Low noise amplifier analog gain variation coordination for non-co-located carrier aggregation

Abstract

In one aspect, a network may perform a method that includes determining one or more slots among a plurality of slots that allow an analog gain change of an automatic gain control (AGC) process, and signaling one or more of the plurality of slots that allow the analog gain change to a user equipment (UE) coupled to or in communication with the network. The network may schedule the downlink based on one or more of the plurality of slots that allow analog gain variations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates generally to wireless technology, and more specifically to communication including non-co-carrier aggregation. Background Technology

[0002] Fifth-generation mobile networks (5G) are wireless standards designed to improve data transmission speed, reliability, availability, and other aspects. Wireless standards include numerous processes that can be implemented by transmitting or receiving devices to improve the latency, speed, and reliability of uplink and downlink transmissions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to 5G new radios (NR) that operate in licensed spectrum or in shared and unlicensed spectrum (NR-U).

[0004] In one aspect, a method performed by a network includes: determining one or more time slots among a plurality of time slots that allow analog gain changes during an automatic gain control (AGC) process; and signaling to user equipment (UE) associated with or communicating with the network the one or more time slots among the multiple time slots that allow analog gain changes. The method includes scheduling a downlink based on the one or more time slots among the multiple time slots that allow analog gain changes.

[0005] In one implementation, scheduling the downlink may include scheduling a restricted physical data sharing channel (PDSCH) for each of one or more time slots in a plurality of time slots that allow analog gain variation. Similarly, scheduling the downlink may include scheduling a PDSCH with a full range of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols for each remaining time slot in a plurality of time slots.

[0006] In one implementation, determining one or more time slots among multiple time slots that allow analog gain variation may include: receiving one or more network measurements from the UE, determining the rhythm of the analog gain variation based on the one or more network measurements from the UE, and determining one or more time slots based on the determined rhythm of the analog gain variation.

[0007] In one implementation, performing the AGC process includes: performing an analog gain change during one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation across a plurality of time slots, and not performing an analog gain change during the remaining time slots across the plurality of time slots. Performing the AGC process may include: performing a digital gain change during the remaining time slots across the plurality of time slots. The one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation across the plurality of time slots may be referred to as restricted time slots. The remaining time slots may be referred to as unrestricted time slots.

[0008] In one implementation, signaling the UE to one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation includes: signaling the UE to an integer, wherein the UE applies the integer as a modulation parameter to each of the plurality of time slots to obtain one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation among the plurality of time slots.

[0009] In one implementation, the restricted PDSCH includes the full range of OFDM symbols except for the first symbol. In another example, the restricted PDSCH includes the full range of OFDM symbols except for the last symbol.

[0010] In one implementation, one or more network measurements include Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) measurements of the network performed by the UE.

[0011] In one aspect, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) associated with or communicating with a network includes: receiving from the network one or more time slots among a plurality of time slots that allow analog gain variation of an automatic gain control (AGC) process, wherein the one or more time slots among the plurality of time slots that allow analog gain variation are determined by the network; performing the AGC process based on the one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation; and receiving a downlink scheduled by the network based on the one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation.

[0012] In one aspect, a base station includes: a transceiver configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE); and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform the methods described herein from a network perspective.

[0013] In one aspect, the UE's processor (e.g., a baseband processor) is configured to execute the methods described herein from the UE's perspective.

[0014] Other technical features will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, description and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The invention is illustrated by way of example and is not limited to the figures in the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0016] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system is illustrated based on some aspects.

[0017] Figure 2 Examples of uplink and downlink communication based on some aspects are given.

[0018] Figure 3 Example block diagrams are shown based on some aspects of user equipment (UE).

[0019] Figure 4 Example block diagrams of base stations (BS) based on some aspects are shown.

[0020] Figure 5 An example block diagram of a cellular communication circuit is shown, based on some aspects.

[0021] Figure 6 An example of analog gain control with receiver chain 604 is shown, based on some aspects.

[0022] Figure 7 A table showing UE characteristics based on some aspects is provided.

[0023] Figure 8 A method 800 for coordinating AGC from a network perspective is shown, based on several aspects.

[0024] Figure 9 A method 900 for coordinating AGC from the UE's perspective is shown, based on several aspects.

[0025] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating example operations for coordinating automatic gain control (AGC) between user equipment and the network is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] A method and apparatus for a device that wirelessly communicates with a network to coordinate analog gain variation (AGC) of a low-noise amplifier (LNA) for in-band non-co-located (NC) carrier aggregation (CA) in a new radio (NR) environment are described. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that aspects of this disclosure can be implemented without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0027] In this specification, the reference to "some aspects" or "aspect" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that aspect may be included in at least one aspect of this disclosure. The phrase "some aspects" appearing in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same aspect.

