Mobility procedure based on layer 1 (L1) and layer 2 (L2)

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) based mobility procedures, and more particularly, to mobility techniques that allow mobility of a user equipment (UE) between a set of cells. A method, which may be performed by a UE, includes receiving signaling that causes the UE to be configured with a set of cells supporting physical (PHY) layer or media access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells, reporting measurements of at least some of the set of cells according to the measurement configuration to a network entity, and receiving, from the network entity, PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is based at least in part on the reported measurements.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application filed on June 5, 2021, with international application number PCT / US2021 / 036047, Chinese application number 202180038856.6, and entitled "Mobility Procedures Based on Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2)".

[0002] Cross-references to related applications

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 17 / 339,668, filed June 4, 2021, which claims the interests and priorities of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 036,093, filed June 8, 2020; U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 036,279, filed June 8, 2020; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 035,334, filed June 5, 2020, all of which have been assigned to the assignee of this application and are hereby expressly incorporated by reference as fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. background

[0004] open field

[0005] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to mobility technologies that allow dynamic signaling notification of user equipment (UE) mobility between sets of cells and dynamically update sets of cells and beams activated to serve the UE.

[0006] Related technical descriptions

[0007] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. These wireless communication systems can employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access systems include 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-A Advanced systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems, to name just a few.

[0008] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the city, country, region, and even global levels. New radios (e.g., 5G NR) are examples of emerging telecommunications standards. NR is an enhancement set of the LTE mobile standard issued by 3GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by using OFDMA with a cyclic prefix (CP) on both the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) to improve spectrum efficiency, reduce costs, improve service, utilize new spectrum, and better integrate with other open standards. To this end, NR supports beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation.

[0009] With the continued growth in demand for mobile broadband access, there is a need for further improvements to NR and LTE technologies. These improvements should also be applicable to other multiple access technologies and telecommunications standards that employ them.

[0010] Overview

[0011] The systems, methods, and apparatus of this disclosure each have several aspects, and their desired properties are not solely the responsibility of any single aspect. After considering this discussion, and especially after reading the section entitled "Detailed Description," it will be understood how the features of this disclosure provide advantages, including improved mobility procedures.

[0012] Some aspects provide a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE). The method generally includes receiving signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting physical (PHY) layer or media access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; reporting measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration to a network entity; and receiving from the network entity PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0013] Some aspects provide a method for wireless communication by a network entity. The method generally includes transmitting signaling that configures a UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; receiving from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration; and transmitting to the UE PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0014] Certain aspects can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication by a UE. The apparatus may include at least one processor and memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to: receive signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; report measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration to a network entity; and receive from the network entity PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0015] Some aspects can be implemented in a device for wireless communication by a network entity. The device may include at least one processor and memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the device to: transmit signaling that configures a UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; receive from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration; and transmit to the UE PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0016] Certain aspects can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication by a UE. The apparatus may include: means for receiving signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY or MAC layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; means for reporting measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration to a network entity; and means for receiving from the network entity PHY or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0017] Certain aspects can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication by a network entity. The apparatus may include: means for transmitting signaling that configures a UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; means for receiving from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration; and means for transmitting to the UE PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0018] Certain aspects may be implemented in a non-transient computer-readable medium for wireless communication by a UE. The non-transient computer-readable medium may include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a processing system, cause the processing system to: receive signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; report measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells to a network entity according to the measurement configuration; and receive from the network entity PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0019] Certain aspects may be implemented in a non-transient computer-readable medium for wireless communication by a UE. The non-transient computer-readable medium may include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a processing system, cause the processing system to: transmit signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; receive from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration; and transmit to the UE PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0020] To achieve the foregoing and related objectives, these one or more aspects include the features fully described below and specifically pointed out in the claims. The following description and drawings set forth some of the illustrative features of these one or more aspects in detail. However, these features only indicate a few of the various ways in which the principles of these aspects can be employed. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0021] Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. However, the drawings illustrate only some typical aspects of this disclosure and are therefore not intended to limit its scope. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0022] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network in which aspects of this disclosure can be implemented is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a block diagram that conceptually illustrates the design of an example base station (BS) and user equipment (UE) according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3AExamples of frame formats for telecommunications systems according to certain aspects of this disclosure are explained.

[0025] Figure 3B The present disclosure explains how different beams can be used to transmit different synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 4 The example architectures that can be put into practice in this disclosure are explained.

[0027] Figure 5 and 6 The document explains example scenarios in which various aspects of this disclosure can be put into practice.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating example operations for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating example operations for wireless communication by a network entity according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 9 It is a call flow diagram that explains certain aspects of the mobility protocol according to this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 10A and 10B Examples of UE mobility according to certain aspects of this disclosure are explained.

[0032] Figure 11A and 11B Another example of UE mobility according to certain aspects of this disclosure is explained.

[0033] Figure 12 An example radio unit (RU) supporting multiple carriers according to certain aspects of this disclosure is explained.

[0034] Figure 13 An example of an active beamset according to certain aspects of this disclosure is explained.

[0035] Figure 14A and 14B The present disclosure explains how, according to certain aspects, different beams can be selected from the active beam set for communication.

[0036] Figure 15 The description explains certain aspects of this disclosure, including operability for, configuration for, or adaptation to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein (such as...). Figure 7 and 9 The communication device 1500 consists of the various components of the operation described herein.

[0037] Figure 16 The description explains certain aspects of this disclosure, including operability for, configuration for, or adaptation to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein (such as...). Figure 8 and 9 The communication device 1500 consists of the various components of the operation described herein.

[0038] To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals are used wherever possible to designate common elements shared by all figures. Elements disclosed in one aspect are conceived to be usefully applied in other aspects without specific citation. Detailed description

[0039] This disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to mobility technologies that allow user equipment (UE) to be dynamically signaled to a set of cells for mobility. As will be described in more detail below, a UE may be configured with a set of cells to support mobility based on Layer 1 (L1) (e.g., physical (PHY) layer) or Layer 2 (L2) (e.g., media access control (MAC) layer) signaling.

[0040] Various aspects of this disclosure can provide seamless mobility within active cells in an active cell set. In some cases, the signaling mechanism can be relatively similar to beam management. For example, mobility management within an active set can be performed via L1 / L2 signaling, which is used to activate / deactivate cells in the active and deactivated cell sets to select beams within active cells.

[0041] The following description provides examples and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or examples set forth in the claims. Changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various procedures or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added. For example, the described method may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Moreover, features described with reference to some examples may be combined in others. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement an apparatus or practice. Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure is intended to cover such apparatuses or methods practiced using additional structures, functionalities, or structures and functionalities that complement or supplement the various aspects of this disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of this disclosure disclosed herein may be implemented by one or more elements of the claims.

[0042] Generally, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographical area. Each wireless network can support a specific Radio Access Technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT may also be referred to as a radio technology, air interface, etc. A frequency may also be referred to as a carrier, subcarrier, frequency channel, frequency modulation, subband, etc. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographical area to avoid interference between wireless networks using different RATs. In some cases, 5G NR RAT networks can be deployed.

