Energy efficiency, energy quality tags in mobile networks and consumer products

Abstract

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method, computer readable medium, and apparatus are provided. The method may be performed by a UE. In certain configurations, the UE receives one or more energy metrics from a network, the one or more energy metrics being used to indicate energy information for the network. And the UE determines a green level of a network resource based on the energy information of the network. And the UE selects a network resource from the network according to the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resource. The UE communicates with the selected network resource.

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 593,258, filed October 26, 2023 (titled “Energy Efficiency and Energy Quality Labels in Mobile Networks and Consumer Products”), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to communication systems, and more particularly to techniques for methods and apparatus for energy efficiency and energy quality labels in mobile networks and consumer products. Background Technology

[0004] The statements in this section provide only background information in relation to this disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0005] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services, such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems employ various multiple access technologies to support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0006] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the city, national, regional, and even global levels. An example of a telecommunications standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of the ongoing evolution of mobile broadband driven by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements related to latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., the Internet of Things (IoT)), and other needs. Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. Further improvements to 5G NR technology are still needed. These improvements can also be applied to other multiple access technologies and telecommunications standards that adopt them. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following content presents one or more aspects in a simplified manner to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not a comprehensive overview of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects, nor is it aimed at defining the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present certain concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description thereafter.

[0008] In one aspect of this disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The method can be performed by user equipment (UE). In some configurations, the UE receives one or more energy indicators from a network, the energy indicators indicating energy information of the network. Based on the energy information of the network, the UE determines a green level of network resources. The UE selects network resources from the network according to the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resources. The UE communicates with the selected network resources.

[0009] In another aspect of this disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The method can be performed by a base station. In some configurations, the base station sends one or more energy indicators to a UE, the energy indicators indicating energy information of a network represented by the base station. The base station receives an indication of selected network resources from the UE. The base station communicates with the UE using the selected network resources.

[0010] To achieve the foregoing and related objectives, one or more aspects include the features described in detail below and specifically pointed out in the claims. The following description and accompanying drawings illustrate certain exemplary features of one or more aspects. However, these features only illustrate a portion of how the principles of the various aspects can be applied, and this description is intended to cover all such aspects and their equivalents. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an example of a wireless communication system and access network.

[0012] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates an example of a base station communicating with a UE in an access network.

[0013] Figure 3 An example logical architecture for a distributed access network is shown.

[0014] Figure 4 An example physical architecture of a distributed access network is shown.

[0015] Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a time slot example centered around DL.

[0016] Figure 6 The illustration shows an example of a UL-centric time slot.

[0017] Figure 7 The diagram illustrates an example flow between the UE and the network.

[0018] Figure 8 The diagram illustrates an example process where a UE provides an energy efficiency label and selects network resources from multiple base stations.

[0019] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the UE wireless communication method (process).

[0020] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the base station wireless communication method (process). Detailed Implementation

[0021] The detailed description below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended to describe various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configuration in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, those skilled in the art will understand that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some cases, to avoid obscuring these concepts, known structures and components are shown in block diagram form.

[0022] Several aspects of telecommunications systems will now be introduced in conjunction with various apparatuses and methods. These apparatuses and methods will be described in detail below and illustrated with accompanying drawings as various modules, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether an element is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0023] For example, an element, any part of an element, or any combination of elements can be implemented as a "processing system" comprising one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, systems on a chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other hardware suitable for performing the various functions described in this disclosure. One or more processors in a processing system can execute software. Software should be broadly understood as instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., regardless of whether it is called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other names.

[0024] Therefore, in one or more examples, the functionality can be implemented by hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality can be stored or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage media can be any available medium accessible to a computer. For example, but not limited to, such computer-readable media can include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of computer-readable media of the above types, or any medium that can be used to store computer-executable code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless communication system and access network 100. The wireless communication system (also known as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) includes a base station 102, user equipment (UE) 104, an evolved packet core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (e.g., a 5G core (5GC)). Base station 102 may include macrocells (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cells (low-power cellular base stations). Macrocells include base stations. Small cells include femtocells, picocells, and microcells.