[0028] In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” and “connected” and their derivatives may be used. “Coupled” is used to mean that two or more elements may or may not be in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, cooperating or interacting with each other. “Connected” is used to mean the establishment of communication between two or more coupled elements.

[0029] The processes depicted in the following figures are executed by processing logic units, which include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic units, etc.), software (such as software running on a general-purpose computer system or a dedicated machine), or a combination of both. While these processes are described below in a certain order, it should be understood that some of the described operations may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, some operations may be performed in parallel rather than sequentially.

[0030] The terms “server,” “client,” and “device” are intended to refer generally to a data processing system, rather than to specific form factors of servers, clients, and / or devices.

[0031] Figure 1 A simplified example of a wireless communication system is illustrated based on some aspects. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The system described is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B to 106N, etc., via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE).

[0033] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware for implementing wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0034] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE environment, its alternative location may be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". It should also be noted that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR context, its alternative location may be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0035] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0036] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base station 102B...102N) operating under the same or different cellular communication standards can thus provide a network as a cell that can provide continuous or near-continuous overlapping services to UE 106A to 106N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0037] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1 The example illustrates the "serving cells" of UEs 106A to 106N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B to 102N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in... Figure 1 Base stations 102A to 102B illustrated can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0038] In some respects, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a “gNB”. In some respects, the gNB may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, a gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0039] It should be noted that UE 106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.) other than at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD, etc.)). If desired, UE 106 may also be configured, or alternatively, to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H) and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0040] Figure 2 An example is shown of a UE 106A that can communicate with base station 102 via uplink and downlink communication, according to some aspects. The UE can be a cellular communication-capable device, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer or tablet computer, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0041] The UE may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE may perform any of the method aspects described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, the UE may include programmable hardware elements, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) configured to perform any of the method aspects described herein or any portion thereof.

[0042] The UE may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some aspects, the UE may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio component may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processors, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies (such as those discussed above).

[0043] In some aspects, the UE may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate with it. As another possibility, the UE may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, the UE may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0044] Figure 3 A simplified block diagram illustrating a communication device 106 according to some aspects is shown. Note that... Figure 3 The block diagram of the communication device is merely one example of possible communication devices. Depending on the aspects, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a UE device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 300 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of the communication device 106.

[0045] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with or external to communication device 106, and cellular communication circuitry 330 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth). ™ (And WLAN circuitry). In some aspects, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0046] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336 shown. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338 shown. Alternatively, short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to antennas 335 and 336 in addition to or instead of being coupled to antennas 337 and 338. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 and / or cellular communication circuitry 330 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0047] In some aspects, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple radio access technologies (RATs) (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communication ground; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some aspects, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with additional radio components, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0048] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include any of a variety of elements such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0049] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) 345.

[0050] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor executes program instructions of the communication device 106, and the display circuit performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 360. The processor 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (the MMU may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices (such as the display circuit 304, short-range wireless communication circuitry 229, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some aspects, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0051] As described above, communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuits. Communication device 106 can also be configured to determine physical downlink shared channel scheduling resources for user equipment and base stations. Furthermore, communication device 106 can be configured to select and group CCs from the wireless link, and determine virtual CCs from the selected CC groups. The wireless device can also be configured to perform physical downlink resource mapping based on an aggregation resource matching mode for CC groups.

[0052] As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the aforementioned features for determining physical downlink shared channel scheduling resources for communication device 106 and a base station. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0053] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 302.

[0054] Furthermore, as described herein, both the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range wireless communication circuit 329. Therefore, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. Similarly, the short-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuit 329. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuit 329.

[0055] Figure 4 An example block diagram of base station 102 is shown, illustrating some aspects. It should be noted that... Figure 4The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include processor 404, which executes program instructions for base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450), or to other circuitry or devices.

[0056] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106.

[0057] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to couple to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., between other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0058] In some respects, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a “gNB”. In such respects, base station 102 may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. In some respects, the base station may operate in 5G NR-U mode.

[0059] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434, and may include multiple antennas. At least one antenna 434 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, 5G NR-U, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0060] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some instances, base station 102 may include multiple radio components that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR and 5G NR-U. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0061] As further described herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured, for example, to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, 470, the processor 404 of BS 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of some or all of the features described herein.

[0062] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 404 may comprise one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 404.

[0063] Furthermore, as described herein, radio component 430 may comprise one or more processing elements. In other words, radio component 430 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430.

[0064] Figure 5A simplified block diagram illustrating an example of a cellular communication circuit based on some aspects is shown. Note that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of a possible cellular communication circuit. Depending on the aspects, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As noted above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices.

