Apparatus and method for communication coordination and power saving for multiple SIM devices

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for communication coordination and power saving for multi-SIM devices. A wireless device may connect to a first base station according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and to a second base station according to a second RAT using a first subscriber identity module (SIM). The wireless device may also connect to a third base station according to the first RAT using a second SIM. The wireless device may disable the first RAT for the first SIM in response to the second SIM performing a call according to the first RAT, and perform data communication using the first SIM according to the second RAT while performing the call using the second SIM.

Description

Apparatus and methods for communication coordination and energy saving in multi-SIM devices

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on May 27, 2021, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Communication Coordination and Energy Saving for Multi-SIM Devices" with application number 202180006806.X. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to wireless devices, and more specifically to apparatus, systems, and methods for coordinating communications and providing energy-saving technologies for multi-user identity module devices in wireless communication systems. Background Technology

[0003] 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 phone calls, many mobile devices (i.e., user equipment or UE) 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 capabilities. Furthermore, many different wireless communication technologies and standards exist. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), and BLUETOOTH. ™ wait.

[0004] The increasing number of features and functions introduced into wireless communication devices has created a continuous demand for improvements in both wireless communication and the devices themselves. Ensuring the accuracy of signals transmitted and received by User Equipment (UE) devices—such as wireless devices like cellular phones, base stations, and relay stations used in wireless cellular communications—is of paramount importance. For example, some UEs may include multiple Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) that can be active simultaneously. In some cases, conflicts may occur between transmissions of such UEs associated with different SIMs. Such conflicts can negatively impact the user experience and performance of the UE. Furthermore, increasing the functionality of UE devices can put significant strain on their battery life. For example, certain paging scheduling for different SIMs may require increased power consumption. Therefore, it is equally important to reduce the power requirements in UE device design while allowing the UE to maintain good transmit and receive capabilities to improve communication.

[0005] To increase coverage and better serve the growing demand and scope for the intended uses of wireless communication, in addition to the aforementioned communication standards, new wireless communication technologies are under development, including fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication. Therefore, there is a need to improve the areas supporting this development and design. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The implementation scheme relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for coordinating communications and providing energy-saving technologies for multi-user identity module devices in wireless communication systems.

[0007] In some implementations, a wireless device may use a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) to connect to a first base station according to a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and to a second base station according to a second RAT. The wireless device may also use the second SIM to connect to a third base station according to the first RAT. The wireless device may disable the first RAT for the first SIM in response to a call being made using the second SIM according to the first RAT, and while making the call using the second SIM, perform data communication using the first SIM according to the second RAT.

[0008] In some implementations, the first RAT may correspond to Long Term Evolution (LTE), the second RAT may correspond to New Radio (NR), and the radio device may be configured to use the second SIM to further perform calls using Long Term Evolution Voice Bearer (VoLTE).

[0009] According to some embodiments, the wireless device may be configured to use the first SIM to transmit at least one of the following to the second base station: an indication of disabling the first RAT by the first SIM and a registration request message. Alternatively, according to some embodiments, the wireless device may be configured to receive a registration acceptance message from the second base station using the first SIM in response to the registration request message.

[0010] In some implementations, the wireless device may be configured to reconfigure the first SIM from a non-standalone (NSA) configuration to a standalone (SA) configuration in response to receiving the registration acceptance message.

[0011] 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 one of cellular phones, tablets, wearable computing devices, portable media players and various other computing devices.

[0012] 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

[0013] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of the various embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes;

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates a base station (BS) communicating with a user equipment (UE) device according to some implementation schemes;

[0016] Figure 3 shows an exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some implementation schemes;

[0017] Figure 4 shows an exemplary block diagram of a BS according to some implementation schemes;

[0018] Figure 5 shows an exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments;

[0019] Figures 6 and 7 illustrate examples of 5G NR base stations (gNBs) according to some implementation schemes; and

[0020] Figure 8 is a communication flowchart illustrating an exemplary aspect of updating the UE's configuration from non-standalone (NSA) to standalone (SA) after the UE has performed RF retuning, according to some implementation schemes;

[0021] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary aspect of a method for updating the configuration of a UE from DSDS to DSDA according to some embodiments to obtain active access on two SIMs simultaneously when one SIM is actively communicating on NR-SA and when the RF front-end paths are different;

[0022] Figures 10a and 10b respectively illustrate exemplary communication flowcharts for non-5G (e.g., NR) mobile data exchange and 5G (e.g., NR) mobile data exchange according to some implementation schemes;

[0023] Figure 11 illustrates an exemplary solution for a specific implementation of 5G NSA DSDA using SDM, according to some implementation schemes;

[0024] Figure 12 illustrates an exemplary solution for data-optimized SIM calls according to some implementation schemes;

[0025] Figure 13 illustrates an example of cellular and iWLAN activity of a UE with two modems and a DSDA configuration according to some implementation schemes;

[0026] Figure 14 illustrates an exemplary solution for configuring the UE with 5G SADSDA when SIM2 is using data from SIM1 for a voice call, according to some implementation schemes;

[0027] Figure 15 illustrates an exemplary solution for configuring the UE in 5G SA DSDA when SIM2 is using data from SIM1 to make a voice call while SIM1 is coordinating an EPSFB call, according to some implementation schemes.

[0028] Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary handover solution for 5G SA DSDA configuration of the UE to VoLTE when SIM2 is using data from SIM1 to make a voice call while SIM1 is coordinating an EPSFB call, according to some implementations.

[0029] Figure 17 illustrates an exemplary method by which SIM1, according to some implementations, can use the NR Tx / Rx path to notify the network that LTE is unavailable;

[0030] Figure 18 illustrates an exemplary method by which a network, according to some implementations, can initiate RF detuning by using piggyback information in NAS messages;

[0031] Figure 19 illustrates an exemplary method by which a UE, according to some implementations, can initiate RF detuning by using piggybacked information in a NAS message; and

[0032] Figure 20 is an exemplary aspect of how a network, according to some implementation schemes, can help a UE maintain its NR branch connection without interrupting its NR branch connection due to deteriorating RF connectivity.

