Method and apparatus for secondary cell operation without synchronization signal block in mobile communication

Abstract

Various solutions for synchronization signal block (SSB) free secondary cell (SCell) operation in carrier aggregation (CA) are described. An apparatus can receive a SCell configuration from a primary cell (PCell). The SCell configuration can indicate that a SCell is operating without an SSB. The apparatus can also receive signaling from the PCell. The signaling can indicate an activation of the first SCell. The apparatus can then determine a reference cell to provide a timing reference and an automatic gain control (AGC) source for the first SCell.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing This invention is part of a non-provisional application claiming priority interest, US Application No. 63 / 595777, filed on November 3, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention generally relates to mobile communications, and more specifically, to the operation of secondary cells (SCells) without synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in mobile communications. Background Technology

[0003] Unless otherwise stated, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below, nor are they considered prior art simply because they are included in this section.

[0004] In fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR), multi-link operation is supported to improve the system capacity and transmission efficiency of the communication system. Multi-link operation can be achieved through carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC), where additional links are used to increase the amount of data that can be transmitted and received to and from user equipment (UE). UE can be configured with multiple radio links (e.g., component carriers (CCs)) and can connect to multiple base stations (BSs) (e.g., serving cells). Under the CA framework of 5G NR, a CC is associated with a cell, and each cell broadcasts its synchronization signal block (SSB) (i.e., the synchronization / physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block) so that the UE can perform initial cell discovery and synchronization. To reduce SSB overhead and improve network energy efficiency, the concept of SSB-less SCell was introduced in version 15 of the Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). This allows target SCells to not perform SSB transmissions, but only in scenarios where contiguous carrier aggregation (CCA) is performed in the same frequency band (FR1) or frequency band (FR2) and the base stations are co-located.

[0005] Subsequently, in 3GPP Release 18, it was envisioned that the concept of an SSB-free SCell be extended to scenarios involving FR1 cross-band CA and co-located base stations. However, when the target SCell (i.e., the SSB-free SCell) has no SSBs, the UE struggles to determine the timing and power gain control of the SSB-free SCell during cross-band CA operations. Therefore, an appropriate solution is needed to address this issue. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following abstract is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be restrictive. That is, the abstract aims to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Detailed descriptions will follow. Therefore, the following abstract is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor to determine its scope.

[0007] One objective of this disclosure is to provide schemes, concepts, designs, systems, methods, and apparatus related to auxiliary cell (SCell) operation with no synchronization signal block (SSB) in mobile communications. It is believed that by implementing one or more of the schemes proposed herein, the aforementioned problems can be avoided or mitigated.

[0008] In one aspect, a method may involve receiving a secondary cell (SCell) configuration from a primary cell (PCell), wherein the SCell configuration instructs a first SCell to operate in the absence of a synchronization signal block (SSB). The method may also involve receiving signaling from the PCell, wherein the signaling instructs activation of the first SCell. The method may further involve determining a reference cell by the device to provide a timing reference and automatic gain control (AGC) source for the first SCell.

[0009] In one aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver that wirelessly communicates with a primary cell PCell and one or more secondary cell SCells during operation. The apparatus may also include a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. During operation, operations that the processor may perform include receiving, via the transceiver, an SCell configuration from the PCell, wherein the SCell configuration instructs a first SCell to operate without a synchronization signal block (SSB). Further operations that the processor may perform include receiving, via the transceiver, signaling from the PCell, wherein the signaling indicates activation of the first SCell. Further operations that the processor may perform include determining a reference cell to provide a timing reference and automatic gain control (AGC) source for the first SCell.

[0010] In one aspect, a method may involve sending a secondary cell (SCell) configuration from a network node constituting a primary cell (PCell) to a device, wherein the SCell configuration instructs a first SCell to operate without a synchronization signal block (SSB) and includes a reference cell indicator indicating a reference cell for the first SCell. The method may also involve sending signaling from the device to the device, wherein the signaling indicates activation of the first SCell.