[0065] Cellular communication circuit 330 may (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) be coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 3 Antennas 335 ab and 336 are shown in the diagram. In some aspects, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communication ground; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5GNR).

[0066] As shown, modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and memory 516 communicating with processors 512. Modem 510 may communicate with radio frequency (RF) front end 530. RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 530 may include receiver circuitry (RX) 532 and transmitter circuitry (TX) 534. In some aspects, receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0067] Similarly, modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and memory 526 communicating with processor 522. Modem 520 may communicate with RF front end 540. RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some aspects, receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335b.

[0068] In some aspects, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front-end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 544 to UL front-end 572. UL front-end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Therefore, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state allowing modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state allowing modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 544 and UL front-end 572).

[0069] As described herein, modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features described above or for determining physical downlink shared channel scheduling resources for user equipment and base stations, as well as for various other technologies described herein. For example, processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or otherwise), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or otherwise), processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein in conjunction with one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0070] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0071] As described herein, modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features described above to determine physical downlink shared channel scheduling resources for user equipment equipment and base stations, as well as for various other technologies described herein. For example, processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein in conjunction with one or more of other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0072] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0073] 5G supports multi-antenna transmission, beamforming, and simultaneous transmission from multiple geographically separated sites. The channels associated with different antenna ports of the UE may differ, for example, in terms of radio channel attributes. QCL antenna ports may be geographically separated.

[0074] 5G physical channels provide flexible communication between 5G base stations and UEs. 5G NR has specified physical channels for 5G networks that can be used for downlink or uplink communication. 5G NR physical channels for uplink communication include the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). Uplink signals such as DM-RS, PT-RS, and SRS are also supported. 5G NR supports simultaneous transmission on both PUSCH and PUCCH. PUSCH is typically used to carry user data and may optionally carry uplink control information (UCI).

[0075] PDSCH stands for Physical Downlink Shared Channel, and it is a channel used to deliver data from a base station (e.g., gNb) to a user equipment (UE) in the downlink direction. PDSCH supports high data rates and low latency for a wide range of applications and services. It uses advanced modulation and decoding schemes and multi-antenna techniques such as MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) to maximize spectral efficiency and improve overall network performance. PDSCH is also used in conjunction with other channels such as the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH) to support features such as channel state information reporting, data packet scheduling and retransmission, and HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) feedback. PDSCH enables high-speed data and low-latency services to be delivered to users in the downlink direction and supports a range of advanced features and capabilities that promote efficient and reliable network operation.

[0076] In this disclosure, the described operation optimally performs coordinated low-noise amplifier (LNA) analog gain control (AGC) for in-band non-co-located (NC) carrier aggregation (CA) in new radio (NR) environments. Phase transitions are expected to occur at any time, such as when the user equipment (UE) performs analog gain control (AGC). AGC is an operation performed in a wireless communication system to adjust the amplitude of the received signal. AGC adjusts the received signal power within a certain range to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reduce distortion. AGC can be implemented in the UE's receiver circuitry to adjust the gain of the analog front end before the signal is digitized by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Gain control can be performed by adjusting the amplification factor of the amplifier in the receiver, or by applying a digital filter to the digitized signal, or both. The AGC process can be based on a feedback loop mechanism that continuously monitors the received signal power and adjusts the gain to maintain a constant power level such that the signal is neither too weak nor too strong, which could lead to distortion or saturation of the ADC converter.

[0077] Figure 6 An example of analog gain control with a receiver chain 604 is shown, according to some aspects. The receiver chain 604 may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry, such as one or more low-noise amplifiers 612 for receiving and amplifying an input signal 602, and one or more analog-to-digital converters 614 for digitizing the amplified signal from the low-noise amplifiers 612. The RF circuitry may be responsible for performing analog gain 606. A digital front end 616 may receive the digital signal and perform further amplification. As part of the analog gain adjustment operation, the LNA 612 and / or ADC 614 may be adjusted by the UE. The processing of the digital front end 616 and its downstream components may be adjusted as part of digital gain adjustment.

[0078] Receive chain 604 may be part of the complete receive (RX) chain of a UE (such as UE 106 or any UE shown or described in another section). For clarity, some parts of the complete receive chain may be omitted here. AGC reduces the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) reduction of signal 602 caused by distortion and quantization noise. AGC further reduces or prevents RX signal clipping of signal 602.

[0079] The AGC (which includes automatic gain adjustment by adjusting analog gain 606 or digital gain 608) adjusts the received signal strength of signal 602 to fully utilize the dynamic range of the RX chain. The UE's processing logic can adjust analog gain 606 or digital gain 608 to adjust the corresponding gain by adjusting one or more LNAs 612 in the receive chain 604 (e.g., register values ​​or other hardware-based adjustments) or the digital filtering algorithm at the digital front end 616.