[0026] Base station 102 configured as 4G LTE (collectively referred to as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) can interface with EPC 160 via backhaul link 132 (e.g., SI interface). Base station 102 configured as 5G NR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) can interface with core network 190 via backhaul link 184. In addition to other functions, base station 102 may perform one or more of the following functions: user data transmission, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, non-access stratum (NAS) message distribution, NAS node selection, synchronization, radio access network (RAN) sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), user and device tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, location, and warning message delivery. Base station 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC 160 or core network 190) via backhaul link 134 (e.g., X2 interface). Backhaul link 134 may be wired or wireless.

[0027] Base station 102 can wirelessly communicate with UE 104. Each base station 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. Overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 may exist. For example, small cell 102' may have coverage area 110', which overlaps with the coverage areas 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network containing small cells and macro cells can be referred to as a heterogeneous network. Heterogeneous networks may also include Evolved Node B (eNB) (HeNB), which can provide services to a restricted group called a closed subscriber group (CSG). The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (UL) (also known as reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also known as forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. Communication link 120 may employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link can be implemented using one or more carriers. Base station 102 / UE 104 may use a maximum bandwidth of 7 MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400 MHz, etc.) allocated to each carrier, with a total transmission bandwidth of Y x MHz (x component carriers) for each direction in carrier aggregation. Carriers may be adjacent or non-adjacent. Carrier allocation may be asymmetrical in the DL and UL directions (e.g., more or fewer carriers allocated to DL than UL). Component carriers may include primary component carriers and one or more auxiliary component carriers. The primary component carrier may be referred to as the primary cell (PCell), and the auxiliary component carriers may be referred to as secondary cells (SCells).

[0028] Some UEs 104 can communicate with each other via device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. D2D communication link 158 can use DL / UL WWAN spectrum. D2D communication link 158 can use one or more sidelink channels, such as physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), and physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). D2D communication can be implemented through various wireless D2D communication systems, such as FlashLinQ, WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, LTE, or NR.

[0029] The wireless communication system may also include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150 that communicates with the Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in the 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum. During unlicensed spectrum communication, the STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) before communication to determine channel availability.

[0030] Cell 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, Cell 102' can employ NR and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum as Wi-Fi AP 150. Employing NR in unlicensed spectrum can improve the coverage and / or increase the capacity of the access network.

[0031] Base station 102 (whether it's a small cell 102' or a large / small cell (e.g., a macro base station)) may include an eNB, gNodeB (gNB), or other types of base stations. Some base stations (such as gNB 180) can communicate with UE 104 in conventional sub-6 GHz bands, millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies, and / or near mmW frequencies. When gNB 180 operates at millimeter wave or near mmW frequencies, gNB 180 can be referred to as a millimeter wave base station. Extremely high frequency (EHF) belongs to the radio frequency (RF) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF ranges from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, with wavelengths between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this band can be referred to as millimeter waves. Near mmW can extend down to 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 mm. Super high frequency (SHF) bands range from 3 GHz to 30 GHz, also known as centimeter waves. Communication using millimeter-wave / near-millimeter-wave radio frequency bands (e.g., 3 GHz-300 GHz) suffers from extremely high path loss and short range. Millimeter-wave base station 180 can use beamforming 182 to communicate with UE 104 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range.

[0032] Base station 180 can transmit beamforming signals to UE 104 in one or more transmit directions 108a. UE 104 can receive beamforming signals from base station 180 in one or more receive directions 108b. UE 104 can also transmit beamforming signals to base station 180 in one or more transmit directions. Base station 180 can receive beamforming signals from UE 104 in one or more receive directions. Base station 180 / UE 104 can perform beamforming training to determine the optimal receive and transmit directions for each base station 180 / UE 104. The transmit and receive directions of base station 180 can be the same or different. The transmit and receive directions of UE 104 can be the same or different.

[0033] EPC 160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, a Serving Gateway 166, a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. MME 162 can communicate with the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. MME 162 is the control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and EPC 160. Typically, MME 162 provides bearer and connection management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are transmitted through the Serving Gateway 166, which is itself connected to the PDN Gateway 172. The PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. The PDN Gateway 172 and BM-SC 170 are connected to the IP service 176. IP service 176 may include the Internet, intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Packet Switched Streaming Service (PS Streaming Service), and / or other IP services. BM-SC 170 can provide functions for configuring and delivering MBMS user services. BM-SC 170 can serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, can be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a public land mobile network (PLMN), and can be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. MBMS gateway 168 can be used to distribute MBMS traffic to base station 102 belonging to a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area, broadcast specific services, and can be responsible for session management (start / stop) and collecting billing information related to Enhanced MBMS (eMBMS).