[0011] It is worth noting that although the description herein may be made in the context of certain wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, 5G, New Radio (NR), Internet of Things (IoT) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), B5G, and 6G), the proposed concepts, schemes, and any variations or derivatives thereof can be implemented in other types of wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this invention. The drawings depict embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is understood that, in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some components shown may be depicted at a scale greater than that in the actual embodiments.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the communication environment in which various solutions and schemes of this disclosure can be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating SSB-free SCell operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a reference cell of an SSB-free SCell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a block diagram describing an example communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a flowchart describing an example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a flowchart describing another example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This document discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter, which can be implemented in various forms. The invention can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these various exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided so that the description of the invention is comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and technologies may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0020] Overview Embodiments of the present invention relate to various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions related to auxiliary cell (SCell) operation with no synchronization signal block (SSB) in mobile communications. According to the present invention, multiple possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions may be described individually below, two or more of these possible solutions may be implemented in one combination or another.

[0021] In 3GPP Release 18, it is envisioned that the concept of SSB-free SCells be extended to scenarios involving (FR1) cross-band carrier aggregation (CA) and co-located base stations (BS). When the target SCell (i.e., the SSB-free SCell) lacks an SSB, the UE may require a reference (e.g., a reference cell) to determine the timing of the SSB-free SCell and its power gain control during cross-band CA operations. However, the details regarding SSB-free SCell operations in cross-band CA have not been fully discussed, and several issues need to be addressed. For example, one issue concerns how to select a reference cell for cross-band SSB-free SCells. Another issue concerns how to select the reference SSB of the reference cell as a benchmark for the timing and power gain control of the SSB-free SCell.

[0022] In view of the above, this disclosure proposes several schemes related to SSB-free SCell operation in mobile communications, aiming to solve the aforementioned problems. Under the first scheme proposed in this disclosure, the reference cell for a cross-frequency band SSB-free SCell can be determined by explicit signaling indication on the network side (e.g., a reference cell indicator carried in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message) or by a certain assumption on the UE side (e.g., assuming a quasi-co-located QCL-type C source cell). The reference cell can be the primary cell (PCell), the (active) primary auxiliary cell group (SCG) cell (PSCell), or an active SCell in the same timing alignment group (TAG) as the SSB-free SCell. For example, an active SCell can be any SCell within the same TAG, or the SCell with the smallest SCell ID, or the SCell that most recently received the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and the most recently monitored Control Resource Set (CORESET) in the Active Bandwidth Part (BWP), or the SCell configured in the SSB-free SCell's QCL information or Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) information (i.e., the QCL source cell). Under the second scheme proposed in this disclosure, the reference SSB of the reference cell can be determined through the QCL / TCI information of the SCell without an SSB. For example, the reference SSB can be an SSB that performs QCL with the reference signal RS of the SCell without an SSB, or an SSB associated with an active TCI state (e.g., an SSB included in the active TCI state list, or an SSB that performs QCL with a TCI state in the active TCI state list), or an SSB indicated by TCI information in the SCell configuration (e.g., serving cell configuration or SCell add configuration), or an SSB / TCI provided by TCI information, or an SSB that has been used as a radio link monitoring RLM-RS or beam fault detection BFD-RS of the reference cell, or an SSB that has been used as an RLM-RS or BFD-RS of a cell in the same TAG as the SCell without an SSB. Therefore, by applying the scheme of this disclosure, SCell operation without an SSB (in cross-band CA) can be realized to improve the energy saving effect of the network / UE.

[0023] Figure 1The example illustrates an example scenario 100 of a communication environment in which various solutions and schemes of this disclosure can be implemented. Scenario 100 involves UE 110 wirelessly communicating with network 120 (e.g., a radio network containing non-terrestrial networks NTN and terrestrial networks TN) via terrestrial network node 122 (e.g., an evolved Node-B eNB, a next-generation Node-B gNB, a transceiver point TRP, or a gateway) and / or non-terrestrial network node 124 (e.g., a satellite). For example, terrestrial network node 122 and / or non-terrestrial network node 124 may form one or more NTN / TN serving cells to wirelessly communicate with UE 110. In some implementations, terrestrial network node 122 may include at least one primary gNB (MgNB) and one secondary gNB (SgNB) for CA / DC operation. MgNB and SgNB may be co-located, and each MgNB and SgNB may form one or more serving cells, wherein cells controlled by MgNB include primary cell groups (MCGs), and cells controlled by SgNB include secondary cell groups (SCGs). In this communication environment, UE 110, network 120, and terrestrial network node 122 and / or non-terrestrial network node 124 can implement various schemes related to SSB-free SCell operation (in cross-band CA) as described below. It is worth noting that although the various proposed schemes may be described separately or individually below, in practice, some or all of the proposed schemes may be used or implemented in combination. Of course, each proposed scheme can also be used or implemented individually or separately.