[0080] Typically, in the case of AGC, the total gain 610 = analog gain 606 + digital gain 608. When the UE changes the analog gain 606 (e.g., through adjustments to the RF circuitry), this produces a "phase jump" across time-domain samples in the 0-360 degree range. Changes to the digital gain 608 will not. If the phase jump is not handled correctly, the phase jump caused by changes in the analog gain state can be detrimental to channel and parameter estimation.

[0081] The UE can perform AGC, thereby updating gain at different rates. A typical update rate may require one to several time slots, depending on the input signal, channel conditions, or both. A time slot can be referred to as a fixed time interval used to send and receive data between the UE and the network (e.g., via the BS). Each time slot may have a fixed duration (e.g., 0.125 milliseconds (ms)) and is further divided into smaller sub-time slots (which may be referred to as symbols). By dividing available radio resources into fixed time intervals, the network can efficiently allocate resources to different devices and applications while minimizing interference and maximizing overall network capacity. For example, depending on network needs and the resources available at any given time, each time slot can be assigned to a specific device or application. Furthermore, some time slots may be designed by the network as "restricted," while the remaining time slots are unrestricted, as described in other sections. Allocating time slots to applications and devices, and adjusting time slot durations, can be referred to as scheduling.

[0082] If it is known when a phase transition may occur, the network and the UE can coordinate with each other to restrict the use of some symbols, thereby scheduling around the affected symbols. An example of a restricted version of PDSCH is that one or more symbols are restricted and cannot be used. For example, the integrity of the first symbol (e.g., symbol 0) or the last symbol (e.g., symbol 13) may be compromised due to a phase transition, which causes the symbol to be stepped or “clipped.” Therefore, the UE and the network can communicate with each other to agree on which time slots the UE can perform analog gain changes, during which the network can then schedule restricted time slots.

[0083] A brute-force approach could be to restrict every downlink signal, but if the network (e.g., gNB) schedules each slot as a restricted version of the Physical Downlink Side Channel (PDSCH), the network may lose potential throughput. Therefore, a more subtle approach can be taken to restrict the PDSCH to only certain slots and communicate this to the UE, so that the UE can restrict the analog gain 606 variation to occur only in those slots.

[0084] The process described in this disclosure can signal to the UE when analog changes are permitted, so that the network knows when only digital changes can be applied. This allows PDSCH scheduling, where time slots utilize all OFDM symbols instead of a restricted subset of symbols, which can provide improved results for non-co-located carrier aggregation (NC-CA).

[0085] Carrier aggregation (CA) is a technology used in 5G networks to combine multiple frequency bands or carriers to increase network bandwidth and data transmission rates. With carrier aggregation, multiple carriers with different frequency bands can be combined and treated as a single, wider channel for data transmission. This facilitates efficient use of available spectrum, higher data transmission rates, and improved network performance. For example, in a typical 5G network, mobile devices can use carrier aggregation to combine two or more carriers with different frequency bands (such as, for example, 700MHz and 2.5GHz) to achieve wider channels and faster download and upload speeds. Carrier aggregation enables networks to support a large number of devices and high-bandwidth applications.

[0086] NC-CA allows mobile network operators to aggregate multiple frequency bands that are not physically located at the same location or site. NC-CA enables the combination of frequency bands deployed in different locations (e.g., different cities, towns, or other areas). Using NC-CA, operators can utilize all available frequency bands across their network, regardless of location, to provide their customers with higher data speeds, better coverage, and improved network performance. NC-CA also enables operators to deploy new services and applications more quickly and efficiently without investing in additional physical infrastructure. In-band (IB) NC-CA refers to carriers to be aggregated that are associated with different frequencies but within the same frequency band. In IB NC-CA, the carriers can be contiguous or discontinuous; however, it may be advantageous to reuse hardware and reduce chipset costs by using common LNAs and AGCs. Therefore, UEs can use the aspects described in this disclosure to combine different carriers within the same frequency band received from different base stations (e.g., gNBs) to improve communication speeds.

[0087] Figure 7 A table is shown illustrating UE characteristics based on several aspects. These aspects of the disclosure include network management processes and coordination between different network elements (such as base stations and core network nodes) to leverage NC-CA for seamless operation and optimal performance. For example, in in-band non-co-located CA scenarios, two issues are observed. From the UE's perspective, there may be a significant power imbalance between component carriers (CCs), which can be as large as 25 dB. Furthermore, a significant time arrival difference may exist between CCs as observed by the UE. For example, round-trip delays (RTDs) greater than 3 µs or cyclic prefixes associated with subcarrier spacing of the signal can be observed.