[0043] Example wireless communication system

[0044] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network 100 in which various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented is described. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the wireless communication network 100 may include components configured to perform... Figure 7 The operation of UE 120a is described in section 700. Similarly, the wireless communication network 100 may include components configured to perform... Figure 8 Operation 800 to assist UE 120a in execution Figure 7 The base station (BS) 110 operates 700. For example, UE 120a includes a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) mobility module 122 and BS 110a includes an L1 / L2 mobility module 112. The L1 / L2 mobility module 122 and L1 / L2 mobility module 112 can be configured to perform mobility procedures according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0045] NR access (e.g., 5G NR) can support a variety of wireless communication services, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) targeting wide bandwidth (e.g., 80 MHz or higher), millimeter wave (mmWave) targeting high carrier frequencies (e.g., 25 GHz or higher), massive machine-type communication (mMTC) targeting non-backward compatible MTC technologies, or mission-critical services targeting ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). These services may include latency and reliability requirements. These services may also have different transmission time intervals (TTIs) to meet corresponding quality of service (QoS) requirements. Furthermore, these services can coexist in the same time-domain resources (e.g., time slots or subframes) or frequency-domain resources (e.g., component carriers).

[0046] like Figure 1As explained herein, the wireless communication network 100 may include several BS 110a-z (each individually referred to herein as BS 110, or collectively as BS 110) and other network entities. A BS may be a station communicating with a UE. Each BS 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area (sometimes referred to as a “cell”). In 3GPP, the term “cell” may refer to the coverage area of ​​a B-node (NB) and / or the B-node subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In NR systems, the terms “cell” and next-generation B-node (gNB), new radio (NR) BS, 5G NB, access point (AP), or transmit / receive point (TRP) may be interchangeable. In some examples, a cell may not be stationary, and the geographic area of ​​a cell may move depending on the location of the mobile BS. In some examples, BS 110 can interconnect with each other and / or interconnect to one or more other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in wireless communication network 100 using any suitable transport network through various types of backhaul interfaces (e.g., direct physical connection, wireless connection, virtual network, etc.).

[0047] Generally, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographical area. Each wireless network can support a specific Radio Access Technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT may also be referred to as a radio technology, air interface, etc. A frequency may also be referred to as a carrier, subcarrier, frequency channel, frequency modulation, subband, etc. Each frequency can support a single RAT in a given geographical area to avoid interference between wireless networks using different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks can be deployed.

[0048] A BS can provide communication coverage for macrocells, picocells, femtocells, and / or other types of cells. Macrocells can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription. Picocells can cover a relatively small geographic area and allow unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription. Femtocells can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residential area) and allow restricted access by UEs associated with that femtocell (e.g., UEs in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs of users in a residential building, etc.). A BS used for macrocells may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS used for picocells may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS used for femtocells may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. Figure 1In the example shown, BS 110a, 110b, and 110c can be macro BSs for macro cells 102a, 102b, and 102c, respectively. BS 110x can be a pico BS for pico cell 102x. BS 110y and 110z can be femto BSs for femto cells 102y and 102z, respectively. A BS can support one or more (e.g., three) cells.

[0049] The wireless communication network 100 may also include a relay station (e.g., relay station 110r) (also referred to as a relay, etc.) that receives data and / or other information transmissions from an upstream station (e.g., BS 110a or UE 120r) and transmits such data and / or other information transmissions to a downstream station (e.g., UE 120 or BS 110), or the relay station relays transmissions between the UEs 120 to facilitate communication between the devices. Figure 1 In the example shown, relay station 110r can communicate with BS 110a and UE 120r to facilitate communication between BS 110a and UE 120r. A relay station may also be referred to as a relay BS, relay, etc.

[0050] The wireless communication network 100 can be a heterogeneous network comprising different types of base stations (BSs) (e.g., macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, relays, etc.). These different types of BSs may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in the wireless communication network 100. For example, a macro BS may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 20 watts), while a pico BS, femto BS, and relay may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 1 watt).

[0051] The wireless communication network 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, each BS can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs can be roughly aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, each BS can have different frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs may not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operations.

[0052] Network controller 130 can be coupled to a group of BS 110 and provide coordination and control over these BS 110. Network controller 130 can communicate with BS 110 via backhaul. BS 110 can also communicate with each other via wireless or wired backhaul (e.g., directly or indirectly).

[0053] UE 120 (e.g., 120x, 120y, etc.) may be distributed throughout the wireless communication network 100, and each UE may be stationary or mobile. A UE may also be referred to as a mobile station, terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, client equipment (CPE), cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, tablet computer, camera, gaming device, netbook, smartbook, ultrabook, appliance, medical device or medical equipment, biometric sensor / device, wearable device (such as smartwatch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet, etc.)), entertainment device (e.g., music device, video device, satellite radio, etc.), vehicle component or sensor, smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, GPS device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via wireless or wired media. Some UEs may be considered machine-type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with a BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or another entity. Wireless nodes can provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet) or a cellular network, for example, via wired or wireless communication links. Some UEs can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which can be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0054] Some wireless networks (e.g., LTE) utilize Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink (DL) and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink (UL). OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, often referred to as frequency modulation, frequency slots, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Generally, modulation symbols are transmitted in the frequency domain for OFDM and in the time domain for SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing could be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block" (RB)) could be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, the nominal Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover 1.08 MHz (i.e., 6 resource blocks), and for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands, respectively.

[0055] While aspects of the examples described herein may be associated with LTE technology, aspects of this disclosure are applicable to other wireless communication systems, such as NR. NR can utilize OFDM with CP on both UL and DL and includes support for half-duplex operation using TDD. Beamforming can be supported and beam direction can be dynamically configured. MIMO transmission with precoding can also be supported. MIMO configuration in DL can support up to 8 transmit antennas (multilayer DL transmission with up to 8 streams) and up to 2 streams per UE. Multilayer transmission with up to 2 streams per UE can be supported. Up to 8 serving cells can be used to support aggregation of multiple cells.

[0056] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled, where a scheduling entity (e.g., a BS) allocates resources for communication among some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. The scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communication, the subordinate entity utilizes the resources allocated by the scheduling entity. The BS is not the only entity that can act as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity and can schedule resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and other UEs can utilize the resources scheduled by that UE for wireless communication. In some examples, a UE can act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and / or in a mesh network. In the mesh network example, UEs can communicate directly with each other in addition to communicating with a scheduling entity.

[0057] exist Figure 1 In the diagram, a solid line with a double arrow indicates a desired transmission between the UE and the serving BS, which is the BS designated to serve the UE in the DL and / or UL. A thin dashed line with a double arrow indicates an interference transmission between the UE and the BS.

[0058] Figure 2 The BS 110a and UE 120a, which can be used to implement various aspects of this disclosure, are explained (e.g., in...). Figure 1 Example components in a wireless communication network 100.

