Application of joint support of NFG and NCSG

Abstract

An apparatus of a user equipment (UE) includes one or more processors coupled to a memory and configured to: decode, from signaling received from a next generation Node B (gNB), an indication to enable one of a gap demand (NFG) of a target synchronization signal block (SSB) or a small gap (NCSG) gapless measurement of a network configuration; radio resource management (RRM) measurements for the target SSB enable NFG or NCSG gapless measurements based on the indication from the gNB; and performing the RRM measurement of the target SSB using the NFG or NCSG gapless measurement as indicated by the gNB.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to wireless communication, including apparatus, systems, and methods for jointly supporting NeedForGaps (NFG) and Network Control Small Gap (NCSG) in 5G NR systems and above.

[0002] Related technical descriptions The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many mobile devices now offer access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating complex applications that utilize these functionalities.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is currently the technology of choice for most wireless network operators worldwide, providing mobile broadband data and high-speed internet access to their subscriber base. LTE was first proposed in 2004 and first standardized in 2008. Since then, with the exponential growth in the use of wireless communication systems, the demand from wireless network operators to support higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users has also increased. Therefore, research into new radio access technologies began in 2015, and in 2017, the first version of 5G New Radio (5G NR) was standardized.

[0004] 5G-NR, also known simply as NR, offers higher capacity for higher-density mobile broadband users compared to LTE, while also supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communication between devices, as well as lower latency and / or lower battery consumption. Furthermore, NR allows for more flexible UE scheduling compared to current LTE. Therefore, ongoing development of 5G-NR is underway to leverage the potentially higher throughput at higher frequencies.

[0005] The NeedForGaps (NFG) and Network Control Small Gaps (NCSG) Information Elements (IEs) were introduced in Releases 16 (R16) and 17 (R17) of the 3GPP standard, respectively. The intent was to support gapless Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements. Typical user equipment (UE) implementations supporting NFG and NCSG IEs are similar; the UE uses an additional radio frequency (RF) chain or adjusted bandwidth (BW) to cover the Target Synchronization Signal Block (SSB). NFG and NCSG IEs are independent features in the 3GPP standard. If both the network (NW) and the UE support both NFG and NCSG features, the UE will not know which feature to enable. The UE will not know which measurement behavior to implement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The implementation relates to wireless communication, and more specifically to apparatus, systems, and methods for a user equipment (UE) comprising one or more processors coupled to a memory, the one or more processors being configured to: decode an indication from signaling received from a next-generation node B (gNB) to enable either a gap requirement (NFG) or a small gap (NCSG) gapless measurement of a target synchronization signal block (SSB); enable NFG or NCSG gapless measurement for the target SSB based on the indication from the gNB; and perform RRM measurement of the target SSB using the NFG or NCSG gapless measurement as indicated by the gNB.

[0007] Other embodiments relate to an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) comprising: one or more processors coupled to a memory, the one or more processors being configured to: decode a gap configuration indication from signaling received from a next-generation node B (gNB) that uses an existing gap configuration for radio resource management (RRM) measurements on a target frequency band; determine whether a gapless measurement was previously indicated to the gNB for RRM measurements of a target SSB in the target frequency band; and, based on the determination and configuration indication, perform RRM measurements of the target SSB using the gapless measurement.

[0008] Other embodiments relate to an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) comprising: one or more processors coupled to a memory, the one or more processors being configured to: encode a capability message for transmission to a next-generation node B (gNB), the capability message indicating the UE's support for gap requirement (NFG) and network control small gap (NCSG) for radio resource management (RRM) measurements of a target synchronization signal block (SSB) on one or more frequency bands; start a timer when transmitting the capability message; and, based on determining that the gNB fails to provide gap configuration information to the UE before the timer expires, perform RRM measurements of the target SSB on one or more frequency bands indicating support for a gapless NFG.

[0009] The technologies described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any of the following computing devices: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned aerial vehicle controllers (UACs), UTM servers, base stations, access points, cellular phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and various other computing devices.

[0010] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0011] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of various embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A Example wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are illustrated.

[0012] Figure 1B Examples of base stations and access points communicating with user equipment (UE) devices according to some implementation schemes are illustrated.

[0013] Figure 2 Example block diagrams of base stations according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0014] Figure 3 Example block diagrams of servers according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0015] Figure 4 Example block diagrams of a UE according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0016] Figure 5 Exemplary block diagrams of cellular communication circuits according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0017] Figure 6 Examples of baseband processor architectures for UEs according to some implementation schemes are illustrated.

[0018] Figure 7 Example block diagrams illustrating the interface of a baseband circuit according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0019] Figure 8 Examples of schematic bandwidth diagrams in the time domain and frequency range are illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[0020] Figure 9 Examples of schematic bandwidth diagrams in the time domain and frequency range are illustrated according to some implementation schemes.

[0021] Figure 10 Example flowcharts illustrating the signaling process between a gNB and a UE according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0022] Figure 11 Example schematic band diagrams based on some implementation schemes are shown.

[0023] Figure 12 Examples of methods for determining the measurement gap configuration for RRM measurements, according to some implementation schemes, are illustrated.

[0024] Figure 13 Examples of methods for determining the measurement gap configuration for RRM measurements, according to some implementation schemes, are illustrated.

[0025] Although the features described herein may be subject to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit one to the specific forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0026] the term The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure: Memory media—any of various types of nontransitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media, such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory, such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory, such as flash memory; magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter example, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media residing in different locations in different computer systems connected via, for example, a network. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., embodied in a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0027] Carrier media—memory media as described above, and physical transmission media such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals.

[0028] Programmable hardware elements—including a variety of hardware devices comprising multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can range from fine-grained (combinational logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as “configurable logic units.”

[0029] Computer system (or computer) — any of the various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0030] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). ™ Based on Android ™ Telephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) ™ PlayStation Portable ™ Gameboy Advance ™ iPhone ™ ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), etc. Generally speaking, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily transportable by the user and capable of wireless communication.

[0031] Base station—The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and is used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0032] A processing element (or processor) is a component or combination of components capable of performing the functions of a device such as a user equipment or cellular network device. A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, an entire processor core, a processor array, circuitry such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware components such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any combination thereof.

[0033] A channel is a medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on the wireless protocol, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standard manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, channel bandwidth can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. 5G NR can support scalable channel bandwidths from 5 MHz to 100 MHz in Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and up to 400 MHz in FR2. In other radio access technologies, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, for example, different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0034] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which a channel is used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0035] Wi-Fi—The term “Wi-Fi” (or WiFi) has the full range of its usual meaning and includes at least wireless communication networks or RATs, which are provided by and through wireless LAN (WLAN) access points to provide connectivity to the Internet. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name “Wi-Fi.” Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are different from cellular networks.

[0036] 3GPP access refers to access technologies (e.g., radio access technologies) specified by 3GPP standards. These access technologies include, but are not limited to, GSM / GPRS, LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G NR. Generally speaking, 3GPP access refers to various types of cellular access technologies.

[0037] Non-3GPP access refers to any access technology (e.g., radio access technologies) not specified by 3GPP standards. These accesses include, but are not limited to, WiMAX, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, WLAN, and / or fixed networks. Non-3GPP access can be categorized into two types: "trusted" and "untrusted." Trusted non-3GPP access can interact directly with the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and / or 5G Core (5GC), while untrusted non-3GPP access interoperates with the EPC / 5GC via network entities such as Evolved Packet Data Gateways and / or 5G NR Gateways. Generally speaking, non-3GPP access refers to various types of non-cellular access technologies.

[0038] Automatic—means that an action or operation is performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct specification or execution of the action or operation through user input. Therefore, the term "automatically" is the opposite of an operation performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system will update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills out the form without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that can be performed automatically in response to actions taken by the user.

[0039] Approximately—means a value close to the correct or precise value. For example, approximately could mean a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can be application-dependent. For example, in some implementations, “approximately” could mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other implementations, the threshold could be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or settings of the specific application.

