Method and apparatus for uplink (UL) transmission dynamic switching

Abstract

Aspects of a user equipment (UE) are described, the user equipment (UE) comprising: one or more transceivers configured to enable wireless communication with a base station; a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna and the second antenna being coupled to the one or more transceivers; and a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers. The first antenna and the second antenna are associated with a first frequency band and a second frequency band, respectively. The processor is configured to transmit a first signal to the base station on the first frequency band and a second signal to the base station on the second frequency band. The processor is further configured to: switch the first antenna to be associated with a third frequency band of a first subsequent transmission based on a fourth frequency band of a second subsequent transmission or a comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and transmitting a first subsequent signal to the base station on the third frequency band.

Description

Background Art Technical Field

[0001] The described aspects generally relate to uplink (UL) transmission switching procedures for New Radio (NR) systems. Summary of the Invention

[0002] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing UL transmit switching procedures for NR systems. For example, systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for determining and switching one or more antennas to be associated with one or more frequency bands.

[0003] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a user equipment (UE) comprising: a transceiver configured to enable wireless communication with a base station; a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna and the second antenna coupled to the transceiver; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The first antenna is associated with the first frequency band, and the second antenna is associated with the second frequency band. The processor is configured to: transmit a first signal to the base station on the first frequency band; and transmit a second signal to the base station on the second frequency band. The processor is further configured to: determine a first subsequent signal transmission on a third frequency band and a second subsequent signal transmission on a fourth frequency band; and switch the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on the fourth frequency band or a comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band. The processor is further configured to: transmit the first subsequent signal to the base station on the third frequency band.

[0004] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method of operating a UE. The method includes: using a first antenna of the UE to transmit a first signal to a base station on a first frequency band, wherein the first antenna is associated with the first frequency band; and using a second antenna of the UE to transmit a second signal to the base station on a second frequency band, wherein the second antenna is associated with the second frequency band. The method also includes: determining a first subsequent signal transmission on a third frequency band and a second subsequent signal transmission on a fourth frequency band; and switching the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on a comparison between the fourth frequency band or the first frequency band and the second frequency band. The method also includes: using the first antenna to transmit the first subsequent signal to the base station on the third frequency band.

[0005] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, cause the UE to perform operations. The operations include: transmitting a first signal to a base station on a first frequency band using a first antenna of the UE, wherein the first antenna is associated with the first frequency band; and transmitting a second signal to the base station on a second frequency band using a second antenna of the UE, wherein the second antenna is associated with the second frequency band. The operations also include: determining a first subsequent signal transmission on a third frequency band and a second subsequent signal transmission on a fourth frequency band; and switching the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on a comparison between the fourth frequency band or the first frequency band and the second frequency band. The operations also include: transmitting the first subsequent signal to the base station on the third frequency band using the first antenna.

[0006] This disclosure is provided for the purpose of illustrating some aspects only, so as to provide an understanding of the subject matter described herein. Therefore, the features described above are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the subject matter in this disclosure. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure and enable one skilled in the relevant art to make and use the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 1 An example system implementing a UL transmit switching procedure for a NR system according to some aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0009] Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating an example system of an electronic device for a UL transmit switching procedure according to some aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 A UL transmission switching procedure for single frequency band switching according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 4 A UL transmission switching procedure for dual-band switching according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 5 An example method of a UL transmission switching procedure according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 6 An example computer system for implementing some aspects or portions of the present disclosure.

[0014] The present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, generally, like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, generally, the leftmost digit of a reference numeral identifies the drawing in which the reference numeral first appears. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing UL transmit switching procedures for NR systems. For example, systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for determining and switching one or more antennas to be associated with one or more frequency bands.

[0016] In some aspects, a UE uses multiple antennas to communicate with a base station. For example, the UE may support multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink (DL) transmission. Therefore, the UE may use multiple antennas to receive signals from the base station. Similarly, the UE may also use multiple antennas to send signals to the base station in UL transmission using at least two methods. First, the UE may support dual-stream UL transmission. For example, the UE may use a first antenna and a second antenna to transmit signals in a first subcarrier and a second subcarrier, respectively. The first subcarrier and the second subcarrier may be in a first frequency band (such as a long-term evolution (LTE) band or an NR band). In this case, the UE may aggregate the first subcarrier and the second subcarrier to improve data throughput. Second, the UE may support dual-connectivity (DC) UL transmission. For example, the first subcarrier may be in a first frequency band (such as an LTE band) and the second subcarrier may be in a second frequency band (such as an NR band). In some aspects, the range of the LTE band may be longer than the range of the NR band. Therefore, the UE may aggregate the first subcarrier in the first frequency band and the second subcarrier in the second frequency band to provide a reliable communication connection to the base station when the UE is mobile.

[0017] In both of the above methods, each of the first and second antennas is associated with a frequency band at a given time. For example, in the first method, when the UE performs dual-stream UL transmission and the first frequency band is an NR band, the first and second antennas may be associated with the NR band. For another example, in the second method, when the UE performs DC UL transmission, the first antenna may be associated with the LTE band and the second antenna may be associated with the NR band. In some aspects, a UE in an LTE system may support two antennas for UL transmission in two frequency bands. Similarly, a UE in an NR system may support two antennas for UL transmission in three or four frequency bands.

