects, Ethernet, and / or other data transmission media / protocols. The electronic device 200 may optionally include an input / output (I / O) interface 206 to communicate with operators and the like.

[0045] The electronic device 200 may also include system circuitry 204. The system circuitry 204 may include a processor 221 and / or a memory 222. The memory 222 may include an operating system 224, instructions 226, and parameters 228. The instructions 226 may be configured to cause one or more processors 221 to perform the functions of a network node. The parameters 228 may include parameters that support the execution of the instructions 226. For example, the parameters may include network protocol settings, bandwidth parameters, radio frequency mapping allocations, and / or other parameters.

[0046] Figure 3An example of an electronic device implementing a terminal device 300 (e.g., user equipment (UE)) is shown. UE 300 may be a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone or a mobile communication module provided in a vehicle). UE 300 may include a communication interface 302, system circuitry 304, an input / output interface (I / O) 306, a display circuit 308, and a storage device 309. The display circuit may include a user interface 310.

[0047] System circuitry 304 may include any combination of hardware, software, firmware, or other logic / circuitry. System circuitry 304 may be implemented using, for example, one or more system-on-chips (SoCs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), discrete analog and digital circuits, and other circuitry. System circuitry 304 may be part of the implementation of any desired functionality within UE 300. In this regard, system circuitry 304 may include, for example, logic to facilitate decoding and playing music and video (e.g., MP3, MP4, MPEG, AVI, FLAC, AC3, or WAV decoding and playback); running applications; accepting user input; storing and retrieving application data; establishing, maintaining, and terminating cellular phone calls or data connections, such as for Internet connections; establishing, maintaining, and terminating wireless network connections, Bluetooth connections, or other connections; and displaying relevant information on user interface 310. User interface 310 and input / output (I / O) interface 306 may include a graphical user interface, a touch-sensitive display, tactile feedback or other tactile output, voice or facial recognition input, buttons, switches, speakers, and other user interface elements. Other examples of I / O interface 306 may include a microphone, video and still image cameras, temperature sensors, vibration sensors, rotation and orientation sensors, headphone and microphone input / output jacks, a universal serial bus (USB) connector, a memory card slot, radiation sensors (e.g., IR sensors), and other types of input.

[0048] Reference Figure 3The communication interface 302 may include radio frequency (RF) transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) circuitry 316 that handles the transmission and reception of signals via one or more antennas 314. The communication interface 302 may include one or more transceivers. The transceiver may be a wireless transceiver that includes modulation / demodulation circuitry, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a shaping table, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), filters, a waveform shaper, filters, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and / or other logic for transmitting and receiving via one or more antennas or (for some devices) via a physical (e.g., wired) medium. The transmitted and received signals may conform to any of a variety of formats, protocols, modulations (e.g., QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, or 256-QAM), frequency channels, bit rates, and encodings. As a specific example, the communication interface 302 may include a transceiver that supports transmission and reception under 2G, 3G, BT, WiFi, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA)+, 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, and / or further developed standards. However, the techniques described below are applicable to other wireless communication technologies, whether derived from the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the GSM Association, 3GPP2, IEEE, or other partners or standards groups.

[0049] Reference Figure 3 , the system circuitry 304 may include one or more processors 321 and memory 322. The memory 322 stores, for example, an operating system 324, instructions 326, and parameters 328. The processor 321 is configured to execute the instructions 326 to perform the desired functions of the UE 300. The parameters 328 may provide and specify configuration and operating options for the instructions 326. The memory 322 may also store any BT, WiFi, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or other data that the UE 300 will send or has received via the communication interface 302. In various embodiments, the system power of the UE 300 may be provided by a power storage device such as a battery or a transformer.

[0050] This disclosure describes the following embodiments, which may be partially or completely implemented in Figure 2-Figure 3 The method is implemented on a network base station and / or user equipment described in the embodiment.

[0051] In some embodiments, to support dual connectivity or multi-connectivity, the UE may report the supported band combinations (BCs) to the network, where the baseband / RF capabilities may also be indicated by a feature set combination indication. A feature set combination may include multiple feature set entries. Each feature set entry includes a feature set for each band in the band combination. A feature set may include capabilities for one or more carriers. Figure 4A, in the featureSetDownkink of each carrier component (CC), it will include supportedbandwidth / Maximum MIMO layers and some other parameters.