[0034] The core network 190 may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, a location management function (LMF) 198, a Session Management Function (SMF) 194, and a User Plane Function (UPF) 195. The AMF 192 can communicate with the Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. The AMF 192 is the control node that handles signaling between the UE 104 and the core network 190. Typically, the SMF 194 provides QoS flow and session management. All user IP packets are transmitted through the UPF 195. The UPF 195 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. The UPF 195 connects to an IP service 197. The IP service 197 may include the Internet, intranet, IMS, packet-switched streaming services, and / or other IP services.

[0035] A base station may also be referred to as a gNB, Node B, eNB, access point, base transceiver, wireless base station, wireless transceiver, transceiver function, basic service set (BSS), extended service set (ESS), transmit reception point (TRP), or other suitable terms. Base station 102 provides UE 104 with an access point to EPC 160 or core network 190. Examples of UE 104 include cellular phones, smartphones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite radios, GPS devices, multimedia devices, video devices, digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, tablets, smart devices, wearable devices, vehicles, electricity meters, gas pumps, large or small kitchen appliances, medical devices, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other similarly functional device. Some UE 104 devices may be referred to as IoT devices (e.g., parking meters, gas pumps, toasters, vehicles, heart monitors, etc.). UE 104 may also be referred to as a station, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber cell, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handheld device, user agent, mobile client, client, or other suitable terms.

[0036] Although this disclosure may relate to 5G NR, it is also applicable to other similar fields, such as LTE, EPS, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or other radio / frequency access technologies.

[0037] Figure 2This is a block diagram illustrating communication between base station 210 and UE 250 in the access network. In the DL, IP packets from EPC 160 can be provided to controller / processor 275. Controller / processor 275 implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions. Layer 3 includes the radio resource control (RRC) layer, and Layer 2 includes the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, and medium access control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 275 provides RRC layer functions related to system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) broadcasting, RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration of UE measurement reports; PDCP layer functions related to header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functions related to upper-layer packet data units (PDU) transmission, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions related to mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs on transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority handling, and logical channel priority.

[0038] The transmit (TX) processor 216 and receive (RX) processor 270 implement Layer 1 functions related to various signal processing functions. Layer 1 (including the physical (PHY) layer) may include error detection of the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. The TX processor 216 processes the mapping to signal constellations according to various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), and M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The encoded, decoded, and modulated symbols can then be split into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to an OFDM subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot) in the time and / or frequency domains, and then combined using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to generate a physical channel carrying the time-domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM streams undergo spatial pre-coding / decoding to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from channel estimator 274 can be used to determine the encoding / decoding and modulation schemes, as well as spatial processing. The channel estimates can be derived from the reference signal and / or channel state feedback transmitted by UE 250. Each spatial stream can then be provided to different antennas 220 via a separate transmitter 218TX. Each transmitter 218TX can be transmitted using an RF carrier modulated with the corresponding spatial stream.

[0039] At UE 250, each receiver 254RX receives signals through its corresponding antenna 252. Each receiver 254RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to the RX processor 256. The TX processor 268 and RX processor 256 implement Layer 1 functions related to various signal processing functions. The RX processor 256 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial stream directed towards UE 250. If multiple spatial streams are directed towards UE 250, they can be merged into a single OFDM symbol stream by the RX processor 256. The RX processor 256 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal consists of a separate OFDM symbol stream for each OFDM signal subcarrier. The symbols on each subcarrier, along with the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most probable signal constellation point transmitted by base station 210. These soft decisions can be based on channel estimates calculated by channel estimator 258. The soft decision is then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals initially transmitted by base station 210 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to controller / processor 259, which implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions.

[0040] Controller / processor 259 may be associated with memory 260, which stores program code and data. Memory 260 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In UL, controller / processor 259 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from EPC 160. Controller / processor 259 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0041] Similar to the functions described in the DL transmission of base station 210, controller / processor 259 provides RRC layer functions related to system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions related to header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions related to upper-layer PDU transmission, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions related to mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs to TBs, demultiplexing of MAC SDUs from TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel priority.