[0040] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, or programs in a manner that at least partially overlaps. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or using “weak parallelism,” where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0041] Various components can be described as being "configured" to perform one or more tasks. In this context, "configured" is a broad expression generally meaning "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Therefore, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured" can be a broad expression generally meaning "having a circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Therefore, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently powered on. Generally, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured" can include hardware circuitry.

[0042] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Statements describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks are explicitly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 USC § 112(f) for that component.

[0043] The example implementation can be further understood by referring to the following description and related figures, in which similar elements have the same reference numerals. The example implementation involves configuring RRM measurements for the UE without gaps.

[0044] An example implementation is described regarding communication between the next-generation node B (gNB) and the user equipment (UE). However, references to the gNB and UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The example implementation can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a network connection and utilizing hardware, software, and / or firmware configurations to support gapless RRM measurements. Therefore, the gNB or UE described herein is used to refer to any suitable type of electronic component.

[0045] Example implementations are also described regarding fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) networks that can configure UEs to perform target SSB measurements with and without gaps or interruptions. However, references to 5G NR networks are provided for illustrative purposes only. These example implementations can be utilized with any suitable type of network.

[0046] Throughout this specification, various information elements (IEs) are referred to by specific names. It should be understood that these names are merely examples, and the information-carrying IEs referred to throughout this specification may be referred to by various entities under other names.

[0047] In conventional operations (e.g., 3GPP Release 15 (Rel-15)), when the target SSB configured for RRM measurements is outside the active BWP for the UE, the network must configure a measurement gap for the UE to perform the measurement. During the measurement gap, the UE can tune its radio frequency (RF) circuitry away from the active BWP to cover the target SSB. Therefore, in this case, the UE cannot be scheduled during the measurement gap.

[0048] The NeedForGaps (NFG) and Network Control Small Gaps (NCSG) Information Elements (IEs) were introduced in Releases 16 (R16) and 17 (R17) of the 3GPP standard, respectively. The intent was to support gapless Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements. Typical user equipment (UE) implementations supporting NFG and NCSG IEs are similar; the UE uses an additional radio frequency (RF) chain or adjusted bandwidth (BW) to cover the Target Synchronization Signal Block (SSB). NFG and NCSG IEs are independent features in the 3GPP standard. If both the network (NW) and the UE support both NFG and NCSG features, the UE will not know which feature to enable. The UE will not know which measurement behavior to implement.

[0049] Throughout this specification, the terms “no-gap”, “no measurement gap”, or “no measurement gap” should be understood to indicate that the UE has the capability to perform a measurement of the target SSB without having to tune the UE away from the frequency the UE is currently monitoring and / or is configured to perform a measurement of the target SSB without having to tune the UE away from the frequency the UE is currently monitoring, for example, no measurement gap for the measurement of the target SSB.

[0050] The example implementation provides various ways for the network to determine whether a UE supports gapless RRM measurements. This determination can be based on dependencies between different categories or types of RRM measurements that the UE can be configured to perform. The example implementation is described in more detail below.

[0051] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Communication system Figure 1A A simplified example wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes is illustrated. It should be noted that... Figure 1AThe system described herein is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any system of various kinds as needed.

[0052] As shown in the figure, the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B to 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0053] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0054] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE (also known as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)), its alternative location may be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". It should be noted that if base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, its alternative location may be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0055] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A facilitates communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities, such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0056] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B, ..., 102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UEs 106A to 106N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0057] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1A The example illustrates the "serving cells" of UEs 106A to 106N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within the communication range of) one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B to 102N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing a service area size. For example, Figure 1A Base stations 102A to 102B illustrated in the diagram may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

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

[0059] It should be noted that UE 106 may be able to communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.) other than at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD, etc.)). If desired, UE 106 may also be configured, or alternatively, to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H) and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0060] In some implementations, base station 102 may be configured for inter-band SSB-free carrier aggregation, as further described herein. One base station 102A may be a primary cell (PCell) with radio resource control (RRC) connectivity, while another base station 102N may be a secondary cell (SCell) configured for inter-band discontinuous communication without synchronization blocks (SSB).

[0061] Figure 1B User equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 and access point 112 according to some embodiments is illustrated. UE 106 can be a device with cellular and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer or tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0062] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may execute any method implementation of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to execute any method implementation of the method embodiments described herein or any portion thereof.

[0063] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD), LTE / Advanced LTE, or 5G NR and / or GSM, LTE, Advanced LTE, or 5G NR using a single shared radio component. The shared radio component may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies (such as those discussed above).

[0064] In some implementations, UE 106 may include independent transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including independent antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therewith. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communication using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and independent radio components for communication using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0065] Figure 2 Block diagram of a base station Figure 2 Example block diagrams of base station 102 according to some implementation schemes are shown. It should be noted that... Figure 2 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include processor 204, which executes program instructions for base station 102. Processor 204 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 240, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 204 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250), or into other circuitry or devices.

[0066] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 270. Network port 270 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to multiple devices, such as UE device 106, as described above in Figure 1 and... Figure 2 Access to the telephone network described in the text.

[0067] Network port 270 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 270 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by a cellular service provider).

[0068] In some implementations, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a “gNB”. In such implementations, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0069] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 234, and may include multiple antennas. At least one antenna 234 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may also be configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 230. Antenna 234 communicates with radio component 230 via communication link 232. Communication link 232 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 230 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0070] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radio components that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0071] As further described herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 204 of base station 102 may be configured, for example, to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 204 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 230, 232, 234, 240, 250, 260, 270, the processor 204 of BS 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the features described herein.

[0072] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 204 may comprise one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 204. Therefore, processor 204 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 204. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 204.

[0073] Furthermore, as described herein, radio component 230 may comprise one or more processing elements. In other words, radio component 230 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, radio component 230 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio component 230. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio component 230.

[0074] In some implementations, the base station or gNB 102 and / or its processor 204 may be able to and configured to decode indications from UE 106, determine UE capabilities based on these indications, and encode downlink signals for transmission to UE 106, enabling UE 106 to perform measurements of the target SSB without gaps or gapless measurements.

[0075] Figure 3 Server block diagram Figure 3 Example block diagrams of server 104 according to some implementation schemes are shown. Note that... Figure 3 The server shown is merely one example of a possible server. As illustrated, server 104 may include processor 344 capable of executing program instructions for server 104. Processor 344 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 374, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 344 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 364 and read-only memory (ROM) 354) or into other circuitry or devices.

[0076] Server 104 can be configured to provide access to network functions to multiple devices, such as base station 102, UE device 106 and / or UTM 108, for example, as further described herein.

[0077] In some implementations, server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) access network. In some implementations, server 104 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network.

[0078] As described herein, server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. Processor 344 of server 104 may be configured, for example, to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, processor 344 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of other components 354, 364, and / or 374, processor 344 of server 104 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the features described herein.

[0079] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 344 may comprise one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 344. Therefore, processor 344 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 344. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 344.

[0080] Figure 4 : UE block diagram Figure 4 A simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some implementation schemes is shown. Note that... Figure 4 The block diagram of the communication device is merely one example of possible communication devices. According to implementations, communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC), and / or a combination of devices, as well as other devices. As shown, communication device 106 may include a set of components 400 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 400 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 400 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of communication device 106.

[0081] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 410), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 420 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 460 that may be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuitry 430 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 (e.g., Bluetooth). ™ (and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0082] Cellular communication circuitry 430 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435 and 436 shown. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 437 and 438 shown. Alternatively, short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to antennas 435 and 436 as a supplement or alternative to (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) coupled to antennas 437 and 438. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 429 and / or cellular communication circuitry 430 may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0083] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include dedicated receive chains (including and / or (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to dedicated processors and / or radio components) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with additional radio components, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0084] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include any of a variety of elements, such as a display 460 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0085] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 445 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) cards 445. It should be noted that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functions, such as one or more UICC cards 445, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or otherwise implement SIM functionality. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that can be embedded, for example, soldered to a circuit board in the UE 106, or each SIM 410 may be implemented as a removable smart card. Therefore, a SIM may be one or more removable smart cards (such as UICC cards, sometimes referred to as "SIM cards"), and / or SIM 410 may be one or more embedded cards (such as embedded UICCs (eUICCs), sometimes referred to as "eSIMs" or "eSIM cards"). In some implementations (such as when the SIM includes an eUICC), one or more SIMs within the SIM can implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such implementations, a single SIM within the SIM can execute multiple SIM applications. Each SIM may include components such as a processor and / or memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in memory and executed by the processor. In some implementations, UE 106 may include, as needed, a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards implementing eSIM functionality). For example, UE 106 may include two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also envisioned.