[0052] In some embodiments, to reduce signaling overhead, in particular feature set reporting, the UE may report the aggregated channel bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer per FeatureSetEntry, or per BC, or per frequency range per BC for multi-connection BCs. For non-limiting examples, Figure 4B shows an implementation of aggregated channel bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers per FeatureSetEntry; and Figure 4C An embodiment of aggregated channel bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers per BC is shown. In some embodiments, for aggregated bandwidth, the UE may report the aggregated bandwidth of all frequency division duplex (FDD) bands, all time division duplex (TDD) bands, and / or all TDD and FDD bands.

[0053] In some implementations, taking the aggregated bandwidth per BC as an example, the UE indicates to the network that the maximum aggregated bandwidth of a BC with two TDD bands is 160 MHz, with only one carrier per band. Based on this, the network can know that the UE can support the following cases in Table 1 for different bandwidth combinations. As shown in this example in Table 1, the UE may only need to report the parent case with aggregated bandwidth, without having to report the four child cases without aggregated bandwidth. This can significantly save signaling (up to 75% of signaling), improving the efficiency and performance of wireless communications.

[0054] Table 1: Non-limiting examples of aggregated bandwidth

[0055]

[0056] In some embodiments, the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer for NR-DC BC may be defined per BC per frequency range, for example, for the NR-DC band combination, the UE reports the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer per BC per frequency range 1, or reports the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer per FeatureSetEntry per frequency range 1, which means that the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer is applied as a restriction across frequency bands belonging to frequency range 1. For example, if the UE supports a BC with 3 frequency bands (e.g., three frequency bands [n41, n78, n261]), the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer may be applied to n41+n78 regardless of the cell group. When the cell group is [n41, n78] on the MN side and [n261] on the SN side, the aggregated bandwidth may be applied to the MN side; and / or when the cell group is [n41] on the MN side and [n78, n261] on the SN side, the aggregated bandwidth may be applied as the sum of the n41 bandwidth of the MN and the n78 bandwidth of the SN.

[0057] In some embodiments of dual connectivity with a master node (MN) and a secondary node (SN), the UE may report the supported band combinations to the MN, which may then coordinate with the SN regarding the capability. For a non-limiting example with specific MN-SN coordination for capability coordination, the MN may indicate available band combination information to the SN, as shown in Table 2.

[0058] Table 2: Non-limiting example of MN-SN coordination

[0059]

[0060] In some implementations, the MN may indicate to the SN the list of available BCs, the selected band entry for each BC, and the featureSet entry, where FeatureSetEntryIndex may be used to indicate the supported feature set entries. Figure 4DFor example, BC1 includes three frequency bands (e.g., Band 1, Band 2, and Band 3), and also includes three feature set entries in the corresponding FeatureSetCombination (e.g., FeatureSetEntry1, FeatureSetEntry2, and FeatureSetEntry3). For example, for BC1, when the SN can only use FeatureSetEntry1 and FeatureSetEntry3, the MN can set allowedFeatureSetsList = [0][2] for BC1, indicating FeatureSetEntry1 and FeatureSetEntry3. For BC1, when the MN selects Band 1 and Band 2, the MN will set SelectedBandEntriesMN = [0][1] for BC1, indicating Band 1 and Band 2.

[0061] In some embodiments of the capability limitation indication between the MN and the SN for each available BC list, refer to Figure 4E , when the MN determines that it can operate on Band 1 + Band 2 with feature set entries 1 / 3, the MN can indicate to the SN as follows Figure 4E and then, SN may select only band 3 which has feature set entries 1 / 3. In some embodiments, the indicated information may include allowedFeatureSetsList=[0][2] and / or SelectedBandEntriesMN=[0][1].

[0062] As described above, in some embodiments of the MN-SN coordination method, the SN may not know the aggregated bandwidth available on the SN side because the MN does not indicate the aggregated bandwidth occupied by the MN side. A similar situation may also occur for the MIMO layer.

[0063] This disclosure describes various embodiments for coordinating UE capabilities, resolving at least one of the issues / problems described in this disclosure, increasing the efficiency of wireless communications, and / or improving the performance of wireless communications.

[0064] In the present disclosure, the term "aggregated" may be replaced with "total" in various terms to convey the same meaning, and vice versa. For non-limiting examples, the aggregated capacity may be the same as the total capacity, the aggregated bandwidth may be the same as the total bandwidth, and / or the aggregated MIMO layers may be the same as the total MIMO layers.