[0042] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator 258 from the reference signal or feedback sent by the base station 210 can be used by the TX processor 268 to select a suitable encoding / decoding and modulation scheme and facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 268 can be provided to different antennas 252 via individual transmitters 254TX. Each transmitter 254TX can be transmitted using the corresponding spatial stream modulated on an RF carrier. The uplink transmission is processed at the base station 210 in a manner similar to that described in relation to the UE 250 receiving function. Each receiver 218RX receives the signal through its corresponding antenna 220. Each receiver 218RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to the RX processor 270.

[0043] Controller / processor 275 may be associated with memory 276, which stores program code and data. Memory 276 may be referred to as computer-readable medium. In the uplink, controller / processor 275 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between transport and logical channels to recover IP packets from UE 250. IP packets from controller / processor 275 may be provided to EPC 160. Controller / processor 275 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0044] NR can refer to a radio configured to operate under a new air interface (e.g., an air interface not based on Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiple Access (OFDMA)) or a fixed transport layer (e.g., non-IP). NR can utilize OFDM with a cyclic prefix (CP) in both uplink and downlink, and may include support for half-duplex operation using time division duplexing (TDD). NR can include mission-critical services such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) for wide bandwidth (e.g., above 80 MHz), mmW for high carrier frequencies (e.g., 60 GHz), massive MTC (mMTC) for non-backward-compatible MTC technologies, and / or ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) services.

[0045] It can support a single component carrier bandwidth of 100 MHz. In one example, an NR resource block (RB) can span 12 subcarriers with a subcarrier bandwidth of 60 kHz for 0.25 ms, or a bandwidth of 30 kHz for 0.5 ms (similarly, a 15 kHz sub-carrier space (SCS) has a bandwidth of 50 MHz for 1 ms). Each radio frame can consist of 10 subframes (10, 20, 40, or 80 NR slots) with a length of 10 ms. Each slot can indicate the link direction of data transmission (i.e., DL or UL), and the link direction of each slot can be dynamically switched. Each slot can include DL / UL data and DL / UL control data. NR UL and DL slots can be configured as follows: Figure 5 and Figure 6 The detailed description is as follows.

[0046] NRRAN can include a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). An NR base station (BS) (e.g., gNB, 5G Node B, Node B, TRP, AP) can correspond to one or more base stations. An NR cell can be configured as an access cell (ACell) or a data-only cell (DCell). For example, a radio access network (e.g., a central unit or a distributed unit) can configure cells. A DCell can be used for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity and may not be used for initial access, cell selection / reselection, or handover. In some cases, a DCell may not transmit a synchronization signal (SS); in others, it may transmit an SS. The NR base station can transmit downlink signals to the UE indicating the cell type. Based on the cell type indication, the UE can communicate with the NR base station. For example, the UE can determine the NR base station to consider for cell selection, access, handover, and / or measurement based on the indicated cell type.

[0047] Figure 3An example logical architecture of a distributed RAN 300 is shown according to relevant aspects of this disclosure. A 5G access node 306 may include an access node controller (ANC) 302. The ANC may be a CU of the distributed RAN. The backhaul interface to the next-generation core network (NG-CN) 304 may terminate at the ANC. The backhaul interface to neighboring next-generation access nodes (NG-AN) 310 may terminate at the ANC. The ANC may include one or more TRPs 308 (also referred to as BS, New Radio Base Station (NR BS), Node B, 5G NB, AP, or other terms). As mentioned above, TRP can be used interchangeably with "cell".

[0048] TRP 308 can be a DU. A TRP can connect to one ANC (ANC 302) or multiple ANCs (not shown). For example, for RAN sharing, radio as a service (RaaS), and service-specific ANC deployments, a TRP can connect to multiple ANCs. A TRP may include one or more antenna ports. A TRP can be configured to provide services to the UE individually (e.g., dynamically selected) or jointly (e.g., jointly transmitted).

[0049] The local architecture of the distributed RAN 300 can be used to illustrate the fronthaul definition. This architecture can be defined to support fronthaul solutions for different deployment types. For example, the architecture can be based on transport network capabilities (e.g., bandwidth, latency, and / or jitter). The architecture can share features and / or components with LTE. Depending on the relevant aspects, the NG-AN 310 can support dual connectivity with NR. The NG-AN can share a common fronthaul for both LTE and NR.