[0088] New PHY channel configurations and PDSCH scheduling can be supported to maximize aggregate throughput for UEs, such as for UE types 3a / 3b (described in UE type table 702) or other UE types. Specifically, the table shows that power imbalances for types 3a / 3b can range from 6dB to 25dB in some cases; however, the described aspects can also benefit other UE types. As mentioned, LNA analog gain variations can distort some symbols in some situations. For example, symbol 0 or symbol 13 may be distorted when RTD > cyclic prefix (CP) length of the victim carrier. To avoid significant throughput loss, if RTD > CP length, the network may limit the finite PDSCH grant depending on whether symbol 0 or symbol 13 is corrupted. In the absence of any coordination between the network and the UE, the network may need to schedule reduced (e.g., restricted) PDSCH in each time slot. Throughput can be further increased based on the described coordination process related to automatic gain control.

[0089] Figure 8A method 800 for coordinating AGC from a network perspective is illustrated according to some examples. Method 800 can be executed by a processing logic component of a base station, which may include a processor coupled to a transceiver, wherein the processor can execute instructions stored in a computer-readable memory to perform the described method.

[0090] At block 802, the processing logic unit determines one or more time slots among multiple time slots that allow analog gain changes during the Automatic Gain Control (AGC) process. In one example, determining one or more time slots among multiple time slots that allow analog gain changes includes: receiving one or more network measurements from the UE, determining the rhythm of the analog gain change based on the one or more network measurements from the UE, and determining one or more time slots based on the determined rhythm of the analog gain change. For example, the one or more network measurements may include Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) measurements of the network performed by the UE and provided to the network. Additionally or alternatively, the rhythm and one or more time slots may be determined by the network based on network measurements of UE speed (e.g., Doppler spread).

[0091] At block 804, the processing logic unit signals to the user equipment (UE) communicating with the network one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation among multiple time slots. This can be performed via any downlink signaling from the network to the UE, or via radio resource control (RRC) signaling from the network to the UE. The signaling from the network to the UE may include a rhythm (e.g., every X time slots) or a notation of each specific time slot number via a signaled bitmap or other appropriate mechanism.

[0092] In one example, signaling the UE to allow one or more time slots for analog gain changes includes signaling an integer to the UE. For example, the network could signal an integer "x" to indicate that an analog gain change is allowed every "x" time slots. For example, if the network determines that an analog gain change is allowed every four time slots, the network could signal an integer "4". In another example of how the network could signal which time slots allow analog gain changes, the analog gain change could be associated with a specific Time Domain Division (TDD) configuration mode. For example, the UE could be allowed to update the analog gain only in "specific time slots" defined in a given TDD mode. The pace of the analog gain change could be determined based on measurements and / or signaling from the UE, which could perform its own measurements and not necessarily report them to the network, but rather report a "processed version / decision" to the network.

[0093] In one example, the UE can apply an integer as a modulo parameter to each of multiple time slots to obtain one or more time slots where analog gain variation is allowed. If the result is zero, the UE can perform analog gain variation; otherwise, it will not. For example, at time slot number 8, assuming the received integer is 4, 8 mod 4 = 0, so the UE can perform analog gain variation. At time slot number 9, 9 mod 4 = 1, so the UE will not perform analog gain variation, but can still perform digital gain variation.

[0094] In some examples, signaling which time slots allow analog gain changes may include signaling which time slots do not allow analog gain changes, and the UE and network may operate under the assumption that analog gain changes are allowed in those excluded time slots. The exact format of how the network indicates to the UE which time slots allow analog gain changes may vary.

[0095] In one example, in response to receiving signaling from the UE that includes one or more time slots in a plurality of time slots that allow analog gain changes, the UE performs an AGC procedure based on those one or more time slots that allow analog gain changes (and those that do not allow analog gain changes). The AGC procedure may include performing an analog gain change during one or more time slots in the plurality of time slots and not performing an analog gain change during the remaining time slots in the plurality of time slots. The UE may perform a digital gain change during any time slot in the plurality of time slots (including the remaining time slots in the plurality of time slots where no analog gain change is performed).

[0096] At box 806, the processing logic unit schedules the downlink based on one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation among multiple time slots. In one example, scheduling the downlink may include: scheduling a restricted physical data sharing channel (PDSCH) for each of the one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation among the multiple time slots. For each remaining time slot among the multiple time slots, the processing logic unit may schedule a PDSCH with a full range of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols. It should be understood that the aspects described regarding the PDSCH may also apply to other PHY channels.

[0097] In one example, a restricted PDSCH can include the full range of OFDM symbols except for the first symbol. The restricted PDSCH (at the restricted slot) can still use symbols 1 through 13 for data transmission, but not symbol 0.