[0059] At BS 110a, the transmit processor 220 can receive data from data source 212 and control information from controller / processor 240. This control information can be used for the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Group Shared PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. This data can be used for the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), etc. The processor 220 can process (e.g., encode and map symbols) the data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols, respectively. The transmit processor 220 can also generate reference symbols (such as those for the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and Cell-Specific Reference Signal (CRS)). The transmit (TX) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) processor 230 can perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​the data symbols, control symbols, or reference symbols where applicable, and can provide the output symbol stream to modulators (MODs) 232a-232t. Each modulator 232 can process its respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator can further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and up-convert) the output sample stream to obtain a DL signal. The DL signals from modulators 232a-232t can be transmitted via antennas 234a-234t, respectively.

[0060] At UE 120a, antennas 252a-252r can receive DL signals from BS 110 and can provide the received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) 254a-254r in the transceiver. Each demodulator can condition (e.g., filter, amplify, down-convert, and digitize) its respective received signal to obtain an input sample. Each demodulator can further process the input sample (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. MIMO detector 256 can obtain the received symbols from all demodulators in transceivers 254a-254r, perform MIMO detection on these received symbols where applicable, and provide detected symbols. Receiver processor 258 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) these detected symbols, provide the decoded data to UE 120a to data sink 260, and provide the decoded control information to controller / processor 280.

[0061] At UL, at UE 120a, transmit processor 264 can receive and process data from data source 262 (e.g., for Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)) and control information from controller / processor 280 (e.g., for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)). Transmit processor 264 can also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., probe reference signals (SRS)). Symbols from transmit processor 264 can be pre-encoded by TX MIMO processor 266 where applicable, further processed by demodulators 254a-254r in the transceiver (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to BS 110a. At BS 110a, UL signals from UE 120a can be received by antenna 234, processed by modulator 232, detected by MIMO detector 236 where applicable, and further processed by receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by UE 120a. The receiver processor 238 can provide decoded data to the data trap 239 and decoded control information to the controller / processor 240.

[0062] Memory 242 and 282 can store data and program code for use by BS 110a and UE 120a, respectively. Scheduler 244 can schedule UE for data transmission over DL or UL.

[0063] The controller / processor 280 or other processors and modules at UE 120a may perform processes for the techniques described herein or instruct the execution of processes for the techniques described herein. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the controller / processor 280 of UE 120a has the ability to be configured to execute (or cause UE 120a to execute). Figure 7 The L1 / L2 mobility module 122 operates in the 700. Similarly, BS 110a may include components that can be configured to perform (or cause BS 110a to perform). Figure 8 The operation of the L1 / L2 mobility module 112 of the 800.

[0064] Figure 3AThis is a diagram illustrating an example of a frame format 300 for NR according to certain aspects of this disclosure. The transmission timeline for each of DL and UL can be divided into units of radio frames. Each radio frame may have a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 ms) and may be divided into 10 subframes with indices 0 to 9, each subframe being 1 ms long. Each subframe may include a variable number of time slots, depending on the subcarrier interval. Each time slot may include a variable number of symbol periods (e.g., 7 or 14 symbols), depending on the subcarrier interval. An index may be assigned to the symbol periods in each time slot. A mini-time slot (which may be referred to as a sub-time slot structure) refers to a transmission time interval having a duration smaller than a time slot (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 symbols).

[0065] Each symbol in a time slot can indicate the link direction used for data transmission (e.g., DL, UL, or flexible), and the link direction used for each subframe can be dynamically switched. The link direction can be based on the time slot format. Each time slot can include DL / UL data and DL / UL control information.

[0066] In NR, the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) is transmitted. The SSB includes the PSS, SSS, and two-symbol PBCH. The SSB can be transmitted at fixed time slot positions (such as...). Figure 3A The PSS and SSS are transmitted in symbols 0-3 shown. The PSS and SSS can be used by the UE for cell search and acquisition. The PSS provides half-frame timing, and the SS provides CP length and frame timing. The PSS and SSS provide cell identity. The PBCH carries basic system information such as DL system bandwidth, timing information within the radio frame, SS burst set periodicity, system frame number, etc. SSBs can be organized into SS bursts to support beam sweeping. Further system information (such as Residual Minimum System Information (RMSI), System Information Block (SIB), and Other System Information (OSI)) can be transmitted in certain subframes on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). SSBs can be transmitted up to 64 times, for example, up to 64 different beam directions for mmW. Up to 64 transmissions of the SSB are called synchronization signal (SS) burst sets. SSBs in an SS burst set are transmitted in the same frequency region, while SSBs in different SS burst sets can be transmitted at different frequency locations.

[0067] Figure 3B This explanation illustrates how different beams can be used to transmit different SSBs according to certain aspects of this disclosure. For example... Figure 3BAs shown, SSBs can be organized into SSB burst sets to support beam sweeping. Each SSB within a burst set can use a different beam to transmit, which helps the UE quickly acquire both transmit (TX) and receive (RX) beams (especially for mmW applications). The Physical Cell Identity (PCI) can still be decoded from the SSB's PSS and SSS.

[0068] A control resource set (CORESET) for a system (such as NR and LTE systems) may include one or more sets of control resources (e.g., time and frequency resources) configured within the system bandwidth for transmitting PDCCH. Within each CORESET, one or more search spaces (e.g., shared search space (CSS), UE-specific search space (USS), etc.) may be defined for a given UE. According to various aspects of this disclosure, a CORESET is a time-frequency domain resource set defined in units of resource element groups (REGs). Each REG may include a fixed number (e.g., twelve) frequency modulations in a symbol period (e.g., a symbol period of a time slot), where one frequency modulation in a symbol period is referred to as a resource element (RE). The fixed number of REGs may be included in control channel elements (CCEs). A set of CCEs may be used to transmit a new radio PDCCH (NR-PDCCH), where different numbers of CCEs in the set are used to transmit NR-PDCCH using different aggregation levels. Multiple CCE sets can be defined as a search space for the UE, and thus the B node or other BS can transmit the NR-PDCCH to the UE by transmitting the NR-PDCCH in the set of CCE candidates for decoding within the search space defined for the UE, and the UE can receive the NR-PDCCH by searching within the search space for the UE and decoding the NR-PDCCH transmitted by the B node.

[0069] Example of mobility procedures based on Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2)

[0070] This disclosure relates to various aspects of wireless communications, and more particularly to mobility technologies that allow user equipment (UE) to be dynamically signaled to move between sets of cells. As will be described in more detail below, the UE may be configured with a set of cells supporting mobility based on Layer 1 (L1) (e.g., Physical (PHY) layer) or Layer 2 (e.g., Media Access Control (MAC) layer) signaling. The UE may be configured to monitor and measure the cells in the set, and based on the measurement, the UE may move from a source cell to a target cell via a mobility command dynamically signaled.

