capability indication

Abstract

According to an example aspect of the present application, there is provided an apparatus configured to: receive, from a base station, a system information block defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band operated by the base station; constitute user equipment capability information defining a channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment within at least one channel bandwidth of the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, wherein the user equipment is further configured to exclude, from the constituted user equipment capability information, the at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station using the received plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, and transmit the constituted user equipment capability information to the base station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of cellular communications. Background Technology

[0002] Cellular communication networks consist of multiple cells, ranging from a few cells in a local network to thousands of cells in a nationwide network. To access the network, a user equipment (UE) attaches to the network and communicates via one or more cells at a time.

[0003] The base station (BS) that controls the cell of the cellular communication network provides information about the network and its cells, for example, in a broadcast system information block. UEs interested in attaching to the network can receive the broadcast system information to assess whether attaching to the network is feasible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The subject matter of the independent claims is provided according to several aspects. Several embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the invention is set forth in the independent claims. Embodiments, examples, and features (if any) described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0005] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: receive a system information block from a base station, the system information block defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band operated by the base station; construct user equipment capability information, the user equipment capability information defining the apparatus's channel bandwidth capability within at least one of the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, wherein the apparatus is further configured to use the received plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station to exclude at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information; and transmit the constructed user equipment capability information to the base station.

[0006] In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to use multiple channel bandwidths received by the base station to omit all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information.

[0007] In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to format user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capabilities of the apparatus into the same format as that in which a system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by a base station. The format of the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capabilities of the apparatus and the format in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by a base station are bitmaps, wherein each bit indicates in binary whether a particular channel bandwidth is supported.

[0008] In one embodiment, the system information block further includes other information related to the cellular access of the base station. Such information may include at least one of the following: a list of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifiers, a PLMN identifier, a tracking area code, a cell identifier, or a cell status.

[0009] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different frequency ranges, each frequency range covering multiple frequency bands, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the device for the multiple different frequency ranges. For each frequency range, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths within a specific frequency range.

[0010] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals, and the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the means for the multiple different subcarrier intervals. For each subcarrier interval, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths of a particular subcarrier interval.

[0011] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals and multiple different frequency ranges, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the device for multiple different combinations of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges. For each combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability of the multiple channel bandwidths for a specific combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges.

[0012] In one embodiment, the device is a user equipment, or is configured to be installed in a user equipment as its control device.

[0013] In one embodiment, the device is configured to operate in accordance with cellular communication standards.

[0014] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: transmit a system information block in a cell controlled by the apparatus, the system information block defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the apparatus in at least one frequency band; and receive user equipment capability information from a user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment and excluding at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the apparatus.

[0015] In one embodiment, all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station have been excluded from the received user equipment capability information. This reduces the processing burden on the base station.

[0016] In one embodiment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of a user equipment is in the same format as that in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station. The format of the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of a user equipment and the format in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station are bitmaps, where each bit indicates in binary format whether a specific channel bandwidth is supported.

[0017] In one embodiment, the system information block further includes other information related to the cellular access of the base station. Such information may include at least one of the following: a list of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifiers, a PLMN identifier, a tracking area code, a cell identifier, or a cell status.

[0018] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different frequency ranges, each frequency range covering multiple frequency bands, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for the multiple different frequency ranges. For each frequency range, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths within a specific frequency range.

[0019] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals, and the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for the multiple different subcarrier intervals. For each subcarrier interval, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths of a particular subcarrier interval.

[0020] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals and multiple different frequency ranges, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for multiple different combinations of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges. For each combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability of the multiple channel bandwidths for a specific combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges.

[0021] In one embodiment, the device is a base station, or is configured to be installed in a base station as its control device.

[0022] In one embodiment, the device is configured to operate in accordance with cellular communication standards.

[0023] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving a system information block from a base station by a user equipment, the system information block defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band operated by the base station; constructing user equipment capability information by the user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment within at least one channel bandwidth of the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, wherein the user equipment further uses the received plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station to exclude at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information; and transmitting the constructed user equipment capability information to the base station by the user equipment.

[0024] In one embodiment, the user equipment uses multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station to omit all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information.

[0025] In one embodiment, the user equipment (UE) configures the UE capability information defining the device's channel bandwidth capabilities in the same format as the format in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station. The format of the UE capability information defining the device's channel bandwidth capabilities and the format in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station can be a bitmap, where each bit indicates in binary whether a specific channel bandwidth is supported.

[0026] In one embodiment, the system information block further includes other information related to the cellular access of the base station. Such information may include at least one of the following: a list of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifiers, a PLMN identifier, a tracking area code, a cell identifier, or a cell status.

[0027] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different frequency ranges, each frequency range covering multiple frequency bands, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the device for the multiple different frequency ranges. For each frequency range, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths within a specific frequency range.

[0028] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals, and the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the means for the multiple different subcarrier intervals. For each subcarrier interval, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths of a particular subcarrier interval.