[0098] In another example, the restricted PDSCH includes the full range of OFDM symbols except for the last symbol. The restricted PDSCH (at the restricted slot) can still use symbols 0 through 12 for data transmission, but not symbol 13.

[0099] The network and the UE performing AGC coordinately schedule restricted PDSCH slots so that the restricted PDSCH slots are consistent with the UE's execution of analog gain control during those same slots. The analog gain change rhythm is determined based on network measurements, and the restricted slots are coordinated between the UE and the network so that each analog gain change can occur according to the schedule, and slots that are not allowed to have analog gain changes are scheduled as unrestricted.

[0100] Figure 9 A method 900 for coordinating AGC from the UE's perspective is illustrated according to some examples. Method 900 can be executed by a processing logic unit of the UE, which may include a baseband processor, wherein the processor can execute instructions stored on a computer-readable memory to perform the described method.

[0101] At box 902, the processing logic unit receives from the network one or more time slots from a plurality of time slots that allow analog gain changes during the Automatic Gain Control (AGC) process, wherein the one or more time slots allowing analog gain changes from the plurality of time slots are determined by the network. For example, those time slots allowing analog gain changes may be determined by the network based on information about... Figure 8 or Figure 10 The description provided or is determined in other parts of this disclosure.

[0102] At block 904, the processing logic unit performs an AGC procedure based on one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation. For example, the processing logic unit may adjust one or more parameters that regulate the behavior of the low-noise amplifier 612 or the analog-to-digital converter 614, or any component therebetween, to change the analog gain 606 in the input signal 602 in time slots that allow analog gain variation, while not changing the analog gain in the input signal in time slots that do not allow analog gain variation. Digital gain variation can be performed in any time slot. In one example, the UE may receive an integer value indicating the tempo. The UE may apply this integer as a modulo parameter to each time slot number and apply or not apply the analog gain variation based on the result. For example, if the result of the modulo operation is zero, the UE may determine that analog gain variation is allowed in that time slot. Simultaneously, the network may schedule restricted PDSCHs in those time slots.

[0103] At block 906, the processing logic unit may receive downlinks scheduled by the network based on one or more time slots that allow analog gain variation. For example, the UE may receive PDSCH signaling from the network. The UE may perform AGC upon receiving PDSCH signaling according to the allowed time slots described in block 904. Therefore, the UE is configured to perform analog gain control only using time slots consistent with the network's scheduling of restricted PDSCH time slots.

[0104] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating example operations for coordinating automatic gain control (AGC) between a user equipment (UE) and a network is shown. The UE 1002 can communicate with a network that may include one or more base stations, such as base station 1004 and base station 1020. Base station 1004 may be referred to as the serving cell, and base station 1020 may be referred to as the neighboring cell. The coverage areas relative to UE 1002 from base station 1004 and base station 1020 may overlap.

[0105] User equipment 1002 can perform operations such as those described with respect to method 900. Similarly, base station 1004 can perform operations such as those described with respect to method 800.

[0106] As described, analog gain variations in the UE's RX chain can introduce phase shifts for the PDSCH and severely degrade decoding performance. Therefore, it is beneficial to keep the physical (PHY) channel PDSCH and / or PDCCH away from the affected OFDM symbols (e.g., symbol 0, symbol 13, or both), except for any reference signals such as, for example, CSI-RS or another reference signal.

[0107] In one respect, UE 1002 and the network (e.g., Bs 1004 and Bs 1020) can coordinate with each other to indicate and agree on when a phase transition may occur.

[0108] At box 1006, the UE can perform network measurements. For example, the UE can measure a reference signal (e.g., CSI-RS) transmitted from the network (e.g., BS 1004). At box 1008, the UE can provide this measurement to the network. Measurements may include signal strength, the index of the reference signal, and / or other values. In some examples, measurements may include CSI Reference Signal Received Power (CSI-RSRP), which may be defined as a linear average of the power contribution of resource elements at an antenna port carrying a CSI-RS configured for RSRP measurement; CSI Received Signal Strength Indicator (CSI-RSSI), which may be defined as a linear average of the total received power observed only in OFDM symbols where CSI-RS is present; and / or CSI Reference Signal Received Quality (CSIRSRQ), which may be defined as the ratio of CSI-RSRP to CSI-RSSI. Network measurements may be provided to the network in a network measurement report.

[0109] At operation 1010, the network determines the analog gain change rhythm 1010, whereby the UE can perform analog gain changes on its receiver chain. Based on the measurement quality received from UE 1002, BS 1004 can calculate the optimal analog gain change rhythm. For example, if the quality is above a threshold, the network can schedule the analog gain change at a first rhythm, and if the quality does not meet the threshold, the network can schedule the analog gain change at a second rhythm below the first rhythm. In some examples, the allowed rhythm can also increase as the quality increases, and decrease as the measurement quality decreases.