[0086] As described above, in some implementations, UE 106 may include two or more SIMs. Including two or more SIMs in UE 106 allows UE 106 to support two different phone numbers and allows UE 106 to communicate on two or more corresponding networks. For example, the first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE, and the second SIM 106 may support a second RAT such as 5G NR. Other specific implementations and RATs are also possible. In some implementations, when UE 106 includes two SIMs, UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDA) functionality. DSDA functionality allows UE 106 to connect to two networks simultaneously (and use two different RATs), or allows two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs to be maintained simultaneously on the same or different networks. DSDA functionality also allows UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic simultaneously on either phone number. In some implementations, voice calls may be packet-switched communications. In other words, voice calls can be received using LTE-based Voice (VoLTE) technology and / or NR-based Voice (VoNR) technology. In some implementations, UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) functionality. DSDS functionality allows either of the two SIMs in UE 106 to remain in standby while awaiting a voice call and / or data connection. In DSDS, when a call / data connection is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active. In some implementations, DSDx functionality (DSDA or DSDS functionality) can be implemented using a single SIM (e.g., eUICC) that performs multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0087] As shown, the SOC 400 may include a processor 402 and display circuitry 404. The processor executes program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuitry performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 460. The processor 402 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440, which is configured to receive addresses from the processor 402 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read-only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410); and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices, such as the display circuitry 404, short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuitry 429, cellular communication circuitry 430, connector I / F 420, and / or display 460. The MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 440 may be included as part of the processor 402.

[0088] As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features described above to communicate a scheduling profile for power saving to the network. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), processor 402 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 402 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 400, 404, 406, 410, 420, 429, 430, 440, 445, 450, 460, processor 402 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0089] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 402 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 402 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 402. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 402.

[0090] Furthermore, as described herein, the cellular communication circuit 430 and the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 429 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 430, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 429. Therefore, the cellular communication circuit 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 430. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 430. Similarly, the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 429 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 429. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-to-mid-range wireless communication circuit 429.

[0091] In some implementations, UE 106 and / or its processor 402 may be configured and / or able to perform various operations related to the UE's ability to report gapless measurements for NFG and NCSG, as described herein.

[0092] Figure 5 Block diagram of cellular communication circuit Figure 5 Exemplary simplified block diagrams of cellular communication circuits according to some implementation schemes are shown. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of a possible cellular communication circuit. According to the implementation, the cellular communication circuit 530 (which may be the cellular communication circuit 430) may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As noted above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of these devices.

[0093] The cellular communication circuit 530 can be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 4 Antennas 435a to 435b and 436 are shown in the diagram. In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 530 may include dedicated receive chains for various RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicative ground; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 530 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0094] As shown, modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and memory 516 communicating with processors 512. Modem 510 may communicate with radio frequency (RF) front end 530. RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 530 may include receiver circuitry (RX) 532 and transmitter circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0095] Similarly, modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and memory 526 communicating with processor 522. Modem 520 may communicate with RF front end 540. RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some embodiments, receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335b.

[0096] In some implementations, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front-end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 544 to UL front-end 572. UL front-end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Therefore, when cellular communication circuitry 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state allowing modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 530 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state allowing modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 544 and UL front-end 572).

[0097] As described herein, modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features described above or for UL data used in time-division multiplexing NSA NR operation, as well as various other techniques described herein. For example, processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0098] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0099] For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0100] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0101] In some implementations, processors 512, 522 can be configured for inter-band SSB-free carrier aggregation, as further described herein.

[0102] Figure 6 Block diagram of the baseband processor architecture for UE Figure 6 Example components of device 600 according to some implementation schemes are illustrated. It should be noted that... Figure 6 The device described is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented as needed in any UE across a variety of UEs.

[0103] In some embodiments, device 600 may include application circuitry 602, baseband circuitry 604, radio frequency (RF) circuitry 606, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 608, one or more antennas 610, and power management circuitry (PMC) 612 (at least coupled together as shown). Components of the illustrated device 600 may be included in UE 106 or a RAN node. In some embodiments, device 600 may include fewer components (e.g., the RAN node may not utilize application circuitry 602, but instead include a processor / controller to process IP data received from the EPC). In some embodiments, device 600 may include additional components such as, for example, memory / storage devices, displays, cameras, sensors, or input / output (I / O) interfaces. In other embodiments, the components described below may be included in more than one device (e.g., the circuitry may be individually included in more than one device for a cloud-RAN (C-RAN) specific implementation).

[0104] Application circuitry 602 may include one or more application processors. For example, application circuitry 602 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The one or more processors may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). These processors may be coupled to or may include memory / storage devices and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to enable various applications or operating systems to run on device 600. In some embodiments, the processor of application circuitry 602 may process IP data packets received from the EPC.

[0105] Baseband circuitry 604 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. Baseband circuitry 604 may include one or more baseband processors or control logic components to process baseband signals received from the receive signal path of RF circuitry 606 and generate baseband signals for the transmit signal path of RF circuitry 606. Baseband processing circuitry 604 may interact with application circuitry 602 to generate and process baseband signals and control the operation of RF circuitry 606. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuitry 604 may include a third-generation (3G) baseband processor 604A, a fourth-generation (4G) baseband processor 604B, a fifth-generation (5G) baseband processor 604C, or other existing, under development, or future generations of baseband processors 604D (e.g., second-generation (2G), sixth-generation (6G), etc.). Baseband circuitry 604 (e.g., one or more baseband processors among baseband processors 604A to 604D) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry 606. In other embodiments, some or all of the functionality of the baseband processors 604A to 604D may be included in modules stored in memory 604G and executed via a central processing unit (CPU) 604E. Radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, and radio frequency shifting. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuitry of baseband circuitry 604 may include Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping / demapping functionality. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuitry of baseband circuitry 604 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or low-density parity-check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functionality. Implementations of the modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions are not limited to these examples, and other suitable functions may be included in other embodiments.

[0106] In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 604 may include one or more audio digital signal processors (“DSPs”) 604F. The audio DSP 604F may include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, and in other embodiments may include other suitable processing elements. In some embodiments, components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on the same circuit board. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuitry 604 and the application circuitry 602 may be implemented together, for example, on a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0107] In some implementations, baseband circuit 604 can provide communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some implementations, baseband circuit 604 can support communication with the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) or other Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), or Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN). Implementations in which baseband circuit 604 is configured to support radio communication with more than one radio protocol may be referred to as multimode baseband circuits.

[0108] RF circuit 606 enables communication with a wireless network via a non-solid medium using modulated electromagnetic radiation. In various embodiments, RF circuit 606 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with the wireless network. RF circuit 606 may include a receive signal path that includes circuitry for down-converting the RF signal received from FEM circuit 608 and providing a baseband signal to baseband circuit 604. RF circuit 606 may also include a transmit signal path that includes circuitry for up-converting the baseband signal provided by baseband circuit 604 and providing an RF output signal for transmission to FEM circuit 608.