[0033] While 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 this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended 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

[0034] acronym

[0035] Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows:

[0036] • 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0037] •TS: Technical Specifications

[0038] •RAN: Radio Access Network

[0039] •RAT: Radio Access Technology

[0040] •UE: User Equipment

[0041] •RF: Radio Frequency

[0042] •BS: Base Station

[0043] •DL: Downlink

[0044] •UL: Uplink

[0045] •LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0046] •NR: New Radio

[0047] •5GS: 5G system

[0048] • 5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management

[0049] •5GC: 5G Core Network

[0050] •IE: Information Elements

[0051] •TX: Transmission

[0052] •RX: Receive

[0053] •LAN: Local Area Network

[0054] •WLAN: Wireless LAN

[0055] •AP: Access Point

[0056] •EPC: Evolution Group Core

[0057] •IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

[0058] • Wi-Fi: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) RAT based on the IEEE 802.11 standard

[0059] • MUSIM: Multi-User Identity Module

[0060] •SIM: User Identity Module

[0061] •DDS: Default Data SIM

[0062] • nDDS: Non-default data SIM

[0063] •SA: Independent

[0064] •NSA: Not Independent

[0065] •EN-DC: Enhanced Dual Connectivity

[0066] •SIB: System Information Block

[0067] •CSFB: Circuit Switching Back

[0068] •FR: Frequency Range

[0069] •AMF: 5G Core Access and Mobility Management Functions

[0070] •SG: Signaling Gateway

[0071] •SDM: User Data Management

[0072] •UI: User Interface

[0073] •EPSFB: Evolved Packet System Backoff

[0074] • IP: Internet Protocol

[0075] •IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem

[0076] •VoLTE: Long Term Evolution Voice Bearer

[0077] •MAC-CE: Media Access Control – Control Element

[0078] •UCI: Uplink Control Information

[0079] •SRB: Signaling Radio Bearer

[0080] •MGNB: Main gNB

[0081] •SGNB: auxiliary gNB

[0082] •NAS: Non-Access Layer

[0083] •MME: Mobility Management Entity

[0084] •MR: Measurement Report

[0085] the term

[0086] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0087] Memory media—any device of any type of nontransitory memory device or storage device. 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, e.g., 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 case, 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 that may reside in different locations on different computer systems, for example, connected via a network. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0088] Carrier medium—the memory medium as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals or digital signals).

[0089] 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 vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0090] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, networked appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations of devices. 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.

[0091] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of various types of computer systems or 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, or other handheld devices, 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 transmitted and capable of wireless communication by a user.

[0092] A wireless device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or it can be stationary or fixed in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0093] A communication device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile), or it may be stationary or fixed in a location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0094] 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.

[0095] A processing element (or processor) is a component or combination of components capable of performing the functions of a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, an entire processor core, a single processor, 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.

[0096] 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 different wireless protocols, 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, the channel width 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. In contrast, 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, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0097] 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.

[0098] Automatic—means an action or operation 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 user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with an action performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to perform that action directly. 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 to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out 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 are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0099] Approximately—means a value close to the correct or precise value. For example, approximately can refer to a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can vary depending on the application. For example, in some implementations, “approximately” may mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other implementations, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of the specific application.

[0100] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, or programs in a manner that overlaps at least partially. 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).

[0101] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured to" perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, 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 as" can also be a broad expression generally meaning a structure that "has" a "circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently switched on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0102] 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.

[0103] Figures 1 and 2—Communication System

[0104] Figure 1 illustrates a simplified exemplary wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes. It should be noted that the system of Figure 1 is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0105] As shown in the figure, the exemplary 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.

[0106] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware for implementing wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0107] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station can 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-A Advanced, 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE environment, its alternative location can be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR environment, its alternative location can be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0108] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0109] 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 UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0110] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as the "serving cell" for UEs 106A-N as shown in Figure 1, each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base station), 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. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, base stations 102A to 102B shown in Figure 1 may be macro cells, while base station 102N may be a pico cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0111] 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 a new radio communication core (NRC) network. Furthermore, the gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating under 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. For example, base station 102A and one or more other base stations 102 may support joint transmission, enabling UE 106 to receive transmissions from multiple base stations (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same base station).

[0112] It should be noted that UE 106 can communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to 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.)), UE 106 can 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.). If desired, UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., Advanced Television Systems Committee—Mobile / Handheld (ATSC-M / H)) and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0113] Figure 2 illustrates a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 according to some embodiments. UE 106 can be a cellular communication-capable device, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, or other wearable device, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0114] UE 106 may include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments of the present invention by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include any of the programmable hardware elements, such as any of the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), integrated circuits, and / or various other possible hardware components configured to perform (e.g., individually or in combination) any of or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0115] 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, NR or LTE using at least some shared radio components. As an additional possibility, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Typically, the radio components may include any combination of baseband processors, analog radio frequency (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 components 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 various wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0116] In some implementations, UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate 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 used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or, in various possibilities, either LTE or 1xRTT, or either LTE or GSM), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0117] Figure 3—Block diagram of UE

[0118] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments. It should be noted that the block diagram of the communication device in Figure 3 is merely one example of possible communication devices. According to embodiments, 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, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. This set of components 300 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of the communication device 106.

[0119] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with or external to communication device 106, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, UMTS, GSM, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.). In some embodiments, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet, for example.

[0120] The wireless communication circuit 330 may (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) be coupled to one or more antennas, such as one or more antennas 335 as shown in the figure. The wireless communication circuit 330 may include cellular communication circuitry and / or short-to-medium range wireless communication circuitry, and 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.

[0121] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more receive chains for a plurality of RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT (e.g., LTE) and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with a second radio component. A second radio component may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0122] 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. User interface elements may include any of a variety of components such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of 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 components capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0123] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345.

[0124] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor executes program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuit performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 360. One or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (which may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)), and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices (such as the display circuit 304, wireless communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0125] As described above, communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0126] Furthermore, as described in this invention, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 302.

[0127] Furthermore, as described herein, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the wireless communication circuit 330. Therefore, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330.

[0128] Figure 4—Block diagram of a base station

[0129] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments. It should be noted that the base station in Figure 4 is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or devices, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0130] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access to multiple devices such as UE device 106 that are authorized to access the telephone network as described above in Figures 1 and 2.

[0131] Network port 470 (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 470 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 the cellular service provider).

