Systems and methods for unlimited dynamic support of bandwidth portions

Abstract

Systems and methods for unlimited dynamic support of bandwidth portions (BWPs) are discussed herein. A user equipment (UE) performs a first L1 measurement corresponding to a target BWP that is not configured with any synchronization signal block (SSB) occurring in a first active BWP according to a first L1 measurement configuration option from a handover list having a plurality of Layer 1 (L1) measurement configuration options. The UE then receives a configuration handover indication from the network, the configuration handover indication indicating a configuration handover from the first L1 measurement configuration option to the second L1 measurement configuration option of the handover list. In response, the UE performs a configuration handover. The UE then performs a second L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP according to the second L1 measurement configuration option. In some cases, the UE instead provides a configuration switching indication to the network. Corresponding network behaviors are discussed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates in general to wireless communication systems, including wireless communication systems that perform measurements corresponding to a target bandwidth portion (BWP). Background Technology

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless communication devices. For example, wireless communication system standards and protocols may include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G), 3GPP New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) (commonly referred to within the industry organization as...). ).

[0003] As envisioned by 3GPP, different wireless communication system standards and protocols can use various radio access networks (RANs) for communication between RAN base stations (sometimes also commonly referred to as RAN nodes, network nodes, or simply nodes) and wireless communication equipment called user equipment (UEs). 3GPP RANs can include, for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), and / or Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).

[0004] Each RAN can use one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to perform communication between the base station and the UE. For example, GERAN implements the GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RATs, E-UTRAN implements the LTE RAT (which is sometimes simply referred to as LTE), and NG-RAN implements the NR RAT (which is sometimes referred to herein as the 5G RAT, 5G NR RAT, or simply NR). In some deployments, E-UTRAN may also implement the NR RAT. In some deployments, NG-RAN may also implement the LTE RAT.

[0005] The base stations used by a RAN can correspond to that RAN. An example of an E-UTRAN base station is an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as Evolved Node B, Enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB). An example of an NG-RAN base station is a Next Generation Node B (sometimes also called gNodeB or gNB).

[0006] The RAN provides communication services to external entities through its connection with the core network (CN). For example, E-UTRAN can utilize the evolved packet core (EPC), while NG-RAN can utilize the 5G core network (5GC).

[0007] 5G NR frequency bands can be divided into two or more distinct frequency ranges. For example, Frequency Range 1 (FR1) may include bands operating at frequencies below 6 GHz, some of which are available for previous standards and can potentially be extended to cover new spectrum offerings from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz. Frequency Range 2 (FR2) may include bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. It should be noted that in some systems, FR2 may also include bands from 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz (or higher). Bands in the millimeter-wave (mmWave) range of FR2 may have smaller coverage areas but potentially higher available bandwidth than bands in FR1. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these frequency ranges, presented by way of example, may change over time or in different regions. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To facilitate the identification of any particular element or action in the discussion, one or more of the most significant digits in the figure reference numerals refer to the figure number in which the element was first introduced.

[0009] Figure 1 Tables illustrating the various features associated with different L1 measurement configuration options according to the implementation scheme described herein are provided.

[0010] Figure 2 An illustration of a BWP switching according to an embodiment of this document is provided, which causes a configuration switch from a first L1 measurement configuration option in the switching list to a second L1 measurement configuration option in the switching list.

[0011] Figure 3 The timeline of configuration switching relative to BWP switching is illustrated according to the implementation scheme described herein.

[0012] Figure 4 A method for a UE according to the implementation scheme of this document is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 5 A method for a UE according to the implementation scheme of this document is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 6 An example of a RAN method according to the implementation scheme described herein is given.

[0015] Figure 7 An example architecture of a wireless communication system according to the implementation scheme disclosed herein is illustrated.

[0016] Figure 8 A system for performing signaling between a wireless device and a network device according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Various implementations are described with respect to the UE. However, references to the UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The example implementations can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection to a network and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any suitable electronic component.

[0018] In some cases, when the currently active BWP does not contain a synchronization signal block (SSB) associated with the initial or target BWP used for measurement, it may be beneficial to configure the UE to perform various Layer 1 (L1) measurements corresponding to the target BWP. Such cases may arise as part of L1 measurements performed, for example, radio link management (RLM) operations, beam management (BM) operations, and / or beam failure detection (BFD) operations.

[0019] In this context, this paper considers various L1 measurement configuration options for performing L1 measurements corresponding to the target BWP. In the first option (“Option A”), L1 measurements are performed for one or more of the BM, RLM, and / or BFD corresponding to the target BWP based on the Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) within the active BWP.

[0020] In another option (“Option B”), L1 measurements are performed on one or more of the BM, RLM and / or BFD corresponding to the target BWP, based on the SSB configured for the target BWP outside the active BWP.

[0021] In the first subset of these cases (“Option B-1”), it is possible that the UE’s capability does not require the use of measurement gaps to enable the UE to perform these measurements. In some sub-cases (“Option B-1-1”), the UE may be able to receive SSBs (at its location outside the active BWP) using a BWP larger than the BWP defined for the active BWP, without interrupting regular transmit (Tx) / receive (Rx) behavior on the active BWP. In other sub-cases (“Option B-1-2”), the UE may be able to receive SSBs (at its location outside the active BWP) using a BWP larger than the BWP defined for the active BWP, where regular transmit (Tx) / receive (Rx) behavior on the active BWP is interrupted.