[0018] In some aspects, the UE may switch the frequency band associated with the antenna. For example, the UE may currently be configured to perform dual-stream UL transmission in the NR band. Therefore, both the first and second antennas are associated with the NR band. However, the UE may move away from the base station to which the UE is connected. In this case, due to the limited transmit power of the UE in the NR band, the UL connection from the UE to the base station may become unstable. To maintain a reliable UL connection, the UE may perform a UL transmission switch to dual-stream UL transmission in the LTE band instead. Therefore, the UE may switch the first and second antennas to transmit on subcarriers in the LTE band. Therefore, the UE switches both the first and second antennas to be associated with the LTE band. Alternatively, the UE may perform a UL transmission switch to perform DC UL transmission instead. Therefore, the UE may switch one of the first and second antennas to transmit on subcarriers in the LTE band. For example, the UE may switch the first antenna to be associated with the LTE band, while the second antenna remains associated with the NR band and thus performs DC UL transmission. However, there may be ambiguity as to whether to switch to dual-stream UL transmission in the LTE band or to switch to DC UL transmission.

[0019] In some aspects, the base station may assist in resolving the ambiguity. For example, the base station may send a configuration message to the UE. The configuration message may indicate whether to switch the two antennas from their current assignment or to switch one antenna from its current assignment. If the configuration message indicates to switch the two antennas, the UE may perform dual-stream UL transmission on the LTE band. Similarly, if the configuration message indicates to switch one antenna, the UE may perform DC UL transmission. In some aspects, after determining to perform DC UL transmission, the UE still needs to determine whether to switch the first antenna or the second antenna. The UE may determine this based on additional configuration messages received from the base station or other factors such as the characteristics of the NR band and the LTE band.

[0020] Figure 1An example system 100 is illustrated for implementing an UL transmit switching procedure for an NR system according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Example system 100 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the disclosed aspects. Example system 100 may include, but is not limited to, a UE 102 and a base station 104. UE 102 may be implemented as an electronic device configured to operate based on a variety of wireless communication technologies. These technologies may include, but are not limited to, technologies based on Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards. For example, UE 102 may be configured to operate using one or more 3GPP releases, such as Release 15 (Rel-15), Release 16 (Rel-16), Release 17 (Rel-17), Release 18 (Rel-18), or other 3GPP releases. UE 102 may include, but is not limited to, a wireless communication device, a smartphone, a laptop, a desktop, a tablet, a personal assistant, a monitor, a television, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a vehicle communication device, and the like. Base station 104 may include one or more nodes configured to operate based on a variety of wireless communication technologies, such as, but not limited to, technologies based on 3GPP standards. For example, base station 104 may include a node configured to operate using Rel-15, Rel-16, Rel-17, Rel-18, or other 3GPP releases. Base station 104 may include, but is not limited to, a NodeB, an eNodeB, a gNB, a new radio base station (NR BS), an access point (AP), a remote radio head, a relay station, and the like.

[0021] In some aspects, UE 102 is connected to base station 104 via communication links 106 and 108. Communication links 106 and 108 may each include an uplink (UL) connection and a downlink (DL) connection. In some aspects, UE 102 may communicate with base station 104 using multiple antennas. For example, UE 102 may receive signals from base station 104 using four antennas via MIMO DL transmission. As another example, UE 102 may transmit signals to base station 104 using two antennas (such as a first antenna and a second antenna) via UL transmission. In some aspects, communication link 106 may be in a first frequency band (such as an NR band), and communication link 108 may be in a second frequency band (such as an LTE band). UE 102 may perform UL transmissions via communication link 106 using both the first antenna and the second antenna. In this case, UE 102 may perform dual-stream UL transmissions on the first frequency band, and thus the first antenna and the second antenna may be associated with respective first and second subcarriers in the first frequency band. In some aspects, the UE may perform DC UL transmissions via communication links 106 and 108. For example, UE 102 may transmit on a first subcarrier in a first frequency band using a first antenna and transmit on a third subcarrier in a second frequency band using a second antenna.

[0022] In some aspects, UE 102 may currently be performing a dual-stream UL transmission on a first subcarrier and a second subcarrier and subsequently determine that the next transmission is to be on a third subcarrier in the second frequency band. UE 102 may determine whether to switch both the first antenna and the second antenna to the third subcarrier or to switch one of the first antenna and the second antenna to the third subcarrier. In some aspects, UE 102 may determine this based on a configuration message received from base station 104. For example, base station 104 may send the configuration message to UE 102 via radio resource control (RRC) messaging. The configuration message may include a control parameter, such as "oneT," "twoT," or another value. If the control message indicates "twoT," UE 102 may switch both the first antenna and the second antenna to (or be associated with) the third subcarrier. Otherwise, UE 102 may switch one of the first antenna and the second antenna to (or be associated with) the third subcarrier. In some aspects, base station 104 may send a second configuration message (such as another RRC parameter) to configure UE 102 to switch the first antenna or the second antenna to the third subcarrier.

[0023] Figure 2 A block diagram illustrates an example system 200 of an electronic device implementing an uplink transmit switching process according to some aspects of the present disclosure. System 200 can be any electronic device of system 100 (e.g., UE 102 and base station 104). System 200 includes a processor 210, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d, communication infrastructure 240, memory 250, operating system 252, applications 254, and antennas 260a, 260b, 260c, and 260d. The illustrated system is provided as an exemplary portion of system 200, and system 200 may include other circuits and subsystems. In addition, although system 200 is illustrated as separate components, various aspects of the present disclosure may include any combination of these components, such as fewer or more components. In some aspects, it should be noted that a single transceiver 220 (or fewer than four) can be tuned and / or time-shared to support antennas 260a to 260d, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0024] Memory 250 may include random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory, and may include control logic (e.g., computer software) and / or data. Memory 250 may include other storage devices or memories. According to some examples, an operating system 252 may be stored in memory 250. Operating system 252 may manage data transfer from memory 250 and / or one or more applications 254 to processor 210 and / or transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d. In some examples, operating system 252 maintains one or more network protocol stacks (e.g., an Internet protocol stack and a cellular protocol stack, etc.), which may include multiple logical layers. At the corresponding layer of the protocol stack, operating system 252 includes control mechanisms and data structures to perform functions associated with that layer.