[0132] In some implementations, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "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 connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0133] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0134] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios 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 LTE, 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0135] As further described herein, base station 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. Processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the features described herein.

[0136] Furthermore, as described in this invention, one or more processors 404 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0137] Furthermore, as described in this invention, the radio component 430 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, the radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430.

[0138] Figure 5—Block diagram of cellular communication circuit

[0139] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments. It should be noted that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuit in Figure 5 is merely one example of possible cellular communication circuits; other circuits, such as those including or coupled to sufficient antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activities using independent antennas, or those including or coupled to fewer antennas, such as those that can be shared among multiple RATs, are also possible. According to some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As mentioned 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, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices.

[0140] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-b and 336 as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to 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 shown in Figure 5, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the second modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0141] As shown, the first modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicating with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front-end 530. The RF front-end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 530 may include a receiver circuitry (RX) 532 and a transmitter circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front-end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0142] Similarly, the second modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicating with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front-end 540. The RF front-end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some embodiments, the receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with a DL front-end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0143] 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 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by a first modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state allowing the first modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by a second modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state allowing the second 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).

[0144] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured as programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining with one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0145] Furthermore, as described herein, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522.

[0146] In some implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include modem 520, RF front-end 540, DL front-end 560, and / or antenna 335b. As another example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include modem 510, RF front-end 530, DL front-end 550, and / or antenna 335a. In some implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may also not include switch 570, and RF front-end 530 or RF front-end 540 may communicate with UL front-end 572, for example, through direct communication.

[0147] Figures 6 and 7—5G NR Architecture

[0148] In some specific implementations, fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication will initially be deployed in parallel with other wireless communication standards, such as LTE. For example, Figure 6 illustrates a possible standalone (SA) implementation of the next-generation core (NGC) network 606 and a 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604), with dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR), such as the non-standalone (NSA) architecture shown in Figure 7, which has been designated as part of the initial NR deployment. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the evolved packet core (EPC) network 600 can continue to communicate with the current LTE base station (e.g., eNB 602). Furthermore, eNB 602 can communicate with the 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604) and can transfer data between the core network 600 and gNB 604. In some cases, gNB 604 may also have at least a user plane reference point with the EPC network 600. Therefore, the EPC network 600 can be used (or reused), and the gNB 604 can serve as additional capacity for user equipment, for example, to provide increased downlink throughput for the UE. In other words, LTE can be used for control plane signaling, and NR can be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE can be used to establish connections to the network, and NR can be used for data services. It should be understood that many other non-independent architecture variants are possible.

[0149] Communication coordination and energy-saving technology for multi-user identity module devices

[0150] In some implementations, UE 106 may include multiple User Identity Modules (SIMs, sometimes referred to as SIM cards). In other words, UE 106 may be a multi-SIM (MUSIM) device, such as a dual-SIM device. Any of the various SIMs may be a physical SIM (e.g., a SIM card) or an embedded (e.g., a virtual) SIM. Any combination of physical and / or virtual SIMs may be included. Each SIM may provide various services to the user (e.g., packet-switched service and / or circuit-switched service). In some implementations, UE 106 may share a common receive (Rx) chain and / or transmit (Tx) chain for multiple SIMs (e.g., UE 106 may have a dual-SIM dual-standby (DSDS) architecture). Other architectures are possible. For example, UE 106 may be a dual-SIM dual-active (DSDA) architecture, may include separate Tx chains and / or Rx chains for various SIMs, may include more than two SIMs, etc.

[0151] Different identities (e.g., different SIMs) can have different identifiers, such as different UE identities (UE IDs). For example, the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) can be an identity associated with a SIM (e.g., in a MUSIM device, each SIM can have its own IMSI). The IMSI can be unique. Similarly, each SIM can have its own unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). Therefore, IMSI and / or IMEI can be examples of possible UE IDs; however, other identifiers can be used as UE IDs.

[0152] Different identities can have the same or different relationships with various Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs). For example, a first identity may have a first home PLMN, while a second identity may have a different home PLMN. In such cases, one identity may be pre-registered on the home network (e.g., on a cell provided by BS 102), while another identity may be roaming (e.g., simultaneously pre-registered on the same cell provided by BS 102 or on different cells provided by the same or different BS 102). In other cases, multiple identities may be home to simultaneously (e.g., on the same or different cells in the same or different networks) or may roam simultaneously (e.g., on the same or different cells in the same or different networks). It should be understood that multiple combinations are possible. For example, two SIM subscriptions on a MUSIM device may belong to the same equivalence / carrier (e.g., AT&T / AT&T or CMCC / CMCC). As another possibility, SIM-A may be roaming into the network of SIM-B (SIM-A CMCC user roaming to AT&T, and SIM-B is also AT&T).

[0153] Furthermore, for UEs with MUSIM configurations in a DSDS architecture (e.g., SIM1 and SIM2), Tx / Rx can be suspended for SIM1 when the UE performs RF (radio frequency) retuning from SIM1 to SIM2. However, for UEs supporting 5G NR millimeter wave frequencies, dedicated FR2 Tx / Rx RF capabilities can be included as hardware in the UE, and some current MUSIM designs may not fully utilize this capability. For example, a UE with a MUSIM configuration including SIM1 supporting LTE and FR2 (millimeter wave) with active packet switching can be considered a data-preferred or data-default SIM (DDS). Additionally, in some examples, certain high-range FR1 frequencies can also use dedicated Tx / Rx. UEs can also include non-data or non-data-default SIMs (e.g., SIM2) that support LTE but do not support FR2 (mmWave). Therefore, there may be a scenario where a UE operates in Enhanced Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) mode while SIM1 is active, and SIM1 may stop service due to Tx / Rx suspension on SIM1 when SIM2 receives or makes a voice call. For UEs with MUSIM configuration in the DSDA architecture, Tx / Rx capabilities on SIM1 and SIM2 may not be suspended.

[0154] Figure 8—Configuration update from NSA to SA after RF detuning

[0155] Figure 8 is a communication flowchart illustrating an exemplary aspect of updating the UE's configuration from non-standalone (NSA) to standalone (SA) after the UE has performed RF retuning as described above (e.g., from SIM1 to SIM2).