[0050] This architecture enables collaboration between and within TRPs 308. For example, collaboration can be pre-defined within a TRP and / or implemented across TRPs via ANC 302. Depending on the relevant parties, inter-TRP interfaces may be unnecessary or nonexistent.

[0051] According to relevant sources, the architecture of the distributed RAN 300 allows for dynamic configuration with logical function partitioning. PDCP, RLC, and MAC protocols can be adaptively placed in the ANC or TRP.

[0052] Figure 4An example physical architecture of the distributed RAN 400 is illustrated according to relevant aspects of this disclosure. A centralized core network unit (C-CU) 402 can carry core network functions. The C-CU can be centrally deployed. C-CU functions can be offloaded (e.g., to advanced wireless services (AWS)) to handle peak capacity. A centralized RAN unit (C-RU) 404 can carry one or more ANC functions. Optionally, the C-RU can carry core network functions locally. The C-RU can be distributed. The C-RU can be closer to the network edge. A DU 406 can carry one or more TRPs. The DU can be located at the network edge and have RF capabilities.

[0053] Figure 5 Figure 500 illustrates an example of a DL-centered timeslot. A DL-centered timeslot may include a control section 502. The control section 502 may exist in the initial or beginning portion of the DL-centered timeslot. The control section 502 may include various scheduling and / or control information corresponding to different portions of the DL-centered timeslot. In some configurations, the control section 502 may be a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), such as... Figure 5 As shown. The DL-centric time slot may also include a DL data portion 504. The DL data portion 504 may sometimes be referred to as the payload of the DL-centric time slot. The DL data portion 504 may include communication resources used to transmit DL data from a scheduling entity (e.g., a UE or BS) to a subordinate entity (e.g., a UE). In some configurations, the DL data portion 504 may be a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0054] The DL-centric time slot may also include a general UL section 506. The general UL section 506 may sometimes be referred to as a UL burst, a general UL burst, and / or other appropriate terms. The general UL section 506 may include feedback information corresponding to the various parts of the DL-centric time slot. For example, the general UL section 506 may include feedback information corresponding to the control section 502. Non-limiting examples of feedback information include ACK signals, NACK signals, HARQ indicators, and / or other appropriate types of information. The general UL section 506 may include additional or alternative information, such as information related to random access channel (RACH) procedures, scheduling requests (SR), and other appropriate types of information.

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown, the end of the DL data section 504 can be time-separated from the start of the general UL section 506. This time separation may sometimes be referred to as a gap, protection period, protection interval, and / or other appropriate terms. This separation provides time for the switch from DL communication (e.g., a receiving operation of a subordinate entity (e.g., a UE)) to UL communication (e.g., a transmitting operation of a subordinate entity (e.g., a UE)). Those skilled in the art will understand that the above is merely one example of a DL-centric time slot, and alternative structures with similar characteristics may exist without departing from the relevant aspects described herein.

[0056] Figure 6 Figure 600 illustrates an example of a UL-centered time slot. A UL-centered time slot may include a control section 602. The control section 602 may be present at the beginning or start portion of the UL-centered time slot. Figure 6 The control section 602 in the above reference can be used as a reference. Figure 5 The control section 502 is described similarly. The UL-centric time slot may also include a UL data section 604. The UL data section 604 may sometimes be referred to as the payload of the UL-centric time slot. The UL section may refer to the communication resources used by a subordinate entity (e.g., UE) to a scheduling entity (e.g., UE or BS) to transmit UL data. In some configurations, the control section 602 may be a PDCCH.

[0057] like Figure 6 As shown, the end of control section 602 can be time-separated from the start of UL data section 604. This time separation may sometimes be referred to as a gap, protection cycle, protection interval, and / or other appropriate terms. This separation provides time for switching from DL communication (e.g., a receiving operation of a scheduling entity) to UL communication (e.g., a transmitting operation of a scheduling entity). UL-centric time slots may also include general UL section 606. Figure 6 The general UL section 606 in the document can be referenced above. Figure 5 The general UL section 506 described is similar. General UL section 606 may also include or replace information relating to channel quality indicators (CQI), sounding reference signals (SRS), and other suitable types of information. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above is merely an example of a UL-centric time slot, and alternative structures with similar characteristics may exist without departing from the relevant aspects described herein.