[0109] In some embodiments, the receive signal path of RF circuit 606 may include mixer circuit 606a, amplifier circuit 606b, and filter circuit 606c. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of RF circuit 606 may include filter circuit 606c and mixer circuit 606a. RF circuit 606 may also include synthesizer circuit 606d for synthesizing frequencies used by mixer circuit 606a in both the receive and transmit signal paths. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 606a in the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert the RF signal received from FEM circuit 608 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuit 606d. Amplifier circuit 606b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and filter circuit 606c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal may be provided to baseband circuit 604 for further processing. In some implementations, these output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, but this is not necessary. In some implementations, the mixer circuit 606a in the receiving signal path may include a passive mixer, but the scope of the implementations is not limited in this respect.

[0110] In some implementations, the mixer circuit 606a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert the input baseband signal based on the synthesis frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 606d to generate an RF output signal for the FEM circuit 608. The baseband signal may be provided by the baseband circuit 604 and may be filtered by the filter circuit 606c.

[0111] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 606a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 606a for the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and quadrature upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 606a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 606a for the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 606a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 606a for the transmit signal path may be arranged for direct downconversion and direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 606a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 606a for the transmit signal path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0112] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, RF circuit 606 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuitry and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry, and baseband circuit 604 may include a digital baseband interface for communicating with RF circuit 606.

[0113] In some dual-mode implementations, separate radio IC circuits may be provided to process signals for each spectrum, but the scope of the implementation is not limited in this respect.

[0114] In some implementations, synthesizer circuit 606d may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional-N / N+1 synthesizer, but the scope of implementations is not limited in this respect, as other types of frequency synthesizers may also be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuit 606d may be a Δ-∑ synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0115] Synthesizer circuit 606d can be configured to synthesize an output frequency based on a frequency input and a divider control input for use by mixer circuit 606a of RF circuit 606. In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 606d can be a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0116] In some implementations, the frequency input may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), but this is not necessary. The divider control input may be provided by the baseband circuitry 604 or the application processor 602 according to the desired output frequency. In some implementations, the divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on the channel indicated by the application processor 602.

[0117] The synthesizer circuit 606d of the RF circuit 606 may include a frequency divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-mode divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by N or N+1 (e.g., based on carry) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a cascaded, tunable delay element, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a set of D-type flip-flops. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to divide the VCO cycle into Nd equal phase groups, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. Thus, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0118] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 606d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and frequency divider circuitry to generate multiple signals having multiple different phases relative to each other at the carrier frequency. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be the LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, RF circuitry 606 may include an IQ / polarity converter.

[0119] FEM circuit 608 may include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 610, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to RF circuit 606 for further processing. FEM circuit 608 may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuitry configured to amplify a transmit signal provided by RF circuit 606 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 610. In various embodiments, amplification via the transmit or receive signal path may be performed only in RF circuit 606, only in FEM 608, or in both RF circuit 606 and FEM 608.

[0120] In some embodiments, FEM circuit 608 may include a TX / RX switch for switching between transmit and receive mode operation. The FEM circuit may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuit may include an LNA for amplifying the received RF signal and providing the amplified received RF signal as an output (e.g., provided to RF circuit 606). The transmit signal path of FEM circuit 608 may include a power amplifier (PA) for amplifying (e.g., provided by RF circuit 606) the input RF signal; and one or more filters for generating an RF signal for subsequent transmission (e.g., through one or more antennas in one or more antennas 610).

[0121] In some implementations, the PMC 612 can manage the power supplied to the baseband circuitry 604. Specifically, the PMC 612 can control power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion. The PMC 612 is typically included when the device 600 is capable of being battery powered, for example, when the device is included in a UE. The PMC 612 can improve power conversion efficiency while providing the desired implementation size and thermal characteristics.

[0122] Although Figure 6A PMC 612 is shown coupled only to the baseband circuit 604; however, in other embodiments, the PMC 612 may be additionally or alternatively coupled to other components such as, but not limited to, the application circuit 602, the RF circuit 606, or the FEM 608, and perform similar power management operations for these other components.

[0123] In some implementations, the PMC 612 may be controlled or otherwise incorporated into various power-saving mechanisms of the device 600. For example, if the device 600 is in a Radio Resource Control_Connected (RRC_Connected) state, where the device remains connected to the RAN node as it expects to receive traffic immediately, it may enter a state known as Discontinuous Receive Mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 600 may be powered down for short intervals, thereby saving power.

[0124] If there is no data traffic activity during the extended period, device 600 can transition to the RRC_Idle state, in which the device disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback or handover. Device 600 enters a very low power state and performs paging, in which the device periodically wakes up again to listen to the network, and then powers off again. Device 600 may be unable to receive data in this state, and to receive data, it will transition back to the RRC_Connected state.

[0125] An additional power-saving mode renders the device unusable for a period exceeding the paging interval (from seconds to hours). During this time, the device is completely unconnected to the network and may be completely powered off. Any data transmitted during this period will incur significant latency, which is assumed to be acceptable.

[0126] The processors of application circuit 602 and baseband circuit 604 can be elements used to execute one or more instances of a protocol stack. For example, the processor of baseband circuit 604 can be used individually or in combination to execute layer 3, layer 2, or layer 1 functionality, while the processor of application circuit 604 can utilize data received from these layers (e.g., packet data) and further execute layer 4 functionality (e.g., transmit communication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers). As mentioned herein, layer 3 (L3) may include the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 2 (L2) may include the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 1 (L1) may include the physical (PHY) layer of the UE / RAN node, which will be described in further detail below. Therefore, baseband circuit 604 can be used to encode messages for transmission between the UE and gNB, or to decode messages received between the UE and gNB.

[0127] Figure 7 Block diagram of the baseband circuit interface Figure 7 Example interfaces of baseband circuits according to some implementation schemes are illustrated. Note that... Figure 7 The baseband circuit is merely one example of a possible circuit, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any system of various systems as needed.

[0128] As discussed above, Figure 6 The baseband circuit 604 may include processors 604A to 604E and a memory 604G utilized by the processors. Each of the processors 604A to 604E may respectively include a memory interface 704A to 704E for sending / receiving data to / from the memory 604G.

[0129] Baseband circuit 604 may further include: one or more interfaces for communicatively coupling to other circuits / devices, such as memory interface 712 (e.g., an interface for transferring / receiving data to / from a memory external to baseband circuit 604); application circuit interface 7914 (e.g., for transferring / receiving data to / from a memory external to baseband circuit 604); and application circuit interface 7914 (e.g., for transferring / receiving data to / from a memory external to baseband circuit 604). Figure 6 Application circuit 602 is an interface for transmitting / receiving data; RF circuit interface 716 (e.g., for sending / receiving data to / from...). Figure 6 RF circuit 606 is an interface for transmitting / receiving data; wireless hardware connectivity interface 718 (e.g., for transmitting / receiving data to / from near field communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth). ® Components (e.g., Bluetooth) ® Low power consumption, Wi-Fi ®Interfaces for transmitting / receiving data to / from components and other communication components); and power management interface 720 (e.g., an interface for transmitting / receiving power or control signals to / from PMC 612).

[0130] Figure 8 and Figure 9 Schematic bandwidth diagrams in the time and frequency domains Figure 8 This is an illustration of bandwidth diagram 800 in the time domain and frequency range of an additional radio frequency (RF) chain, based on some example implementations. In this example, bandwidth diagram 800 can be considered to be illustrating a downlink (DL) bandwidth on which one or more gNBs 102 are transmitting and UE 106 is receiving. However, the uplink (UL) diagram would be similar to DL bandwidth diagram 800, except that UE 106 would be transmitting on the UL frequency and gNB 102 would be receiving. Furthermore, the types of signals transmitted / received in the DL and UL can be different.

[0131] Initially, bandwidth diagram 800 shows the first radio frequency (RF1) band 810 and the first carrier (carrier 1) 816 of serving cell 814. The active bandwidth portion (BWP) can be at least a portion of the first radio frequency (RF1) band 810 at UE 106. The UE can be configured to use the channel bandwidth (CBW) within the first radio frequency (RF1) band 810 containing the active BWP of UE 106. Typically, in 5G networks, the CBW is the guard band at both ends of the maximum transmit bandwidth (defined according to resource blocks (RBs)) and the spectrum (where the guard band is defined in kHz). However, the CBW can be any consecutive group of frequencies. An active BWP band can be defined within the CBW. The active BWP can be a set of consecutive frequencies within the CBW configured for UE 106. Multiple UEs can utilize the same active BWP configuration. UE 106 can be configured to receive Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmissions, Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmissions, Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) within the configured active BWP. Alternatively, UE 106 may not expect to receive these signals outside of the active BWP.