[0071] The techniques presented in this paper can be applied to various frequency bands used in new radio (NR). For example, for the higher frequency band known as Frequency Range 4 (FR4) (e.g., 52.6 GHz–114.25 GHz), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms with very large subcarrier spacing (SCS) (960 kHz–3.84 MHz) are required to combat severe phase noise. Due to the large SCS, the slot length tends to be very short. In the lower frequency band known as Frequency Range 2 (FR2) (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz) with an SCS of 120 kHz, the slot length is 125 μSec, while in FR4 with 960 kHz, the slot length is 15.6 μSec.

[0072] In multi-beam operations (e.g., involving frequency range 1 (FR1) and FR2 bands), more efficient uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) beam management can allow for increased intra-cell and inter-cell mobility (e.g., L1 and / or L2 center-based mobility) and / or more Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) states. These states may include, for example, the use of shared beams for data and control transmission and reception for UL and DL operations, a unified TCI framework for UL and DL beam indication, and enhanced signaling mechanisms to improve latency and efficiency (e.g., dynamic use of control signaling).

[0073] The techniques presented in this paper provide signaling mechanisms that can help support such enhanced features, improve latency, and increase efficiency by making greater use of dynamic control signaling. For example, the techniques described in this paper utilize L1 (PHY layer) or L2 (MAC layer) signaling instead of higher layers (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC)) signaling.

[0074] Figure 4 An example architecture for implementing various aspects of this disclosure is explained. As explained, the architecture includes a gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU). This gNB-CU typically functions as the logical node that controls the following: the RRC (Regulator-Regulator Control) for controlling the operation of one or more gNB Distributed Units (gNB-DUs), the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). As explained, the gNB-CU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-DU.

[0075] The gNB-DU is typically used as a logical node for the radio link control (RLC), MAC, and PHY layers of the master gNB, and its operation is controlled by the gNB-CU. (See reference...) Figure 5 and 6In more detail, a gNB-DU supports one or more cells (but each cell is supported by only one gNB-DU). The gNB-DU terminates at the F1 interface connected to the gNB-CU.

[0076] Figure 5 and 6 The document explains example scenarios in which various aspects of this disclosure can be put into practice. For example... Figure 5 As explained in the text, in some situations, a UE can be transferred (e.g., handover) between (source and target) cells supported by different DUs (radio units or RUs) under the same (e.g., common) CU. This UR generally only contains PHY layer logic. Figure 5 In this scenario, cells may have PHY, MAC, and RLC logic that are not co-located (in different DUs), but share a common Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and RRL logic (within the same CU). While the L1 / L2 signaling techniques described in this paper can be used for mobility, the data path from PDCP to different RLCs presents some control aspects that can be addressed through coordination between DUs.

[0077] exist Figure 6 In the scenario described, on the other hand, the source and target cells can be supported by the same DU (belonging to the same DU). Therefore, L1 / L2 mobility is particularly attractive in this scenario because cells can share MAC and higher layers (the same DU). In this scenario, when the UE is moved via L1 / L2 signaling (e.g., during handover in some cases), the data path at the MAC and higher layers can remain the same.

[0078] As described above, the distributed RU contains only the PHY layer and can be used (activated / deactivated) in a manner similar to carrier aggregation (CA), but the cellular cells can operate on the same carrier frequency. Therefore, however, aspects of this disclosure can utilize mechanisms similar to those used in CA to enable L1 / L2 mobility (e.g., activate / deactivate cellular cells).

[0079] Various aspects of this disclosure provide techniques that allow dynamic signaling notification of user equipment (UE) mobility between sets of cells and dynamic updates of the sets of cells and beams activated to serve the UE.

[0080] Various aspects of this disclosure can provide seamless mobility within active cells in an active cell set. In some cases, the signaling mechanism can be relatively similar to beam management. For example, mobility management within an active set can be performed via L1 / L2 signaling, which is used to activate / deactivate cells in the active and deactivated cell sets to select beams within active cells.

[0081] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating example operation 700 for wireless communication by a UE according to certain aspects of this disclosure. Operation 700 can be performed by, for example... Figure 1 and 2 The UE 120a explained in the text is used for execution.

[0082] Operation 700 can be implemented in one or more processors (e.g., Figure 2 The software components executed and running on the controller / processor 280. Furthermore, the signal transmission and reception performed by the UE in operation 700 may be, for example, by one or more antennas (e.g., Figure 2 This is achieved via antenna 252. In some aspects, signal transmission and / or reception performed by the UE can be achieved via one or more processors (e.g., Figure 2 The controller / processor 280 obtains and / or outputs signals through its bus interface.

[0083] Operation 700 begins at box 702, where the UE receives signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY or MAC layer mobility signaling and measurement configurations for that set of cells. For example, the UE can be configured with a set of cells via RRC signaling, as shown in reference [reference needed]. Figure 10A and 10B Examples are described in more detail below. In some examples, cells in a cell set may belong to a common timing advance group (TAG). In some examples, cells in a cell set may be on the same carrier frequency. In some examples, cells in a cell set may be on different carrier frequencies.

[0084] In box 704, the UE reports to the network entity measurements of at least some of the cells in the cell set according to the measurement configuration.

[0085] In box 706, the UE receives from the network entity a PHY or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is based at least in part on reported measurements.

[0086] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating example operation 800 for wireless communication by a network entity according to certain aspects of this disclosure. For example, operation 800 can be performed by a gNB distributed unit (DU) / centralized unit (CU) to enable the UE (performing...) Figure 7 Operation 700) involves dynamic transfer (e.g., handover) within a set of cells. Operation 800 can be considered similar to... Figure 7 The operation is complementary to 700.

[0087] Operation 800 begins at box 802, where a network entity transmits signaling that enables a user equipment (UE) to configure a set of cells that supports physical (PHY) layer or media access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for that set of cells.

[0088] In box 804, the network entity receives from the UE a report on measurements of at least some of the cells in the cell set according to the measurement configuration.

[0089] In box 806, the network entity transmits PHY or MAC layer mobility signaling to the UE to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is based at least in part on reported measurements.

[0090] Figure 7 and 8 For operations 700 and 800, please refer to... Figure 9 describe, Figure 9 This is a call flow diagram illustrating an example of mobility notification of dynamic signaling according to certain aspects of this disclosure.

[0091] Figure 9 This is a call flow diagram illustrating mobility protocol 900 according to certain aspects of this disclosure. RRC signaling can be used to configure a set of cells for L1 / L2 mobility. Generally, this set of cells can be designed to be large enough to cover meaningful mobility (e.g., the expected mobility of the UE in a given area and time). As will be described below, mobility management can be performed by activating / deactivating cells in this set. A set of cells can be activated from the configured set at any given time. The activated set of cells generally refers to the group of activated cells in the configured set.

[0092] like Figure 9 As explained in the text, as an initial step, in step 1, the UE can establish an RRC connection with the source cell. Although Figure 9 The explanation focuses on RRC connections with the source cell, but in other examples, the UE can establish RRC connections with any cell in the configured set of cells.