[0058] In some cases, two or more dependent entities (e.g., UEs) can communicate using sidelink signaling. Practical applications of this type of sidelink communication include public safety, proximity services, UE-to-network relay, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, Internet of Everything (IoE) communication, IoT communication, mission-critical mesh networks, and / or other suitable applications. Generally, sidelink signaling can refer to a signal transmitted from one dependent entity (e.g., UE1) to another dependent entity (e.g., UE2) without relaying the communication through a scheduling entity (e.g., UE or BS), although the scheduling entity may be used for scheduling and / or control purposes. In some examples, sidelink signaling can communicate using licensed spectrum (unlike wireless LANs that typically use unlicensed spectrum).

[0059] In the European Union (EU), energy labeling requirements are already in effect for a wide range of products, and the European Commission will continue to adopt energy labeling authorization regulations alongside ecodesign regulations. Specifically, energy labeling helps consumers choose energy-efficient products. The EU Renewable Energy Directive aims to create energy-efficient and circular energy systems based on renewable energy sources and to promote the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels (including hydrogen) in areas where electrification is not yet feasible.

[0060] Currently, energy-conscious and informed consumers are willing to pay more for products known to be "green." On the other hand, operators and network providers will be more interested in building a "green" ecosystem if they can advertise "green options" for consumers to choose from, and consumers are willing to pay for them. However, under existing standards, users or consumers using mobile phones (e.g., UEs or applications within the phone) cannot choose "green" products (e.g., services or applications) that help save energy or are based on renewable or low-carbon energy sources.

[0061] Therefore, certain aspects of this disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for providing energy efficiency and energy quality labels in mobile networks and consumer products.

[0062] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates an example flow between a user equipment (UE) and a network. Specifically, in flow 700, UE 710 is a "green" product, and base station 720 represents a "green" network providing corresponding network resources that meet energy efficiency requirements or low-carbon or renewable energy level requirements. In operation 730, UE 710 is provided with an energy configuration having a green level. In some configurations, the energy configuration may include the UE's green level and the corresponding green levels for multiple applications within the UE. In some configurations, the energy configuration may be pre-configured by the UE's manufacturer or operator to indicate the preferred / required green level of the network resources used by the UE. In some configurations, the energy configuration may be determined based on user input, allowing a user (e.g., a consumer) to configure / select the desired / required green level of the network resources.

[0063] In operation 740, base station 720 is provided with multiple energy indicators to indicate energy information of network resources of the network represented by base station 720. Subsequently, base station 720 sends energy indicators 750 to UE 710, enabling UE 710 to identify the network's energy information. Specifically, each energy indicator may be an energy efficiency indicator (e.g., an energy label indicator / identifier) ​​or a low-carbon or renewable energy level (or energy quality) indicator. Specifically, the network resources provided by the network may include cells or base stations, one or more tracking areas, one or more registration areas, one or more PLMNs, one or more slices, and / or other user or UE-selectable network resources. In some configurations, each energy indicator may be a cell-level indicator, a tracking area-level indicator, a registration area-level indicator, a PLMN-level indicator, a slice-level indicator, or a user or UE-selectable network resource-level indicator.

[0064] Upon receiving the energy index, in operation 760, UE 710 determines the green level of network resources from the network based on the network's energy information. In operation 770, UE 710 selects network resources provided by the network according to the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resources. In some configurations, the energy configuration may include the UE's green level and the corresponding green levels of multiple applications in the UE. Specifically, UE 710 selects network resources with energy information that meets the preferred / desired green level of the UE / application by comparing the UE's green level of the desired network resources and / or the green level of each application in the UE with the energy information provided in the energy index. In operation 780, UE 710 communicates with base station 720 using the selected network resources.

[0065] In some configurations, the UE 710 may also provide a certificate or energy label for the UE or applications within it. This certificate or energy label indicates that the UE or application is energy-efficient or powered by low-carbon or renewable energy sources, or has the capability and willingness to use energy-efficient or low-carbon or renewable energy-powered network resources. Specifically, the certificate or energy label can be a generic certificate / energy label defined in the standard, enabling users / consumers to easily identify the UE or application as a green product. For example, a green energy label can be defined in the standard, allowing product (e.g., UE or application) manufacturers / operators to include the green energy label in the product description, making it visible to users / consumers within the product description.