[0156] More specifically, in 802, SIM1 can operate in EN-DC mode, in an RRC connected state, and can further support LTE and NR (FR2) in the DDS role. In other words, in addition to LTE-enabled base stations (e.g., eNBs), SIM1 can also communicate with NR-enabled base stations (e.g., gNBs (FR2)). Alternatively, SIM2 can assume the non-data default (nDDS) role by communicating with an LTE-enabled eNB (but not a gNB), and can further be in an RRC-IDLE state. In 804, SIM2 can make voice calls using LTE-E Voice Bearer (VoLTE) or via circuit-switched fallback.

[0157] Next, in step 806, SIM1 may disable its LTE Tx / Rx resources in response to SIM2 making a voice call. Therefore, SIM2 can then utilize the resources disabled by SIM1 for its LTE communication with the eNB (e.g., voice calls). Alternatively, in step 810, the UE (e.g., SIM1) may utilize a copy of the LTE System Information Block (SIB) (e.g., SIB24) corresponding to the gNB, and may further decide in step 812 to upgrade its configuration from NSA to the SA signaling gateway (SG) associated with the gNB. Accordingly, the UE (e.g., SIM1) may then send a REGISTRATION REQUEST message to the 5G Core Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) corresponding to the gNB in ​​step 814, and further receive a REGISTRATION ACCEPT message from the gNB's AMF in step 816. In other words, 802-816 describes an exemplary scenario according to some implementations, in which SIM1 can use the NR Tx / Rx path to notify the network of its LTE unavailability and can change its configuration so that synchronous data transmission can be carried out through the NR link in SIM1 when a voice call is active on SIM2.

[0158] Figure 9—Method for updating the UE configuration from DSDS to DSDA

[0159] In some multi-SIM cellular devices, Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) may be a more widely adopted technology. Specifically, when using DSDS, both SIMs may be active when their cellular connections are in "RRC idle" mode. Conversely, in connected mode (e.g., RRC connected) DSDS operation scenarios, since many cellular devices have only one modem supporting two SIMs, only one SIM may have an active connection to the network. In other words, when there is an active call on SIM1, SIM2 may be "out of service," and vice versa. Furthermore, for cellular devices supporting NR-NSA (non-standalone) and NR-SA (standalone), the UE may be able to process signals from both technologies simultaneously.

[0160] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary aspect of a method for updating a UE's configuration from DSDS to DSDA to obtain active access on two SIMs simultaneously while one SIM is actively communicating on NR-SA (e.g., when the RF front-end paths are different). For example, a 5G NR UE or radio device capable of supporting DSDS in 902 can determine whether DSDS is active in 904. Therefore, if DSDS is not active, the UE can proceed from 904 to 906 without changing to 916, where a timer may expire or an event may be detected to restart the flowchart at 904.

[0161] Alternatively, if DSDS is activated in 904, the UE can proceed to 908, where the UE further determines whether the DDS carrier supports NR-SA configuration. If not activated, the UE can continue using legacy DSDS operation in 912 and proceed further to 916. For example, in connected-mode DSDS operation, the UE may have only one SIM with an active network connection, while another SIM may be out of service. This legacy-mode DSDS operation may be due to some cellular devices having only one modem to support two SIMs. In other words, the UE may only be able to keep the DDS stack active. However, if the DDS carrier does support NR-SA configuration, the UE can proceed to 910, where the UE further determines whether the DDS NR band is different from the nDDS LTE band. If the DDS NR band is different from the nDDS LTE band, the UE can keep the DDS and nDDS protocol stack active in 914, but otherwise can proceed to 912. Finally, the UE can proceed to 916 and restart the process at 904 when the timer expires or a specific event is detected.

[0162] Figure 10—SDM solution for 5G NSA DSDS implementation for MUSIM

[0163] In some implementations, a UE that supports MUSIM and includes both SIM1 and SIM2 can further enable NR for both SIMs. However, in an NSA configuration, the UE's User Data Management (SDM) can be used to disable NR measurements on the dormant SIM in order to conserve battery power.

[0164] Figure 10a illustrates an exemplary communication flowchart that does not support 5G (e.g., NR) mobile data exchange. More specifically, Figure 10a shows a user-initiated switch of the UI settings of one or more SIMs (e.g., SIM1 and SIM2) from DDS to nDDS, or vice versa. For example, in 1002a, the UE may have a UI setting that configures SIM1 as DDS. Thus, in 1004a, SIM1 can be attached to an NG-RAN with NR enabled. However, as NDD, SIM2 may only be attached to an NG-RAN with LTE, as shown in 1006a. However, if the user switches the UI settings of SIM2 to DDS as shown in 1008a and 1010a, the SIMs can essentially interchange roles in terms of how they connect to the NG-RAN. In other words, as shown in 1012a, since the user has switched SIM2 to DDS, SIM1 can only be attached to the NG-RAN using LTE, and SIM2 can be attached to an NG-RAN with NR enabled, as shown in 1014a. However, an nDDS SIM attached to the NG-RAN can still consume power via NR measurement reports (MR). Alternatively, in some implementations, the example above with respect to Figure 10a can be extended to support UEs that can be attached to the 4G-RAN (e.g., LTE) and also include NSA capabilities enabled and disabled in SIM1 and SIM2, respectively.

[0165] In various implementations, Figure 10b illustrates an exemplary communication flowchart supporting 5G (e.g., NR) mobile data handover. More specifically, Figure 10b illustrates a specific implementation of the handover for the UE when utilizing NSA DSDS configuration. For example, as shown in 1002b, a UE communicating with a Next Generation Random Access Network (NG-RAN) may have a user interface (UI) setting where SIM1 has been designated as DDS. Thus, in 1004b, if NR is enabled, DDS SIM1 can be attached to NG-RAN. In 1006b, since NR is enabled, nDDS SIM2 can also be attached to NG-RAN. Alternatively, in 1006b, the SDM may also disable NR measurement reporting (MR) for SIM2.

[0166] In 1008b, the UE can utilize its supported mobile data switching capabilities to reconfigure SIM1 and SIM2, along with their DDS and / or nDDS configurations. In other words, as shown in 1010b, the UE can utilize these mobile data switching capabilities to reconfigure SIM1 as nDDS instead of its previous DDS configuration, and reconfigure SIM2 as DDS instead of its previous nDDS configuration. Alternatively, in 1010b, the UE can disable NR MR for nDDS SIM1. This can provide some energy savings for the UE by reducing 5G communication with the NG-RAN (e.g., measurement reports). Next, in 101b2, SIM2 has already been reconfigured as DDS, and the UE can subsequently re-enable NR MR for SIM2. Therefore, the UE can then begin communication and benefit from measurement reports from the NG-RAN.