[0132] Furthermore, a target SSB 822 can be defined in the inter-frequency layer 826 of the second carrier (carrier 2) 828. Multiple SSBs can be configured for the UE. The example implementation described herein can be associated with an SSB configured for Layer 1 (L1) operations (e.g., RRM measurements), and SSB 822 can be considered as this type of SSB. SSB 822 is outside the frequency range of the UE 106 on the serving cell 814 of the first carrier 816. The UE 106 can use a second RF chain configured for the second carrier frequency (RF2) 832, which is configured for the frequency range of the target SSB (e.g., SSB 822). The UE 106 can open the second RF chain configured for the second carrier frequency 832 to measure SSB 822 for a specific time, and then close the second RF chain 836 after measuring SSB 822. When UE 106 enables the second RF chain 832 to measure SSB 822, a potential interrupt 840 may be introduced or a potential interrupt may be enabled relative to the first frequency 810. Similarly, when UE 106 disables the second RF chain 836 after measuring SSB 822, a potential interrupt 842 may be introduced or a potential interrupt may be disabled relative to the first frequency 810.

[0133] Figure 9 This is an illustration of bandwidth diagram 900 in the time domain and frequency range of BW adjustment, based on some example implementations. In this example, and as described herein, bandwidth diagram 900 can be considered to be illustrating the downlink (DL) bandwidth on which gNB 102 is transmitting and UE 106 is receiving. However, the uplink (UL) diagram will be similar to DL bandwidth diagram 900, except that UE 106 will be transmitting on the UL frequency and gNB 102 will be receiving. Furthermore, the types of signals transmitted / received in DL and UL can be different.

[0134] Initially, bandwidth diagram 900 shows the first radio frequency (RF1) band 810 and the first carrier (carrier 1) 816 of serving cell 814. UE 106 may periodically, occasionally, and / or temporarily change the UE actual BW to use a larger bandwidth 912, for example, by increasing the UE actual BW to cover the target SSB (e.g., SSB 822) and the UE active BWP. After SSB 822 has been measured, UE 106 can then change the UE actual BW to use a smaller bandwidth 916, for example, by reducing the UE actual BW to a frequency range that includes the active BWP and excludes the target SSB. Reducing the UE actual BW can significantly reduce power consumption at the UE. When UE 106 changes or expands to a larger bandwidth 912 to measure SSB 822, a potential interruption 940 may be introduced when the first carrier signal 816 is received because a bandwidth adjustment 940 is performed to increase the bandwidth from 810 to 912. Similarly, when UE 106 changes or reduces to a smaller bandwidth 916 after measuring SSB 822, it may introduce a potential interruption 942 on the first carrier because the bandwidth is reduced from 912 to 916.

[0135] Figure 10 Flowchart of signaling Figure 10 This is an illustration of a flowchart 1000 illustrating the signaling process between a base station or gNB 102 and a UE 106, according to some example implementations. Flowchart 1000 shows the NFG and NCSG configuration process. In a first step 1010, the UE 106 can access the network or gNB 102. In an optional second step 1020, the gNB 102 can configure carrier aggregation (CA) for the UE 106. In a third step 1030, the gNB 102 can query the UE regarding support for NFG and / or NCSG capabilities on certain target frequency bands. In a fourth step 1040, based in part on the configured CA (if performed), the UE 106 can indicate or provide feedback regarding NFG support (e.g., gapped or gapless, and gapless with interruptions or gapless without interruptions) and NCSG support (e.g., gapped, ncsg, or nogap-noncsg) on ​​each target frequency band. In step 5, 1050, based on feedback from UE 106, gNB 102 can configure gaps or NCSG and measurement objects (MOs) for UE 106.

[0136] However, NFG and NCSG functionality remain two separate features in the 3GPP standard. From a radio performance and protocol perspective (e.g., Radio Access Network Group 4 (RAN4)), interruption design and measurement behavior differ between the NFG and NCSG features. For example, NCSG interruption can be based on a Visible Interruption Length (VIL) mode, which is explicitly configured by gNB 102 based on UE 106 capabilities. As another example, NFG interruption can be controlled by an interruption rate, which can be explicitly specified in the 3GPP specification. Both NFG and NCSG features can have their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, an NFG feature can have a low interruption rate, but the interruption location may be invisible to gNB 102. gNB 102 can choose to enable different features in different scenarios. If both gNB 102 and UE 106 support both NFG and NCSG features, UE 106 will not know which feature to enable. UE 106 will not know which measurement behavior to implement.

[0137] Solution 1: Explicitly enable NFG or NCSG In the first example, either NFG configuration or NCSG configuration can be explicitly enabled. The term "NFG configuration" includes all elements of the NGF as outlined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.133 (such as TS 38.133 Release 18.2.0 (June 2023)). Similarly, the term "NCSG configuration" includes all elements of the NCSG as outlined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.133 (such as TS 38.133 Release 18.2.0 (June 2023)). New indications or parameters can be introduced via RRC signaling from gNB 102 to UE 106 to enable NFG configuration. After UE 106 receives the new indication, UE 106 can enable NFG configuration and perform RRM measurements. RRM measurements can be applied, including measurement latency and scheduling availability, as well as the corresponding outage period of NFG.

[0138] If gNB 102 is configured in NCSG mode in step 1050 of the signaling process, such as Figure 10 As shown, UE 106 can enable NCFG configuration. Existing NCSG-related measurements can be applied.

[0139] These two features (i.e., NFG configuration and NCSG configuration) are not expected to be enabled simultaneously for measurement by the UE on the same target frequency band, because the UE measurement behavior may differ between the two features.

[0140] These indications or parameters can be conveyed in an Information Element (IE) using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or another desired type of control or data signaling between UE 106 and gNB 102. An Information Element (IE) can be used to identify whether UE 106 requires a gap to measure the target SSB 822. An IE is called NeedForGaps. UE 106 can use an IE to indicate whether it needs a gap or not to measure the target SSB 822. Alternatively, the network or gNB 102 can use a similar Information Element called a Network Controlled Small Gaps (NCSG), where the network or gNB 102 can signal the gap period to UE 106 if the gap is necessary for UE 106 to measure the target SSB 822. This example is not intended to be restrictive. Indications or parameters can be conveyed in any IE that enables efficient communication between the UE and gNB.

[0141] In one aspect, UE 106 may have one or more processors 402 coupled to memory 406, the processors being configured to decode from signaling received from gNB 106 an indication of either gap requirement (NFG) or small gap (NCSG) gapless measurement of a target synchronization signal block (SSB) (e.g., SSB 822). Processor 402 may enable NFG or NCSG gapless measurement based on an indication from gNB 102 of radio resource management (RRM) measurement for target SSB 822. Processor 402 may perform RRM measurement of target SSB 822 using the NFG or NCSG gapless measurement as indicated by gNB 106.

[0142] In another aspect, the processor 402 of UE 106 can decode a query indication regarding UE 106's support for gapless measurement from signaling received from gNB 106. The processor 402 can encode the capability of UE 106 to perform gapless measurement for transmission to gNB 106.

[0143] In another aspect, gapless measurement of target SSB 822 can be performed using NFG configuration. In another aspect, gapless measurement of target SSB 822 can be performed using NCSG configuration. In another aspect, processor 402 of UE 106 can also be configured to enable NFG configuration based on this indication. In another aspect, processor 402 can also be configured to disable NCSG configuration for performing RRM measurements on the same frequency band when NFG configuration is enabled. In another aspect, processor 402 can also be configured to enable NCSG configuration based on this indication. In another aspect, the indication may include measurement gap parameter values ​​for target SSB 822.