[0029] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals and multiple different frequency ranges, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the device for multiple different combinations of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges. For each combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability of the multiple channel bandwidths for a specific combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges.

[0030] Any of the methods for a user equipment may be implemented by a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable instruction set that, when executed by at least one processor, causes a device for the user equipment to perform a method according to any of the embodiments described in the preceding paragraphs.

[0031] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: transmitting a system information block by a base station in a cell controlled by the base station, the system information block defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band; and receiving user equipment capability information from a user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment and excluding at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station.

[0032] In one embodiment, all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station have been excluded from the received user equipment capability information. This reduces the processing burden on the base station.

[0033] In one embodiment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of a user equipment is in the same format as that in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station. The format of the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of a user equipment and the format in which the system information block includes multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station are bitmaps, where each bit indicates in binary format whether a specific channel bandwidth is supported.

[0034] In one embodiment, the system information block further includes other information related to the cellular access of the base station. Such information may include at least one of the following: a list of Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifiers, a PLMN identifier, a tracking area code, a cell identifier, or a cell status.

[0035] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different frequency ranges, each frequency range covering multiple frequency bands, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for the multiple different frequency ranges. For each frequency range, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths within a specific frequency range.

[0036] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals, and the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for the multiple different subcarrier intervals. For each subcarrier interval, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability for the multiple channel bandwidths of a particular subcarrier interval.

[0037] In one embodiment, the system information block defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station for multiple different subcarrier intervals and multiple different frequency ranges, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for multiple different combinations of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges. For each combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges, there may be at least one bit string indicating the channel bandwidth capability of the multiple channel bandwidths for a specific combination of subcarrier intervals and frequency ranges.

[0038] In one embodiment, the base station uses received user equipment capability information, specifically the user equipment's channel bandwidth capability, to allocate a channel with a selected bandwidth or a combination of channels with a selected bandwidth to the user equipment. This allocation is matched to the user equipment's channel bandwidth capability. In other words, the base station will not allocate channels or channel combinations that the user equipment does not support.

[0039] Any of the methods for a base station may be implemented by a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable instruction set, which, when executed by at least one processor, is used by a means of a base station to perform the method according to any of the embodiments described in the preceding paragraphs. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 An example system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown; Figure 2A Example information elements are shown according to at least some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2B Example UE capability information is shown according to at least some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 Exemplary apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 Signaling according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention, and Figure 6 These are signaling examples according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The UE is configured to attach to the network to provide UE capability information to the base station. In various systems, UE capability information can include several different types of UE capabilities, one type of which is the UE's channel bandwidth (BW) capability. The provided BW capability can be referred to as channel BW combination capability. In general, the UE's channel bandwidth capability informs the network of the channel bandwidth that the UE can support in at least one (and in some cases at least two or three) frequency bands. A frequency band can be defined as a frequency range in the 5G New Radio specification. Currently, 5G New Radio supports the following frequency ranges (FRs): FR1 from 410 to 7125 MHz and FR2 from 24250 to 52600 MHz. The number of FRs can change as the standard further evolves. A non-terrestrial network (NTN) can have specific FRs(s). Alternatively, a frequency band can be defined as a band within such a frequency range. Each FR can be divided into multiple frequency bands. Different network operators can be assigned different frequency bands within each FR, and operators can use zero to multiple frequency bands for each FR. The network can announce the frequency bands it supports in downlink broadcast signaling.

[0042] A channel can be a physical channel, and it can be defined by the capabilities of network and / or system specifications to establish a physical channel for the UE within a frequency band. The maximum carrier bandwidth defined in the system specifications can define a limitation on the physical channel; for example, the maximum carrier bandwidth on a frequency band could be 100 MHz, thus limiting the physical channel to that carrier bandwidth. Some frequency bands can be specified to provide a smaller maximum bandwidth, or different cells can have different capabilities in terms of maximum carrier bandwidth. A cell can cover a frequency band using multiple adjacent narrowband component carriers or by covering a frequency band using a single wideband component carrier.

[0043] As UE capabilities become more diversified and include more frequency bands, the amount of information regarding UE channel bandwidth combination capabilities tends to increase. To control the amount of channel bandwidth capability information that the UE needs to provide to the base station, the base station can be configured to indicate the channel bandwidths it supports. The UE can then select from its actual channel bandwidth capabilities to indicate to the network. Such a UE can choose not to notify the network of channel bandwidths it supports but which the network does not. This results in technical benefits in reducing uplink signaling burden.

[0044] Figure 1An example system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated. The system includes base stations 130 and 135 communicating with a UE, such as UE 110. A radio link connects base station 130 to UE 110; the radio link may be bidirectional and includes an uplink UL for transmitting information from UE 110 to base station 130 and a downlink DL for transmitting information from base station 130 to UE 110. A cellular communication system may include hundreds or thousands of base stations; for clarity of illustration, [the following is omitted as it is not explicitly stated]. Figure 1 Only two of the base stations are shown in the diagram. The base stations can be distributed, as they consist of a centralized unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DU).