[0022] It should be noted that, in this document, references to the use (or non-use) of measurement gaps may refer to the use (or non-use) of one or more of the various measurement gap types. For example, the use (or non-use) of measurement gaps as discussed herein may refer to the use (or non-use) of either full measurement gaps and / or network control small gaps (NCSG) (as may be understood in some 3GPP wireless communication systems).

[0023] In the second subset (“Option B-2”) of cases where L1 measurements are performed on one or more of the BM, RLM, and / or BFD corresponding to the target BWP based on an SSB configured for the target BWP located outside the active BWP, the UE may perform such L1 measurements by using a measurement gap. In some sub-cases (“Option B-2-2”), it is possible that the measurement gap is a dedicated full measurement gap or a dedicated network control small gap (NCSG).

[0024] In the third option (“Option C”), L1 measurements for BM, RLM and / or BFD can be performed on a non-cell defined SSB (NCD-SSB) (e.g., corresponding to the feature group (FG) 6-1 UE hardware architecture, as may be defined relative to some wireless communication network specific implementation).

[0025] Figure 1 Table 100 illustrates various features related to the various L1 measurement configuration options according to the embodiments described herein. Table 100 specifically relates to L1 measurement configuration options, such as Option A, Option B-1-1, Option B-1-2, Option B-2-2, and Option C as described herein. It is understood that each of the illustrated L1 measurement configuration options has both advantages and disadvantages.

[0026] As illustrated in Table 100, option A may have a relatively low impact on the specifications of the wireless communication system under discussion, may operate with relatively low power consumption, may have a relatively low level of UE complexity, may have a relatively low impact on mobility considerations, and may have no impact on data throughput.

[0027] Furthermore, option B-1-1 may have a relatively low impact on the specifications of the wireless communication system, may operate with relatively high power consumption, may use relatively low to medium levels of UE complexity, may have a relatively low impact on mobility considerations, and may have no impact on data throughput.

[0028] Option B-1-2 may have a moderate impact on the specifications of the wireless communication system, may operate with moderate power consumption, may use relatively low to moderate levels of UE complexity, may have a relatively low impact on mobility considerations, and may have a low to moderate impact on data throughput.

[0029] Option B-2-2 may have a low to medium impact on the specifications of the wireless communication system, may operate with relatively low power consumption, may use a relatively low to medium level of UE complexity, may have a relatively low impact on mobility considerations, and may have a low to medium impact on data throughput.

[0030] Option C may have a relatively low impact on the specifications of the wireless communication system, may operate with relatively low power consumption, may use a relatively low level of UE complexity, may have a relatively low impact on mobility considerations, and may have no impact on data throughput.

[0031] Furthermore, it is possible that different L1 measurement configuration options are implemented using different UE specifics. For example, for option A, the UE may implement CSI-RS-based RLM / BFD / BM.

[0032] For options B-1-1 and B-1-2, the UE may be able to operate with a larger bandwidth (BW) defined for the active BWP (e.g., up to the channel BW (CBW) as understood by the UE for the channel), and / or may be equipped with an additional radio frequency (RF) chain that can be used to receive target SSBs other than the active BWP (while using the first RF chain operating relative to the active BWP).

[0033] For option B-2-2, the UE may be able to use a dedicated full measurement gap and / or NCSG.

[0034] For option C, the UE should be able to recognize and use NCD-SSB (e.g., as introduced for some NR contexts for RedCap UEs).

[0035] It should be noted that Figure 1 Table 100 primarily illustrates considerations from the UE's perspective. Another aspect of the consideration is the availability of corresponding network-side capabilities. For example, to use option A, the network might be able to configure CSI-RS. Furthermore, to use option C, the network might be able to formulate and transmit NCD-SSB.

[0036] It may be desirable to promote flexibility among various L1 measurement configuration options within the wireless communication network. From a flexibility perspective, it is therefore expected that the UE and / or network will be able to use multiple L1 measurement configuration options, and that the network and UE will be able to dynamically switch between the different L1 measurement configuration options that are available.

[0037] Therefore, in some implementations, it is possible that the UE transmits information to the network about the capability of L1 measurement configuration options supported at the UE.

[0038] The known handover list for each of the UE and the network defines the available L1 measurement configuration options, based on which the UE can perform L1 measurements corresponding to a target BWP that is not configured with any SSBs occurring within the UE's currently active BWP.

[0039] In some cases, handover lists may be predefined in the specifications of the wireless communication system used by the network and the UE. In other cases, the handover list may be configured by the network and transmitted to the UE. In still other cases, the network may use capability information from the UE to populate the handover list with the L1 measurement configuration options supported by the UE.

[0040] Then, signaling between the network and the UE can be used to select or switch to a new L1 measurement configuration option on the handover list, causing the network and the UE to stop operating according to the first L1 measurement configuration option (if any) and start operating according to the selected / switched L1 measurement configuration option.