[0065] Reference Figure 5AThe present disclosure describes an embodiment of a method 500 for wireless communication. The method 500 may include some or all of the following: step 510, receiving, by a primary network node, UE aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC) from a user equipment (UE); step 520, sending, by the primary network node, a first message to a secondary network node, the first message indicating a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node. In some embodiments, the set of capability resources includes at least one of the following: aggregated bandwidth allowed for the secondary network node, and / or aggregated MIMO layers allowed for the secondary network node.

[0066] Reference Figure 5B , the present disclosure describes an embodiment of a method 550 for wireless communication. The method 550 may include step 560, in which a user equipment (UE) sends UE-aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC), where the UE-aggregated capability information has a granularity of per BC, per frequency range per BC, or per feature set entry. In some embodiments, the UE-aggregated capability information includes at least one of the following: aggregated MIMO layer capability; aggregated bandwidth capability; aggregated CC number capability; and / or aggregated modulation order capability. Here, "aggregated capability" may be referred to as "total capability."

[0067] Reference Figure 5C , the present disclosure describes an embodiment of a method 580 for wireless communication. The method 580 may include step 590, where the secondary network node receives a first message from the primary network node, the first message indicating a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node. In some embodiments, the primary network node receives UE aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC) from a user equipment (UE) and determines a first set of capability resources allowed for a second network node. In some embodiments, the set of capability resources includes at least one of the following: aggregated bandwidth allowed for the secondary network node, and / or aggregated MIMO layers allowed for the secondary network node.

[0068] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the UE aggregated capability information also includes at least one of the following at a per BC, per BC per frequency range, or per feature set entry granularity: aggregated MIMO layer capability; aggregated bandwidth capability; aggregated CC number capability; and / or aggregated modulation order capability.

[0069] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the first message also includes at least one of the following: the aggregated bandwidth allowed for the primary network node, and / or the aggregated multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers allowed for the primary network node.

[0070] In some implementations, in addition to a portion or combination of implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the secondary network node determines a set of capability resources based on the first message and UE aggregated capability information.

[0071] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the first message includes at least one of the following: the aggregated bandwidth allowed for the secondary network node, and / or the aggregated MIMO layers allowed for the secondary network node.

[0072] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the aggregated bandwidth has a granularity of per BC or per frequency range per BC; and / or the aggregated MIMO layers have a granularity of per BC or per frequency range per BC.

[0073] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the granularity per BC includes one of: per BC per frequency division duplex (FDD), per BC per time division duplex (TDD), or per BC per combined FDD-TDD.

[0074] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the aggregated bandwidth has a granularity of per feature set entry or per feature set entry per frequency range; and / or the aggregated MIMO layers have a granularity of per feature set entry or per feature set entry per frequency range.

[0075] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the granularity of each feature set entry includes one of the following: per feature set entry per frequency division duplex (FDD), per feature set entry per time division duplex (TDD), or per feature set entry per combined FDD-TDD.

[0076] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the UE aggregated capability information includes multiple per-BC limits; the first message indicates the per-BC limit information to the secondary network node; and / or the secondary network node selects the BC limit based on the first message and indicates the selected BC limit to the primary network node.

[0077] In some implementations, in addition to a portion or combination of the implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the granularity of the aggregated bandwidth further includes at least one of the following: per UE, per frequency band, or per frequency range.

[0078] In some embodiments, in addition to a portion or combination of the embodiments or examples described in the present disclosure, the set of capability resources includes at least one of the following: the maximum total number of carrier components (CCs) allowed for the primary network node, and / or the maximum total modulation order allowed for the primary network node; the maximum total number of carrier components (CCs) allowed for the secondary network node, and / or the maximum total modulation order allowed for the secondary network node.

[0079] In some implementations, except for some or a combination of implementations or examples described in this disclosure, the aggregated bandwidth has a different granularity than the aggregated MIMO layers.

[0080] This disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments for coordinating user equipment (UE) capabilities, which are intended as examples and do not impose any limitations on the present disclosure.

[0081] Embodiment Set I

[0082] This disclosure describes various embodiments for solving the problem / problem of how the SN knows the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer limit on the SN side. The problem / problem may include that, using the current MN-SN coordination method, the SN does not know the aggregated bandwidth / MIMO layer limit on the SN side; and / or the SN only knows the aggregated bandwidth of the entire band combination (including both the MN side band entries and the SN side band entries).