[0144] In one aspect, a method for gapless measurement of a target SSB 822 may include decoding, at the UE 106, an indication from signaling received from gNB 102 to enable either NFG or NCSG gapless measurement of the target SSB 822. Furthermore, the method may include enabling NFG or NCSG gapless measurement based on an indication from gNB 102 regarding RRM measurement of the target SSB 822. Additionally, the method may include performing RRM measurement of the target SSB 822 using either NFG or NCSG gapless measurement.

[0145] In another aspect, the method may include, at UE 106, decoding a query indication from signaling received from gNB 102 regarding UE 106's support for gapless measurement. The method may also include encoding the capability of UE 106 to perform gapless measurements for transmission to gNB 102.

[0146] In another aspect, gapless measurements of the target SSB 822 can be performed using the NFG configuration. In another aspect, gapless measurements of the target SSB 822 can be performed using the NCSG configuration. In another aspect, the method may include enabling the NFG configuration based on this instruction. In another aspect, the method may include disabling the NCSG configuration used for performing RRM measurements in the same frequency band when the NFG configuration is enabled. In another aspect, the method may include enabling the NCSG configuration based on this instruction.

[0147] Solution 2: Implicitly enable NFG or NCSG Figure 11 Schematic frequency band diagram Figure 11 This is an illustration of a schematic band diagram 1100 based on some example implementations. In the second example, if the gNB 102 is configured with legacy gaps, either NFG configuration or NCSG configuration can be implicitly enabled. Legacy gap configuration can be based on the RRC parameters of MeasGapConfig as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331 (such as TS 38.331 version 17.5.0 (July 2023)).

[0148] For a frequency band (e.g., band A) 1110 where UE 106 indicates a "gap" in both the NFG and NCSG configurations (e.g., "gapIndication"), UE 106 can use the conventional gap configuration for RRM measurements. UE 106 should not indicate a "gap" in one feature but differently in another feature for the same target frequency band. For example, UE 106 should not indicate a "gap" in the NFG configuration but indicate "NCSG" or "nogap-noncsg" in the NCSG configuration. In another example, if UE 106 indicates a "gap" in the NFG configuration, then the UE should indicate a "gap" in the NCSG configuration.

[0149] For a frequency band (e.g., band B) 1120 on which UE 106 indicates “no gap with interruption” in the NFG configuration, or where UE 106 indicates “ncsg” in the NCSG configuration, UE 106 should use conventional gaps for RRM measurements.

[0150] For a frequency band (e.g., band C) 1130 on which UE 106 indicates “no gap, no interruption” in the NFG configuration, or where UE 106 indicates “nogap-noncsg” in the NCSG configuration, UE 106 can perform RRM measurements outside of the conventional gap configuration.

[0151] Figure 12 Method for determining the measurement gap configuration for RRM measurements Figure 12 A method 1200 for determining the measurement gap configuration for RRM measurements, according to some example implementations, is shown. It should be understood that method 1200 describes the operation of solution 2, a second example. Method 1200 is described from the perspective of UE 106 in conjunction with signaling from the network or gNB 102.

[0152] In step 1210, UE 106 determines whether gNB 102 is configured with a legacy gap. Alternatively, gNB 102 is configured with a legacy gap. If yes, UE 106 determines a gapless measurement indication. In step 1220, UE 106 determines whether UE 106 indicates "gap" in a gap indication (e.g., "gapIndication") in both the NFG and NCSG. If yes, in step 1230, UE 106 uses legacy gap parameters for RRM measurements. In step 1240, UE 106 determines whether UE 106 indicates "no gap with interruption" in the NFG or "ncsg" in the NCSG. If yes, in step 1230, UE 106 uses legacy gap parameters for RRM measurements. In step 1250, UE 106 determines whether UE 106 indicates "no gap without interruption" in the NFG or "nogap-noncsg" in the NCSG. If so, then in 1260, UE 106 can perform RRM measurements in addition to conventional gap parameters.

[0153] In one aspect, the apparatus of UE 106 may have one or more processors 402 coupled to memory 406 to decode from signaling received from gNB 106 a gap configuration indication for using an existing gap configuration (e.g., conventional gap) for RRM measurements on target band 822. Processor 402 may determine if gNB 102 was previously instructed to perform gapless measurements for RRM measurements of target SSB 822 against the target band. Based on this determination and the configuration indication, processor 402 may perform RRM measurements of target SSB 822 using gapless measurements.

[0154] In one aspect, processor 402 can enable NFG configuration based on determining that a gapless measurement was previously indicated to gNB 102. In another aspect, when NFG configuration is enabled, processor 402 can disable NCSG configuration to prevent RRM measurements from being performed in the same frequency band. In yet another aspect, processor 402 can enable NCSG configuration based on determining that a gapless measurement was previously indicated to gNB 102.

[0155] On another front, processor 402 can determine the UE's frequency band (e.g. Figure 11The frequency band A 1110 (shown in the original text) indicates a "gap" for a gap indication (e.g., gapIndication) parameter in the NFG configuration, or indicates a "gap" for a gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration, which was previously indicated to gNB 102 for RRM measurements of the target SSB 822 for the frequency band. Alternatively, processor 402 can perform RRM measurements of the target SSB 822 for the frequency band (frequency band A 1110) using an existing gap configuration based on the UE 106 indicating a "gap" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

[0156] In another aspect, processor 402 can determine whether UE 106 indicates "no gap with interruption" for the gap indication (e.g., gapIndication) parameter in the NFG configuration, or "ncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration, such as Figure 11 The frequency band B 1120 is shown in the figure. In another aspect, the processor 402 may perform RRM measurements for the target SSB 822 of the frequency band using the existing gap configuration, based on the UE 106 indicating "no gap with interruption" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or "ncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

[0157] On another front, processor 402 can determine the frequency band (e.g., ...) for UE 106. Figure 11 The frequency band (shown in C 1130) is indicated as "gap-free and non-interruptible" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration, or as "nogap-noncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration. On another front, processor 402 performs RRM measurements for the target SSB 822 for the target frequency band outside of the existing gap configuration, based on UE 106 indicating "gap-free and non-interruptible" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or "nogap-noncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the target frequency band.

[0158] In one aspect, a method for gapless measurement of a target SSB 822 may include decoding, at the UE 106, a gap configuration indication received from gNB 102 that uses an existing gap configuration for RRM measurement on a target frequency band. The method may include determining a previous indication to gNB 102 of gapless measurement for RRM measurement of the target SSB 822 against the target frequency band. The method may further include performing the RRM measurement of the target SSB 822 using the gapless measurement based on the determination and the configuration indication.

[0159] In another aspect, the method may include enabling NFG configuration based on determining that a previous gapless measurement was indicated to gNB 102. In another aspect, the method may include disabling NCSG configuration for performing RRM measurements in the same frequency band when NCSG configuration is enabled. In yet another aspect, the method may include enabling NCSG configuration based on determining that a previous gapless measurement was indicated to gNB 102.

[0160] In another aspect, the method may include determining whether UE 106 indicates a “gap” for a gap indication (e.g., gapIndication) parameter in the NFG configuration, or indicates a “gap” for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration, previously indicating this “gap” for the gapIndication parameter to gNB 102 for use with respect to frequency bands (e.g., Figure 11 RRM measurement of target SSB 822 (as shown in frequency band A 1110). In another aspect, the method may include performing RRM measurement of target SSB 822 for the frequency band using an existing gap configuration based on the "gap" indicated for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or the "gap" indicated for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration of the UE 106 for the frequency band.

[0161] In another aspect, the method may include determining the frequency band (e.g., UE 106) for the frequency band. Figure 11 The method may, in the context of frequency band B 1120, indicate "no gap with interruption" for the gap indication (e.g., gapIndication) parameter in the NFG configuration, or "ncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration. Alternatively, the method may include performing RRM measurements for the target SSB 822 of the frequency band using an existing gap configuration, based on UE106 indicating "no gap with interruption" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or "ncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

[0162] In another aspect, the method may include determining the frequency band (e.g., UE 106) for the frequency band. Figure 11 (As shown in frequency band C 1130) indicates "no gap, no interruption" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration, or "no gap-noncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration. In another aspect, the method may include performing RRM measurements for the target SSB 822 for the target frequency band outside of the existing gap configuration, based on UE 106 indicating "no gap, no interruption" for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or "no gap-noncsg" for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the target frequency band.