[0167] Figure 11—SDM Solution for Specific Implementation of 5G NSA DSDA for MUSIM

[0168] In some implementations, a UE supporting MUSIM and including a first SIM (e.g., SIM1) and a second SIM (e.g., SIM2) can further utilize NSA DSDA configuration. In other words, the UE may be able to simultaneously support both an active DDS stack and an nDDS stack. More specifically, in some implementations, SIM2 can use SIM1 data to support voice calls via Wi-Fi. Therefore, improvements in battery conservation may be necessary for the above configuration.

[0169] For example, as shown in Figure 11, in 1102, since SIM2 is out of service, SIM2 can support Wi-Fi voice calls by using NR data from SIM1. In 1104, the UE can support an NSA DSDA configuration with SDM active and can further disable NR on SIM1 to conserve battery power in 1106. Alternatively, in 1106, due to the disabled NR, the UE can trigger semi-persistent scheduling of NSA SIM1 and can further notify the network (e.g., NG-RAN) that a voice call is in progress. Therefore, in 1108, once the SIM2 Wi-Fi voice call using SIM1's data ends, SDM can be deactivated in 1110.

[0170] Figures 12 and 13—IMS and iWLAN assisted SIM calls

[0171] Figure 12 illustrates an exemplary solution for data-preferred SIM calls. More specifically, for a UE supporting MUSIM and including one or more SIMs, a first SIM (SIM1) 1202 can be configured as a data-preferred SIM (e.g., DDS), while a second SIM (SIM2) 1204 can be configured as an nDDS. In some embodiments, SIM1 can support Wi-Fi voice calls using the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and can further utilize the IMS capabilities of SIM2 via an internet-based tunnel to provide data support to SIM1 while SIM1 maintains the IMS-supported Wi-Fi calls. In other words, the UE can be configured to obtain additional data support from the nDDS while supporting Wi-Fi calls via IMS, and simultaneously use the data for other internet-related purposes (e.g., downloading files from a browser).

[0172] Figure 13 illustrates examples of cellular and iWLAN activities associated with a UE having two modems and a DSDA configuration, according to some implementation schemes. For example, in 1302, a mobile originating (MO) call can be initiated or activated using modem 0 (TMO). Additionally, as shown in 1304, the TX / RX capabilities of modem 1 (AT&T) may be suspended due to modem 1 out of service (OOS) in 1306. Accordingly, in 1308, the UE can perform an iWLAN registration procedure to support calls and pre-emption using cellular data from modem 1. In other words, a UE with a first SIM (SIM1) utilizing modem 1 can suspend its Tx / Rx resources and further utilize its iWLAN capabilities to support a second SIM (SIM2) with active Wi-Fi calls (e.g., MO calls from modem 0). Furthermore, by utilizing this iWLAN capability, both modems may be able to make or receive MO or mobile terminal (MT) calls, as shown in 1310. In other words, since modem 1 and modem 0 can have different phone numbers to receive calls, a user with a mobile device configured as shown may wish to maintain a call using a specific modem 0 phone number by using iWLAN registration, which uses modem 1 cellular data to support the call.

[0173] Once the MO call has ended in 1312 and the TX / RX resources of modem 0 become idle in 1314, the UE can cancel the iWLAN pre-registration on cellular data of modem 1 as shown in 1316, and further make the TX / RX resources of modem 1 idle, as shown in 1318.

[0174] Figure 14—5G SA DSDA when SIM 2 uses Sim1 data for voice calls (SIM 2 no service).

[0175] In some implementations, the UE can support both MUSIM and SA-DSDA configurations, where the UE's first SIM (SIM1) is in connected mode and is used by the UE's second SIM (SIM2) because SIM2 stops service while supporting Wi-Fi voice calls. Therefore, the UE may be able to implement solutions to save battery consumption in the aforementioned scenarios.

[0176] For example, as shown in Figure 14, in 1402, since SIM2 is out of service, SIM2 can support Wi-Fi voice calls by using data from SIM1. In 1404, the UE can support an SA DSDA configuration with SDM active. In 1406, according to some implementations, if any secondary cell (Scell) is active, SIM1 SA can disable carrier aggregation (CA). In some implementations, SIM1 SA can transition to the lowest bandwidth portion (BWP) as part of 1406. Alternatively, in 1406, SIM1 SA can trigger semi-persistent scheduling and can further notify the network (e.g., NG-RAN) that data is being used for voice calls. In some implementations, in 1406, if the screen is off, SIM1 SA can also perform a fallback procedure to use LTE data. Therefore, in 1408, once the SIM2 Wi-Fi voice call using SIM1 data has ended, SDM can be deactivated in 1410.

[0177] Figure 15—SA DSDA when SIM2 uses SIM1 data for voice calls (SIM1 makes EPSFB calls)

[0178] In some implementations, the UE can support both MUSIM and SA-DSDA configurations. Since SIM2 stops service while supporting Wi-Fi voice calls, in addition to SIM1 data being used by the UE's second SIM (SIM2), the UE's first SIM (SIM1) data also supports Evolved Packet System Fallback (EPSFB) calls. Therefore, the UE may be able to implement solutions to save battery consumption in the aforementioned scenarios.

[0179] For example, as shown at 1502 in Figure 15, when SIM2 is using SIM1 data for a Wi-Fi voice call, SIM1 of the UE may support an active EPSFB call. However, even if the EPSFB call of SIM1 ends in 1504 and SDM becomes active in 1506, SIM1 may remain on LTE in 1508. In other words, when the SIM1 call has ended, SDM may become active while SIM1 continues to pre-occupy LTE instead of immediately returning to NR. Therefore, once the SIM2 Wi-Fi voice call using SIM1 data has ended in 1510, SDM may become inactive in 1512, and SIM1 can further re-establish its NR connection from its current LTE connection in 1514.