[0025] According to some examples, applications 254 may be stored in memory 250. Applications 254 may include applications (e.g., user applications) used by wireless system 200 and / or a user of wireless system 200. Applications in applications 254 may include applications such as, but not limited to, radio streaming, video streaming, remote control, and / or other user applications.

[0026] System 200 may also include a communication infrastructure 240. Communication infrastructure 240 provides communication between, for example, processor 210, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d, and memory 250. In some implementations, communication infrastructure 240 may be a bus.

[0027] Processor 210, alone or in conjunction with instructions stored in memory 250, executes operations that enable system 200 of system 100 to implement the mechanisms for the UL transmit switching procedure, as described herein. Alternatively or additionally, processor 210 may be "hard-coded" to implement the UL transmit switching procedure, as described herein.

[0028] Transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d transmit and receive communication signals that support the UL transmit switching process. Additionally, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d transmit and receive communication signals that support mechanisms for measuring communication links, generating and transmitting system information, and receiving system information. According to some aspects, the one or more transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may be coupled to antennas 260a, 260b, 260c, and 206d to wirelessly transmit and receive these communication signals. Antennas 260a, 260b, 260c, and 206d may be of the same or different types. In some aspects, antennas 260a, 260b, 260c, and 206d are located at different locations in system 200, such as at the four corners of system 200. In some aspects, antennas 260a, 260b, 260c, and 206d may be associated with their respective subcarriers. For example, antenna 260a may be coupled to a corresponding transceiver (such as transceiver 220a) and may form a first transmit chain with the corresponding transceiver. The first transmit chain may include antenna 260a, one or more low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), one or more mixers, one or more filters, one or more oscillators, one or more modulators, and other components. When antenna 260a is associated with a first subcarrier, the first transmit chain is associated with the first subcarrier. For example, the one or more filters may be configured to remove signals from subcarriers other than the first subcarrier. For another example, the one or more oscillators may be configured to generate a carrier signal corresponding to the first subcarrier. When antenna 260a is switched to be associated with a second subcarrier, the first transmit chain is switched to the second subcarrier. For example, the one or more filters may be configured to remove signals from subcarriers other than the second subcarrier, and the one or more oscillators may be configured to generate a carrier signal corresponding to the second subcarrier. In some aspects, the first subcarrier is in a first frequency band (such as an LTE band) and the second subcarrier is in a second frequency band (such as an NR band).

[0029] In some aspects, a transmit chain (such as a first transmit chain) takes time to switch from a subcarrier in one frequency band (such as a first subcarrier in a first frequency band) to another subcarrier in a different frequency band (such as a second subcarrier in a second frequency band). For example, one or more filters of the transmit chain and one or more oscillators of the transmit chain need to be adjusted based on the second subcarrier. Therefore, the time interval between the end of an UL transmission on the first frequency band and the beginning of a subsequent UL transmission on the second frequency band is referred to as a switching gap or switching period for the first transmit chain to switch from the first frequency band to the second frequency band. Since the first transmit chain corresponds to antenna 260a, the switching gap or switching period of the first transmit chain is also the switching gap or switching period of antenna 260a. In some aspects, the switching gap depends on the frequency band between which the switching is performed. For example, for the first transmit chain and antenna 260a, the switching gap for switching from the first frequency band to the second frequency band is different from the switching gap for switching from the first frequency band to the third frequency band.

[0030] In some aspects, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d allow system 200 to communicate with other devices, which may be wired and / or wireless. In some examples, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may also include processors, controllers, radio components, sockets, plugs, buffers, and similar circuits / devices for connecting to and communicating on a network. According to some examples, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include one or more circuits for connecting to and communicating on a wired network and / or a wireless network.

[0031] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include a cellular subsystem, a WLAN subsystem, and / or a Bluetooth subsystem. TM Subsystems, each of which includes its own radio transceiver and protocol, as will be understood by those skilled in the art based on the discussion provided herein. In some implementations, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include more or fewer systems for communicating with other devices.

[0032] In some examples, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include one or more circuits (including WLAN transceivers) for enabling connection and communication over a WLAN network, such as, but not limited to, a network based on the standards described in IEEE 802.11.

[0033] Additionally or alternatively, the transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include a module for enabling communication based on, for example, Bluetooth. TM Protocol, Bluetooth TM Low Energy Protocol or BluetoothTM One or more circuits that connect and communicate with a low-power long-range protocol (including Bluetooth TM For example, the transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include Bluetooth TM transceiver.

[0034] Additionally, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may include one or more circuits (including cellular transceivers) for connecting to and communicating on a cellular network. Cellular networks may include, but are not limited to, 3G / 4G / 5G networks, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Long Term Evolution (LTE). For example, transceivers 220a, 220b, 220c, and 220d may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of Rel-15, Rel-16, Rel-17, Rel-18, or other versions of the 3GPP standards.

