Communication device and method

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to communication devices and methods. If a first set of conditions is satisfied, a UE transmits an UL signal for requesting DL information from a first cell that supports NES. The UE determines first information for reception of the DL information, and receives the DL information from the first cell based on the first information. In this way, DL transmission in NES can be triggered, and NES can be enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication, and more specifically to communication devices and methods for network energy saving (NES). Background Technology

[0002] A wireless communication system may include one or more network communication devices (such as base stations), which may also be referred to as eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), or other suitable terms. Each network communication device (such as a base station) may support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices, which may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), or other suitable terms. The wireless communication system may support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices by utilizing the resources of the wireless communication system (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)). Furthermore, the wireless communication system may support wireless communication across a variety of radio access technologies, including third-generation (3G) radio access technology, fourth-generation (4G) radio access technology, fifth-generation (5G) radio access technology, and other suitable radio access technologies other than 5G (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)).

[0003] Currently, research has been conducted on on-demand synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) / system information blocks 1 (SIB1) in NES. However, how to acquire downlink (DL) transmissions in the case of on-demand SSBs / SIB1 remains unclear. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems for acquiring DL transmissions supporting NES. By transmitting an uplink (UL) signal when a set of conditions is met and determining information for receiving DL information, a UE can receive DL information from a cell supporting NES (e.g., NES technology supporting on-demand system information request / transmission). In this way, DL transmissions in NES can be triggered, and NES can be enhanced.

[0005] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may include: sending an uplink signal to request downlink information from a first cell supporting network energy conservation, based on determining that a first set of conditions is satisfied; determining first information for receiving downlink information; and receiving downlink information from the first cell via a transceiver based on the first information.

[0006] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first set of conditions may include at least one of the following: the signal quality of the first cell is better than the signal quality of the second cell where the user equipment is camped; the signal quality of the first cell is higher than a first quality threshold; the first cell is a higher priority frequency cell; the first cell is heavily loaded; uplink traffic arrives; downlink traffic arrives; the user equipment receives a paging message; the user equipment is about to send a response to the paging message; uplink traffic arrives and the buffered data volume is higher than a data volume threshold; a first type of uplink traffic arrives, the first type being recommended to be initiated in the first cell; or the user equipment identifies that the first cell supports network energy saving.

[0007] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may also include: obtaining information about the first cell from neighboring cells of the first cell or from the first cell; and identifying the first cell as supporting network energy saving based on the information about the first cell.

[0008] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first set of conditions may include: the signal quality of the first cell is higher than a second quality threshold.

[0009] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first set of conditions may further include at least one of the following: the second cell where the user equipment is camped is heavily loaded; uplink service arrives; downlink service arrives; the user equipment receives a paging message; the user equipment is to send a response to the paging message; uplink service arrives and the buffered data volume is higher than a data volume threshold; or a first type of uplink service arrives, the first type being recommended to be initiated in the first cell.

[0010] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may further include: based on determining that a second set of conditions is satisfied, not sending an uplink signal for requesting downlink information from a first cell supporting network energy conservation, wherein the second set of conditions includes the signal quality of the first cell being lower than a third quality threshold.

[0011] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the second set of conditions may further include at least one of the following: the second cell where the user equipment is camped has a light load; uplink traffic arrives and the buffered data volume is below a data volume threshold; or no first type of uplink traffic arrives, and the first type is recommended to be initiated in the first cell.

[0012] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, transmitting uplink signals may include transmitting uplink signals a predetermined number of times at predetermined time intervals.

[0013] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, sending uplink signals may include initiating a random access procedure.

[0014] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, initiating a random access procedure may include at least one of the following: transmitting a preamble via a transceiver; determining that the random access procedure has been successfully completed based on the determination that the preamble has been transmitted; not monitoring the random access response based on the determination that the preamble has been transmitted; not initiating a random access response window based on the determination that the preamble has been transmitted; ignoring the timing advance command included in the random access response based on the determination that a random access response including a timing advance command has been received; applying the timing advance value in the timing advance command based on the determination that a random access response including a timing advance command has been received; or receiving a random access response that does not include a timing advance command via a transceiver.

[0015] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first information may include a search space, and receiving downlink information may include: monitoring the search space based on determining that an uplink signal has been transmitted.

[0016] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first information may include at least one of the following: the start time of receiving downlink information, the period of downlink information, the time offset relative to the start time, the timing of transmission of downlink information, or the transmission mode of downlink information.