[0180] Figure 16—SIM2 HO to VoLTE

[0181] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 16, at 1602, when SIM2 is using SIM1 data for a Wi-Fi voice call, the UE's SIM1 can support an active NR or EPSFB call. However, after the SIM1 NR or EPSFB call ends at 1604 and SDM becomes active at 1606, the SIM2 Wi-Fi voice call may switch to Long Term Evolution Voice Bearer (VoLTE). In other words, when the SIM1-EPSFB call has ended, SDM can become active and the UE can initiate a handover, causing the SIM2 Wi-Fi voice call to be transferred to VoLTE instead of immediately re-establishing its NR connection to complete the call using Ultra HD Video (VoNR). Therefore, once the SIM2 Wi-Fi VoLTE call has ended at 1610, SDM may become inactive at 1612, and SIM1 can further re-establish its NR connection from its current LTE connection at 1614.

[0182] EN-DC DSDS

[0183] In some implementations, a UE operating in Enhanced Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and supporting a Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) configuration may include a first SIM (SIM1) that further supports Frequency Range 2 (FR2) communication on the NR branch. Furthermore, if the UE's second SIM (SIM2) receives a voice call, the first SIM (SIM1) may notify the NR-enabled base station (e.g., gNB) via the MAC control element UCI or via the SRB3 interface that the LTE communication link between SIM1 and the eNB can be suspended for "x" seconds. The NR-enabled base station (e.g., gNB) may send an SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message to the LTE-enabled base station (e.g., eNB). This SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message may further include information elements (IEs) related to parameters or values ​​used to notify the eNB not to deregister the UE but to maintain the context or connection for the specific time period "x". For example, in some implementations, if the UE returns to service within the indicated time period "x", the UE context can be restored in LTE. Alternatively, if the UE does not return to service within "x", the NR branch can be released. Furthermore, according to some implementation schemes, gNB can have the ability to extend the time period "x".

[0184] According to some implementations, in a similar EN-DC and DSDS configuration, where the UE includes a first SIM (SIM1) further supporting frequency range 2 (FR2) communication on the NR branch, and a second SIM (SIM2) of the UE receives voice calls, the first SIM (SIM1) can notify the NR-enabled base station (e.g., gNB) via the MAC control element UCI or via the SRB3 interface that the LTE communication link between SIM1 and the eNB can be suspended for "x" seconds. The SIM1 network gNB can send an SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message to the SIM1 eNB. Furthermore, this SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message may include an IE that instructs or notifies the eNB not to discard the UE's primary node (MN) context, but to keep the MN context suspended for a specific time period "x". In some implementations, this suspended state may resemble an RRC inactive state. Alternatively or additionally, the SIM1 eNB may send an SGNB MODIFICATION CONFIRM message to the gNB in ​​response to receiving the SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message.

[0185] For example, in some implementations, if the UE returns to service within the indicated time period "x", the UE context can be restored in LTE. Alternatively, if the UE does not return to service within the time period "x", the NR branch can be released by the UE. Furthermore, the value or parameter "x" can be provided by the UE, or the UE can initiate an RF detuning procedure for voice calls or other signaling, and the RAN can appropriately derive the value "x". Additionally, according to some implementations, the gNB or UE can have the capability to periodically extend the time period "x" based on how long a voice call on the SIM can last. Alternatively, when the MN branch is detuned, the radio device (e.g., the UE) can continue data transmission on the secondary cell group (SCG) of SIM1 via FR2.

[0186] Furthermore, in some implementations, the SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message may correspond to or indicate an E-UTRAN radio access bearer (E-RAB) that will be modified so that the eNB can respond appropriately to maintaining the UE's context. For example, the E-RAB ID, EN-DC resource configuration (which may indicate the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and lower-layer MCG or SCG configuration), CHOICE resource configuration, uplink configuration, or SgNB resource configuration information (used to coordinate resource utilization between the en-gNB and MeNB) may be modified to provide the eNB with information about the appropriate response to the UE's context. For example, in addition to indicating that the UE context should be preserved so that the UE remains in MM registration (Mobility Management Registration) and CM connection (Connection Management Connection) states, the SGNB MODIFICATION REQUIRED message may include a validity timer with a corresponding value of "x seconds".

[0187] Figure 17—Notifying the network of LTE unavailability using the NR Tx / Rx path

[0188] Figure 17 illustrates the communication flow corresponding to the wireless device being configured for EN-DC and DSDS operation. More specifically, Figure 17 shows an exemplary method by which SIM1 can utilize the NR Tx / Rx path to notify the network that LTE is unavailable. This can allow synchronous data transmission via the NR link in SIM1 while an active voice call is being performed on SIM2.

[0189] For example, in some implementations and as shown in 1702, the wireless device (e.g., UE) may support MUSIM and include a first SIM (SIM1) in EN-DC mode corresponding to LTE and an NR (FR2) active in RRC connection state. Alternatively, in 1702, the UE's second SIM (SIM2) may be in RRC-IDLE state and may further utilize VoLTE or CSFB for voice calls in 1704. Accordingly, in 1706, the LTE Tx / Rx resources of SIM1 may be disabled and may be further utilized by SIM2 in its LTE branch, as shown in 1708. Next, in 1710, the UE may use the NR branch (via MAC-CE, UCI, and / or SRB3) to notify the gNB that the SIM1 MCG will not perform Tx / Rx for x seconds.

[0190] In 1712, the SIM1 gNB can then transmit a message to the SIM1 eNB requesting SGNB modification. This message may include a validity timer indicating "x" seconds and an IE indicating that the UE context should be preserved. In response, the SIM1 eNB can transmit a SGNB modification confirmation message back to the SIM1 gNB, as shown in 1714. Finally, in 1716, the gNB can (via MAC-CE and / or DCI) notify the UE that all uplink / downlink (UL / DL) data can pass through the gNB via the NR branch.

[0191] Figure 18—EN-DCMN (LTE) RF detuning + (NW-initiated) NAS message piggyback

[0192] Figure 18 illustrates the call flow corresponding to a wireless device configured for EN-DC and DSDS operation. More specifically, Figure 18 shows an exemplary method by which the network can initiate RF detuning using piggyback information in a NAS message. This allows for synchronized data transmission over the NR link in SIM1 while an active voice call is being performed on SIM2.