[0093] After establishing an RRC connection with the source cell in step 1, the UE can be configured with a set of cells for L1 / L2 mobility in step 2 (via an RRC configuration message). The UE can then send an RRC reconfiguration complete message in step 3 to acknowledge receipt of this configuration.

[0094] In some cases, this configuration can be similar to adding a secondary cell (SCell) in carrier aggregation (CA), as it can include the necessary configurations (e.g., system information) of the cells in that set. The configuration can also indicate the current active / inactive status of the cells in that set. In other words, the configuration can indicate the set of active cells and the set of deactivated cells (as shown in reference...). Figure 10A and 10B (Further description).

[0095] As explained, the UE can also receive measurement configurations for the cellular space. The UE performs measurements according to this configuration in step 4. In some cases, these measurements may be L1 / L2 type measurements. The UE can report these measurements in step 5.

[0096] Based on the measurement report, the network (e.g., the MAC layer in the DU) can use L1 / L2 signaling in step 6 to decide whether to transfer / move (e.g., handover) the UE to a cell in the set. In this scenario, the network can decide to transfer / move (e.g., handover) the UE to a target cell. In some cases, this signaling can convey a mobility command, which essentially activates a cell from the configured set of cells.

[0097] In some cases, the source cell can be implicitly disabled, depending on the UE's capabilities. For example, a UE that only supports a single cell can automatically disable the source cell, while a UE with multi-cell capabilities can wait for an explicit command to disable the source cell.

[0098] All cells belong to the same DU (i.e., controlled by the same DU, such as...) Figure 6 In the case shown, once the L1 / L2 mobility command is sent to the UE (in step 6), the target cell (the newly activated cell) can be prepared for the UE.

[0099] The mobility timeline may need to be sufficient to allow the UE to receive, process, and execute the command. In some cases, the source cell may also need to receive confirmation from the UE that it has successfully received the L1 / L2 mobility command (step 7).

[0100] Upon receiving an L1 / L2 mobility command, the UE can perform actions similar to those performed for SCell activation in a CA scenario. For example, the UE can transmit a Power Clearance Report (PHR) and a Channel State Information (CSI) report to the target cell.

[0101] In step 8, the UE can begin (restore) communication in the target cell. One advantage of the L1 / L2 mobility technologies described herein is that most protocol stacks may not necessarily need to be reset after the UE moves from a first (activated) cell to another (newly activated) cell. For example, the PDCP and RLC protocol stacks may not need to be reset (e.g., if the source and target cells have a common CU and DU, as...). Figure 6 (Scenario shown). In this case, because the MAC layers (of the target and source cells) are also located in the same place, the layer can also be restored without resetting.

[0102] In step 9, the UE may receive signaling to disable the source cell. As described above, L1 / L2 mobility commands can implicitly or explicitly disable the source cell. In some cases, disabling can be implemented after confirmation of receipt of the command (step 7). As described above, implicit or explicit disabling may depend on whether the UE supports a single or multiple cells. In some cases, if the UE can communicate with multiple cells simultaneously, a disabling command for the active cell can be sent to the UE regardless of the activation of another cell.

[0103] Figure 10A and 10B Examples of UE mobility according to various aspects of this disclosure are explained. As described above, as an initial step, RRC signaling can be used to configure the cell set for L1 / L2 mobility. Figure 10A and 10B The example assumes a set of eight cells (cells 1-8) configured.

[0104] At time t1, the set of cells activated from the configured set includes cells 2-4. The set of configured cells that are not activated (the set of deactivated cells) may include the deactivated (inactive) (remaining) cell groups from the configured set. As shown at time t1, the set of deactivated cells includes cells 1 and cells 5-8.

[0105] When a UE moves, cells from this set are deactivated and activated based on factors such as signal quality (measurements reported by the UE) and other considerations, such as cell load. Figure 10B In the example shown, when the UE moves from the left (at time t1) to the right (at time t2), cell 5 (now closer to the UE) is activated and cell 2 (now farther from the UE) is deactivated. The UE can update the set of activated cells (e.g., activated to serve the UE) by adding cell 5 and removing cell 2. Thus, after the move, the set of activated cells includes cell 3, cell 4, and cell 5.

[0106] Cell activation / deactivation via L1 / L2 signaling can be based on network control, UE recommendation, or UE decision. Generally, L1 / L2 signaling (e.g., DCI and / or MAC-CE) can carry activation and / or deactivation commands (e.g., commands indicating which cells to activate and which to deactivate). If the UE has the capability to support only one activated cell at a time, the activation command indicating a new cell implicitly deactivates the currently active cell (e.g., upon UE confirmation of the command).

[0107] Figure 11A and 11B Another example of UE mobility according to various aspects of this disclosure is explained. For example... Figure 11A As explained, in some situations, the UE may be provided with a subset of deactivated cells (referred to as a candidate cell set), from which the UE can autonomously select cells to activate (and deactivate). For example, the UE may decide to activate or deactivate cells from the candidate cell set based on measured channel quality, load information, etc.

[0108] exist Figure 11A In the example shown, at time t1, the UE can be provided with a set of candidate cells including deactivated cells (cell 5 and cell 6). Figure 11B As explained in the text, when the UE moves to a new location, at time t2, the UE can decide whether to activate candidate cell 5, thus leaving cell 6 as the only deactivated cell in the candidate cell set.

[0109] In some cases, one or more RUs may have multi-carrier support (each carrier is a cell). Figure 12 An example RU supporting multiple carriers according to certain aspects of this disclosure is explained. In such cases, activation / deactivation of cells can be performed across a group of carriers (cells). For example, as... Figure 12 As shown, the RU used for cells 3-6 can be assumed to support multiple carriers. In the illustrated example, the same RU can support cell 3 (on component carrier 0 (CC0)), cell 3' (on CC1), and cell 3'' (on CC2). In this example, all three cells can be activated and deactivated simultaneously.

[0110] Depending on the context, when a UE moves, beam management mechanisms can be used to perform beam selection within an active set of cells, and cells from that set can be deactivated and activated. In some cases, mobility within an active set can be based on beam management, and beam selection (selection of the beam for communication) can be performed within the active set of cells.

[0111] At any given time, the UE can be signaled via L1 / L2 control signaling to a subset of beams from the active set of cells to be monitored and measured. This set of beams may be referred to as the active beam set. The UE can use at least one of one or more selected beams to communicate in at least one cell in the active set of cells. (See reference...) Figure 14A and 14B As detailed in the example, the beam used for communication can be selected from the active beam set.

[0112] Figure 13 An example set of active beams according to certain aspects of this disclosure is described. The UE may be limited to monitoring and measuring only the beams in the active beam set. The network may change the beams in the active beam set. Measurements of the active beam set may be performed based on signal quality.

[0113] The upper limit of the possible beams for the active beam set can be the number of beams supported by the active cells. Assuming there are N active cells and each cell supports 64 beams, the total number of possible beams would be N×64. However, for practical reasons, the active beam set can be limited to a smaller number (e.g., limited to a total of 64).