[0045] Base station 130 is also communicatively coupled to core network node 140, which may include, for example, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). Core network node 140 may be coupled to other core network nodes and to network 150, which may include, for example, the Internet or an enterprise network. The system can communicate with other networks via network 150. For clarity, in Figure 1 Other core network nodes, not shown, include examples such as gateways and subscriber information repositories. Core network nodes can be virtualized because they can run as software modules on a computing substrate, allowing more than one virtualized network node to run on the same computing substrate. The network can be configured to operate according to a suitable cellular standard, such as LTE, 5G (also known as New Radio), or 6G, as defined by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). For interoperability, UEs attached to the network are configured to support the same standards as the network.

[0046] exist Figure 1 In the example, base station 130 controls cells 130A and 130B, where, for example Figure 1 As shown, UE 110 is attached to cell 130A, and... Figure 1 In the example, base station 135 controls cells 135A and 135B. The number of cells or beams can exceed [number missing]. Figure 1 The number shown is not provided. It is also possible for a base station to have a single cell or beam. Although shown as a sector, cells of the same base station can be omnidirectional and, for example, operate on different frequencies. Mobility events can include switching from one beam of the same cell to another, or from one cell to another. To support mobility procedures, the UE, including UE 110, is configured to perform mobility measurements to measure the signal strength of adjacent beams and / or cells and report the results of these measurements to the network, which can then make decisions regarding mobility events such as beam changes or cell handovers.

[0047] A UE (such as UE 110) can connect to the network simultaneously using more than one carrier via carrier aggregation (CA). In carrier aggregation, the UE uses two or more carriers simultaneously with one or more base stations. The carriers used in this way are called component carriers, and they can be located in the frequency domain within the same or different frequency bands. When different frequency bands are used, the CA can be called inter-band CA. When the same frequency band is used, the CA can be called intra-band CA. Compared to using only a single carrier at a time, using CA can significantly increase data throughput in the downlink and / or uplink.

[0048] The channel bandwidth that a UE can support can vary across different frequency bands. This is because data from different frequency bands requires different processing steps within the UE, and the UE as a whole has limited processing capabilities. Furthermore, using CA (Carrier Array) allows for the acquisition of relatively high communication bandwidth using a limited set of channel bandwidths because multiple carriers can be established. Multiple simultaneous carriers involve multiple control information overheads and processing loads, so the UE may not be able to support the maximum bandwidth simultaneously on multiple carriers. Since using the maximum channel bandwidth on every carrier simultaneously in CA may be impractical, the UE can be configured to support several smaller channel bandwidths in addition to the maximum channel bandwidth. These smaller channel bandwidths can also be used for single-carrier communication sessions with lower bandwidth requirements.

[0049] For example, a UE may support 100 MHz channel bandwidth in two separate frequency bands. However, when carriers are used simultaneously in these bands, the UE may not be able to support 100 MHz channel bandwidth in both bands at the same time. And, for example, because the UE cannot handle two simultaneous 100 MHz channels, a 50 MHz channel bandwidth may be used in one of the bands. Typically, as the number of component carriers in the CA increases, the UE may need to use a channel bandwidth lower than the carrier bandwidth to achieve optimized aggregate bandwidth across all advertised frequency band combinations.

[0050] In general, the UE can prepare a considerable number of possible channel bandwidths below the carrier bandwidth. This has the following effect: the size of the UE capability information element that the UE provides to the network (to inform the network of the channel bandwidths the UE supports in various frequency bands) can be significantly increased. Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling can be used to transmit such UE capability information elements to the base station. Another problem related to the large number of supported channel bandwidth combinations is that, due to the limitations of the scheduler operating in the base station, the base station may not be able to support all possible channel bandwidths.

[0051] Therefore, the UE can be configured to, for example, provide band parameters to the base station during a process leading to network attachment, including UE capability information defining the UE's channel bandwidth capabilities. The UE's channel bandwidth capabilities may include channel bandwidths and / or combinations of channel bandwidths that the UE is configured to support. The UE capability information may include at least one channel bandwidth that the UE is configured to support on at least one frequency band. In some cases, the UE capability information includes at least one channel bandwidth that the UE is configured to support on at least two frequency bands. In some cases, the UE capability information includes at least one bandwidth that the UE is configured to support on at least two frequency bands, wherein the UE capability information includes at least two channel bandwidths on one or more of the at least two frequency bands. In some cases, the UE capability information includes at least two channel bandwidths that the UE is configured to support on at least two frequency bands respectively.

[0052] The process that leads to attachment (which may be referred to as the attachment procedure) is a process that begins when the UE is not attached to the network and ends when the UE is attached to the network. The attachment procedure may include messages exchanged between the UE and the network's base station. These messages may include RRC messages.