[0193] For example, in some implementations and as shown in 1802, the wireless device (e.g., UE) may support MUSIM and include a first SIM (SIM1) in EN-DC mode corresponding to LTE and an NR (FR2) active in RRC connection state. Alternatively, in 1802, the UE's second SIM (SIM2) may be in RRC-IDLE state and may further utilize VoLTE or CSFB for voice calls in 1804. Accordingly, in 1806, the Tx / Rx resources of SIM1 may be disabled and may be further utilized by SIM2 in its LTE branch, as shown in 1808. Next, in 1810, the UE may use the NR branch (via MAC-CE, UCI, and / or SRB3) to notify the gNB that the SIM1 MCG will not perform Tx / Rx for x seconds.

[0194] In 1812, the SIM1 gNB can then transmit a message to the SIM1 eNB requesting SGNB modification. This message may include a validity timer indicating "x" seconds and an IE indicating that the UE context should be preserved. In response, the SIM1 eNB can transmit a SGNB modification confirmation message back to the SIM1 gNB, as shown in 1814. In 1816, the gNB can (via MAC-CE and / or DCI) notify the UE that all uplink / downlink (UL / DL) data can pass through the gNB via the NR branch.

[0195] Next, in 1818, the eNB can receive a NAS message from the Mobility Management Entity (MME). This message can instruct the eNB that the UE should perform RF detuning. Accordingly, in 1820, the SIM1 eNB can transmit an RRC transfer message to the SIM1 gNB based on this received information in the NAS message. Furthermore, in 1822, the gNB can then "piggyback" or include a DLInformationTransfer IE along with the LTE NAS message sent to the UE (e.g., via the SRB3 link) to instruct the UE to perform the RF detuning procedure. Finally, in 1824, having received the piggyback information from the gNB's LTE NAS message, the UE can then transmit an RRCReconfiguration completion message to the gNB.

[0196] Figure 19—EN-DCMN (LTE) RF detuning + (UE-initiated) NAS message piggyback

[0197] Figure 19 illustrates the communication flow corresponding to a wireless device configured for EN-DC and DSDS operation. More specifically, Figure 19 shows an exemplary method by which a UE can initiate RF detuning using piggyback information in a NAS message. This allows for synchronized data transmission over the NR link in SIM1 while an active voice call is being performed on SIM2.

[0198] For example, in some implementations and as shown in 1902, the radio device (e.g., UE) may support MUSIM and include a first SIM (SIM1) in EN-DC mode corresponding to LTE and an NR (FR2) active in RRC connection state. Alternatively, in 1902, the UE's second SIM (SIM2) may be in RRC-IDLE state and may further utilize VoLTE or CSFB for voice calls in 1904. Accordingly, in 1906, the Tx / Rx resources of SIM1 may be disabled and may be further utilized by SIM2 in its LTE branch, as shown in 1908. Next, in 1910, the UE may use the NR branch (via MAC-CE, UCI, and / or SRB3) to notify the gNB that the SIM1 MCG will not perform Tx / Rx for x seconds.

[0199] In 1912, the SIM1 gNB can then transmit a message to the SIM1 eNB requesting SGNB modification. This message may include a validity timer indicating "x" seconds and an IE indicating that the UE context should be preserved. In response, the SIM1 eNB can transmit a SGNB modification confirmation message back to the SIM1 gNB, as shown in 1914. In 1916, the gNB can (via MAC-CE and / or DCI) notify the UE that all uplink / downlink (UL / DL) data can pass through the gNB via the NR branch.

[0200] Next, in 1918, the UE can transmit an RRC / NAS message to the eNB. This message can instruct the eNB that the UE should perform RF detuning or can further correspond to the UE sending a Short Message Service (SMS). Accordingly, in 1920, the UE can transmit a UEAssistanceInformation message piggybacked on the LTE NAS message to the SIM1 gNB on SRB3. Furthermore, in 1922, after receiving the LTE NAS information piggybacked on the UEAssistanceInformation message from the UE, the gNB can then forward the LTE NAS information to the eNB via an RRC transmission message. Accordingly, in 1924, the gNB can also send an RRCReconfiguration message piggybacked on the LTE-NAS response message and an acknowledgment (ACK). Finally, in response to this and upon completion of the RRC transmission process, in 1926, the UE can transmit an RRCReconfiguration completion message to the gNB.

[0201] Figure 20—EN-DC DSDS Flowchart—Network-Assisted Maintenance of UE NR Connection

[0202] Figure 20 is a flowchart corresponding to the configuration of a wireless device for EN-DC and DSDS operations. More specifically, Figure 20 illustrates an exemplary aspect of how the network can help the UE maintain its NR branch connection without interrupting it due to deteriorating RF connectivity. This allows for synchronous data transmission via the NR link in SIM1 while an active voice call is being performed on SIM2.

[0203] For example, in some implementations and as shown in 2002, a wireless device (e.g., a UE) may support MUSIM and include a first SIM (SIM1) in NSA DDS mode corresponding to an LTE connection with the MCG and an NR (mmWave) connection with the SCG. Furthermore, the UE may include a second SIM (SIM2) operating in LTE mode. Alternatively, in 2004, the UE may perform RF detuning operation on SIM2 corresponding to an LTE paging check.

[0204] Correspondingly, in 2006, the Tx / Rx resources of SIM1 could be disabled and could be further utilized by SIM2 in its NR branch by using a millimeter-wave antenna module with separate Tx / Rx functionality. Alternatively, in 2008, SIM2 could have active voice calls.

[0205] Therefore, in 2010a, the AP can notify the baseband that SIM2 has an active voice call. Alternatively, in 2010b, the UE can notify the gNB via MAC-CE or UCI to maintain the LTE RRC state for "x" minutes instead of releasing the RRC connection due to timeout. Accordingly, in 2010c, the gNB can forward this message to the eNB via the Xx-C interface, and in response, the eNB can optionally increment the RRC release timer by "x" minutes in 2010d.

[0206] In 2012, it can be determined whether the NR branch has an SRB3 interface. For example, in 2014a, if it is determined that the NR branch has an SRB3 interface, the UE can directly send NR Measurement Reports (MRs) to the gNB and can further maintain this NR branch even during mobility (e.g., roaming). Alternatively, in 2014b, if it is determined that the NR branch lacks an SRB3 interface, and therefore the UE cannot send measurement reports, the UE can notify the gNB that the RF connection is degraded and release the connection accordingly. For example, if the NR-RSRP reaches a level of -115dBm, the UE can notify the gNB to release the connection. In response, the gNB can also notify the eNB to release the RRC connection of the LTE branch.