[0035] As follows relative to Figures 3 to 6 Discussed in more detail, the processor 210 may implement different mechanisms for the UL transmission switching process, such as with respect to Figure 1 The system 100 is discussed.

[0036] Figure 3 An example 300 of an UL transmission switching process for single frequency band switching according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. Example 300 is provided for illustration purposes only and does not limit the disclosed aspects. For convenience and not limitation, Figure 3 About Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 6 Example 300 may represent an electronic device (e.g., Figure 1 Example 300 may also be implemented by Figure 2 The electronic device 200 (controlled or implemented by the processor 210) and / or Figure 6 The example 300 is not limited to the specific aspects depicted in those figures, and other systems may be used to perform the method, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that not all operations may be required, and that these operations may not be performed in the order in which they are performed. Figure 3 Execute in the same order as shown.

[0037] In some aspects, example 300 includes being scheduled to be used by a UE such as Figure 1102) performs UL transmission 302, UL transmission 304, UL transmission 306, and UL transmission 308 in the order shown here. In some aspects, each transmission can be associated with a frequency band. For example, UL transmission 302 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band A; UL transmission 304 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band B; UL transmission 306 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band C; and UL transmission 308 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band A.

[0038] In some aspects, a UE is configured with a first antenna and a second antenna for performing UL transmissions, such as UL transmission 302, UL transmission 304, UL transmission 306, and UL transmission 308. At time 310 prior to transmission 302, the first antenna may be associated with frequency band A, and the second antenna may be associated with frequency band B. In this case, the UE may perform UL transmission 302 on frequency band A using the first antenna and complete UL transmission 302 at time 312. Thereafter, the UE may perform UL transmission 304 on frequency band B using the second antenna. Because the first and second antennas are already associated with frequency bands A and B, no switching is required at time 310 or 312. However, because UL transmission 306 is associated with frequency band C, at least one of the first and second antennas may need to switch to frequency band C at time 314.

[0039] In some aspects, the UE may switch using one of two methods. First, the UE may switch both the first antenna and the second antenna to frequency band C and may use both or one of the first antenna and the second antenna to perform UL transmission 306. Second, the UE may switch only one of the first antenna and the second antenna to frequency band C and may use the switched antenna to perform UL transmission 306. In this context, "switching antennas" to different frequency bands may include adjusting the corresponding transceiver 220, as described above with respect to Figure 2 This may include adjusting the corresponding amplifiers, oscillators, filters, and other circuitry of the antenna as needed to support communications using different frequencies. As described above, the antenna and its corresponding transceiver form a transmit chain that is adjusted in series to achieve switching.

[0040] The UE can be based on the information from the base station (such as Figure 1Whether to adopt the first or second method may be determined by receiving a configuration message from a base station 104 (e.g., a base station). For example, the base station may send the configuration message to the UE via RRC signaling. The configuration message may include a control parameter, which may be "oneT," "twoT," or another value. If the control parameter indicates "twoT," the UE may adopt the first method and switch both the first antenna and the second antenna to frequency band C. Otherwise, and if the control parameter indicates "oneT," the UE may adopt the second method and switch one of the first antenna and the second antenna to frequency band C.

[0041] In some aspects, the UE may send a capability report to the base station, where the capability report indicates whether the UE is capable of supporting dual-stream UL transmission on one or more frequency bands. For example, the capability report may indicate that the UE does not support dual-stream UL transmission on frequency band C. In this case, the UE is not capable of or is configured not to use both the first antenna and the second antenna to perform UL transmission on frequency band C. In some aspects, the control parameters of the configuration message may still indicate "twoT", and the capability report indicates that dual-stream UL transmission is not supported on frequency band C. In this case, the UE may ignore the "twoT" indication and adopt a second method to switch one of the first antenna and the second antenna to frequency band C. In some aspects, the base station receiving the capability report may also assume that the UE adopts the second method instead of the first method as indicated by the "twoT" indication. In other words, when the configuration message conflicts with the capability report, both the UE and the base station follow the capability report.

[0042] In some aspects, if the UE determines to employ the second method and switch one of the first and second antennas to frequency band C, the UE also needs to determine whether to switch to the first or second antenna. In some aspects, the UE may determine this based on the associated frequency bands. For example, the configuration message may also include a band pair parameter, which indicates one or more pairs of frequency bands that can be configured together. For example, the one or more pairs of frequency bands may include (B to A), (A to B), (A to C), and (C to D). In this case, the frequency bands associated with the first and second antennas are required to be one of the one or more pairs. For example, if the first antenna is associated with frequency band B and the second antenna is associated with frequency band A, the frequency bands of the first and second antennas match the pair (B to A). For another example, if the first antenna is associated with frequency band A and the second antenna is associated with frequency band D, the frequency bands of the first and second antennas are (A to D), which do not match any of the one or more pairs listed above. Here, because the UL transmission 306 is associated with frequency band C, the UE may determine to switch the second antenna to frequency band C. Therefore, after switching, the frequency bands of the first and second antennas are A and C, which match the pair (A vs. C). Otherwise, if the UE switches the first antenna to Band C, the frequency bands of the first and second antennas after switching after Band B and C do not match any of the one or more pairs of frequency bands. In some aspects, if the UL transmission 306 is on Band D instead of Band C, the UE is required to switch both the first and second antennas. Specifically, if the UE switches only the first antenna, the frequency bands after switching are D and B, which do not match any of the one or more pairs of frequency bands. If the UE switches only the second antenna, the frequency bands after switching are A and D, which also do not match any of the one or more pairs of frequency bands. Therefore, the UE is forced to switch both the first and second antennas to a combination of Band C and Band D. For example, the UE may be forced to switch the first antenna to Band C and the second antenna to Band D. However, the UE may not need to transmit in band C at all, or the UE may switch the first antenna to another band before scheduling UL transmissions on band C. In this case, switching the first antenna does not benefit from any additional UL transmissions but is forced by the associated band.