[0041] In the first scenario, the selection or switching of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list is controlled by the network. In this case, one of the following can be transmitted from the network to the UE: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE), or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) command, to select / switch between different L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list.

[0042] In the second scenario, the UE controls the selection of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list or the switching to L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list. In this case, it is possible that the network first provides the UE with an indication that the UE is allowed to switch between L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list. It is also possible that the network provides a list of candidate L1 measurement configuration options allowed for selection / switching (e.g., a subset of the handover list) and any corresponding configurations.

[0043] In addition, in such cases, one of the following can be transmitted from the UE to the network: an RRC message, a MAC-CE, or an uplink control information (UCI) command, to select / switch between different L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list.

[0044] In the third scenario, the selection of or switching to an L1 measurement configuration option is controlled by the network, as notified by auxiliary information provided by the UE to the network. In this case, based on the L1 measurement configuration options found in the handover list, the UE may provide auxiliary information to the network informing it of the conditions under which each L1 measurement configuration option found in the handover list can be used. In some cases, it is possible that the UE's understanding of the handover list at this stage corresponds to UE capability information also generated by the UE and transmitted to the network / notified by the UE capability information.

[0045] In all cases, it is understood that various parameters / objects / operations can be pre-configured by the network to enable switching to various L1 measurement configuration options found in the handover list. For example, if option A is in the handover list, the network can provide the UE with the corresponding CSI-RS configuration for L1 measurements of the corresponding RLM / BM / BFD operation. Furthermore, if option B-2-2 is in the handover list, the network can configure the UE to apply the corresponding dedicated full measurement gap / dedicated NCSG (which is enabled once option B-2-2 is enabled). Such pre-configured parameters / objects / operations can be understood as "pre-configured" as discussed herein.

[0046] Figure 2 Figure 200 illustrates a BWP switch 202 according to an embodiment of this document, which causes a configuration switch from a first L1 measurement configuration option in the switch list to a second L1 measurement configuration option in the switch list. Figure 2 The behavior of UE 204 relative to channel 206 with indicated CBW 208 is illustrated, which is established relative to base station 210 before and after BWP handover 202.

[0047] As can be seen, prior to BWP handover 202, the target SSB 212 (e.g., an SSB configured within the target BWP) is close to the UE's first active BWP 214 but outside of it, which is defined at the UE at this time. In such cases, as illustrated, the UE may support option B-1 (e.g., either option B-1-1 or B-1-2) because the UE does not need to maintain a very large first actual BWP 216 to receive both the first active BWP 214 and the target SSB 212.

[0048] However, after BWP handover 202, UE 204 switches from using the first active BWP 214 to alternatively using the second active BWP 218 as its current active BWP. In such a case, if (as illustrated) the target SSB 212 is far from the new active BWP (second active BWP 218), the UE may not be able to support option B-1 because the UE cannot, or cannot reasonably, maintain a relatively large second actual BWP 220 that can receive both the second active BWP 218 and the target SSB 212 (this is caused by...). Figure 2 The graphic “X” in Figure 222 is shown in the example.

[0049] Therefore, in such cases, BWP handover 202 can trigger a configuration switch between the UE and the network, causing different L1 measurement configuration options in the currently active handover list (e.g., other than option B-1 as illustrated) to operate alternatively in order to complete the L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP.

[0050] Figure 3 A timeline 300 illustrating a configuration handover relative to BWP handover 316 according to the embodiment described herein is presented. Timeline 300 illustrates various operations of the UE 302 and the network (e.g., represented by base station 304) according to the illustrated timeline.

[0051] As illustrated, UE 302 may provide base station 304 with capability information 306 indicating that the UE is capable of supporting options B-1-1 and B-2-2. Furthermore, UE 302 may provide base station 304 with auxiliary information 308 indicating a first condition for the use of option B-1-1 (in this example, the condition is a maximum frequency spacing constraint) and a second condition for the use of option B-2-2 (in this example, the condition is defined relative to the measurement gap mode supported at the UE). UE 302 may include the conditions for options B-1-1 and B-2-2 in the auxiliary information 308 based on the assumption that, due to the fact that UE 302 provides these options to base station 304 in capability information 306, the handover list 312 to be provided to UE 302 by base station 304 may include these options.

[0052] Then, base station 304 provides configuration information 310 to UE 302. As illustrated, configuration information 310 may include a handover list 312 that includes two L1 measurement configuration options, options B-1-1 and B-2-2. Note that base station 304 includes options B-1-1 and B-2-2 in handover list 312 in response to indication from UE 302 of UE 302's capability information 306 indicating UE 302's ability to implement these options.

[0053] The configuration information 310 provided by base station 304 to UE 302 may also include various pre-configurations 314 (e.g., various parameters / objects / operations that can be pre-configured by the network to enable switching to various L1 measurement configuration options found in the handover list). For example, pre-configuration 314 includes a dedicated measurement gap mode corresponding to the potential use of option B-2-2 (which can be defined by using measurement gap length (MGL) and measurement gap repetition period (MGRP), as illustrated).