[0083] The present disclosure describes various embodiments, in which the MN indicates to the SN the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the SN side via at least one of the following options: Option 1: the MN sends the following information to the SN (i.e., MN->SN): the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers on the MN side, and then the SN determines to allow the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the SN side; and / or Option 2: the MN sends the following information to the SN (i.e., MN->SN): the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the SN side.

[0084] In some embodiments, each of the above options may be per BC, for example, per BC per FDD, per BC per TDD, and / or per BC per FDD+TDD.

[0085] exist Figure 6AA non-limiting example of option 1 with per-BC granularity is shown in . The UE may report the supported AggBW-FDD / TDD-DL / UL1 and / or AggBW-TotalDL / UL1 per BC for a multi-connection band combination, and then the MN determines the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer on the MN side and sends the MN aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer to the SN. The SN further determines the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer allowed on the SN side. When the UE reports the supported AggBW-TDD-DL=160Mhz for BC1 and the MN will use 100M, the MN may indicate to the MN AggBW-TDD-DL=100M. In addition, the SN may obtain the AggBW-TDD-DL supported by the UE from the UE capability report, and therefore the SN may know that the AggBW-TDD-DL allowed on the SN side is 60M (i.e. based on 160M-60M).

[0086] Figure 6B Another non-limiting example of Option 2 with per-BC granularity is shown in , where the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed by the SN is equal to the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers supported by the UE minus the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers of the MN. In this example, the UE reports the supported AggBW-FDD / TDD-DL / UL1 and / or AggBW-TotalDL / UL1 for each feature set, and then the MN determines the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the SN side and sends it to the SN. When the UE reports supported AggBW-TDD-DL = 160Mhz for BC1 and the MN will use 100M, the MN can indicate to the SN that the allowed AggBW-TDD-DL = 60M.

[0087] In various embodiments, the granularity of each option may be per FeatureSetEntry per BC, such as per FeatureSetEntry per FDD, per FeatureSetEntry per TDD, and / or per FeatureSetEntry per FDD+TDD.

[0088] Figure 7AA non-limiting example of Option 1 with per-FeatureSetEntry granularity is shown in [1]. The UE reports the supported AggBW-FDD / TDD-DL / UL1 and / AggBW-TotalDL / UL1 per BC per FeatureSetEntry, and the MN then determines the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers for the allowed feature set entries on the MN side and sends the MN aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers per feature set entry to the SN. The SN further determines the allowed aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers per feature set entry on the SN side. The SN further determines the allowed aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers per feature set entry on the SN side.

[0089] Figure 7B Another non-limiting example of option 1 with granularity per FeatureSetEntry is shown in . When the UE reports supported AggBW-TDD-DL=100MHz / aggregated MIMO layers=8 for feature set entry 1, and AggBW-TDD-DL=200MHz / aggregated MIMO layers=2 for feature set entry 3. On the MN side, the MN only selects feature set entry 1 and feature set entry 3 as allowed, and the MN may use MN AggBW-TDD-DL=60Mhz / MN aggregated MIMO layers=4 for feature set entry 1 and MN AggBW-TDD-DL=100Mhz / aggregated MIMO layers=2 for feature set entry 3, and then the MN may indicate this information to the SN. The SN may further determine the AggBW-TDD-DL / aggregated MIMO layers allowed by the SN on the SN side for each feature set entry. Figure 7B In the example above, AggBW_DL may be AggBW-TDD-DL, AggBW-FDD-DL, or AggBW-Total-DL. The above example uses the downlink as an example, and the example of the uplink may be similar to the example of the downlink.

[0090] Figure 8A and Figure 8BA non-limiting example of option 2 with granularity per FeatureSetEntry is shown in . The UE reports supported AggBW-TDD-DL=100 MHz / aggregated MIMO layers=8 for feature set entry 1, and supported AggBW-TDD-DL=200 MHz / aggregated MIMO layers=2 for feature set entry 3. On the MN side, the MN selects only feature set entry 1 and feature set entry 3 as allowed, and the MN may use MN AggBW-TDD-DL=60 MHz / MN aggregated MIMO layers=4 for feature set entry 1 and MN AggBW-TDD-DL=100 MHz / aggregated MIMO layers=2 for feature set entry 3, and then the MN may indicate allowed SN AggBW-TDD-DL=40 MHz / MN aggregated MIMO layers=4 for feature set entry 1, SN AggBW-TDD-DL=100 MHz for feature set entry 3 but MIMO is not supported. In Figure 8B In the example above, AggBW_DL can be AggBW-TDD-DL, AggBW-FDD-DL, or AggBW-Total-DL. The above example uses the downlink as an example, and the uplink example can be similar to the downlink example.