[0024] Figure 2 The example illustrates an example scenario 200 of SSB-free SCell operation according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Scenario 200 involves UE 210 wirelessly communicating in RRC_CONNECTED mode via a primary cell PCell formed by MgNB 220 and an SSB-free SCell formed by SgNB 230. In one example, MgNB 220 and SgNB 230 are co-located, and the primary and secondary cells operate in different frequency bands. In step 201, UE 210 receives an RRC reconfiguration message from the primary cell containing the SCell configuration of the SSB-free SCell, wherein the SCell configuration may optionally include a reference cell indicator (e.g., a new parameter "referenceCell-r18"). For example, if the parameter "absoluteFrequencySSB" (i.e., SSB configuration) is not configured in the "FrequencyInfoDL" information element IE of the SCell configuration, UE 210 can identify the SCell as an SSB-free SCell. In step 202, UE 210 sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the primary cell to complete the RRC reconfiguration process.

[0025] In step 203, UE 210 receives Medium Access Control (MAC) control signaling (e.g., MAC Control Element CE) from the primary cell. Specifically, the MAC CE indicates the activation of a SCell without an SSB. For example, the Logical Channel ID (LCID) of the MAC CE can indicate SCell activation / deactivation, and the data content of the MAC CE (e.g., one octet or four octets) can indicate the SCell to be activated.

[0026] In step 204, UE 210 determines a reference cell for the SSB-free SCell. In one example, if a reference cell indicator (e.g., a new parameter "referenceCell-r18") is configured in the SSB-free SCell configuration, UE 210 can select a reference cell based on that indicator. For example, the parameter "referenceCell-r18" may contain a serving cell index, and the serving cell with that index can be selected as the reference cell. This reference cell can be the primary cell PCell, the (activated) PSCell, or an activated SCell in the same timing alignment group TAG as the SSB-free SCell. Alternatively, if no reference cell indicator is configured in the SSB-free SCell configuration, the reference serving cell can be assumed to be the QCL-type C source cell, i.e., the SCell configured in the QCL / TCI information of the SSB-free SCell. In step 205, UE 210 provides a timing reference and automatic gain control (AGC) source for the SSB-free SCell, using a reference cell as a reference. In one example, based on the reference cell (e.g., SSB reception on the reference cell), UE 210 can determine rough estimates of the timing and power gain control for the SSB-free SCell. For example, the timing used for SSB reception on the reference cell can be directly applied to SSB-free SCell operation, and the power gain control used for SSB reception on the reference cell can serve as a reference for SSB-free SCell operation (e.g., if the SSB-free SCell operates on a higher frequency carrier (e.g., primary cell PCell: 700MHz, SSB-free SCell: 1.4GHz), the power used by the SSB-free SCell can be 6dB (free space) plus the power used by the primary cell PCell).

[0027] In step 206, UE 210 receives a PDSCH signal (e.g., Tracking Reference Signal TRS, Demodulation Reference Signal DMRS, or Channel State Information-Reference Signal CSI-RS) from an SSB-free SCell. In step 207, UE 210 performs data transmission or reception to or from an SSB-free SCell based on the PDSCH signal. In one example, based on the PDSCH signal (e.g., the reception of the PDSCH signal), UE 210 can determine a fine estimate of the timing and power gain control for the SSB-free SCell.

[0028] Figure 3 An example scenario 300 of an SSB-free SCell reference cell according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, two serving cells operating in different frequency bands (e.g., separate / discontinuous carrier components, CC) participate in carrier aggregation (CA) operations, where cell#0 is the reference cell and cell#1 is an SCell without an SSB. The reference signal RS (or UE-dedicated channel, PDSCH, PUSCH, DMRS, CSI-RS, or TRS) of the SCell without an SSB can be determined to perform QCL with the SSB#0 of the reference cell because the SSB#0 of the reference cell is configured in the TCI information of the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of the SCell without an SSB. For example, the QCL information can indicate the serving cell index of the reference cell and the SSB index of the reference SSB.

[0029] Illustrative Examples Figure 4 An example communication system 400 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, the system including an example communication device 410 and an example network device 420. The communication device 410 and the network device 420 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes and methods described herein related to SSB-free SCell operation in mobile communications, including the above-described scenarios / schemes and processes 500 and 600 described below.