[0110] The determined rhythm may include the frequency at which the UE can perform analog gain changes, or in which specific time slots the gain changes may occur, or both. For example, at operation 1010, BS 1004 may determine that analog gain changes are allowed every two time slots, or every three time slots, or on time slot numbers X, Y, and Z. The UE and network may operate under the assumption that analog gain changes are not allowed in the remaining unmentioned time slots. As discussed, a phase jump is expected when an analog gain change occurs. If the network excludes analog gain in one or more time slots, the UE will only update the digital gain in those time slots (and not the analog gain), thus excluding phase jumps in those time slots.

[0111] At operation 1014, BS 1004 may signal to the UE the time slot to which the analog gain change is restricted. In one example, this signal may include an integer that the UE can use to perform a modulo operation on each time slot, as described. In other examples, the rhythm or restricted time slot may be indicated by different mechanisms, such as by providing the exact time slot number to which the analog gain change may occur.

[0112] At box 1016, the UE can perform automatic gain control based on the time slot information provided by BS 1004. The UE can limit analog gain changes during those specified time slots where the network indicates a limit.

[0113] Simultaneously, BS 1004 can also perform PDSCH scheduling 1012 according to the analog gain change rhythm determined at box 1010. Those time slots where analog gain changes are not permitted can utilize the full range of OFDM symbols for data transmission. Similarly, BS 1004 can schedule those time slots where analog gain changes are permitted as restricted time slots where one or more symbols (e.g., the first or last symbol) are not used for data transmission. Therefore, UE 1002 and the network (e.g., BS 1004) can coordinate PDSCH scheduling with the execution of analog gain changes such that the time slots where the UE can perform analog gain changes coincide with restricted time slots, and the time slots where the UE cannot perform analog gain changes coincide with unrestricted time slots (utilizing the full range of OFDM symbols).

[0114] At box 1018, UE 1002 may perform one or more in-band non-co-located (NC) carrier aggregation (CA) operations based on analog gain variation permission and PDSCH scheduling agreed upon between UE 1002 and BS 1004. For example, the UE may receive downlink communications 1024 and 1022 from BS 1004 and BS 1020, which may be non-co-located (e.g., at different sites) and in the same frequency band (e.g., in-band). UE 1002 may perform analog gain control only during the permitted time slots. BS 1004 and BS 1020 may utilize restricted time slots at the corresponding carriers consistent with those permitted time slots, and otherwise utilize unrestricted time slots to transmit downlink (1022 and 1024) to the UE. The UE can receive downlink communications (1022 and 1024) and perform AGC on the received downlink communications based on which time slots allow analog gain changes, and aggregate the received downlink signals 1024 and 1022 during NC-CA.

[0115] Parts of the content described above can be implemented using logic circuits such as dedicated logic circuits or using microcontrollers or other forms of processing cores that execute program code instructions. Thus, the processes taught in the above discussion can be executed using program code such as machine-executable instructions, which cause the machine to execute these instructions to perform certain functions. In this context, "machine" can be a machine that translates intermediate (or "abstract") instructions into processor-specific instructions (e.g., abstract execution environments such as "virtual machines" (e.g., Java Virtual Machines), interpreters, Common Language Runtimes, high-level language virtual machines, etc.), and / or electronic circuits mounted on semiconductor chips (e.g., "logic circuits" implemented using transistors), designed to execute instructions, with the processor being such as a general-purpose processor and / or a dedicated processor. The processes taught in the above discussion can also be executed (as an alternative to or in conjunction with a machine) using electronic circuits designed to execute processes (or parts thereof) without executing program code.

[0116] The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations described herein. This apparatus may be specifically configured for a desired purpose, or may comprise a general-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in a computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk, including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROM), RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards or optical cards, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each of which is coupled to a computer system bus.

[0117] Machine-readable media include any means by which information is stored or transmitted in a machine-readable (e.g., computer) form. For example, machine-readable media include read-only memory (“ROM”); random access memory (“RAM”); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; and so on.

[0118] A baseband processor (also known as a baseband radio processor, BP, or BBP) is a device (a chip or part of a chip) in a network interface that manages radio functions, such as communication over the antenna (e.g., TX and RX).

[0119] Articles of art may be used to store program code. Articles of art storing program code may be embodied in, but are not limited to, one or more memories (e.g., one or more flash memories, random access memory (static, dynamic, or other)), optical discs, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic cards or optical cards, or other types of machine-readable media suitable for storing electronic instructions. Program code may also be downloaded from a remote computer (e.g., a server) to a requesting computer (e.g., a client) by means of data signals embodied in a transmission medium (e.g., via a communication link (e.g., a network connection)).