[0163] Solution 3: Implicitly enable NFG or NCSG using a timer In the third example, NFG or NCSG configuration can be implicitly enabled, and timers (e.g., T) can be introduced. NFG This controls the application of NFG configuration. Unlike NCSG configuration, enabling NFG configuration does not require gap-related configuration.

[0164] After receiving a query from NW or gNB 102 ( Figure 10 In step 3), UE 106 can provide feedback on NFG and NCSG support in each target frequency band. Figure 10 (Step 4 in the above description). According to Solution 1, UE 106 can know which feature to enable after receiving gap-related configurations (such as NCSG configuration, legacy gap configuration, or a new indication to enable NFG configuration). However, gNB 102 determines when to provide gap-related configurations to the UE. UE 106 does not know which feature or configuration to enable in order to perform RRM measurements until it receives gap-related configurations from gNB 102. In one implementation, a timer can be used to enable the UE to identify which feature or configuration to enable.

[0165] In one example, the new timer T NFG It can be configured to respond to feedback upon completion of NFG and NCSG support (i.e., upon completion of...). Figure 10 (Start after step 4 in the process). In timer T NFGUpon expiration, UE 106 can perform RRM measurements on frequency bands where, in accordance with the Network Function Discovery (NFD) requirements specified in 3GPP Release 18 TS 38.133 (such as TS 38.133 Release 18.2.0 (June 2023)), UE 106 indicates "gapless," "gapless with interruption," or "gapless without interruption" in the NFG feedback. If an indication is received at the UE before the timer expires, then timer T... NFG It can be stopped when a new instruction to enable NFG configuration is received, either by receiving a configuration from measGapConfig or by enabling NFG configuration.

[0166] Figure 13 Method for determining the measurement gap configuration for RRM measurements Figure 13 Method 1300 for determining the measurement gap configuration for RRM measurements, according to some example implementations, is illustrated. It should be understood that method 1300 describes the operation of solution 2, a third example. Method 1300 is described from the perspective of UE 106 in conjunction with signaling from the network or gNB 102.

[0167] In step 1310, UE 106 can receive queries about NFG and NCSG capabilities from gNB 102. In step 1320, UE 106 can provide feedback regarding NFG and NCSG support for one or more target frequency bands. In step 1330, UE 106 can start timer T. NFG In step 1340, UE 106 can determine whether a gap configuration has been received from gNB 102. If yes, UE 106 can stop the timer in step 1350 and perform RRM measurements based on the gap configuration received from gNB 102 in step 1360. If no, in step 1370, UE 106 can determine whether the timer has expired. If yes, in step 1380, the UE can perform RRM measurements on the frequency band indicated by the UE in the NFG as "gapless", "gapless with interruption", or "nogap-noncsg".

[0168] In one aspect, the apparatus of UE 106 may have one or more processors 402 coupled to memory 406 to encode capability messages for transmission to gNB 102, the capability messages indicating UE 106's support for NFG and NCSG for RRM measurements of target SSB 822 on one or more frequency bands. Processor 402 may start timer T when transmitting the capability message. NFG Processor 402 can determine gNB 102 based on timer T. NFGFailed to provide gap configuration information to UE 106 before the expiration date, and performed RRM measurements of target SSB 822 on one or more frequency bands indicating support for NFG with gapless NFG.

[0169] On another front, processor 402 can determine the timer T of gNB 102. NFG The gap configuration information has been provided before its expiration. Furthermore, the processor 402 can perform RRM measurements of the target SSB 822 on one or more frequency bands based on the gap configuration information provided by the gNB 102. In another aspect, the processor 402 can stop timer T when it receives the gap configuration information from the gNB 102 at the UE 106. NFG .

[0170] In another aspect, the processor 402 can start timer T when it finishes sending UE capability information to gNB 102. NFG .

[0171] On another front, processor 402 can determine the timer T of gNB 102. NFG Instructions to use either the existing gap configuration or the NCSG configuration have been provided prior to the expiration date.

[0172] On another front, processor 402 can perform RRM measurements based on the NFG configuration.

[0173] In another respect, the target SSB 822 can be located outside the active bandwidth portion (BWP) of UE 106 and within the channel bandwidth (CBW) of UE 106.

[0174] In another aspect, processor 402 can be based on timer T NFG When the deadline arrives, there is a lack of gap configuration information from gNB 102 to disable NCSG.

[0175] In one aspect, a method for gapless measurement of a target SSB 822 may include encoding a capability message at a UE 106 for transmission to a gNB 102, the capability message indicating UE 106's support for NFG and NCSG for RRM measurements of the target SSB 822 on one or more frequency bands. Furthermore, the method may include starting a timer T when transmitting the capability message. NFG Furthermore, the method may include determining gNB 102 in timer T. NFG Failed to provide gap configuration information to UE106 before the expiration date, and performed RRM measurements of target SSB 822 on one or more frequency bands indicating support for NFG with gapless NFG.

[0176] In another aspect, the method may include determining gNB 102 at timer T NFG The gap configuration information has been provided prior to the expiration date. This method may include performing RRM measurements of the target SSB 822 on one or more frequency bands based on the gap configuration information provided by gNB 102.

[0177] In another aspect, the method may include stopping timer T when gap configuration information is received at UE 106 from gNB 102. NFG .

[0178] In another aspect, the method may include starting a timer T when the transmission of UE capability information to gNB 102 is completed. NFG .

[0179] In another aspect, the method may include determining gNB 102 at timer T NFG Instructions to use either the existing gap configuration or the NCSG configuration have been provided prior to the expiration date.

[0180] In another aspect, the method may include performing RRM measurements based on the NFG configuration.

[0181] In another respect, the target SSB 822 can be located outside the active bandwidth portion of UE 106 and within the channel bandwidth of UE 106.

[0182] In another aspect, the method may include based on timer T NFG When the deadline arrives, there is a lack of gap configuration information from gNB 102 to disable NCSG.

[0183] In the fourth example, a predefined timer T can be introduced. X This predefined timer is similar to the timer T described in this article. NFG In addition to the predefined timer T X It can have fixed values ​​predefined in the specification. For example, a predefined timer T. X It can be equal to values ​​such as 20ms, 50ms, etc.

[0184] As described herein, new UE capabilities can be introduced, namely new UE capability X1, to instruct UE 106 to be able to or recognize new instructions from gNB 102 to UE 106 to enable NFG, and new UE capability X2, to instruct on the new timer T. NFG Support. The new UE capabilities X1 and X2 can be per UE or per frequency range.

[0185] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0186] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0187] In some implementations, the device (e.g., UE 106) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of method implementations described herein, or any subset of any method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0188] By interpreting each message / signal X received by the user equipment (UE) in the downlink as a message / signal X sent by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y sent by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station, any of the methods described herein for operating the UE can serve as the basis for a corresponding method for operating the base station.

[0189] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully understood. It is intended that the following claims be construed as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: One or more processors, said one or more processors being coupled to memory and configured to: Decode an indication of either the gap requirement (NFG) for enabling the target synchronization signal block (SSB) or the gapless measurement of the small gap (NCSG) for network configuration from the signaling received from the next-generation node B (gNB); Radio resource management (RRM) measurements for the target SSB are enabled based on the indication from the gNB to enable gapless NFG or NCSG measurements; as well as The RRM measurement of the target SSB is performed using the gapless measurement of the NFG or NCSG as indicated by the gNB.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: Decode the query indication regarding the UE's support for gapless measurement from the signaling received from the gNB; and The ability of the UE to perform gapless measurements is encoded for transmission to the gNB.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gapless measurement of the target SSB is performed using an NFG configuration.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gapless measurement of the target SSB is performed using an NCSG configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable NFG configuration based on the instruction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable the NCSG configuration for performing the RRM measurement on the same frequency band when the NFG configuration is enabled.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable NCSG configuration based on the instruction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication includes a measured gap parameter value for the target SSB.