[0053] For example, the channel bandwidth information element can be used to define the UE's channel bandwidth capability in the UE capability information. For example, at least one channel bandwidth information element included in the UE capability information can indicate the channel bandwidth supported by the UE for at least two frequency bands. For example, the channel bandwidth can be selected from [5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100] MHz, or from [50, 100, 200] MHz. For frequency range 1 (FR1), in the NR, bits in the channel bandwidth information element starting from the first or leftmost bit can be used to indicate support for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, and / or 80 MHz. Correspondingly, for frequency range 2 (FR2), in the NR, bits in the channel bandwidth information element starting from the first / leftmost bit can be used to indicate support for 50, 100, and / or 200 MHz. FR1 includes a frequency band below 6 GHz, and FR2 includes a frequency band from 24.25 GHz to 71.0 GHz. In at least some embodiments of NR, the channel bandwidth information indicates the channel bandwidth supported individually for each subcarrier spacing.

[0054] The UE can be configured to use at least one bitmap to represent channel bandwidth information elements. Each bit in the bitmap can correspond to a single channel bandwidth in a pre-configured list, such as [5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100] MHz or [50, 100, 200] MHz. As an alternative to the bitmap, capability information can include a definition of the channel bandwidth supported by the UE in another form, such as text.

[0055] The UE can be configured to provide definitions of the channel bandwidths it supports in both the downlink and uplink directions separately within the UE capability information provided during the attachment process. The channel bandwidths supported by the UE in the uplink do not need to be the same as those in the downlink. In many CA use cases, the downlink is used more extensively than the uplink, such as for streaming video content or downloading large file data.

[0056] To reduce the size of the UE capability information provided from the UE to the base station during the attachment process, the base station can be configured to advertise at least a subset of its supported channel bandwidths in the messages it provides, such as System Information (SI) messages. The base station can provide this information separately for the uplink and downlink, or only for the downlink. For example, the UE can accordingly reduce the number of combinations of supported channel bandwidths it indicates, while still achieving appropriate optimized aggregation bandwidth on component carriers during subsequent CA. In particular, the UE can be configured to select the channel bandwidth capabilities to be defined in the UE capability information based at least in part on information received from the base station that defines the multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station.

[0057] Information about channel bandwidth provided by the base station can be provided, for example, in a structure such as the ChannelBWs-DL information element specified by 3GPP. In such an information element, a supported channel bandwidth can be represented by a bit (such as a bit string) in a bitmap. The bit string may include several additional bits, which are to be used for possible new channel bandwidths that can be added in the future.

[0058] Additionally, the system information transmitted by the base station may include at least one information element that includes information about one or more frequency bands used by the base station. Information about the channel bandwidth can then be provided for each frequency band used by the base station. In the case of multiple frequency bands, the base station may transmit multiple messages or sets of information over the channel bandwidth, transmitting one message or set of information for each frequency band.

[0059] Although this document primarily discusses information provided to the base station during the attachment process, in at least some embodiments, UE capability information defining the UE's channel BW capabilities can be provided from the UE to the network outside of the attachment process.

[0060] Therefore, the UE can determine which channel bandwidths it can support are also supported by the base station, and only report those UE-supported channel bandwidths that are also supported by the base station to the base station. Thus, the UE can exclude some or even all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station from the UE capability information. By excluding the reporting of at least some channel bandwidths, the size of the uplink UE capability information message is reduced, resulting in reduced signaling load, reduced battery consumption in the UE, and reduced interference in the network. In some embodiments, the UE is configured to indicate only a subset of the channel bandwidths supported by both the UE and the base station, rather than all of them. The logic could be that when selecting a channel combination for the UE, the UE should report multiple channel bandwidths (a subset) deemed to provide sufficient flexibility to the base station. This number could be system-specific or signaled to the UE by the base station. This variation produces a further reduced UE capability information message.

[0061] Figure 2A Example information elements according to at least some embodiments of the present invention are shown. These information elements are provided by a base station to indicate the channel bandwidth supported by the base station in its operating frequency band. Although one information element is shown, it should be understood that the base station may provide separate information elements or indications for downlink and uplink channel bandwidth. The base station may additionally or alternatively provide separate information elements for different subcarrier spacings.

[0062] Information element 210, which may be a bitmap, includes multiple indicators 220, each indicating whether the base station transmitting information element 210 supports or does not support a specific channel bandwidth. Indicators 220 may be single bits, modulation symbols, or other suitable indicators. Figure 2A In the example, the cross in indicator 220 indicates that the base station supports the corresponding channel bandwidth. Channel bandwidths corresponding to indicator 220 without a cross are not indicated as supported.

[0063] The base station can provide information element 210 in the system information block, and the base station can transmit as a broadcast transmission in the cell controlled by the base station. Broadcast transmission in this document refers to a transmission that is not addressed to any specific receiving node.