[0017] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first information may include a time period, and receiving downlink information may include: monitoring downlink information based on determining the time period elapsed since the uplink signal was sent.

[0018] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, determining the first information may include at least one of the following: obtaining the first information via system information from a neighboring cell of the first cell or from a second cell where the user equipment is camped; obtaining the first information via additional downlink information from the first cell; receiving the first information via a predetermined public channel or resource or search space; or receiving the first information via dedicated signaling in a connected state. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system supporting the acquisition of DL transmissions in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0020] Figure 2A The illustration shows an example single-cell scenario of On-Demand SSB / SIB1 according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2B The illustration shows an example multi-cell scenario of on-demand SSB / SIB1 according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3 An example of the process for acquiring DL transfers in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0023] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example scenario of UE movement according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5 An example of a device that supports DL transfer in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0025] Figure 6 An example of a processor that supports the acquisition of DL transfers in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0026] Figure 7 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of a method for obtaining DL transfers in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not impose any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0028] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0029] References to "an embodiment," "example embodiment," "embodiment," and "some embodiments" in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiments may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s). Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that in conjunction with other embodiments (whether explicitly described or not) such a feature, structure, or characteristic may affect it within the scope of their knowledge. The term "embodiment" may be used interchangeably with "implementation."

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” may be used in this document to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of implementation, a first element may also be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing a particular implementation only and is not intended to limit the example implementation. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein include the plural forms as well. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of the stated feature, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0032] In the context of this disclosure, the terms "connected state" and "RRC_CONNECTED state" are used interchangeably, the terms "idle state" and "RRC_IDLE state" are used interchangeably, and the terms "inactive state" and "RRC_INACTIVE state" are used interchangeably. In the context of this disclosure, the term "above" is used interchangeably with "higher than or equal to" or "greater than or equal to". The term "below" is used interchangeably with "lower than or equal to" or "less than or equal to".

[0033] In the context of this disclosure, the term "anchor cell" refers to the cell where the UE is camped, and the term "non-anchor cell" refers to a cell other than the anchor cell. In the context of this disclosure, the term "single cell" may be used interchangeably with "cell" or "non-anchor cell".

[0034] As is well known, NES can involve various NES technologies, such as On-Demand System Information Request / Transmission and Cell DTX / DRX. It should be understood that the term "NES-enabled" in this document can refer to supporting at least one of the NES technologies. In the context of this disclosure, the term "NES-enabled cell" can be used interchangeably with "cell supporting NES technology on-demand system information request / transmission".

[0035] As mentioned above, how to obtain DL transmissions in the case of on-demand SSB / SIB1 remains unclear. For example, in NES, a UL signal can be sent by the UE to trigger a DL transmission from the network. However, the conditions for initiating the transmission of the UL signal are unclear, as is the UE behavior after the transmission of the UL signal.

[0036] In view of this, embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for acquiring DL transmissions in NES. In this solution, if a first set of conditions is satisfied, the UE sends a UL signal to request DL information from a first cell supporting NES. After determining first information for receiving DL information, the UE receives DL information from the first cell based on the first information. In this way, DL transmissions in NES can be triggered, and NES can be enhanced.

[0037] Various aspects of this disclosure are described in the context of wireless communication systems.

[0038] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 supporting DL transmission in an NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more network entities (also referred to as network devices (NEs)). For convenience, network entities 102-1, 102-2, and 102-3 are shown and are collectively referred to below as one or more network entities 102. The wireless communication system 100 may also include one or more UEs 104, a core network 106, and a packet data network 108. The wireless communication system 100 may support various radio access technologies. In some implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 4G network, such as an LTE network or an Advanced LTE (LTE-A) network. In some other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 5G network, such as an NR network. In other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a combination of 4G and 5G networks, or other suitable radio access technologies, including IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20. The wireless communication system 100 can support radio access technologies other than 5G. In addition, the wireless communication system 100 can support technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).

[0039] One or more network entities 102 may be distributed throughout a geographic area to form a wireless communication system 100. One or more of the network entities 102 described herein may be, include, or may be referred to as network nodes, base stations, network elements, radio access networks (RANs), base transceiver stations, access points, NodeBs, eNodeBs (eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), or other suitable terms. Network entities 102 and UE 104 may communicate via communication link 110, which may be a wireless or wired connection. For example, network entities 102 and UE 104 may perform wireless communication (e.g., receive signaling, send signaling) via a Uu interface.