9. A method for gapless measurement of a target synchronization signal block (SSB), the method comprising: At the user equipment (UE), an indication of either the gap requirement (NFG) for enabling the target SSB or the small gap (NCSG) gapless measurement of network configuration is decoded from signaling received from the next-generation node B (gNB). Radio resource management (RRM) measurements for the target SSB are enabled based on the indication from the gNB to enable gapless NFG or NCSG measurements; as well as The RRM measurement of the target SSB is performed using the gapless measurement of the NFG or NCSG.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: Decode the query indication regarding the UE's support for gapless measurement from the signaling received from the gNB; as well as The ability of the UE to perform gapless measurements is encoded for transmission to the gNB.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the gapless measurement of the target SSB is performed using an NFG configuration.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the gapless measurement of the target SSB is performed using an NCSG configuration.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising enabling NFG configuration based on the instruction.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising disabling the NCSG configuration for performing the RRM measurement on the same frequency band when the NFG configuration is enabled.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising enabling NCSG configuration based on the instruction.

16. An apparatus configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to perform any of the methods described according to claims 9 to 15.

17. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: One or more processors, said one or more processors being coupled to memory and configured to: Decode the gap configuration indication for using the existing gap configuration for radio resource management (RRM) measurements on the target frequency band from the signaling received from the next-generation node B (gNB); Determine the RRM measurement previously indicated to the gNB for gapless measurement for the target SSB in the target frequency band; as well as Based on the determination and the configuration indication, the gapless measurement is used to perform the RRM measurement of the target synchronization signal block (SSB).

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable gap requirement (NFG) configuration based on determining that a gapless measurement was previously indicated to the gNB.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable the small gap (NCSG) configuration for network control to perform the RRM measurement on the same frequency band when the NFG configuration is enabled.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable a small gap (NCSG) configuration for network control based on determining a previously indicated gapless measurement to the gNB.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the UE indicates a 'gap' for a gapIndication parameter in a gap requirement (NFG) configuration or indicates a 'gap' for a gapIndication parameter in a network control small gap (NCSG) configuration, having previously indicated a 'gap' for a gapIndication parameter to the gNB for the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the frequency band.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the frequency band using an existing gap configuration based on the UE indicating a 'gap' for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or indicating a 'gap' for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the UE indicates 'no gap with interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in a gap requirement (NFG) configuration or 'ncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in a network control small gap (NCSG) configuration for the frequency band.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the frequency band using an existing gap configuration based on the UE indicating 'no gap with interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or 'ncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the UE indicates 'no gap, no interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in a gapRequirement (NFG) configuration for the frequency band or indicates 'nogap-noncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in a Network Control Small Gap (NCSG) configuration.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the target frequency band outside the existing gap configuration, based on the UE indicating 'no gap, no interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or indicating 'no gap-noncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the target frequency band.

27. A method for gapless measurement of a target synchronization signal block (SSB), the method comprising: At the user equipment (UE), a gap configuration indication for using the existing gap configuration for radio resource management (RRM) measurements on the target frequency band is decoded from signaling received from the next-generation node B (gNB); Determine the RRM measurement previously indicated to the gNB for gapless measurement for the target SSB in the target frequency band; as well as Based on the determination and the configuration indication, the gapless measurement is used to perform the RRM measurement of the target SSB.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising enabling a gap requirement (NFG) configuration based on determining that a gapless measurement was previously indicated to the gNB.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising disabling a small gap (NCSG) configuration for network control used to perform the RRM measurement on the same frequency band when the NFG configuration is enabled.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising enabling a small gap (NCSG) configuration for network control based on determining a previously indicated gapless measurement to the gNB.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining that the UE indicates a 'gap' for a gapIndication parameter in a gapRequirement (NFG) configuration or indicates a 'gap' for a gapIndication parameter in a Network Control Small Gap (NCSG) configuration, having previously indicated a 'gap' for a gapIndication parameter to the gNB for the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the frequency band.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising performing the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the frequency band using an existing gap configuration based on the UE indicating a 'gap' for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or indicating a 'gap' for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining that the UE indicates 'no gap with interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in a gap requirement (NFG) configuration or 'ncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in a network control small gap (NCSG) configuration for the frequency band.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising performing the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the frequency band using an existing gap configuration based on the UE indicating 'no gap with interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or 'ncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the frequency band.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining that the UE indicates 'no gap, no interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in a gap requirement (NFG) configuration for the frequency band or 'nogap-noncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in a network control small gap (NCSG) configuration.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising performing the RRM measurement of the target SSB for the target frequency band outside the existing gap configuration, based on the UE indicating 'no gap, no interruption' for the gapIndication parameter in the NFG configuration or indicating 'no gap-noncsg' for the gapIndication parameter in the NCSG configuration for the target frequency band.

37. An apparatus configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to perform any of the methods described according to claims 27 to 36.

38. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: One or more processors, said one or more processors being coupled to memory and configured to: Capability messages are encoded for transmission to a next-generation node B (gNB), indicating the UE's support for gap requirements (NFG) and small gaps (NCSG) for radio resource management (RRM) measurements of target synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) on one or more frequency bands; Start a timer when sending the capability message; and Based on the determination that the gNB failed to provide gap configuration information to the UE before the timer expired, the RRM measurement of the target SSB was performed on one or more frequency bands indicating support for gapless NFG.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: It is determined that the gNB has provided gap configuration information before the timer expires; and Based on the gap configuration information provided by the gNB, the RRM measurement of the target SSB is performed on one or more frequency bands.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to stop the timer when gap configuration information is received from the gNB at the UE.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to start the timer upon completion of sending the UE capability information to the gNB.

42. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine that the gNB has provided an indication to use an existing gap configuration or an NCSG configuration prior to the expiration of the timer.

43. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the RRM measurement according to an NFG configuration.

44. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the target SSB is located outside the active bandwidth portion of the UE and within the channel bandwidth of the UE.

45. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the one or more processors disable Network Control Small Gap (NCSG) based on the lack of gap configuration information from the gNB when the timer expires.

46. ​​A method for gapless measurement of a target synchronization signal block (SSB), the method comprising: Capability messages are encoded at the User Equipment (UE) for transmission to the Next Generation Node B (gNB), indicating the UE's support for gap requirements (NFG) and small gaps (NCSG) for Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements of target SSBs on one or more frequency bands. Start a timer when sending the capability message; and Based on the determination that the gNB failed to provide gap configuration information to the UE before the timer expired, the RRM measurement of the target SSB was performed on one or more frequency bands indicating support for gapless NFG.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising: It is determined that the gNB has provided gap configuration information before the timer expires; as well as Based on the gap configuration information provided by the gNB, the RRM measurement of the target SSB is performed on one or more frequency bands.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising stopping the timer when the UE receives gap configuration information from the gNB.

49. The method of claim 46, further comprising starting the timer upon completion of sending the UE capability information to the gNB.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising determining that the gNB has provided an indication to use an existing gap configuration or an NCSG configuration prior to the expiration of the timer.

51. The method of claim 46, further comprising performing the RRM measurement according to the NFG configuration.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein the target SSB is located outside the active bandwidth portion of the UE and within the channel bandwidth of the UE.

53. The method of claim 46, further comprising disabling network control gaps (NCSG) based on the lack of gap configuration information from the gNB when the timer expires.

54. An apparatus configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to perform any of the methods described according to claims 46 to 53.

55. A user equipment (UE) configured to perform any of the operations described herein.

56. A next-generation node B (gNB) configured to perform any of the operations described herein.

57. A computer program product comprising computer instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform any of the operations described herein.

Images