[0066] Figure 8 This is an example flowchart illustrating a UE providing an energy efficiency label and selecting network resources from multiple base stations. Specifically, in procedure 800, UE 802 (e.g., UE 710) may communicate with multiple base stations 804 and 806 (e.g., base station 720), which represent multiple networks. In operation 810, UE 710 provides a certificate or energy label for the UE or an application within the UE, indicating that the UE or application is energy-efficient or powered by low-carbon or renewable energy sources, or has the capability and willingness to use desired network resources that are energy-efficient or powered by low-carbon or renewable energy sources. In operation 820, the UE receives an energy configuration. Specifically, the energy configuration may be pre-configured by the UE's manufacturer or operator, or may be determined based on user input. In operation 830, UE 802 receives an energy indicator from base station 804. In operation 840, UE 802 receives an energy indicator from base station 806. In operation 850, UE 802 determines the green level of the networks represented by base stations 804 and 806 based on energy metrics received from base stations 804 and 806, respectively, and selects network resources from these networks (i.e., base stations 804 and 806) according to the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resources. In operation 860, UE 802 communicates with the network represented by base station 804 (e.g., cell, tracking area, registration area, PLMN, slice, or user or UE-selectable network resource) using the selected network resources. In operation 870, UE 802 communicates with the network represented by base station 806 (e.g., cell, tracking area, registration area, PLMN, slice, or user or UE-selectable network resource) using the selected network resources. For example, UE 802 may be a dual-access device, capable of communicating with two networks and selecting network resources from both networks (e.g., cell / base station, tracking area, registration area, PLMN, slice, user or UE-selectable network resource, etc.), enabling UE 802 or applications in UE 802 to communicate with the network resources of both networks.

[0067] In some configurations, the green level of the UE may be different from the corresponding green level of each application in the UE, enabling the UE to select different network resources from the network based on the different green levels of the UE and / or applications.

[0068] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of a wireless communication method (procedure) for a user equipment. This method can be performed by a UE (e.g., UE 710 or 802). In procedure 910, the UE receives one or more energy indicators from the network, which are used to indicate the network's energy information. In procedure 920, the UE determines the green level of network resources based on the network's energy information. In procedure 930, the UE selects network resources from the network according to the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resources. In procedure 940, the UE communicates with the selected network resources. Optionally, in procedure 950, the UE provides a certificate or energy tag for the UE or an application within the UE, indicating that the UE or application is energy-efficient or driven by low-carbon or renewable energy sources, or has the capability and willingness to use desired network resources that are energy-efficient or driven by low-carbon or renewable energy sources.

[0069] In some embodiments, the UE may also determine the corresponding green level for each of multiple applications within the UE based on energy configuration. The UE then selects network resources provided by the network for each application based on energy metrics and the corresponding green level.

[0070] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a base station wireless communication method (procedure). This method can be performed by a base station (e.g., gNB, base station 720, 804, or 806). In procedure 1010, the base station sends one or more energy indicators to the UE, the energy indicators indicating energy information of the network represented by the base station. In procedure 1020, the base station receives an indication of selected network resources from the UE. In procedure 1030, the base station communicates with the UE using the selected network resources.

[0071] In some embodiments, each of the one or more energy indicators is an energy efficiency indicator, a low-carbon indicator, an energy quality indicator, or a renewable energy level indicator.

[0072] In some embodiments, each of the one or more energy metrics is a cell-level metric, a tracking area-level metric, a registration area-level metric, a PLMN-level metric, a slice-level metric, or a user- or UE-selectable network resource-level metric.

[0073] In some embodiments, the network resources provided by the network include at least one of the following: a cell or base station, one or more tracking areas, one or more registration areas, one or more PLMNs, one or more slices, and / or other user or UE-selectable network resources.

[0074] In some embodiments, the energy configuration is pre-configured by the UE's manufacturer or operator.

[0075] In some embodiments, the energy configuration is determined based on user input.

[0076] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed process / flowchart is merely exemplary. Depending on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process / flowchart may be rearranged. Furthermore, certain blocks may be combined or omitted. The appended method claims present the elements of each block in an exemplary order and are not intended to limit the specific order or hierarchy shown.