[0030] Communication device 410 may be part of an electronic device, such as a user equipment (UE), including portable or mobile devices, wearable devices, wireless communication devices, or computing devices. For example, communication device 410 may be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, electronic control unit (ECU) in a vehicle, digital camera, or computing device such as a tablet, laptop, or notebook computer. Communication device 410 may also be part of a machine-type device, such as a user equipment (UE) of the Internet of Things (IoT), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), or industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), including fixed or stationary devices, home devices, roadside units (RSUs), wired communication devices, or computing devices. For example, communication device 410 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, smart refrigerator, smart door lock, wireless speaker, or home control center. Alternatively, communication device 410 may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors. Communication device 410 may include... Figure 4 At least some of the components shown, such as processor 412. Communication device 410 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the proposed solutions of this disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), therefore, for simplicity and brevity, Figure 4 These components of the communication device 410 are not shown and are not described below.

[0031] Network device 420 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a network node, such as a base station (BS), cell, satellite, router, or gateway. For example, network device 420 may be implemented in an eNB in ​​an LTE, LTE-Advanced, or LTE-Advanced Pro network, or in a gNB or TRP in a 5G, NR, IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT network. Alternatively, network device 420 may be implemented as one or more IC chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more RISC or CISC processors. Network device 420 may include... Figure 4 The network device 420 may also include at least some of the components shown, such as processor 422. It may also include one or more other components unrelated to the present disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), therefore, for the sake of simplicity and brevity, Figure 4 These components of network device 420 are not shown and are not described below.

[0032] In one aspect, processors 412 and 422 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) processors. That is, although the singular term "processor" is used herein to refer to processors 412 and 422, each of processors 412 and 422 may include multiple processors, or in other implementations may include a single processor, according to the present disclosure. In another aspect, each of processors 412 and 422 may be implemented in hardware (and optionally firmware), with electronic components including, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more transformers, configured and arranged to achieve a specific purpose according to the present disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, each of processors 412 and 422 is a dedicated machine specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform a specific task, including SSB-free SCell operation performed in devices (e.g., represented by communication device 410) and network nodes (e.g., represented by network device 420).

[0033] In some implementations, communication device 410 may further include a transceiver 416 coupled to processor 412 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, transceiver 416 may be capable of wireless communication with wireless networks of different types of User Equipment (UE) and / or different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some implementations, transceiver 416 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 416 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication. In some implementations, network device 420 may also include a transceiver 426 coupled to processor 422. Transceiver 426 may include a transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, transceiver 426 may be capable of wireless communication with different types of UEs of different RATs. In some implementations, transceiver 426 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 426 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for MIMO wireless communication.

[0034] In some implementations, the communication device 410 may further include a memory 414 coupled to and capable of being accessed and storing data by the processor 412. In some implementations, the network device 420 may further include a memory 424 coupled to and capable of being accessed and storing data by the processor 422. Each of the memories 414 and 424 may include a random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or zero-capacitance RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, each of the memories 414 and 424 may include a read-only memory (ROM), such as a mask ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, each of the memories 414 and 424 may include a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0035] Both communication device 410 and network device 420 can be communication entities capable of communicating with each other according to various proposed schemes of this disclosure. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, in conjunction with procedures 500 and 600, the capabilities of communication device 410 as a user equipment (UE) and network device 420 as a network node are described below.

[0036] Example Process Figure 5 An example flow 500 according to an implementation of this disclosure is shown. Flow 500 can be an example implementation of the above-described scenario / scheme, whether partial or complete, for SCell operation without an SSB in mobile communication. Flow 500 can represent one aspect of the functional implementation of communication device 410. Flow 500 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions shown by blocks 510 to 530. Although shown as discrete blocks, the individual blocks of flow 500 can be divided into more blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or omitted, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of flow 500 can be arranged according to... Figure 5 The process 500 may be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 500 may be implemented by communication device 410 or any suitable UE or machine type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 500 is described below in the context of communication device 510 as a user equipment (UE). Process 500 may begin at block 510.

[0037] In block 510, process 500 may involve the processor 412 of communication device 410 receiving SCell configuration from the primary cell (PCell) via transceiver 416, wherein the SCell configuration instructs the first SCell to operate without a synchronization signal block (SSB). Process 500 may proceed from block 510 to block 520.