[0091] In various embodiments, for both per BC and per feature set entry solutions, the UE may indicate multiple restriction groups, and / or the MN may then also indicate multiple restrictions to the SN. Figure 9A A non-limiting example of each BC is shown in FIG, where the SN may also need to feedback which limit is applied on the SN side. Figure 9B An exemplary process for the MN-SN coordination process is shown in FIG. At step 950, the UE sends UE capability information to the MN. At step 960, upon obtaining the UE capabilities, the MN may indicate a list of allowed band combinations for each allowed BC, along with allowed feature set entries. The MN may also indicate aggregated BW / MIMO layer restriction information to the SN, as described above. At step 970, if the SN selects one of the restrictions, the SN may indicate the selected restriction to the MN.

[0092] The above example uses per BC as an example, and furthermore, an example of per FeatureSetEntry can be similar and analogous to the above example (using per FeatureSetEntry).

[0093] In various embodiments, the granularity can be per UE, or per frequency band and / or per frequency range, where per UE means allowing the allowed BC to adopt the same aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer limit, and per UE also includes per FDD / per TDD / per FDD+TDD cases.

[0094] In various embodiments, in addition to aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers, for other parameters for which the UE reports the maximum aggregated value / total value, for non-limiting examples, the same logic can be applied for the maximum total number of ccs / modulation order, etc.

[0095] In various embodiments, different parameters may have different granularities, for example, the aggregated bandwidth limit is per FeatureSetEntry, while the aggregated MIMO layer limit is per BC.

[0096] Example Set II

[0097] The present disclosure describes various embodiments for solving the problem / problem of how the SN provides feedback to the MN when the SN cannot accept the restrictions indicated by the MN. The problem / problem may include that the MN may indicate the allowed band combination information and the allowed aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers to the SN. However, when the SN needs to request a band combination or feature set entry outside of the restrictions (for example, due to mobility, the SN cannot operate on the allowed band combination indicated by the MN, or the SN can operate on the allowed band combination but cannot comply with the allowed aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers restrictions on the selected BC), how does the SN provide feedback?

[0098] The present disclosure describes various embodiments for solving the above-mentioned problems / difficulties, wherein the SN may indicate to the MN its recommendation regarding the BC it selects, for example, indicating to the MN the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the MN side via at least one of the following options: Option 1: SN->MN: aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers on the SN side, and then the MN determines the aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the MN side; and / or Option 2: SN->MN: aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers allowed on the MN side.

[0099] In some implementations of SN feedback, typically, the SN may only indicate one BC with one FeaturesetEntry.

[0100] In some embodiments, the granularity of each option may be per BC, such as per BC per FDD, per BC per TDD, and / or per BC per FDD+TDD.

[0101] In some embodiments, the granularity of each option may be per BC per FeatureSetEntry, such as per FeatureSetEntry per FDD, per FeatureSetEntry per TDD, and / or per FeatureSetEntry per FDD+TDD.

[0102] In various embodiments, the granularity may also be per UE, or per frequency band, and / or per frequency range, where per UE means allowing the allowed BCs to adopt the same aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layer limit, and per UE also includes per FDD / per TDD / per FDD+TDD cases.

[0103] In various embodiments, in addition to aggregated bandwidth / aggregated MIMO layers, for other parameters for which the UE reports maximum aggregated value / total value, for non-limiting examples, the same logic may be applied for maximum total cc number / modulation order, etc.

[0104] In various embodiments, different parameters may have different granularities, for example, the aggregated bandwidth limit is per FeatureSetEntry, while the aggregated MIMO layer limit is per BC.

[0105] This disclosure describes methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for wireless communications. This disclosure addresses the problem of coordinating user equipment (UE) capabilities. The methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media described in this disclosure can improve the performance of wireless communications, thereby increasing efficiency and overall performance. The methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media described in this disclosure can improve the overall efficiency of wireless communication systems.