[0114] The UE can receive and transmit control information and is scheduled to perform data communication on the active beam set. The selection of a communication beam from the active beam set is controlled by L1 / L2 signaling. The actual beam selected from the active beam set can be based on network control, UE recommendations, and / or the UE's decision.

[0115] In some scenarios, the UE can select one or more optimal beams for each active cell, and the network can then select the optimal beam from the multiple cells to actually use for communication. The beam can be selected using conventional signaling, such as the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) state in the DCI.

[0116] Figure 14A and 14B This explanation describes how, according to certain aspects of this disclosure, a different beam from the active beam set can be selected for communication when the UE is moving. For example, in... Figure 14A As explained, at time t1, a first beam set for communication can be selected from the active beam set. In the illustrated example, two beams, each from cell 3, cell 4, and cell 5, can be selected. However, as... Figure 14B As shown, when the UE moves to the right, it can select different beam sets from the active beam set for communication. In the illustrated example, two beams, each from cell 4, cell 5, and cell 6, can be selected for communication.

[0117] Example wireless communication device

[0118] Figure 15 The description may include operations that can be operated for, configured or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein (such as...). Figure 7 and 9 The communication device 1500 is the communication device for each component of the operation described herein. In some examples, the communication device 1500 may be a user equipment (UE), such as referenced in [reference]. Figure 1 and 2 The UE 120a described.

[0119] The communication device 1500 includes a processing system 1502 coupled to a transceiver 1508. The transceiver 1508 is configured to transmit and receive signals (such as the various signals described herein) for the communication device 1500 via an antenna 1510. The processing system 1502 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1500, including processing signals received and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1500.

[0120] Processing system 1502 includes processor 1504 coupled to computer-readable medium / memory 1512 via bus 1506. In some aspects, computer-readable medium / memory 1512 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by processor 1504, cause processor 1504 to perform. Figure 7 and 9 The operations described herein or other operations used to perform the various techniques discussed herein.

[0121] In some respects, the computer-readable medium / memory 1512 stores code 1514 for receiving and code 1516 for reporting.

[0122] In some cases, the receiving code 1514 may include code for receiving signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting physical (PHY) layer or media access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells. In some cases, the receiving code 1514 may include code for receiving from the network entity PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on reported measurements. In some cases, the reporting code 1516 may include code for reporting to the network entity measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration.

[0123] In some respects, processor 1504 has circuitry configured to implement code stored in computer-readable medium / memory 1512. Processor 1504 includes circuitry 1524 for receiving and circuitry 1526 for reporting.

[0124] In some cases, the receiving circuitry 1524 may include circuitry for receiving signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells. In some cases, the receiving circuitry 1524 may include circuitry for receiving from the network entity PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on reported measurements. In some cases, the reporting circuitry 1526 may include circuitry for reporting to the network entity measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration.

[0125] In some cases, Figure 7 The operations described herein, as well as other operations described herein, can be implemented by one or more means and functional components. For example, in some cases, such operations can be implemented by means for determining and means for providing.

[0126] In some cases, the reporting apparatus includes a processing system, which may include one or more processors, such as... Figure 2 The receiver processor 258, transmitter processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266 and / or controller / processor 280 of UE 120a as described herein, and / or Figure 15 The processing system 1502 of the communication equipment 1500.

[0127] Transceiver 1508 may provide means for receiving or transmitting information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, SR-related information, etc.). Information may be transmitted to other components of communication device 1500. Antenna 1510 may correspond to a single antenna or an array of antennas. Transceiver 1508 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by other components of communication device 1500.

[0128] The means for receiving or for obtaining may include Figure 2 The receiver (such as receiver processor 258) or antenna 252 of UE 120a as described herein. The means for transmission or for output may include... Figure 2 The transmitter (such as the transmitter processor 264) or antenna 252 of UE 120a as described herein.

[0129] It is worth noting that, Figure 15 This is just one example, and many other examples and configurations of the communication device 1500 are possible.

[0130] Figure 16 The description may include operations that can be operated for, configured or adapted to perform operations for the techniques disclosed herein (such as...). Figure 8 and 9 The communication device 1600 is a communication device for each component of the operation described herein. In some examples, the communication device 1600 may be a network entity or a base station (BS) (e.g., a gNB), such as regarding Figure 1 and Figure 2 The BS 110 described.

[0131] The communication device 1600 includes a processing system 1602 coupled to a transceiver 1608. The transceiver 1608 is configured to transmit and receive signals (such as the various signals described herein) for the communication device 1600 via an antenna 1610. The processing system 1602 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1600, including processing signals received and / or to be transmitted by the communication device 1600.

[0132] Processing system 1602 includes processor 1604 coupled to computer-readable medium / memory 1612 via bus 1606. In some aspects, computer-readable medium / memory 1612 is configured to store instructions (e.g., computer-executable code) that, when executed by processor 1604, cause processor 1604 to perform. Figure 8 and 9 The operations described herein or other operations used to perform the various techniques discussed herein.

[0133] In some respects, the computer-readable medium / memory 1612 stores code 1614 for transmission and code 1616 for reception.

[0134] In some cases, the code 1614 for transmission may include code for transmitting signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells. In some cases, the code 1614 for transmission may include code for transmitting to the UE PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on reported measurements. In some cases, the code 1616 for reception may include code for receiving from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration.

[0135] In some respects, processor 1604 has circuitry configured to implement code stored in computer-readable medium / memory 1612. Processor 1604 includes circuitry 1624 for transmitting and circuitry 1626 for receiving.

[0136] In some cases, the transmission circuitry 1624 may include circuitry for transmitting signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells. In some cases, the transmission circuitry 1624 may include circuitry for transmitting PHY-layer or MAC-layer mobility signaling to the UE to move the UE to a cell in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on reported measurements. In some cases, the reception circuitry 1626 may include circuitry for receiving from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration.

[0137] Transceiver 1608 may provide means for receiving or transmitting information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, SR-related information, etc.). Information may be transmitted to other components of communication device 1600. Antenna 1610 may correspond to a single antenna or an array of antennas. Transceiver 1608 may provide means for transmitting signals generated by other components of communication device 1600.

[0138] The means for receiving or for obtaining may include Figure 2 The receiver (such as receiver processor 238) or antenna 234 of the BS 110 as described herein. The means for transmission or for output may include... Figure 2 The transmitter (such as the transmitter processor 220) or antenna 234 of the BS 110 as described herein.

[0139] It is worth noting that, Figure 16 This is just one example, and many other examples and configurations of the communication device 1600 are possible.

[0140] Example Terms

[0141] Examples of implementations are described in the following numbered clauses.

[0142] Clause 1: A method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving signaling that configures the UE with a set of cells supporting physical (PHY) layer or media access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; reporting to a network entity measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration; and receiving from the network entity PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0143] Clause 2: As described in Clause 1, wherein the set of cells is supported by one or more distributed units (DUs) under a common central unit (CU).

[0144] Clause 3: As described in Clause 2, wherein the one or more DUs include a shared DU supporting each cell in the set of cells.