[0120] The foregoing detailed description has been presented according to the algorithms and symbolic representations used to manipulate data bits within computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are tools used by those skilled in the art of data processing, and these tools are also the most effective means of communicating the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm here and generally refers to a self-consistent sequence of operations that leads to a desired result. These operations are those that require physical manipulation of physical quantities. Often, but not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transmitted, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. This has proven convenient when these signals are referred to primarily for general reasons as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, etc.

[0121] However, it should be remembered that all these and similar terms are associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to those quantities. Unless otherwise specifically stated, it is evident from the above discussion that, throughout the description, the use of terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “select,” “determine,” “receive,” “form,” “group,” “aggregate,” “generate,” “remove,” etc., refers to the actions and processing of computer systems or similar electronic computing devices that can manipulate data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the registers and memories of the computer system and convert it into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in the computer system's memory or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0122] The processes and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems can be used with programs based on the teachings herein, or they may prove convenient for constructing more specialized devices to perform the described operations. The necessary structures for various such systems will be apparent from the description below. Furthermore, this invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It should be understood that various programming languages ​​can be used to implement the teachings of this invention as described herein.

[0123] 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.

[0124] The foregoing discussion has described only some exemplary aspects of the invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from this discussion, the accompanying drawings, and the claims that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method executed by a network, the method comprising: Identify one or more time slots among multiple time slots that allow for analog gain changes during automatic gain control (AGC) processes; as well as Signal to user equipment (UE) communicating with the network to notify one or more of the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain transformation; as well as Downlink communication is scheduled based on one or more time slots that allow for variations in the analog gain.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein scheduling the downlink comprises: For each of the one or more time slots that allow the analog gain to vary, a restricted physical data sharing channel (PDSCH) is scheduled.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein scheduling the downlink comprises: For each of the remaining time slots in the plurality of time slots, schedule a PDSCH with a full range of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the restricted PDSCH comprises the full range of OFDM symbols except for the first symbol.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the restricted PDSCH comprises the full range of OFDM symbols except for the last symbol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more time slots among the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain to vary comprises: The system receives one or more network measurements from the UE, determines the rhythm of the analog gain change based on the one or more network measurements from the UE, and determines the one or more time slots based on the determined rhythm of the analog gain change.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more network measurements include Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) measurements of the network performed by the UE.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving one or more time slots from the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain change, the UE performs an automatic gain control (AGC) procedure, the automatic gain control (AGC) procedure comprising performing the analog gain change during the one or more time slots from the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain change and not performing the analog gain change during the remaining time slots from the plurality of time slots.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the AGC process comprises: Digital gain variation is performed during the unrestricted time slots of the plurality of time slots.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling the UE to the one or more time slots that allow the analog gain change comprises: The UE is signaled an integer, wherein the UE applies the integer as a modulo parameter to each of the plurality of time slots to obtain one or more time slots that allow the analog gain to vary.

11. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) communicating with a network, the method comprising: The network receives one or more time slots from a plurality of time slots that allow analog gain changes during an automatic gain control (AGC) process, wherein the one or more time slots from the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain changes are determined by the network; The AGC process is performed according to one or more time slots that allow the simulation gain to change; as well as Receive downlink communications scheduled by the network based on one or more time slots that allow for variations in the analog gain.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein for each of the one or more time slots in the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain to vary, the network schedules a restricted physical data sharing channel (PDSCH).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein for each remaining time slot of the plurality of time slots, the network scheduling has a PDSCH with a full range of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the restricted PDSCH comprises the full range of OFDM symbols except for the first symbol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the restricted PDSCH comprises the full range of OFDM symbols except for the last symbol.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining by the network one or more time slots among the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain to vary comprises: Receive one or more network measurements performed by the UE, determine the rhythm of the analog gain change based on the one or more network measurements from the UE, and determine the one or more time slots based on the rhythm of the analog gain change.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more network measurements performed by the UE include channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) measurements of the network performed by the UE.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the AGC process comprises: The analog gain change is performed during one or more time slots that allow the analog gain change, and is not performed during the remaining time slots of the plurality of time slots.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein performing the AGC process comprises: A digital gain change is performed during the remaining time slots of the plurality of time slots.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving one or more time slots from the network that allow for the variation of the analog gain comprises: Receiving an integer and performing the AGC process includes: applying the integer as a modulo parameter to each of the plurality of time slots to obtain one or more time slots among the plurality of time slots that allow the analog gain to vary.

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