[0040] Network entity 102 may provide one or more geographic coverage areas (also referred to as cells), and network entity 102 may support services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) for one or more UEs 104 within the geographic coverage area. For example, network entity 102 and UE 104 may support wireless communication of signals associated with services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) based on one or more radio access technologies. In some implementations, network entity 102 may be mobile, for example, a satellite associated with a non-terrestrial network. In some implementations, different geographic coverage areas associated with the same or different radio access technologies may overlap, but different geographic coverage areas may be associated with different network entities 102. The information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0041] One or more UEs 104 may be distributed throughout the geographic area of ​​the wireless communication system 100. UE 104 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, remote unit, handheld device, subscriber device, or some other suitable term. In some implementations, UE 104 may be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, among other examples. Additionally or alternatively, UE 104 may be referred to as an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) device, etc. In some implementations, UE 104 may be stationary within the wireless communication system 100. In some other implementations, UE 104 may be mobile within the wireless communication system 100.

[0042] One or more UEs 104 can be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Figure 1 The diagram illustrates some examples of UE 104. UE 104 is capable of communicating with various types of devices, such as network entity 102, other UEs 104, or network devices (e.g., core network 106, packet data network 108, relay equipment, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or another network device). Figure 1 As shown. Alternatively, UE 104 may support communication with other network entities 102 or UE 104 that may act as relays in wireless communication system 100.

[0043] UE 104 can also support direct wireless communication with other UE 104s via communication link 114. For example, UE 104 can support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link. In some implementations, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) deployments, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments, or cellular V2X deployments, communication link 114 may be referred to as a sidechain. For example, UE 104 can support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a PC5 interface.

[0044] Network entity 102 may support communication with core network 106 or with another network entity 102, or both. For example, network entity 102 may interface with core network 106 via one or more backhaul links 116 (e.g., via S1, N2, N2, or another network interface). Network entities 102 may communicate with each other via backhaul links 116 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or another network interface). In some implementations, network entities 102 may communicate directly with each other (e.g., between network entities 102). In some other implementations, network entities 102 may communicate with each other or indirectly (e.g., via core network 106). In some implementations, one or more network entities 102 may include sub-components, such as access network entities, which may be examples of access node controllers (ANCs). An ANC may communicate with one or more UEs 104 via one or more other access network transport entities (which may be referred to as radio headends, smart radio headends, or transmit-receive points (TRPs)).

[0045] For example, network entity 102-1 can provide cell 112-1, and network entity 102-2 can provide cell 112-2. It should be understood that each of network entities 102-1 and 102-2 can provide more cells (not shown).

[0046] In one example, the network entity can be a satellite, such as network entity 102-3. Network entity 102-3 may carry all or part of an eNB / gNB. Communication link 110 between satellite 102-3 and UE 104, communication link 116 between satellite 102-3 and network entity 102-2, and communication link 116 between network entity 102-2 and core network 106 can be used in non-terrestrial network (NTN) transparent mode. Communication link 110 between satellite 102-3 and UE 104, and communication link 116 between satellite 102-3 (with a base station) and core network 106 can be used in NTN regeneration mode.

[0047] In some implementations, network entity 102 can be configured with a decomposed architecture that can utilize protocol stacks physically or logically distributed across two or more network entities 102, such as an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) network, Open RAN (O-RAN) (e.g., a network configuration sponsored by the O-RAN Alliance), or Virtualized RAN (vRAN) (e.g., Cloud RAN (C-RAN)). For example, network entity 102 may include one or more of a Central Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU), Radio Unit (RU), RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) (e.g., near real-time RIC, non-real-time RIC), Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) system, or any combination thereof.

[0048] An RU can also be referred to as a radio head unit, intelligent radio head unit, remote radio head unit (RRH), remote radio unit (RRU), or TRP. In a decomposed RAN architecture, one or more components of network entity 102 can be co-located, or one or more components of network entity 102 can be located in distributed locations (e.g., separate physical locations). In some implementations, one or more network entities 102 in a decomposed RAN architecture can be implemented as virtual units (e.g., virtual CU (VCU), virtual DU (VDU), virtual RU (VRU)).

[0049] The functional decomposition between CU, DU, and RU can be flexible and can support different functions based on the functions performed at the CU, DU, or RU (e.g., network layer functions, protocol layer functions, baseband functions, radio frequency functions, and any combination thereof). For example, a protocol stack functional decomposition can be used between the CU and DU, allowing the CU to support one or more layers of the protocol stack and the DU to support one or more different layers of the protocol stack. In some implementations, the CU can host upper-layer protocol layer (e.g., Layer 3 (L3), Layer 2 (L2)) functions and signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC), Serving Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)). The CU can connect to one or more DUs or RUs, and one or more DUs or RUs can host lower-layer protocol layer functions and signaling, such as Layer 1 (L1) (e.g., Physical (PHY) layer) or L2 (e.g., Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer), and each can be at least partially controlled by the CU 160.