[0064] In some embodiments, the base station, for example in broadcast system information signaling, indicates to the UE that the base station is configured to support a first plurality of channel bandwidths on a first carrier, and that the base station is configured to support a second set of channel bandwidths on or via a second carrier, wherein the second carrier operates in a frequency band different from the first carrier. Thus, the base station can, for example, indicate the channel bandwidths supported in neighboring cells controlled by different base stations and operating in different frequency bands. For example, the base station can learn which channel bandwidths different base stations support by receiving its indication at an inter-base station interface. The Xn interface is an example of an inter-base station interface.

[0065] Figure 2B Example UE capability information according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown. This UE capability information includes information elements 230 and 250, which may be bitmaps and are provided from the UE to the base station, for example, during the attachment process. Here, information element 230, having indicator 222, provides channel bandwidth capability information of the UE in a first frequency band, while information element 250, having indicator 224, provides channel bandwidth capability information of the UE in a second frequency band. The first frequency band and transmission... Figure 2A The base station of information element 210 operates on the same frequency band as the first frequency band, while the second frequency band is different from the first frequency band and does not overlap with the first frequency band. Figure 2B The crosses in indicators 222 and 224 relate to the channel bandwidth indicated as supported by the UE in the UE capability information, while Figure 2B The circles in indicators 222 and 224 refer to channels that the UE supports but does not indicate to the base station that it supports.

[0066] As in Figure 2A and 2B As can be seen, the channel bandwidth indicated by the UE as supported is at most the channel bandwidth that the base station previously indicated it supported. Many combinations of channel bandwidths supported by the UE remain unindicated as supported, and the base station will not actually know that the UE actually supports them; however, this does not substantially impair functionality, because the UE can only use channel bandwidths that the base station also supports anyway. Furthermore, from Figure 2B It can be seen that the UE is actually configured to support different channel bandwidth sets in the first and second frequency bands.

[0067] For example, to save energy during transmission, the bitmap can be truncated to include only the bits up to the last bit indicated as supported channel bandwidth. When a more complex indication than a bitmap is used, energy is saved by sending only the indication of the supported channel bandwidth.

[0068] For example, a UE can determine its initial channel bandwidth in the cell based on System Information Block 1 (SIB1) signaling, and later provide dedicated channel bandwidth based on the list of channel bandwidths supported by the UE in the UE Capability Information. However, the UE may not know the exact channel bandwidth used by the network, which could lead to difficulties in adapting the channel bandwidth it uses.

[0069] Dedicated Channel Bandwidth (CBW) originally referred to the situation where a UE only supports a channel bandwidth smaller than that supported by the network, as a means of precisely adapting the UE's CBW to the network's expected value. However, 3GPP has specified that it can also be applied to larger channel bandwidths, assuming that Physical Resource Block 0 (PRB0) remains the same, i.e., SIB1 and the dedicated CBW use the same offset as point A and follow the same PRB grid.

[0070] The UE can begin using the CORESET#0 bandwidth until Msg4 of the random access procedure, after which the UE can begin using the dedicated CBW (if signaled) or the SIB1 CBW. CORESET is the physical resource used to transmit the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or Downlink Control Information (DCI). The UE may already know the SIB1 CBW based on SIB1 reception and can adapt its CBW based on the initial BWP size. UEs camped on the cell autonomously adapt their CBW to meet two conditions: first, the CBW contains the initial BWP; second, the CBW is contained within the SIB1 CBW.

[0071] The UE can adapt its CBW to include the BWP, which can be smaller than the SIB1 CBW. Many UE capabilities may also be indirectly affected by the channel bandwidth: the UE can indicate the supported bandwidth in the form of per component carrier feature set (FSPC), that is, due to UE processing limitations, different feature sets per CC can support different amounts of bandwidth.

[0072] The supported bandwidth can depend on the carrier combination used, i.e., the CA band combination. As the number of component carriers increases, the UE needs to use a channel bandwidth lower than the carrier bandwidth to achieve optimized aggregate bandwidth across all advertised band combinations. This also means that a UE indicating all its capabilities to the network will generate a considerable amount of signaling, or alternatively, it may force the UE to limit its capabilities to a specific set of commonly used channel bandwidths. In either case, the network does not support all possible channel bandwidths, so the channel bandwidth capabilities of many UEs may be unnecessary for the network.

[0073] The network may not be able to utilize all UE channel bandwidth capabilities. One solution is to allow the network to announce the channel bandwidth it uses in system information or at least in a dedicated UECapabilityEnquiry message. That is, the UE will know the supported network channel bandwidths and can 1) use only those channel bandwidths when adjusting its CBW to match the SIB1 CBW; and 2) remove all channel bandwidths that are not actually used in the network from the UE capability information, thereby reducing the size of the transmitted feature set.