[0043] In some aspects, when determining whether to switch the first or second antenna, the UE may assume that one frequency band will remain associated with at least one antenna. For example, the UE may determine that at least one antenna needs to be associated with frequency band A. In this case, at time 314, the UE may switch the second antenna to frequency band C, leaving the first antenna still associated with frequency band A. In some aspects, the UE may also report frequency band A to the base station, indicating that at least one of the first and second antennas will remain on frequency band A at any given time. In this case, the base station may predict how the UE will switch antennas.

[0044] In some aspects, the UE may determine which antenna to switch based on two subsequent UL transmissions. For example, at time 314, the UE may determine that the two subsequent UL transmissions include an UL transmission 306 in Band C and an UL transmission 308 in Band A. The UE may consider a potential subsequent switch at time 316. For example, if the UE switches the first antenna to Band C at time 314, the first and second antennas are associated with Band C and Band B, respectively, at time 316. Therefore, the UE needs to perform an UL transmission switch again to transmit on Band A in UL transmission 308. However, if the UE switches the second antenna to Band C at time 314, the first and second antennas are associated with Band A and Band C at time 316. In this case, no UL transmission switch is required to perform UL transmission 308 on Band A. Therefore, to avoid the potential subsequent switch at time 316, the UE may choose to switch the second antenna to Band C at time 314. In some aspects, to perform switching in this manner, the UE is required to determine the frequency band for the UL transmissions 306 and 308 before switching the first antenna or the second antenna.

[0045] In some aspects, the UE may determine which antenna to switch based on a comparison between frequency bands associated with a first antenna and a second antenna. For example, at time 314, the UE may determine that the UL transmission 306 is on frequency band C. The UE may then determine a first switching gap for the first antenna from frequency band A to frequency band C and a second switching gap for the second antenna from frequency band B to frequency band C. If the first switching gap is smaller than the second switching gap, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna, otherwise switch the second antenna. If the first switching gap is the same as the second switching gap, additional comparisons may need to be performed to determine which antenna to switch, as discussed in more detail below.

[0046] In some aspects, the UE may compare the duplex types of Band A and Band B. For example, the UE may determine that Band A is a frequency division duplex (FDD) band (such as Band n70) and that Band B is a time division duplex (TDD) band (such as Band n78). The UE may determine to switch the TDD band and, therefore, switch the second antenna. Alternatively, the UE may determine to switch the FDD band and, therefore, switch the first antenna.

[0047] In some aspects, the UE may compare the band numbers of Band A and Band B. For example, the UE may determine that Band A is Band n34 and Band B is Band n78. The UE may determine to switch to the band with the lower band number and, therefore, switch the first antenna. Alternatively, the UE may determine to switch to the band with the higher band number and, therefore, switch the second antenna.

[0048] In some aspects, the UE may compare the frequency band types of Band A and Band B. For example, the UE may determine that Band A is a supplemental uplink (SUL) band and that Band B is a normal uplink (NUL) band. In some aspects, the UE may use the SUL to expand the coverage area of ​​a base station. For example, when the UE moves beyond the coverage area of ​​the NUL, the UE may switch to the SUL for UL transmission. The UE may determine to switch the SUL band and, therefore, switch the first antenna. Alternatively, the UE may determine to switch the NUL band and, therefore, switch the second antenna.

[0049] In some aspects, the UE may determine to select an antenna to switch using one or more of the methods discussed above based on one or more configuration messages received from a base station or received locally at the UE.

[0050] Figure 4 The UL transmission switching process for dual-band switching according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. Example 400 is provided for illustration purposes only and does not limit the disclosed aspects. For convenience and not limitation, Figure 4 About Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 6 Example 400 may represent an electronic device (e.g., Figure 1 Example 400 may also be implemented by Figure 2 The electronic device 200 (controlled or implemented by the processor 210) and / or Figure 6 The example 400 is not limited to the specific aspects depicted in those figures, and other systems may be used to perform the method, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that not all operations may be required, and that these operations may not be performed in the order in which they are performed. Figure 4 Execute in the same order as shown.

[0051] In some aspects, example 400 includes being scheduled to be used by a UE such as Figure 1 102) performs UL transmission 402, UL transmission 404, UL transmission 406, and UL transmission 408 in the order shown here. In some aspects, each transmission can be associated with a frequency band. For example, UL transmission 402 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band A; UL transmission 404 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band B; UL transmission 406 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band C; and UL transmission 408 can be scheduled to be performed on frequency band D.

[0052] In some aspects, a UE is configured with a first antenna and a second antenna for performing uplink transmissions, such as uplink transmission 402, uplink transmission 404, uplink transmission 406, and uplink transmission 408. At time 410 prior to transmission 402, the first antenna may be associated with frequency band A, and the second antenna may be associated with frequency band B. In this case, the UE may perform uplink transmission 402 on frequency band A using the first antenna and complete uplink transmission 402 at time 412. Thereafter, the UE may perform uplink transmission 404 on frequency band B using the second antenna. Since the first and second antennas are already associated with frequency bands A and B, no switching is required. However, since uplink transmission 406 and uplink transmission 408 are associated with frequency bands C and D, respectively, both the first and second antennas need to be switched at time 414. Specifically, the UE needs to determine whether to switch the first and second antennas to frequency bands C and D, respectively, or to switch to frequency bands D and C, respectively.