[0054] exist Figure 3 In timeline 300, after the communication of configuration information 310 and before BWP handover 316, option B-1-1 is used (the UE performs L1 measurements corresponding to RLM / BM / BFD without any measurement gaps or interruptions). Note that if option B-1-2 has been indicated by UE 302 in capability information 306 / included by base station 304 in handover list 312 and is used alternatively, the UE will perform L1 measurements corresponding to RLM / BM / BFD without measurement gaps but with interruptions.

[0055] Then, after BWP handover 316, it is possible that the UE cannot, or cannot reasonably maintain, the use of option B-1-1 / option B-1-2. This situation could be similar to, for example, the situation regarding... Figure 2 The situation described in Figure 200.

[0056] In response to new circumstances following BWP handover 316, base station 304 will transmit configuration handover indication 318 to UE 302, or UE 302 will transmit configuration handover indication 320 to base station 304 (depending on which of UE 302 and base station 304 is controlling the list handover behavior). Configuration handover indication 318 / configuration handover indication 320 (as applicable) may indicate a configuration handover to option B-2-2 / will be performed to option B-2-2. Under option B-2-2, the UE uses a dedicated full measurement gap / NCSG configuration 322, in which the UE identifies and uses a measurement gap to measure the target SSB corresponding to the target BWP other than the active BWP applied after BWP handover 316. The dedicated full measurement gap / NCSG configuration 322 may have been previously provided to UE 302 by base station 304 as part of pre-configuration 314.

[0057] It is possible that the configuration switch to the new L1 measurement configuration option can occur after a time period X following a BWP switch (e.g., a BWP switch that triggers the configuration switch). For example, Figure 3An example is given of a configuration switch to option B-2-2 as described, occurring after a time period X 324 following BWP switch 316 (corresponding to the use of dedicated full measurement gap / NCSG configuration 322). In some implementations, time period X can be measured in milliseconds.

[0058] In some cases, the time period X can be a fixed value predefined in the specifications for the applicable wireless communication system. In other cases, the time period X can be a configuration value provided to the UE by the network. In still other cases, the time period X can be a capability value constrained by the UE's capabilities. For example, the UE can indicate to the network support for X = 3ms, 5ms, etc. The use of the time period X ensures that the UE complies with the specifications of the wireless communication system in which the UE operates.

[0059] Figure 4 A method 400 for a UE according to an embodiment herein is illustrated. Method 400 includes performing 402 a first L1 measurement corresponding to a target BWP, which is not configured with any SSB occurring within a first active BWP, based on a first L1 measurement configuration option from a handover list having a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options. Method 400 also includes receiving 404 a configuration handover indication from the network, which instructs the UE to perform a configuration handover from the first L1 measurement configuration option to a second L1 measurement configuration option from the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list. Method 400 further includes performing 406 a configuration handover in response to the configuration handover indication. Method 400 also includes performing 408 a second L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP based on the second L1 measurement configuration option.

[0060] In some implementations, method 400 further includes performing a BWP handover from a first active BWP to a second active BWP, wherein the target BWP is not configured with any SSBs occurring within the second active BWP, and wherein a configuration handover indication corresponding to the BWP handover is received from the network. In some such implementations, the configuration handover is performed after a time period X following the BWP handover, wherein the time period X includes one of the following: a predefined value; a configuration value provided to the UE by the network; and a capability value corresponding to the UE's capabilities.

[0061] In some implementations, method 400 also includes receiving a switching list from the network.

[0062] In some implementations, method 400 further includes receiving from the network a pre-configuration corresponding to a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a switching list.

[0063] In some implementations, method 400 also includes transmitting capability information to the network indicating L1 measurement configuration options supported by one or more UEs.

[0064] In some implementations, method 400 further includes transmitting auxiliary information to the network, which includes conditions for a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a handover list that are available at the UE.

[0065] In some implementations of method 400, a configuration switching instruction is received from the network in one of RRC messages, MAC-CE, and DCI.

[0066] In some implementations of method 400, the multiple L1 measurement configuration options of the handover list include one or more of the following: performing CSI-RS measurements within the active BWP; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps and without interruption; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps and with interruption; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP with measurement gaps; and performing non-cell-defined SSB measurements outside the active BWP.

[0067] In some embodiments of method 400, the first L1 measurement corresponds to one of the BM operation, RLM operation, and BFD operation.

[0068] Figure 5 A method 500 for a UE according to an embodiment of this document is illustrated. Method 500 includes performing a first L1 measurement corresponding to a target BWP, which is not configured with any SSB occurring within a first active BWP, based on a first L1 measurement configuration option from a handover list having a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options. Method 500 further includes transmitting a configuration handover indication 504 to the network, the configuration handover indication instructing the UE to perform a configuration handover from the first L1 measurement configuration option to a second L1 measurement configuration option from the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list. Method 500 further includes performing a configuration handover 506 in response to the configuration handover indication. Method 500 further includes performing a second L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP 508 based on the second L1 measurement configuration option.