[0074] Based on the above, signaling can be provided to allow the network to indicate to the UE the channel bandwidths it supports, as described above. This can be achieved by reusing, for example, the same structures in the UE capabilities (i.e., ChannelBWs-DL and ChannelBWs-UL as defined in 3GPP), which have been optimized for size as they are implemented as bit strings. The simplest option would be to include those structures in SIB1 or another SI block, or then add a capability request filter that tells the UE to prune a specific channel bandwidth from the UW capability information. From the network's perspective, SIB1 is likely simpler because it is equally applicable to all UEs and is not difficult to implement in the UE. Therefore, for example, this signaling of the channel bandwidths supported by the network can be added to SIB1. Figure 6 An example of this signaling is shown in the figure.

[0075] Figure 3 Exemplary apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Device 300 is shown, which may include, for example, a mobile communication device, such as... Figure 1 UE 110. Alternatively, in the applicable portion, device 300 may correspond to a base station, such as... Figure 1The base station 130. Device 300 includes a processor 310, which may include, for example, a single-core or multi-core processor, wherein a single-core processor includes one processing core, and a multi-core processor includes more than one processing core. Processor 310 typically includes a control device. Processor 310 may include more than one processor. When processor 310 includes more than one processor, device 300 may be a distributed device, wherein processing of tasks occurs in more than one physical unit. Processor 310 may be a control device. Processing cores may include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices. A processing core or processor may be or may include at least one qubit. Processor 310 may include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon and / or Intel Atom processor. Processor 310 may include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Processor 310 may include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Processor 310 may optionally be, together with memory and computer instructions, a unit for performing method steps (e.g., receiving, constituting, selecting, transmitting, and including) in device 300. The processor 310 can be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions to perform actions.

[0076] A processor may include, or be configured as, one or more circuit systems configured to perform phases of the methods according to the embodiments described herein. The term "circuit system" as used herein may refer to one or more of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only) and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware; and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions; and (c) (multiple) hardware circuitry and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate.

[0077] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claim. As yet another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or a portion thereof, including but not limited to hardware circuitry or processors and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit system" also covers, for example (and if applicable to a particular claim element), baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0078] Device 300 may include memory 320. Memory 320 may include random access memory and / or permanent memory. Memory 320 may include at least one RAM chip. Memory 320 may be a computer-readable medium. For example, memory 320 may include solid-state, magnetic, optical, and / or holographic memory. Memory 320 may be at least partially accessible by processor 310. Memory 320 may be at least partially included in processor 310. Memory 320 may be a means for storing information. Memory 320 may include computer instructions configured to be executed by processor 310. When computer instructions configured to cause processor 310 to perform certain actions are stored in memory 320, and device 300 as a whole is configured to operate under the guidance of processor 310 using computer instructions from memory 320, processor 310 and / or at least one of its processing cores may be considered to be configured to perform said certain actions. Memory 320 may be at least partially external to device 300, but accessible by device 300. Memory 320 may be transient or non-transient. As used herein, the term “non-transient” refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0079] Device 300 may include a transmitter 330. Device 300 may include a receiver 340. Transmitter 330 and receiver 340 may be configured to transmit and receive information according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Transmitter 330 may include more than one transmitter. Receiver 340 may include more than one receiver. For example, transmitter 330 and / or receiver 340 may be configured to operate according to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMO), GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), 5G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE, IS-95, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Ethernet and / or Global Microwave Access Interoperability (GMI) standards, and WiMAX.

[0080] Device 300 may include a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver 350. The NFC transceiver 350 may support at least one NFC technology, such as NFC, Bluetooth, Wibree, or similar technologies.

[0081] Device 300 may include a user interface (UI) 360. UI 360 may include at least one of a display, keyboard, touchscreen, vibrator arranged to signal to the user by causing device 300 to vibrate, speaker, or microphone. The user may be able to operate device 300 via UI 360, for example, to accept incoming phone calls, initiate phone or video calls, browse the internet, manage digital files stored in memory 320 or accessible in the cloud via transmitter 330 and receiver 340 or via NFC transceiver 350, and / or play games.

[0082] Device 300 may include or be arranged to accept a user identity module 370. User identity module 370 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module SIM card that can be installed in device 300. User identity module 370 may include subscription information identifying the user of device 300. User identity module 370 may include password information that can be used to verify the identity of the user of device 300 and / or facilitate the encryption of transmitted information and billing of the user of device 300 for communications performed via device 300.

[0083] Processor 310 may be equipped with a transmitter arranged to output information from processor 310 to other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads within device 300. Such a transmitter may include a serial bus transmitter arranged to output information to memory 320 for storage, for example, via at least one electrical lead. Alternatively, the transmitter may include a parallel bus transmitter. Similarly, processor 310 may include a receiver arranged to receive information from other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads within device 300. Such a receiver may include a serial bus receiver arranged to receive information from receiver 340, for example, via at least one electrical lead, for processing within processor 310. Alternatively, the receiver may include a parallel bus receiver.