[0145] Clause 4: The method as described in any of Clauses 1-3, wherein the signaling indicating the set of cells includes Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0146] Clause 5: The method described in any of Clauses 1-4, wherein the cells in the set of cells belong to a common timing advance group (TAG).

[0147] Clause 6: The method as described in any of Clauses 1-5, wherein the cells in the set of cells are on the same carrier frequency.

[0148] Clause 7: The method as described in any of Clauses 1-6, wherein the mobility signaling includes a mobility command for at least one of the following operations: activating a cell in the subset of cells that are not currently in the cell set and are activated to serve the UE; or deactivating a cell in the subset of cells that are activated to serve the UE.

[0149] Clause 8: The method as described in Clause 7 further includes: identifying a subset of the set of cells that are activated to serve the UE before receiving the mobility signaling; and updating the activated subset of cells based on the mobility signaling in response to receiving the mobility signaling.

[0150] Clause 9: The method described in Clause 8, wherein the update includes at least one of the following: adding a cell activated by the mobility signaling to the subset of cells activated to serve the UE; or removing a cell deactivated by the mobility signaling from the subset of cells activated to serve the UE.

[0151] Clause 10: The method of any of Clauses 1-9 further comprises: signaling a recommendation for at least one of the following: one or more cells to be activated; or one or more cells to be deactivated; and receiving the mobility signaling after the signaling notification of the recommendation.

[0152] Clause 11: The method as described in any of Clauses 7-10, wherein: activation of one or more cells indicated by the mobility signaling implicitly deactivates one or more currently active cells; and wherein the implicit deactivation is based on the UE’s limited or no ability to support multiple cells.

[0153] Clause 12: The method as described in Clause 11, wherein the implicit deactivation is implemented after the UE acknowledges the mobility signaling.

[0154] Clause 13: The method described in any of Clauses 7-12, wherein whether the UE receives mobility signaling to explicitly disable a cell is based on the UE's ability to support multiple cells.

[0155] Clause 14: The method as described in any of Clauses 7-13, wherein: one or more of the cells are implemented by radio units (RUs) supporting multiple carriers associated with each cell; and the UE activates or deactivates all cells associated with the RUs supporting multiple carriers.

[0156] Clause 15: The method of any of Clauses 8-14, in response to updating the active cell subset based on the mobility signaling, the method further includes: receiving PHY layer or MAC layer signaling for selecting a beam within the updated active cell subset.

[0157] Clause 16: The method of any of Clauses 8-15 further comprises: receiving an indication of an active beam set corresponding to the updated active cell subset, wherein the active beam set includes a beam subset supported by the updated active cell subset.

[0158] Clause 17: The method as described in Clause 16 further includes: signaling a recommendation that indicates one or more beams to be included in the active beam set corresponding to the updated subset of activated cells; and wherein the active beam set is at least partially based on the recommendation.

[0159] Clause 18: The method as described in Clause 16 or 17 further comprises reporting at least one measurement of at least one beam in the active beam set via at least one of the following: PHY layer signaling, wherein the at least one measurement includes a PHY layer measurement; or MAC layer signaling, wherein the at least one measurement includes a MAC layer measurement.

[0160] Clause 19: The method of Clause 18 further comprises: receiving, prior to receiving the mobility signaling, PHY layer signaling or MAC layer signaling indicating the selection of one or more beams corresponding to one or more cells in the subset of the cell set that are activated to serve the UE, wherein the selection of the one or more beams is at least partially based on the at least one measurement; and using at least one of the one or more selected beams to communicate in at least one of the one or more cells in the updated subset of activated cells.

[0161] Clause 20: The method of any of Clauses 16-19 further comprises: modifying the active beam set at least in part based on one or more beam measurements.

[0162] Clause 21: The method as described in any of Clauses 8-20, wherein: the mobility command is transmitted from a source cell to move the UE to a target cell; and the method further includes transmitting a confirmation of the mobility command to the source cell.

[0163] Clause 22: The method as described in Clause 21 further includes forwarding at least one of a Power Clearance Report (PHR) or a Channel State Information (CSI) report to the target cell.

[0164] Clause 23: The method described in Clause 21 or 22 further includes deactivating the source cell after receiving the mobility command.

[0165] Clause 24: The method of any of Clauses 21-23 further comprises: receiving from the target cell PHY layer or MAC layer signaling to disable the source cell.

[0166] Clause 25: The method described in any of Clauses 21-24 further includes restoring communication in the target cell without resetting one or more of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), or Media Access Control (MAC) protocol stacks.

[0167] Clause 26: The method of any of Clauses 1-25 further comprises: receiving signaling instructing the UE to obtain a subset of candidate cells from the primary active cell based on one or more criteria associated with at least one of the following: measured channel quality; or load information.

[0168] Clause 27: A method for wireless communication by a network entity, comprising: transmitting signaling that configures a user equipment (UE) with a set of cells supporting physical (PHY) layer or media access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; receiving from the UE a report of measurements of at least some cells in the set of cells according to the measurement configuration; and transmitting to the UE PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to one of the cells in the set, wherein the mobility signaling is at least partially based on the reported measurements.

[0169] Clause 28: The method described in Clause 27, wherein the set of cells is supported by one or more distributed units (DUs) under a common central unit (CU).

[0170] Clause 29: An apparatus comprising: at least one processor and a memory coupled to said at least one processor, said memory including instructions executable by said at least one processor to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1-28.

[0171] Clause 30: An apparatus comprising means for performing a method according to any one of Clauses 1-28.

[0172] Clause 31: A non-transient computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to perform a method according to any of Clauses 1-28.

[0173] Additional considerations

[0174] The techniques described in this document can be used in a variety of wireless communication technologies, such as NR (e.g., 5G NR), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), and other networks. The terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably. CDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) and cdma2000. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. cdma2000 covers the IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. TDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, and Flash-OFDMA. UTRA and E-UTRA are parts of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). LTE and LTE-A are UMTS versions using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). cdma2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). NR is an emerging wireless communication technology under development.

[0175] The techniques described herein can be used in the wireless networks and radio technologies mentioned above, as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. For clarity, although aspects may be described herein using terms commonly associated with 3G, 4G, or 5G wireless technologies, aspects of this disclosure can be applied to communication systems based on other generations.

[0176] In 3GPP, the term "cell" can refer to the coverage area of ​​a B-node (NB) or the NB subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In NR systems, the term "cell" and BS, next-generation B-node (gNB or g B-node), access point (AP), distributed cell (DU), carrier, or transmit / receive point (TRP) can be used interchangeably. A BS provides communication coverage for macrocells, picocells, femtocells, or other types of cells. A macrocell can cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allows unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription. A picocell can cover a relatively small geographic area and allows unrestricted access by UEs with a service subscription. A femtocell can cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residential area) and allows restricted access by UEs associated with that femtocell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a residential area, etc.). A BS used for macrocells may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS used for picocells may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS used in femtocells can be called a femtoBS or a home BS.