[0069] In some implementations, method 500 further includes: performing a BWP handover from a first active BWP to a second active BWP; determining that the target BWP is not configured with any SSBs occurring within the second active BWP; and identifying a second L1 measurement configuration option based on the location of the second active BWP. In some such implementations, a configuration handover is performed after a time period X following the BWP handover, wherein the time period X includes one of the following: a predefined value; a configuration value provided to the UE by the network; and a capability value corresponding to the UE's capabilities.

[0070] In some implementations, method 500 also includes receiving a switching list from the network.

[0071] In some implementations, method 500 further includes receiving from the network a pre-configuration corresponding to a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a switching list.

[0072] In some implementations, method 500 also includes transmitting capability information to the network indicating L1 measurement configuration options supported by one or more UEs.

[0073] In some implementations, method 500 further includes transmitting auxiliary information to the network, which includes conditions for a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a handover list to be available at the UE.

[0074] In some implementations, method 500 also includes receiving from the network an indication that allows the UE to switch between multiple L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list.

[0075] In some implementations of method 500, a configuration switching indication is transmitted to the network in one of the following: an RRC message, a MAC-CE message, and a UCI message.

[0076] In some implementations of method 500, the multiple L1 measurement configuration options of the handover list include one or more of the following: performing CSI-RS measurements within the active BWP; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps and without interruption; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps and with interruption; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP with measurement gaps; and performing non-cell-defined SSB measurements outside the active BWP.

[0077] In some implementations, method 500 further includes a first L1 measurement corresponding to one of the BM operation, RLM operation, and BFD operation.

[0078] Figure 6Method 600 of a RAN according to an embodiment herein is illustrated. Method 600 includes identifying 602 that a BWP handover from a first active BWP to a second active BWP has occurred at the UE, the UE being configured to perform an L1 measurement corresponding to a target BWP using a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a handover list, the target BWP not configured with any SSB occurring within the first active BWP. Method 600 also includes identifying 604 that the target BWP is not configured with any SSB occurring within the second active BWP. Method 600 further includes identifying 606 a second L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a handover list based on the location of the second active BWP. Method 600 further includes transmitting 608 a configuration handover indication to the UE, the configuration handover indication instructing the UE to perform a configuration handover from the first L1 measurement configuration option to the second L1 measurement configuration option.

[0079] In some implementations, method 600 also includes transmitting a handover list to the UE.

[0080] In some implementations, method 600 further includes transmitting to the UE a pre-configuration corresponding to a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list.

[0081] In some implementations, method 600 also includes receiving capability information from the UE indicating L1 measurement configuration options supported by one or more UEs.

[0082] In some implementations, method 600 further includes receiving auxiliary information from the UE, the auxiliary information including a condition for a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in a handover list that are available at the UE; wherein a second L1 measurement configuration option is further identified based on the auxiliary information.

[0083] In some embodiments of method 600, the multiple L1 measurement configuration options of the handover list include one or more of the following: performing CSI-RS measurements within the active BWP; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps and without interruption; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps and with interruption; performing SSB measurements outside the active BWP with measurement gaps; and performing non-cell-defined SSB measurements outside the active BWP.

[0084] In some implementations of method 600, a configuration handover indication is transmitted to the UE in one of the RRC message, MAC-CE, and DCI.

[0085] Figure 7An example architecture of a wireless communication system 700 according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. The following description is provided for an example wireless communication system 700 operating in conjunction with LTE system standards and / or 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications.

[0086] like Figure 7 As shown, the wireless communication system 700 includes UE 702 and UE 704 (but any number of UEs may be used). In this example, UE 702 and UE 704 are exemplified as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device configured for wireless communication.

[0087] UE 702 and UE 704 can be configured to be communicatively coupled to RAN 706. In an embodiment, RAN 706 can be NG-RAN, E-UTRAN, etc. UE 702 and UE 704 utilize connections (or channels) with RAN 706 (shown as connection 708 and connection 710, respectively), where each connection (or channel) includes a physical communication interface. RAN 706 may include one or more base stations (such as base station 712 and base station 714) implementing connection 708 and connection 710.

[0088] In this example, Connection 708 and Connection 710 are air interfaces that enable this type of communication coupling and can conform to the RAT used by RAN706, such as LTE and / or NR, for example.

[0089] In some implementations, UE 702 and UE 704 can also directly exchange communication data via sidelink interface 716. UE 704 is shown configured to access an access point (shown as AP 718) via connection 720. By way of example, connection 720 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection conforming to any IEEE 802.11 protocol, wherein AP 718 may include... Router. In this example, AP 718 may connect to another network (e.g., the Internet) without using CN 724.

[0090] In the implementation, UE 702 and UE 704 may be configured to communicate with each other or with base station 712 and / or base station 714 on a multi-carrier communication channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals according to various communication technologies (such as, but not limited to, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication)), but the scope of the implementation is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0091] In some implementations, all or part of base station 712 or base station 714 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network. Furthermore, or in other implementations, base station 712 or base station 714 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 722. In implementations where wireless communication system 700 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 724 is an EPC), interface 722 may be an X2 interface. This X2 interface may be defined between two or more base stations (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the EPC and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In implementations where wireless communication system 700 is an NR system (e.g., when CN 724 is a 5GC), interface 722 may be an Xn interface. This Xn interface is defined between two or more base stations (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.) connected to the 5GC, between a base station 712 (e.g., a gNB) connected to the 5GC and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC (e.g., CN 724).