[0084] Device 300 may include Figure 3 Other devices not shown. For example, in the case where device 300 includes a smartphone, it may include at least one digital camera. Some devices 300 may include a rear camera and a front camera, wherein the rear camera may be designed for digital photography and the front camera for video calling. Device 300 may include a fingerprint sensor arranged to at least partially authenticate the user of device 300. In some embodiments, device 300 lacks at least one of the above-mentioned devices. For example, some devices 300 may lack an NFC transceiver 350 and / or a user identity module 370.

[0085] Processor 310, memory 320, transmitter 330, receiver 340, NFC transceiver 350, UI 360, and / or user identity module 370 can be interconnected in various ways via electrical leads within device 300. For example, each of the above devices can be individually connected to the main bus within device 300 to allow the devices to exchange information. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, this is merely an example, and various ways of interconnecting at least two of the above devices can be selected according to embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0086] Figure 4 Signaling according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated. On the vertical axis, a signal is provided on the left side. Figure 1 The UE 110, and set on the right side Figure 1 Base station 130. Time progresses from top to bottom.

[0087] Prior to phase 410, UE 110 is not attached to a network including base station 130. In phase 410, base station 130 provides information to UE 110 defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band (including at least the frequency band on which base station 130 operates). As mentioned above, this information may be provided in a broadcast system information block, but it may also be provided as a response to a request for this information from UE 110. In some embodiments, this information is provided within the coverage area of ​​a cell controlled by the base station, and a different radio access technology than the radio access technology used by the base station to control the cell is used.

[0088] In phase 420, UE 110 constitutes User Equipment Capability Information that defines the UE's channel bandwidth capabilities, specifically defining which channel bandwidths the UE supports on one or more frequency bands. The User Equipment Capability Information defines some, but not all, of the UE's actual channel bandwidth capabilities on at least one frequency band, wherein the UE is configured to select channel bandwidth capabilities to include in the User Equipment Capability Information based at least in part on information received from the base station in phase 410 that defines multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station. Therefore, a portion of the UE's actual channel bandwidth capabilities will remain unreported in the UE Capability Information constituted in phase 420.

[0089] In phase 430, UE 110 sends the user equipment capability information constructed in phase 420 to base station 130. In phase 440, UE 110 and base station 130 exchange additional messages included in the attachment process, which ultimately leads to UE 110 accessing the network including base station 130 in phase 450.

[0090] Figure 5This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. The stages of the method shown can be performed in UE 110 or in a control device (such as a processor or chipset) configured to control the functions of UE 110 when installed in UE 110.

[0091] Phase 510 includes receiving information from a base station by the device, the information defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band. Phase 520 includes user equipment capability information constituting the channel bandwidth capabilities defining the device, wherein some, but not all, channel bandwidth capabilities of the device in at least one frequency band are defined, and wherein the channel bandwidth capabilities selected to be included in the user equipment capability information are selected at least in part based on the information defining the multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station. Finally, Phase 530 includes transmitting the constituting user equipment capability information to the base station.

[0092] According to a first aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: receive information from a base station, the information defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band; constitute user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capabilities of the apparatus, wherein some, but not all, of the channel bandwidth capabilities of the apparatus in the at least one frequency band are defined, wherein the apparatus is configured to select channel bandwidth capabilities to include in the user equipment capability information based at least in part on the information defining the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, and transmit the constituted user equipment capability information to the base station.

[0093] According to a second aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: transmit information in a cell controlled by the apparatus, the information defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the apparatus in at least one frequency band; and receive user equipment capability information from a user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment.

[0094] According to a third aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising: receiving information from a base station by a device, the information defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band; constituting user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capabilities of the device, wherein some, but not all, of the channel bandwidth capabilities of the device in at least one frequency band are defined, wherein the channel bandwidth capabilities selected to be included in the user equipment capability information are selected at least in part based on the information defining the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station; and transmitting the constituting user equipment capability information to the base station.

[0095] According to the fourth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: transmitting information in a cell controlled by a device, the information defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the device in at least one frequency band; and receiving user equipment capability information from a user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment.

[0096] According to a fifth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, on which a set of computer-readable instructions is stored, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause a device to at least: receive information from a base station, the information defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band; constitute user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capabilities of the device, wherein some, but not all, of the channel bandwidth capabilities of the device in the at least one frequency band are defined, wherein the device is configured to select channel bandwidth capabilities to include in the user equipment capability information based at least in part on the information defining the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station; and transmit the constituted user equipment capability information to the base station.

[0097] According to a sixth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, having stored thereon a computer-readable instruction set, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes a device to at least: transmit information in a cell controlled by the device, the information defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the device in at least one frequency band; and receive user equipment capability information from a user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment.

[0098] According to a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for receiving information from a base station, the information defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band; a component for constituting user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capabilities of the apparatus, wherein some, but not all, of the channel bandwidth capabilities of the apparatus in at least one frequency band are defined, wherein the channel bandwidth capabilities selected to be included in the user equipment capability information are selected at least in part based on the information defining the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station; and a component for transmitting the constituting user equipment capability information to the base station.