[0038] In block 520, process 500 may involve processor 412 receiving signaling from the PCell via transceiver 416, wherein the signaling indicates the activation of the first SCell. Process 500 may proceed from block 520 to block 530.

[0039] In block 530, process 500 may involve processor 412 determining a reference cell to provide timing reference and automatic gain control (AGC) source for the first SCell.

[0040] In some implementations, the reference cell may include the PCell, the secondary cell group (SCG) cell (PSCell), or the second SCell, and the PSCell and the second SCell are activated.

[0041] In some implementations, the first SCell and the second SCell can be configured in the same timing alignment group (TAG).

[0042] In some implementations, the SCell configuration may include quasi-colocation (QCL) information of the reference signal (RS) of the first SCell, and the QCL information may indicate that the RS of the first SCell and the SSB of the second SCell perform QCL.

[0043] In some implementations, the SCell configuration may include a reference cell indicator, and the reference cell determination steps may be performed based on the reference cell indicator.

[0044] In some implementations, where the SCell configuration does not include a reference cell indicator, the reference cell determination step can be performed based on the QCL information.

[0045] In some implementations, process 500 may also involve processor 412 determining the timing reference and AGC source for the first SCell based on the SSB of the second SCell, and receiving a tracking reference signal (TRS) from the first SCell via transceiver 416 based on the timing reference and the AGC source. Furthermore, process 500 may also involve processor 412 performing data transmission or reception to or from the first SCell via transceiver 416 based on the TRS.

[0046] In some implementations, the first SCell may be a cross-band SSB-free SCell.

[0047] Figure 6 An example flow 600 according to an implementation of this disclosure is shown. Flow 600 can be an example implementation of the above-described scenario / scheme, whether partial or complete, for SCell operation without an SSB in mobile communications. Flow 600 can represent one aspect of the functional implementation of network device 420. Flow 600 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions shown by blocks 610 to 620. Although shown as discrete blocks, the individual blocks of flow 600 can be divided into more blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or omitted, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of flow 600 can be arranged according to... Figure 6 The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 600 can be implemented by network device 420 or any suitable network node. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 600 is described below with communication device 410 as the user equipment (UE) and network device 420 as the context constituting the primary cell (PCell). Process 600 may begin at block 610.

[0048] In block 610, process 600 may involve the processor 422 of network node device 420 sending an SCell configuration to communication device 410 via transceiver 426, wherein the SCell configuration instructs a first SCell to operate without an SSB, and the SCell configuration includes a reference cell indicator indicating the reference cell of the first SCell. Process 600 may proceed from block 610 to block 620.

[0049] In block 620, process 600 may involve processor 422 sending signaling to communication device 410 via transceiver 426, wherein the signaling indicates the activation of the first SCell.

[0050] In some implementations, the reference cell may include the PCell, PSCell, or a second SCell, and the PSCell and the second SCell are activated.

[0051] In some implementations, the first SCell and the second SCell can be configured in the same TAG.

[0052] In some implementations, the first SCell may be a cross-band SSB-free SCell.

[0053] Additional Notes The topics described herein sometimes illustrate different components contained within or connected to other components. However, it should be understood that the multiple architectures depicted are merely examples, and many other architectures that implement the same functionality can actually be implemented. Conceptually, any arrangement of components that implement the same functionality is effectively “associated” to enable the desired functionality. Therefore, regardless of architecture or intermediate components, any two components combined in this document to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated” with each other to enable the desired functionality. Similarly, any two components so associating can also be considered “operationally connected” or “operationally coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components so associating can also be considered “operationally connected” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operationally coupled components include, but are not limited to, physically mating and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactive components.

[0054] Furthermore, regarding any plural and / or singular terms used herein, those skilled in the art can, in light of context and / or application, convert them from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural where appropriate. For clarity, various singular / plural reciprocities may be explicitly stated herein.