[0092] RAN 706 is shown communicatively coupled to CN 724. CN 724 may include one or more network elements 726 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 702 and UE 704) connected to CN 724 via RAN 706. Components of CN 724 may be implemented in a single physical device or a separate physical device including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media).

[0093] In this implementation, CN 724 may be an EPC, and RAN 706 may be connected to CN 724 via S1 interface 728. In this implementation, S1 interface 728 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface, which carries service data between base station 712 or base station 714 and the service gateway (S-GW); and an S1-MME interface, which is the signaling interface between base station 712 or base station 714 and the Mobility Management Entity (MME).

[0094] In the implementation scheme, CN 724 may be a 5GC, and RAN 706 may be connected to CN 724 via NG interface 728. In the implementation scheme, NG interface 728 may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface, which carries service data between base station 712 or base station 714 and user plane function (UPF); and an S1 control plane (NG-C) interface, which is the signaling interface between base station 712 or base station 714 and access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0095] Generally, application server 730 can be an element that provides applications (e.g., packet-switched data services) that use Internet Protocol (IP) bearer resources with CN 724. Application server 730 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, group communication sessions, etc.) for UE 702 and UE 704 via CN 724. Application server 730 can communicate with CN 724 via IP communication interface 732.

[0096] Figure 8 A system 800 for performing signaling 834 between a wireless device 802 and a network device 818 according to an embodiment disclosed herein is illustrated. System 800 may be part of a wireless communication system as described herein. Wireless device 802 may be, for example, a UE (User Equipment) in a wireless communication system. Network device 818 may be, for example, a base station (e.g., an eNB or gNB) in a wireless communication system.

[0097] Wireless device 802 may include one or more processors 804. Processor 804 may execute instructions to perform various operations of wireless device 802 as described herein. Processor 804 may include one or more baseband processors, which may be implemented using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), controller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0098] Wireless device 802 may include memory 806. Memory 806 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 808 (which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 804). Instructions 808 may also be referred to as program code or a computer program. Memory 806 may also store data used by processor 804 and results calculated by the processor.

[0099] Wireless device 802 may include one or more transceivers 810, which may include radio frequency (RF) transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that uses antenna 812 of wireless device 802 to facilitate signaling (e.g., signaling 834) arriving at and / or from wireless device 802 and other devices (e.g., network device 818) according to a corresponding RAT.

[0100] Wireless device 802 may include one or more antennas 812 (e.g., one, two, four or more). In embodiments with multiple antennas 812, wireless device 802 may fully utilize the spatial diversity of these multiple antennas 812 to transmit and / or receive multiple different data streams on the same time-frequency resource. This behavior may be referred to as, for example, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) behavior (referring to multiple antennas used at each of the transmitting and receiving devices to implement this aspect). MIMO transmission by wireless device 802 may be implemented according to pre-decoding (or digital beamforming) applied to wireless device 802, which multiplexes the data streams among antennas 812 based on known or assumed channel characteristics, such that each data stream is received with appropriate signal strength relative to the other streams at a desired location in the spatial domain (e.g., the location of the receiver associated with that data stream). Some embodiments may use a single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) method (where all data streams are directed to a single receiver) and / or a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) method (where individual data streams may be directed to individual (different) receivers at different locations in the spatial domain).

[0101] In some implementations with multiple antennas, wireless device 802 can implement analog beamforming technology, whereby the phase of the signal transmitted by antenna 812 is relatively adjusted so that the (joint) transmission of antenna 812 can be guided (this is sometimes referred to as beam control).

[0102] Wireless device 802 may include one or more interfaces 814. Interfaces 814 can be used to provide input to or from wireless device 802. For example, wireless device 802 (UE) may include interfaces 814 such as microphones, speakers, touchscreens, and buttons to allow users of the UE to make inputs and / or outputs to the UE. Other interfaces of such UEs may consist of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry that allow the UE to communicate with other devices (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 810 / antenna 812 already described), and may be configured according to known protocols (e.g., ...). (etc.) to perform the operation.

[0103] Wireless device 802 may include an L1 measurement configuration switching module 816. The L1 measurement configuration switching module 816 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the L1 measurement configuration switching module 816 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 808 stored in memory 806 and executed by processor 804. In some examples, the L1 measurement configuration switching module 816 may be integrated within processor 804 and / or transceiver 810. For example, the L1 measurement configuration switching module 816 may be implemented via a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within processor 804 or transceiver 810.

[0104] The L1 measurement configuration switching module 816 can be used in various aspects of this disclosure, for example, Figures 2 to 6 The L1 measurement configuration switching module 816 can be configured to, for example, provide capability information and / or auxiliary information to the network in the manner described herein, receive a switching list from the network, receive a pre-configuration corresponding to the L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list from the network, receive a configuration switching instruction from the network, transmit the configuration switching instruction to the network, perform a configuration switching, and perform one or more L1 measurements corresponding to one or more L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list.