[0177] A UE can also be referred to as a mobile station, terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, customer premises equipment (CPE), cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, tablet computer, camera, gaming device, netbook, smartbook, ultrabook, appliance, medical device or medical equipment, biometric sensor / device, wearable device (such as smartwatch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet, etc.)), entertainment device (e.g., music device, video device, satellite radio, etc.), vehicle component or sensor, smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, GPS device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via wireless or wired media. Some UEs may be considered machine-type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, instruments, monitors, location tags, etc., which can communicate with a BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. Wireless nodes can provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet) or a cellular network, for example, via wired or wireless communication links. Some UEs can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which can be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0178] Some wireless networks (such as LTE) utilize Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, often referred to as frequency modulation, frequency slots, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Generally, modulation symbols are transmitted in the frequency domain for OFDM and in the time domain for SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the subcarrier spacing can be 15 kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block" (RB)) can be 12 subcarriers (or 180 kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, the nominal Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband can cover 1.08 MHz (e.g., 6 RBs), and for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, there can be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands, respectively. In LTE, the basic transmission time interval (TTI) or packet duration is a 1 ms subframe.

[0179] NR can utilize OFDM with CP on both uplink and downlink and includes support for half-duplex operation using TDD. In NR, a subframe is still 1 ms, but the basic TTI is called a slot. A subframe contains a variable number of slots (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16... slots) depending on the subcarrier spacing. NR RB is 12 coherent frequency subcarriers. NR supports a base subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and other subcarrier spacings can be defined relative to the base subcarrier spacing, such as 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, 240 kHz, etc. Symbol and slot lengths scale with the subcarrier spacing. The CP length also depends on the subcarrier spacing. Beamforming is supported and beam direction can be dynamically configured. MIMO transmission with precoding is also supported. In some examples, MIMO configurations in DL can support up to 8 transmit antennas (multilayer DL transmission with up to 8 streams) and up to 2 streams per UE. In some examples, multi-layer transport of up to two streams per UE can be supported. Up to eight serving cells can be used to support aggregation of multiple cells.

[0180] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled. A scheduling entity (e.g., a BS) allocates resources for communication among some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. The scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, assigning, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communication, the subordinate entity utilizes the resources allocated by the scheduling entity. A base station is not the only entity that can be used as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE may act as a scheduling entity and can schedule resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and other UEs may utilize the resources scheduled by that UE for wireless communication. In some examples, a UE may act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network or in a mesh network. In the mesh network example, UEs may communicate directly with each other in addition to communicating with a scheduling entity.

[0181] As used herein, the term "determine" can encompass one or more of a wide variety of actions. For example, "determine" can include calculation, computation, processing, derivation, research, lookup (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), assumption, and the like. Furthermore, "determine" can include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Moreover, "determine" can include parsing, selecting, choosing, building, and the like.

[0182] As used herein, “or” is intended to be interpreted in an inclusive sense unless otherwise expressly indicated. For example, “a or b” could include only a, only b, or a combination of a and b. As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” or “one or more of” refers to any combination of these items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to cover the possibilities of only a, only b, only c, a combination of a and b, a combination of a and c, a combination of b and c, and a combination of a, b, and c.

[0183] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of its functionality and is illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0184] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure may be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be granted the broadest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles disclosed herein, and the novel features.

[0185] Furthermore, the various features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple implementations. Thus, although features may be described above as operating in a particular combination and even initially claimed in this way, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from that combination in some cases, and the claimed combination may be for sub-combinations or variations thereof.

[0186] Similarly, although the operations are depicted in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be construed as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or requiring the execution of all explained operations to achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of flowcharts or flow diagrams. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically explained example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any explained operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of the various system components in the implementation described above should not be construed as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors and storing processor-executable code that is configured to cause the UE, upon execution of the processor-executable code by the one or more processors, to: receive signaling indicating: a set of cells that support physical (PHY) layer or medium access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling; and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; report, to a network entity, measurements of one or more cells of the set of cells in accordance with the measurement configuration; and receive, from the network entity, PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to at least one cell of the set of cells, wherein the PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling is based at least in part on the reported measurements.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the set of cells is supported by one or more distributed units (DUs) under a common central unit (CU).

3. The UE of claim 2, wherein the one or more DUs include a common DU that supports each cell of the set of cells.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the signaling indicating the set of cells includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

5. The UE of claim 1, wherein the set of cells belong to a common timing advance group (TAG).

6. The UE of claim 1, wherein the set of cells are on a same carrier frequency.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to receive the PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling indicating to select beams associated with the one or more cells of the set of cells.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to report beam measurements of beams associated with the one or more cells via at least one of: PHY layer signaling, wherein the beam measurements include PHY layer measurements; or MAC layer signaling, wherein the beam measurements include MAC layer measurements.

9. The UE of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to receive an indication of an active beam set corresponding to the one or more cells of the set of cells, wherein the active beam set includes one or more of the beams associated with the one or more cells.

10. The UE of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to modify the active beam set.

11. The UE of claim 1, wherein: the PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling is transmitted from a source cell to move the UE to a target cell; and the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: The one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to resume communications in the target cell without resetting one or more of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), a radio link control (RLC), or a medium access control (MAC) protocol stack.

12. A network entity for wireless communication, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors and storing processor-executable code that is configured to cause the network entity to: transmit, to a user equipment (UE), signaling indicating: a set of cells that support physical (PHY) layer or medium access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling; and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; receive, from the UE, measurements of one or more cells in the set of cells in accordance with the measurement configuration; and transmit, to the UE, PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to at least one cell in the set of cells, wherein the PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling is based at least in part on the received measurements.

13. The network entity of claim 12, wherein the set of cells is supported by one or more distributed units (DUs) under a common central unit (CU).

14. The network entity of claim 13, wherein the one or more DUs include a common DU that supports each cell in the set of cells.

15. The network entity of claim 12, wherein at least one of: the signaling indicates that the set of cells includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling; the set of cells belongs to a common timing advance group (TAG); or the set of cells is on a same carrier frequency.

16. The network entity of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to: transmit PHY layer or MAC layer signaling indicating that beams associated with the one or more cells in the set of cells are to be selected.

17. The network entity of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to receive beam measurements of beams associated with the one or more cells via at least one of: PHY layer signaling, wherein the beam measurements include PHY layer measurements; or MAC layer signaling, wherein the beam measurements include MAC layer measurements.

18. The network entity of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to: transmit an indication of an active beam set corresponding to the one or more cells in the set of cells, wherein the active beam set includes one or more of the beams associated with the one or more cells.

19. The network entity of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to modify the active beam set.

20. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving signaling indicating: a set of cells that support physical (PHY) layer or medium access control (MAC) layer mobility signaling; and a measurement configuration for the set of cells; reporting, to a network entity, measurements of one or more cells in the set of cells in accordance with the measurement configuration; and receiving, from the network entity, a PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling to move the UE to at least one cell in the set of cells, wherein the PHY layer or MAC layer mobility signaling is based at least in part on the reported measurements.

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