[0053] In some aspects, the UE may determine based on the switching gap. For example, the UE may determine a first switching gap for switching the first antenna from frequency band A to frequency band C and a second switching gap for switching the second antenna from frequency band B to frequency band D. The UE may also determine a third switching gap for switching the first antenna from frequency band A to frequency band D and a fourth switching gap for switching the second antenna from frequency band B to frequency band C.

[0054] In some aspects, the UE may determine how to switch antennas in four ways. First, the UE may determine to switch using a minimized maximum switching gap. For example, if the larger of the first switching gap and the second switching gap is less than the larger of the third switching gap and the fourth switching gap, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency band C and the second antenna to frequency D. Otherwise, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency D and the second antenna to frequency C. Second, the UE may determine to switch using a maximized maximum switching gap. For example, if the larger of the first switching gap and the second switching gap is greater than the larger of the third switching gap and the fourth switching gap, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency band C and the second antenna to frequency D. Otherwise, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency D and the second antenna to frequency C. Third, the UE may determine to switch using a minimized total switching gap. For example, if the sum of the first switching gap and the second switching gap is less than the sum of the third switching gap and the fourth switching gap, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency band C and the second antenna to frequency D. Otherwise, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency D and the second antenna to frequency C. Fourth, the UE may determine to perform switching using the maximized total switching gap. For example, if the sum of the first switching gap and the second switching gap is greater than the sum of the third switching gap and the fourth switching gap, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency band C and the second antenna to frequency D. Otherwise, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna to frequency D and the second antenna to frequency C.

[0055] In some aspects, the UE may determine which method to use to switch antennas based on one or more configuration messages received from a base station or received locally at the UE.

[0056] Figure 5 An example method 500 of an UL transmission switching process according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The example method 500 is provided for illustration purposes only and is not intended to limit the disclosed aspects. For convenience and not limitation, Figure 5 About Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 6 The example method 500 may represent an electronic device (eg, Figure 1 The example method 500 may also be performed by Figure 2 The electronic device 200 (controlled or implemented by the processor 210) and / or Figure 6However, the example method 500 is not limited to the specific aspects depicted in those figures, and other systems may be used to perform the method, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that not all operations may be required, and that these operations may not be performed in the order in which they are performed. Figure 5 Execute in the same order as shown.

[0057] At 502, a UE, such as UE 102, performs a first UL transmission on a first frequency band using a first antenna of the UE and performs a second UL transmission on a second frequency band using a second antenna of the UE. In some aspects, the first antenna is associated with the first frequency band and the second antenna is associated with the second frequency band.

[0058] At 504, the UE determines a first subsequent UL transmission on the third frequency band and a second subsequent UL transmission on the fourth frequency band. In some aspects, the first subsequent UL transmission and the second subsequent UL transmission may be at different times, such as Figure 3 UL transmission 306 and UL transmission 308. In other aspects, the first subsequent UL transmission and the second subsequent UL transmission may be at the same time, such as Figure 4 UL transmission 406 and UL transmission 408.

[0059] At 506, the UE switches the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band. In some aspects, the UE may switch the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on the received signal from the base station (such as Figure 1 The configuration message received by the base station 104 determines whether to switch one of the first antenna and the second antenna. As discussed above, the configuration message may indicate whether to switch both the first antenna and the second antenna or switch one of the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0060] In some aspects, the UE may determine to switch the first antenna based on the fourth frequency band. Figure 3 As discussed, the UE may determine that the fourth frequency band of the second subsequent UL transmission is the same as the second frequency band of the second antenna. Therefore, switching the first antenna may avoid additional switching before performing the second subsequent UL transmission.

[0061] In some aspects, the UE may also be based on Figure 3 The comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band in question determines whether to switch the first antenna. For example, the UE may compare the handover gap between switching from the first frequency band and the handover gap between switching from the second frequency band. For another example, the UE may compare the duplex type, frequency band number, and / or frequency band type of the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

[0062] At 508, the UE performs a first subsequent UL transmission and a second subsequent UL transmission. In some aspects, the UE may perform the first subsequent UL transmission on a third frequency band using the first antenna. The UE may also perform the second UL transmission on a fourth frequency band using the second antenna.

[0063] Various aspects may be implemented, for example, using one or more computer systems such as Figure 6 The computer system 600 shown in FIG. 6 is implemented. The computer system 600 may be any well-known computer capable of performing the functions described herein, such as Figure 1 devices 102, 104 and 106 or Figure 2 200. The computer system 600 includes one or more processors (also known as central processing units or CPUs), such as processor 604. Processor 604 is connected to a communication infrastructure 606 (e.g., a bus). The computer system 600 also includes user input / output devices 603, such as a monitor, keyboard, pointing device, etc., that communicate with the communication infrastructure 606 via a user input / output interface 602. The computer system 600 also includes main memory or primary storage 608, such as random access memory (RAM). The main memory 608 may include one or more levels of cache. The main memory 608 has stored therein control logic (e.g., computer software) and / or data.