[0055] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, generally, the terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally meant as “open-ended” terms; for example, the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “comprising but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “comprising but not limited to,” and so on. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number is intentionally listed in the appended claims, such intention will be explicitly listed in the claims, and the absence of such listing will not indicate such intention. For example, to aid understanding, the appended claims may include the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more.” However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that the introduction of the indefinite article "a" or "an" limits any particular patent application containing such an introduced patent application listing to an implementation containing only one such listing, even when the same patent application listing contains the introductory phrase "a or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an," for example, "a and / or one" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more," this also applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce patent application listings. Furthermore, even when a specific number of introduced patent application listings are explicitly listed, those skilled in the art will recognize that such listing should be interpreted as meaning at least the number listed; for example, in the absence of other modifiers, an unobscured listing of "two listings" means at least two listings or two or more listings. Furthermore, when using a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C," those skilled in the art will understand the meaning of this convention, which generally means such interpretation (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" will include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B together, having A and C together, having B and C together, and / or having A, B, and C together). Those skilled in the art will also understand that any transitional words and / or phrases that actually indicate two or more options, whether in the specification, the claims, or the drawings, should be understood to mean that the possibility of including one, any one, or both of those options should be considered.For example, the phrase “A or B” would be understood as containing the possibility of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

[0056] As can be seen from the foregoing, it is understood that various embodiments of the invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The device's processor receives the secondary cell SCell configuration from the primary cell PCell, wherein... This SCell configuration instructs the first SCell to operate without a synchronization signal block (SSB); The device receives signaling from the PCell, wherein the signaling indicates the activation of the first SCell; as well as The processor determines a reference cell to provide timing reference and automatic gain control (AGC) source for the first SCell.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reference cell includes the PCell, the primary auxiliary cell group (SCG) cell PSCell, or the second SCell, and the PSCell and the second SCell are activated.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Configure the first SCell and the second SCell in the same timing alignment group TAG.

4. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The SCell configuration includes quasi-co-address QCL information for the reference signal RS of the first SCell, and the QCL information indicates that the RS of the first SCell performs QCL with the SSB of the second SCell.

5. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The SCell configuration includes a reference cell indicator, and the determination step of the reference cell is performed based on the reference cell indicator.

6. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, If the SCell configuration does not include a reference cell indicator, the step of determining the reference cell is performed based on the QCL information.

7. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Further includes: The processor determines the timing reference and the AGC source for the first SCell based on the SSB of the second SCell; The processor receives the tracking reference signal TRS from the first SCell based on the timing reference and the AGC source; as well as The processor performs data transmission or reception to or from the first SCell based on the TRS.

8. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first SCell is a cross-band SCell without SSB.

9. An apparatus comprising: The transceiver communicates wirelessly with the primary cell PCell and one or more secondary cells SCell during operation; A processor, communicatively coupled to the transceiver, enables the processor to perform the following operations during operation: The transceiver receives the SCell configuration from the PCell, wherein the SCell configuration instructs the first SCell to operate without a synchronization signal block (SSB). The transceiver receives signaling from the PCell, wherein the signaling indicates the activation of the first SCell; and A reference cell is determined to provide timing reference and automatic gain control (AGC) source for the first SCell.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The reference cell includes the PCell, the primary auxiliary cell group (SCG) cell PSCell, or the second SCell, and the PSCell and the second SCell are activated.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, Configure the first SCell and the second SCell in the same timing alignment group TAG.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The SCell configuration includes quasi-co-address QCL information for the reference signal RS of the first SCell, and the QCL information indicates that the RS of the first SCell performs QCL with the SSB of the second SCell.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The SCell configuration includes a reference cell indicator, and the determination step of the reference cell is performed based on the reference cell indicator.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, If the SCell configuration does not include a reference cell indicator, the step of determining the reference cell is performed based on the QCL information.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, During operation, the processor further performs the following operations: Based on the SSB of the second SCell, determine the timing reference and the AGC source for the first SCell; Through this transceiver, the tracking reference signal TRS is received from the first SCell based on the timing reference and the AGC source; and Through this transceiver, data transmission or reception is performed to or from the first SCell based on the TRS.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The first SCell is a cross-band SCell without SSB.

17. A method comprising: The processors of the network nodes constituting the primary cell PCell send auxiliary cell SCell configurations to the device, wherein the SCell configurations instruct the first SCell to operate without a synchronization signal block (SSB) and include a reference cell indicator indicating the reference cell of the first SCell; and The processor sends a signaling instruction to the device, wherein the signaling instruction indicates the activation of the first SCell.

18. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The reference cell includes the PCell, the primary auxiliary cell group (SCG) cell PSCell, or the second SCell, and the PSCell and the second SCell are activated.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, Configure the first SCell and the second SCell in the same timing alignment group TAG.

20. The method as described in claim 17, characterized in that, The first SCell is a cross-band SCell without SSB.

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