[0106] In some other embodiments, a computer-readable medium including instructions, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the above method. Computer-readable media can be referred to as non-transient computer-readable media (CRM), which stores data for a long time, such as a flash drive or a compact disc (CD), or stores data in a short time when there is power, such as a memory device or random access memory (RAM). In some embodiments, computer-readable instructions can be included in software, which is embodied in one or more tangible, non-transient computer-readable media. Such non-transient computer-readable media can be a medium associated with a user-accessible mass storage and certain short-term memories (such as internal mass storage or ROM) with non-transient properties. The software implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure can be stored in such a device and executed by a processor (or processing circuit). Depending on specific needs, the computer-readable medium can include one or more memory devices or chips. The software can cause a processor (including a CPU, GPU, FPGA, etc.) to perform a specific process or a specific part of a specific process described herein, including defining a data structure stored in RAM and modifying such a data structure according to a process defined by the software.

[0107] References throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language do not imply that all features and advantages that may be achieved with the present solution are included in any single embodiment thereof. Rather, language referring to features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present solution. Thus, throughout this specification, discussions of features and advantages, and similar language, may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0108] Furthermore, the features, advantages, and characteristics of the present solution may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. For non-limiting example, one portion of one or more embodiments may be combined with another portion of another embodiment. One of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize, in light of the description herein, that the present solution may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other cases, additional features and advantages may be found in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present solution.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: Receiving, by a master network node, UE aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connectivity band combination (BC) from a user equipment (UE); The primary network node sends a first message to the secondary network node, where the first message indicates a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node. in: The group capability resource includes at least one of the following: The aggregated bandwidth allowed by the secondary network node, or The aggregated MIMO layers allowed for the secondary network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The UE aggregated capability information includes at least one of the following with a granularity of per BC or per feature set entry: Aggregated MIMO layer capabilities; Aggregate bandwidth capabilities; Aggregate CC quantity capabilities; or Aggregate modulation order capability.

3. A method for wireless communication, comprising: Sending, by a user equipment (UE), UE-aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC), wherein the UE-aggregated capability information has a per-BC or per-feature set entry granularity; The UE aggregated capability information includes at least one of the following: Aggregated MIMO layer capabilities; Aggregate bandwidth capabilities; Aggregate CC quantity capabilities; or Aggregate modulation order capability.

4. A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving, by a secondary network node from a primary network node, a first message indicating a set of capability resources allowed for the secondary network node, wherein the primary network node receives UE aggregated capability information for at least one multi-connection band combination (BC) from a user equipment (UE) and determines the set capability resources allowed for the secondary network node, and in: The group capability resource includes at least one of the following: The aggregated bandwidth allowed by the secondary network node, or The aggregated MIMO layers allowed for the secondary network node.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4, wherein: The first message includes at least one of the following: The aggregate bandwidth allowed for the master network node, or Aggregated Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layers are allowed for the master network node.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The secondary network node determines a second set of capability resources based on the first message and the aggregated capability information of the UE.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The aggregated bandwidth has a granularity of per BC or per frequency range per BC; or The aggregated MIMO layer has a granularity of per BC or per BC per frequency range.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The granularity per BC includes one of the following: per BC per frequency division duplex (FDD), per BC per time division duplex (TDD), or per BC per combined FDD-TDD.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The aggregated bandwidth has a granularity per feature set entry; or The aggregated MIMO layers have a granularity per feature set entry.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The granularity per feature set entry includes one of: per frequency division duplex (FDD) per feature set entry, per time division duplex (TDD) per feature set entry, or per combined FDD-TDD feature set entry per feature set.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4 to 10, wherein: The UE aggregated capability information includes a plurality of per-BC limits; The first message indicates BC restriction information to the second network node; and The secondary network node selects a BC limit based on the first message and indicates the selected BC limit to the primary network node.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The granularity of the aggregated bandwidth includes at least one of the following: per UE, per frequency band, or per frequency range.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The group capability resource includes at least one of the following: The maximum total number of component carriers (CCs) allowed for the master network node, or The maximum total modulation order allowed for the master network node; The maximum total number of component carriers (CCs) allowed for the secondary network node, or The maximum total modulation order allowed for the secondary network node.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The aggregated bandwidth has a different granularity than the aggregated MIMO layers.

15. A wireless communication device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein: The processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A non-transitory computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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