[0064] The computer system 600 may also include one or more secondary storage devices or memories 610. The secondary storage 610 may include, for example, a hard drive 612 and / or a removable storage device or drive 614. The removable storage drive 614 may be a floppy disk drive, a tape drive, an optical drive, an optical storage device, a tape backup device, and / or any other storage device / drive.

[0065] The removable storage drive 614 can interact with a removable storage unit 618. The removable storage unit 618 includes a computer-usable or readable storage device having computer software (control logic) and / or data stored thereon. The removable storage unit 618 can be a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, a compact disk, a DVD, an optical storage disk, and / or any other computer data storage device. The removable storage drive 614 reads from and / or writes to the removable storage unit 618 in a well-known manner.

[0066] According to some aspects, the secondary memory 610 may include other components, tools, or other methods for allowing the computer system 600 to access computer programs and / or other instructions and / or data. Such components, tools, or other methods may include, for example, a removable storage unit 622 and an interface 620. Examples of the removable storage unit 622 and interface 620 may include a program cartridge and a cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM or PROM) and an associated socket, a memory stick and a USB port, a memory card and an associated memory card slot, and / or any other removable storage unit and associated interface.

[0067] The computer system 600 may also include a communication or network interface 624. The communication interface 624 enables the computer system 600 to communicate and interact with any combination of remote devices, remote networks, remote entities, and the like (individually and collectively referenced by reference numeral 628). For example, the communication interface 624 may allow the computer system 600 to communicate with a remote device 628 via a communication path 626, which may be wired and / or wireless and may include any combination of a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, and the like. Control logic and / or data may be sent to and from the computer system 600 via the communication path 626.

[0068] The operations in the foregoing aspects can be implemented in various configurations and architectures. Thus, some or all of the operations in the foregoing aspects may be performed in hardware, software, or in both hardware and software. In some aspects, a tangible, non-transient device or article includes a tangible, non-transient computer-usable or readable medium on which control logic (software) is stored, also referred to herein as a computer program product or program storage device. This includes, but is not limited to, a computer system 600, a main memory 608, a secondary memory 610, and removable storage units 618 and 622, and tangible articles embodying any combination of the foregoing. Such control logic, when executed by one or more data processing devices (such as computer system 600), causes such data processing devices to operate as described herein.

[0069] Based on the teachings contained in this disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art how to use Figure 6 Various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented and used with data processing devices, computer systems, and / or computer architectures other than those shown. In particular, various aspects may operate with software, hardware, and / or operating system implementations other than those described herein.

[0070] It should be understood that the Detailed Description section, rather than the Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more, but not all, exemplary aspects of the present disclosure as contemplated by the inventors, and thus, are not intended to limit the present disclosure or the appended claims in any way.

[0071] Although the present disclosure has been described herein with reference to exemplary aspects of exemplary fields and applications, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Other aspects and modifications are possible and are within the scope and essence of the present disclosure. For example, and without limiting the generality of this paragraph, the various aspects are not limited to the software, hardware, firmware and / or entities illustrated in the figures and / or described herein. In addition, the various aspects (whether or not explicitly described herein) have significant practicality for fields and applications beyond the examples described herein.

[0072] Various aspects have been described herein with reference to functional building blocks illustrating specific implementations of specific functions and relationships thereof. For ease of description, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein. Alternative boundaries may be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships (or their equivalents) are appropriately performed. Furthermore, alternative aspects may perform functional blocks, steps, operations, methods, etc., in an order different from that described herein.

[0073] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," or similar phrases indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the relevant art to incorporate such feature, structure, or characteristic into other aspects, whether or not explicitly mentioned or described herein.

[0074] The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary aspects, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

[0075] It is widely acknowledged that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0076] This disclosure anticipates that entities responsible for the collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use of such personal information will adhere to robust privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and adhere to privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal information. Such policies should be easily accessible to users and updated as changes occur in the collection and / or use of data. Personal information from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonable entity purposes and should not be shared or sold outside of those legitimate purposes. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should only be conducted with the user's informed consent. Additionally, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to protect and safeguard access to such personal information and ensure that other entities with access to personal information comply with the other entity's privacy policies and procedures. Furthermore, such entities may subject themselves to third-party assessments to demonstrate compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and privacy practices. Furthermore, policies and practices should be tailored to the specific type of personal information being collected and / or accessed, and to applicable laws and standards, including jurisdictional considerations. For example, in the United States, the collection or access of certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); whereas health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly. Therefore, different privacy measures should be advocated for different types of personal data in each country.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more transceivers configured to enable wireless communication with a base station; a first antenna and a second antenna coupled to the one or more transceivers, wherein the first antenna is associated with a first frequency band and the second antenna is associated with a second frequency band; and a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more transceivers and configured to: transmitting a first signal to the base station on the first frequency band using the first antenna; transmitting a second signal to the base station on the second frequency band using the second antenna; determining a first subsequent signal transmission on a third frequency band and a second subsequent signal transmission on a fourth frequency band; switching the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on the fourth frequency band or a comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and The first subsequent signal is transmitted to the base station on the third frequency band using the first antenna.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: receiving a configuration message from the base station using the one or more transceivers, wherein the configuration message instructs switching of both or one of the first and second antennas; and The first antenna is switched to be associated with the third frequency band based further on the configuration message.

3. The UE according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: sending a capability report to the base station using the one or more transceivers, wherein the capability report indicates that dual antenna transmission is not supported on the third frequency band; determining that the configuration message indicates that both the first antenna and the second antenna are to be switched; and Only the first antenna is switched to be associated with the third frequency band based on the capability report.