[0099] According to an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for transmitting information in a cell controlled by the apparatus, the information defining a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the apparatus in at least one frequency band; and a component for receiving user equipment capability information from a user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment.

[0100] Throughout this specification, any reference to an embodiment or embodiment means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Precise numerical values ​​are also disclosed where terms such as, for example, approximately or substantially, are used to refer to numerical values.

[0101] As used herein, for convenience, multiple items, structural elements, constituent elements, and / or materials may be presented in a common list. However, these lists should be interpreted as if each member of the list were individually identified as a separate and unique member. Therefore, without indication to the contrary, any individual member of such a list should not be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in the common group. Furthermore, various embodiments and examples of the invention may be cited herein along with alternatives to their various components. It should be understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives should not be construed as de facto equivalents of each other, but should be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the invention.

[0102] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details, such as examples of length, width, shape, etc., have been provided in the foregoing description to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more specific details or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

[0103] While the foregoing examples illustrate the principles of the invention in one or more specific applications, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications in form, use, and detail can be made without inventive effort and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited except by the claims set forth below.

[0104] The verbs “comprising” and “including” are used herein as open-ended restrictions, neither excluding nor requiring the presence of any unlisted features. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the features recited in the dependent claims may be freely combined with each other. Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of “a” or “an,” i.e., the singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

[0105] As used herein, “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0106] Industrial applicability At least some embodiments of the present invention have industrial applications in cellular communications.

[0107] List of acronyms

[0108] List of reference numerals

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by said at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: - Receive system information blocks from a base station, the system information blocks defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band operated by the base station; - Constitutes user equipment capability information, which defines the device's channel bandwidth capability within at least one channel bandwidth of a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, wherein the device is further configured to use the received plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station to exclude at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information, and - Send the user equipment channel capability information constituted to the base station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, configured to use the received plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station to omit all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to configure the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the apparatus into the same format as wherein the system information block includes the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the format of the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the apparatus and wherein the format of the system information block including the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station is a bitmap, wherein each bit indicates in binary whether the particular channel bandwidth is supported.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the system information block further includes other information relating to the cellular access of the base station.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the system information block defines a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station for a plurality of different frequency ranges, each frequency range covering a plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the apparatus for the plurality of different frequency ranges.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system information block defines the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station for the plurality of different subcarrier intervals, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the apparatus for the plurality of different subcarrier intervals.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the apparatus is a user equipment, or the apparatus is configured to be installed in a user equipment as its control device.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to operate in accordance with a cellular communication standard.

10. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by said at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: - Transmit system information blocks in a cell controlled by the device, the system information blocks defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the device in at least one frequency band; - Receive user equipment capability information from the user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment and excluding at least one channel bandwidth that the device does not support.

11. A method comprising: - The user equipment receives a system information block from the base station, the system information block defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band operated by the base station; - User equipment (UE) capability information is constituted by the UE, which defines the UE's channel bandwidth capability within at least one channel bandwidth of a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, wherein the UE further uses received channel bandwidths supported by the base station to exclude at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station from the UE capability information. - The user equipment sends the constituted user equipment channel capability information to the base station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user equipment uses the received channel bandwidths supported by the base station to omit all channel bandwidths not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein the user equipment configures the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the device in the same format as wherein the system information block includes the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the format of the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment and wherein the format of the system information block including the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station is a bitmap, wherein each bit indicates in binary whether the particular channel bandwidth is supported.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the system information block further includes other information relating to the cellular access of the base station.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the system information block defines a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station for a plurality of different frequency ranges, each frequency range covering a plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for the plurality of different frequency ranges.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the system information block defines the plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station for a plurality of different subcarrier intervals, and wherein the user equipment capability information defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment for the plurality of different subcarrier intervals.

18. A method comprising: - A system information block is transmitted by a base station in a cell controlled by the base station, the system information block defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station in at least one frequency band; - Receive user equipment capability information from the user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment and excluding at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer-readable instruction set, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes a user equipment to at least: - Receive system information blocks from a base station, the system information blocks defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the base station on at least one frequency band operated by the base station; - This constitutes user equipment capability information, which defines the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment within at least one channel bandwidth of a plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station, wherein the user equipment is further configured to use the received plurality of channel bandwidths supported by the base station to exclude at least one channel bandwidth not supported by the base station from the user equipment capability information. - Send the user equipment channel capability information constituted to the base station.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer-readable instruction set, said computer-readable instruction set causing a device to at least: - Transmit system information blocks in a cell controlled by the device, the system information blocks defining multiple channel bandwidths supported by the device in at least one frequency band; - Receive user equipment capability information from the user equipment, the user equipment capability information defining the channel bandwidth capability of the user equipment and excluding at least one channel bandwidth that the device does not support.

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