[0207] In 2016, once a voice call in SIM2 has ended (e.g., disconnected) and the UE has performed RF tuning back to SIM1, the UE can notify the gNB that the MCG can become active in 2018a. Alternatively, in 2018b, the gNB can receive the changed PCI / EARFCN information and further transmit this information to the UE. Accordingly, the UE can then perform a system selection procedure for the SIM1 MCG in 2018c. Finally, in 2018d, the eNB can associate the RRC connection with the SCG to maintain the NR branch without interrupting and re-establishing the connection.

[0208] The SIM1 gNB can then transmit a message to the SIM1 eNB requesting SGNB modification. This message may include a validity timer indicating "x" seconds and an IE indicating that the UE context should be preserved. In response, the SIM1 eNB can transmit a message back to the SIM1 gNB confirming the SGNB modification, as shown in 1914. In 1916, the gNB can (via MAC-CE and / or DCI) notify the UE that all uplink / downlink (UL / DL) data can pass through the gNB via the NR branch.

[0209] Next, in 1918, the UE can transmit an RRC / NAS message to the eNB. This message instructs the eNB that the UE should perform RF detuning. Accordingly, in 1920, the UE can transmit an LTE-NAS message to the SIM1 gNB, which includes UEAssistanceInformation piggybacked on the SRB3. Furthermore, in 1922, after receiving the piggybacked information from the LTE NAS message from the UE, the gNB can subsequently transmit an RRC transmission message to the eNB. Accordingly, in 1924, the gNB can also send an RRCReconfiguration message piggybacked on the LTE-NAS message and an acknowledgment (ACK). Finally, in response to this and upon completion of the RRC transmission process, in 1926, the UE can transmit an RRCReconfiguration completion message to the gNB.

[0210] Detuning indication only for MCG to NW

[0211] In some implementations, a UE can be configured for MUSIM and have a first SIM (SIM1) supporting LTE and NR communications and a second SIM (SIM2) supporting LTE communications in IDLE state. Based on the DRX cycle of SIM2, the network may not schedule downlink data on SIM1. However, if the UE on SIM1 is performing an RF detuning process from the MCG branch, the network may still be able to utilize the SCG branch to schedule resources and transmit data to the UE. Therefore, it may be beneficial for the UE to indicate to the network that SIM1 is performing the RF detuning from the MCG branch.

[0212] Exemplary Implementation

[0213] Another exemplary embodiment may include a device comprising: an antenna; a radio component coupled to the antenna; and a processing element operatively coupled to the radio component, wherein the device is configured to implement any or all of the foregoing examples.

[0214] Another exemplary implementation may include a method comprising: performing any or all of the foregoing examples by a device.

[0215] Another implementation may include a non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium that, when executed at the device, causes the device to perform any or all of the instructions of any of the foregoing examples.

[0216] Another exemplary embodiment may include a computer program that includes instructions for performing any or all of the portions of any of the examples described above.

[0217] Another exemplary embodiment may include an apparatus that includes means for performing any or all of the elements of any of the foregoing examples.

[0218] Another exemplary embodiment may include an apparatus comprising a processing element configured to cause a wireless device to perform any or all of the elements of any of the foregoing examples.

[0219] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0220] 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.

[0221] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0222] In some implementations, the device (e.g., UE 106 or BS 102) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and wherein the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions, 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 of method implementations described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0223] 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 disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising: By using a first subscriber identity module (SIM), it connects to a first base station according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and connects to a second base station according to a second RAT; Connect to a third base station using a second SIM according to the first RAT; determine to enter connection mode using the second SIM according to the first RAT; In response to determining that the second SIM is used to enter the connection mode, it is determined whether there is an overlap between the operating frequency of the second RAT for the first SIM and the operating frequency of the first RAT for the second SIM; In response to determining that there is no overlap between the operating frequency of the second RAT for the first SIM and the operating frequency of the first RAT for the second SIM, when the second SIM is in connected mode, data communication is performed using the first SIM according to the second RAT.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection mode corresponds to a voice call performed on the second SIM.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to determining that there is an overlap between the operating frequency of the second RAT for the first SIM and the operating frequency of the first RAT for the second SIM, the first RAT for the first SIM is disabled; And when the second SIM is in connected mode, data communication is performed using the second SIM according to the first RAT.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when the second SIM is in connected mode, data communication is performed using the second SIM according to the first RAT corresponding to a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first SIM is a data default SIM (DDS) and the second SIM is a non-data default SIM (nDDS).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first SIM and the second SIM are supported by a modem of a user equipment (UE).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the stack of the DDS remains active, while the stack of the nDDS remains inactive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first SIM is configured to support a new radio-standalone (NR-SA) configuration.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: Determine whether one or more Data Default SIM (DDS) New Radio (NR) bands and one or more Non-Data Default SIM (nDDS) Long Term Evolution (LTE) bands are different.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the second SIM is in a connected mode, data communication is performed using the first SIM according to the second RAT corresponding to a dual SIM dual pass (DSDA) configuration.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to the expiration of the timer and after determining whether there is any overlap between the operating frequency of the second RAT for the first SIM and the operating frequency of the first RAT for the second SIM, one or more iterations of the method are performed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first SIM is associated with a first radio frequency (RF) front-end path, and the second SIM is associated with a second radio frequency (RF) front-end path.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first RF front-end path is associated with a first RF front-end, and the second RF front-end path is associated with a second RF front-end.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first RF front-end path is different from the second RF front-end path.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first RF front-end path is different from the second RF front-end path, allowing a user equipment (UE) to simultaneously obtain active access to both the first SIM and the second SIM when one of the first SIM and the second SIM is actively communicating using a New Radio-Standalone (NR-SA) configuration.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The default SIM (DDS) carrier for data is confirmed to support the new Radio-Standalone (NR-SA) configuration.

17. An apparatus comprising: A processor configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 when executing instructions stored in memory.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: A radio component that is operatively coupled to the processor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is a baseband processor.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that can be executed by one or more processors to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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