[0105] Network device 818 may include one or more processors 820. Processor 820 may execute instructions to perform various operations of network device 818 as described herein. Processor 820 may include one or more baseband processors, which may be implemented using, for example, a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein.

[0106] Network device 818 may include memory 822. Memory 822 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions 824, which may include, for example, instructions executed by processor 820. Instructions 824 may also be referred to as program code or a computer program. Memory 822 may also store data used by processor 820 and results calculated by the processor.

[0107] Network device 818 may include one or more transceivers 826, which may include RF transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that uses antenna 828 of network device 818 to facilitate signaling (e.g., signaling 834) arriving at and / or from network device 818 and other devices (e.g., wireless device 802) according to the corresponding RAT.

[0108] Network device 818 may include one or more antennas 828 (e.g., one, two, four or more). In embodiments having multiple antennas 828, network device 818 may perform MIMO, digital beamforming, analog beamforming, beam control, etc., as described.

[0109] Network device 818 may include one or more interfaces 830. Interfaces 830 may be used to provide input to or output to network device 818. For example, network device 818 (base station) may include interfaces 830 consisting of transmitters, receivers, and other circuitry (e.g., in addition to the transceiver 826 / antenna 828 described), which enable the base station to communicate with other equipment in the core network and / or enable the base station to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc., for the purpose of performing operations, management, and maintenance of the base station or other equipment operatively connected to the base station.

[0110] Network device 818 may include an L1 measurement configuration switching module 832. The L1 measurement configuration switching module 832 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the L1 measurement configuration switching module 832 may be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 824 stored in memory 822 and executed by processor 820. In some examples, the L1 measurement configuration switching module 832 may be integrated within processor 820 and / or transceiver 826. For example, the L1 measurement configuration switching module 832 may be implemented via a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within processor 820 or transceiver 826.

[0111] The L1 measurement configuration switching module 832 can be used in various aspects of this disclosure, for example, Figures 2 to 6 The L1 measurement configuration switching module 832 can be configured, for example, to receive capability information and / or auxiliary information from the UE in the manner described herein, transmit a switching list to the UE, transmit a pre-configuration corresponding to the L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list to the UE, transmit a configuration switching instruction to the UE, and receive a configuration switching instruction from the UE, etc.

[0112] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising components for performing one or more elements of either method 400 or method 500. The apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as wireless device 802 (UE), as described herein).

[0113] The embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, which include instructions for causing the electronic device to perform one or more elements of any of methods 400 and 500 when executed by one or more processors of the electronic device. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be, for example, the memory of a UE (such as memory 806 of a wireless device 802 (UE), as described herein).

[0114] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of either method 400 or method 500. The apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as wireless device 802 (UE), as described herein).

[0115] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more elements of any of methods 400 and 500. The apparatus may be, for example, a UE (such as wireless device 802 (UE), as described herein).

[0116] The implementation scheme envisioned herein includes a signal as described in or related to one or more elements of any of methods 400 and 500.

[0117] The embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product comprising instructions, wherein execution by a processor causes the processor to perform one or more elements of either method 400 or method 500. The processor may be a processor of the UE (such as processor 804 of wireless device 802 (UE), as described herein). These instructions may, for example, reside in the processor and / or in the memory of the UE (such as memory 806 of wireless device 802 (UE), as described herein).

[0118] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising components for performing one or more elements of method 600. This apparatus may be, for example, a base station (such as network device 818 (base station), as described herein).

[0119] The embodiments contemplated herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, which include instructions for causing the electronic device to perform one or more elements of method 600 when executed by one or more processors of the electronic device. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be, for example, the memory of a base station (such as memory 822 of a network device 818 (base station), as described herein).

[0120] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of method 600. This apparatus may be, for example, a base station (such as network device 818 (base station), as described herein).

[0121] The embodiments contemplated herein include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more elements of method 600. The apparatus may be, for example, an apparatus for a base station (such as network device 818 (base station), as described herein).

[0122] The implementation scheme envisioned herein includes a signal as described in or associated with one or more elements of method 600.

[0123] The embodiments contemplated herein include a computer program or computer program product comprising instructions, wherein execution by a processing element causes the processing element to perform one or more elements of method 600. The processor may be a processor of a base station (such as processor 820 of network device 818 (base station), as described herein). These instructions may, for example, reside in the processor and / or in the memory of the base station (such as memory 822 of network device 818 (base station), as described herein).

[0124] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components set forth in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods as described herein. For example, a baseband processor as described herein in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples set forth herein. Similarly, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc., as described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples set forth herein.

[0125] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In view of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be derived from practice of various embodiments.

[0126] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components, including specific logical units for performing the operations; or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0127] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Furthermore, it is contemplated that parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one implementation may be used in one implementation. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described only in one or more implementations, and it should be recognized that, unless expressly stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., may be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of another implementation.

[0128] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting 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 explained to users.