[0077] The foregoing description is intended to enable those skilled in the art to implement the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to limit the aspects shown herein, but should be given the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein a singular reference to an element does not mean “only one” unless explicitly stated otherwise, but rather “one or more.” The term “exemplary” as used herein means “as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other aspects. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the term “some” means one or more. Combinations such as “at least one A, B, or C,” “one or more A, B, or C,” “at least one A, B, and C,” “one or more A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one A, B, or C,” “one or more A, B, or C,” “at least one A, B, and C,” “one or more A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” can be only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C, wherein any such combination may contain one or more members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements of the various aspects described herein, whether known or subsequently known to those skilled in the art, are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be offered to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly recited in the claims. The terms “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” “device,” etc., are not substitutes for the word “means.” Therefore, no element of a claim should be construed as means plus function unless the element expressly uses the phrase “means for…”.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method for a user equipment, comprising: Receive one or more energy indicators from the network, the one or more energy indicators being used to indicate the energy information of the network; Based on the energy information of the network, the green level of the network resources is determined; Network resources are selected from the network based on the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resources; as well as Communicate with the selected network resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more energy indices is: Energy efficiency indicators Low carbon indicators Energy quality indicators, or Renewable energy rating indicators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more energy indicators is a cell-level indicator, a tracking area-level indicator, a registration area-level indicator, a public terrestrial mobile network-level indicator, a slice-level indicator, or a user or user equipment optional network resource-level indicator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources provided by the network include at least one of the following: Cell or base station One or more tracking areas One or more registration areas, One or more public terrestrial mobile networks, One or more slices, and One or more users or user devices can choose network resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy configuration is pre-configured by the manufacturer or operator of the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the energy configuration is determined based on user input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Based on the energy information of the network, the corresponding green level of each of the multiple applications in the user equipment is determined; as well as Based on the energy configuration and the corresponding green level, select the network resource from the network for each of the plurality of applications.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Provide a certificate or energy tag for the user equipment or the application in the user equipment, the certificate or the energy tag indicating that the user equipment or the application is energy-efficient or driven by low-carbon or renewable energy, or has the ability and willingness to use the network resources that are expected to be energy-efficient or driven by low-carbon or renewable energy.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus being a user equipment, comprising: Memory; as well as At least one processor, coupled to the memory, is configured to: Receive one or more energy indicators from the network, the one or more energy indicators being used to indicate the energy information of the network; Based on the energy information of the network, the green level of the network resources is determined; Network resources are selected from the network based on the energy configuration and the determined green level of the network resources; as well as Communicate with the selected network resources.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more energy parameters is: Energy efficiency indicators Low carbon indicators Energy quality indicators, or Renewable energy rating indicators.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the network resources provided by the network include at least one of the following: Cell or base station One or more tracking areas One or more registration areas, One or more public terrestrial mobile networks, One or more slices, and One or more users or user devices can choose network resources.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the one or more energy indicators is a cell-level indicator, a tracking area-level indicator, a registration area-level indicator, a public terrestrial mobile network-level indicator, a slice-level indicator, or a user or user equipment optional network resource-level indicator.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the energy configuration is pre-configured by the manufacturer or operator of the user equipment.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the energy configuration is determined based on user input.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: Based on the energy information of the network, determine the corresponding green level for each of the multiple applications in the user equipment; and Based on the energy configuration and the corresponding green level, the network resources are selected from the network for each of the plurality of applications.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: Provide a certificate or energy tag for the user equipment or the application in the user equipment, the certificate or the energy tag indicating that the user equipment or the application is energy-efficient or driven by low-carbon or renewable energy, or has the ability and willingness to use the network resources that are expected to be energy-efficient or driven by low-carbon or renewable energy.

17. A wireless communication method for a base station, comprising: Send one or more energy indicators to the user equipment, the one or more energy indicators being used to indicate energy information of the network represented by the base station; Receive an indication of the selected network resources from the user equipment; as well as Use the selected network resources to communicate with the user equipment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more energy indices is: Energy efficiency indicators Low carbon indicators Energy quality indicators, or Renewable energy rating indicators.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the one or more energy indicators is a cell-level indicator, a tracking area-level indicator, a registration area-level indicator, a public terrestrial mobile network-level indicator, a slice-level indicator, or a user or user equipment optional network resource-level indicator.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selected network resources provided by the network include at least one of the following: Cell or base station One or more tracking areas One or more registration areas, One or more public terrestrial mobile networks, One or more slices, and One or more users or user devices can choose network resources.

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