4. The UE of claim 1 , wherein, in order to perform the comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band, the processor is further configured to: comparing a first frequency band number of the first frequency band and a second frequency band number of the second frequency band; comparing a first frequency band type of the first frequency band and a second frequency band type of the second frequency band; or A first duplex type of the first frequency band and a second duplex type of the second frequency band are compared.

5. The UE according to claim 4, wherein in order to compare the first frequency band number of the first frequency band and the second frequency band number of the second frequency band, the processor is further configured to: It is determined whether the first frequency band number is higher than the second frequency band number.

6. The UE according to claim 4, wherein in order to compare the first frequency band type of the first frequency band with the second frequency band type of the second frequency band, the processor is further configured to: It is determined whether the first frequency band type is a supplemental uplink type and whether the second frequency band type is a supplemental uplink type.

7. The UE of claim 4, wherein in order to compare the first duplex type of the first frequency band with the second duplex type of the second frequency band, the processor is further configured to: It is determined whether the first duplex type is a frequency division duplex (FDD) type or a time division duplex (TDD) type.

8. The UE of claim 1 , wherein in order to switch the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band, the processor is further configured to: determining that the fourth frequency band is the same as the second frequency band, The sending of the second subsequent signal is scheduled after the sending of the first subsequent signal.

9. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the first subsequent signal transmission is scheduled simultaneously with the second subsequent signal transmission, and The processor is further configured to: Determine a first switching gap for switching from the first frequency band to the third frequency band or from the first frequency band to the fourth frequency band; determining a second switching gap for switching from the second frequency band to the third frequency band or from the second frequency band to the fourth frequency band; and The first antenna is switched to be associated with the third frequency band and the second antenna is switched to be associated with the fourth frequency band based on the first switching gap and the second switching gap.

10. A method of operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: transmitting a first signal to a base station on a first frequency band using a first antenna of the UE, wherein the first antenna is associated with the first frequency band; transmitting a second signal to the base station on a second frequency band using a second antenna of the UE, wherein the second antenna is associated with the second frequency band; determining a first subsequent signal transmission on a third frequency band and a second subsequent signal transmission on a fourth frequency band; switching the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on the fourth frequency band or a comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band; as well as The first subsequent signal is transmitted to the base station on the third frequency band using the first antenna.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: receiving a configuration message from the base station, wherein the configuration message instructs switching of both the first antenna and the second antenna or one of the first antenna and the second antenna; as well as The first antenna is switched to be associated with the third frequency band based further on the configuration message.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: sending a capability report to the base station, wherein the capability report indicates that dual-antenna transmission is not supported on the third frequency band; determining that the configuration message indicates that both the first antenna and the second antenna are to be switched; and Only the first antenna is switched to be associated with the third frequency band based on the capability report.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band further comprises: comparing a first frequency band number of the first frequency band and a second frequency band number of the second frequency band; comparing a first frequency band type of the first frequency band and a second frequency band type of the second frequency band; or A first duplex type of the first frequency band and a second duplex type of the second frequency band are compared.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein comparing the first frequency band number of the first frequency band and the second frequency band number of the second frequency band further comprises: It is determined whether the first frequency band number is higher than the second frequency band number.

15. The UE according to claim 13, wherein comparing the first frequency band type of the first frequency band and the second frequency band type of the second frequency band further comprises: It is determined whether the first frequency band type is a supplemental uplink type and whether the second frequency band type is a supplemental uplink type.

16. The UE of claim 13, wherein comparing the first duplex type of the first frequency band and the second duplex type of the second frequency band further comprises: It is determined whether the first duplex type is a frequency division duplex (FDD) type or a time division duplex (TDD) type.

17. The UE of claim 10, wherein switching the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band further comprises: determining that the fourth frequency band is the same as the second frequency band, The sending of the second subsequent signal is scheduled after the sending of the first subsequent signal.

18. The UE according to claim 10, wherein the first subsequent signal transmission is scheduled simultaneously with the second subsequent signal transmission, and The method further comprises: Determine a first switching gap for switching from the first frequency band to the third frequency band or from the first frequency band to the fourth frequency band; determining a second switching gap for switching from the second frequency band to the third frequency band or from the second frequency band to the fourth frequency band; as well as The first antenna is switched to be associated with the third frequency band and the second antenna is switched to be associated with the fourth frequency band based on the first switching gap and the second switching gap.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM), the non-transitory CRM comprising instructions for causing a user equipment (UE) to perform operations when the instructions are executed by one or more processors of the UE, the operations comprising: transmitting a first signal to a base station on a first frequency band using a first antenna of the UE, wherein the first antenna is associated with the first frequency band; transmitting a second signal to the base station on a second frequency band using a second antenna of the UE, wherein the second antenna is associated with the second frequency band; determining a first subsequent signal transmission on a third frequency band and a second subsequent signal transmission on a fourth frequency band; switching the first antenna to be associated with the third frequency band based on the fourth frequency band or a comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band; as well as The first subsequent signal is transmitted to the base station on the third frequency band using the first antenna.

20. The non-transient CRM of claim 19, wherein the comparison between the first frequency band and the second frequency band further comprises: comparing a first frequency band number of the first frequency band and a second frequency band number of the second frequency band; comparing a first frequency band type of the first frequency band and a second frequency band type of the second frequency band; or A first duplex type of the first frequency band and a second duplex type of the second frequency band are compared.

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