[0129] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that many alternative ways exist to implement both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this specification is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: According to the first L1 measurement configuration option from a switching list having multiple L1 measurement configuration options, a first L1 measurement corresponding to the target bandwidth portion (BWP) is performed, wherein the target BWP is not configured with any synchronization signal block (SSB) occurring within the first active BWP; The UE receives a configuration switching instruction from the network, the configuration switching instruction instructing the UE to perform a configuration switching from the first L1 measurement configuration option to the second L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list; Perform the configuration switch in response to the configuration switch instruction; and According to the second L1 measurement configuration option, perform the second L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a BWP handover from the first active BWP to a second active BWP, wherein the target BWP is not configured with any SSB occurring within the second active BWP, and wherein, corresponding to the BWP handover, the configuration handover instruction is received from the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration switch is performed after a time period X following the BWP switch, wherein the time period X includes one of the following: Predefined values; Configuration values ​​provided to the UE by the network; and The capability value corresponding to the capabilities of the UE.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the handover list from the network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the network a pre-configuration corresponding to a first L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting capability information to the network indicating L1 measurement configuration options supported by one or more UEs.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting auxiliary information to the network, the auxiliary information including a condition that a first L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options of the handover list is available at the UE.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration switching indication is received from the network in one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Media Access Control (MAC-CE) element, and a Downlink Control Information (DCI).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list includes one or more of the following: Perform Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) measurements within the active BWP; Perform SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps or interruptions; The SSB measurement is performed outside the active BWP in the absence of the measurement gap and in the presence of the interruption. The SSB measurement is performed outside the active BWP while the measurement gap is present. as well as Perform non-cell-defined SSB measurements outside of the active BWP.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first L1 measurement corresponds to one of beam management (BM) operation, radio link management (RLM) operation, and beam fault detection (BFD) operation.

11. A method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: According to the first L1 measurement configuration option from a switching list having multiple L1 measurement configuration options, a first L1 measurement corresponding to the target bandwidth portion (BWP) is performed, wherein the target BWP is not configured with any synchronization signal block (SSB) occurring within the first active BWP; The configuration switching indication is transmitted to the network, indicating that the UE will perform a configuration switch from the first L1 measurement configuration option to the second L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list; Perform the configuration switch in response to the configuration switch instruction; and According to the second L1 measurement configuration option, perform the second L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: Perform a BWP switch from the first active BWP to the second active BWP; It was determined that the target BWP was not configured with any SSBs occurring within the second active BWP; as well as The second L1 measurement configuration option is identified based on the location of the second active BWP.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration switch is performed after a time period X following the BWP switch, wherein the time period X includes one of the following: Predefined values; Configuration values ​​provided to the UE by the network; and The capability value corresponding to the capabilities of the UE.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the handover list from the network.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving from the network a pre-configuration corresponding to a first L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting capability information to the network indicating L1 measurement configuration options supported by one or more UEs.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting auxiliary information to the network, the auxiliary information including a condition that a first L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options of the handover list is available at the UE.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving from the network an indication allowing the UE to switch between the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration switching indication is transmitted to the network in one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Media Access Control (MAC-CE) element, and an Uplink Control Information (UCI).

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list includes one or more of the following: Perform Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) measurements within the active BWP; Perform SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps or interruptions; The SSB measurement is performed outside the active BWP in the absence of the measurement gap and in the presence of the interruption. The SSB measurement is performed outside the active BWP while the measurement gap is present. as well as Perform non-cell-defined SSB measurements outside of the active BWP.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the first L1 measurement corresponds to one of beam management (BM) operation, radio link management (RLM) operation, and beam fault detection (BFD) operation.

22. A method for a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: The identifier indicates that a BWP handover from a first active bandwidth portion (BWP) to a second active BWP has occurred at the user equipment (UE), the UE being configured to perform an L1 measurement corresponding to the target BWP using a first L1 measurement configuration option among a plurality of Layer 1 (L1) measurement configuration options in the handover list, the target BWP not being configured with any synchronization signal block (SSB) occurring within the first active BWP. The target BWP is identified as not having any SSBs configured to occur within the second active BWP; The second L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list is identified based on the location of the second active BWP; as well as A configuration switching instruction is transmitted to the UE, which instructs the UE to perform a configuration switch from the first L1 measurement configuration option to the second L1 measurement configuration option.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising transmitting the handover list to the UE.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising transmitting to the UE a pre-configuration corresponding to a first L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the handover list.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving capability information from the UE indicating L1 measurement configuration options supported by one or more UEs.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving assistance information from the UE, the assistance information including a condition that a first L1 measurement configuration option among the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options of the handover list is available at the UE; The second L1 measurement configuration option is further identified based on the auxiliary information.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of L1 measurement configuration options in the switching list includes one or more of the following: Perform Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) measurements within the active BWP; Perform SSB measurements outside the active BWP without measurement gaps or interruptions; The SSB measurement is performed outside the active BWP in the absence of the measurement gap and in the presence of the interruption. The SSB measurement is performed outside the active BWP while the measurement gap is present. as well as Perform non-cell-defined SSB measurements outside of the active BWP.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the configuration switching indication is transmitted to the UE in one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Media Access Control (MAC-CE) element, and a Downlink Control Information (DCI).

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