[0050] Alternatively, a functional split of the protocol stack can be employed between the DU and RU, allowing the DU to support one or more layers of the protocol stack and the RU to support one or more different layers of the protocol stack. The DU can support one or more different cells (e.g., via one or more RUs). In some implementations, the functional split between the CU and DU, or between the DU and RU, can be within the protocol layer (e.g., some functions of the protocol layer can be performed by one of the CU, DU, or RU, while other functions of the protocol layer are performed by different items in the CU, DU, or RU).

[0051] The CU can be further functionally divided into CU control plane (CU-CP) and CU user plane (CU-UP) functions. The CU can be connected to one or more DUs via mid-range communication links (e.g., F1, F1-c, F1-u), and the DUs can be connected to one or more RUs via fronthaul communication links (e.g., open fronthaul (FH) interfaces). In some implementations, the mid-range or fronthaul communication links can be implemented based on interfaces (e.g., channels) between layers of a protocol stack supported by the respective network entity 102 communicating via such communication links.

[0052] Core network 106 can support user authentication, access authorization, tracking, connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Core network 106 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), which may include control plane entities that manage access and mobility (e.g., Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)) and user plane entities that route packets or interconnects to external networks (e.g., Serving Gateway (S-GW), Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW), or User Plane Function (UPF)). In some implementations, the control plane entities may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management (e.g., data bearers, signaling bearers, etc.) of one or more UEs 104 served by one or more network entities 102 associated with core network 106.

[0053] Core network 106 can communicate with packet data network 108 via one or more backhaul links 116 (e.g., via S1, N2, N2, or another network interface). Packet data network 108 may include application server 118. In some implementations, one or more UEs 104 may communicate with application server 118. UE 104 may establish a session (e.g., Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, etc.) with core network 106 via network entity 102. Core network 106 can use the established session (e.g., an established PDU session) to route services (e.g., control information, data, etc.) between UE 104 and application server 118. A PDU session may be an example of a logical connection between UE 104 and core network 106 (e.g., one or more network functions of core network 106).

[0054] In the wireless communication system 100, network entity 102 and UE 104 can use the resources of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)) to perform various operations (e.g., wireless communication). In some implementations, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support different resource structures. For example, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support different frame structures. In some implementations, such as in 4G, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support a single frame structure. In some other implementations, such as in 5G and other suitable radio access technologies, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support various frame structures (i.e., multiple frame structures). Network entity 102 and UE 104 can support various frame structures based on one or more digital technologies.

[0055] One or more digital technologies may be supported in the wireless communication system 100, and the digital technologies may include subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefix. The first digital technology (e.g., μ =0) can be associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) and the regular cyclic prefix. In some implementations, the first digital technique (e.g., ...) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15 kHz) is... μ =0) can utilize one time slot per subframe. Second digital technologies (e.g., μ =1) can be associated with the second subcarrier spacing (e.g., 30 kHz) and the conventional cyclic prefix. The third digital technology (e.g., μ =2) can be associated with a third subcarrier spacing (e.g., 60 kHz) and a regular cyclic prefix or an extended cyclic prefix. A fourth digital technology (e.g., μ =3) can be associated with a fourth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 120 kHz) and a conventional cyclic prefix. A fifth digital technology (e.g., μ=4) can be associated with the fifth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 240 kHz) and the regular cyclic prefix.

[0056] The time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to frames (also called radio frames). Each frame can have a duration, for example, 10 milliseconds (ms). In some implementations, each frame can include multiple subframes. For example, each frame can include 10 subframes, and each subframe can have a duration, for example, 1 ms. In some implementations, each frame can have the same duration. In some implementations, each subframe of a frame can have the same duration.

[0057] Alternatively or concurrently, the time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to time slots. For example, a subframe may include a certain number (e.g., quantity) of time slots. The number of time slots in each subframe may also depend on one or more digital technologies supported in the wireless communication system 100. For example, a first digital technology, a second digital technology, a third digital technology, a fourth digital technology, and a fifth digital technology (i.e., ...) associated with corresponding subcarrier intervals of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz. μ =0、 μ =1、 μ =2、 μ =3、 μ =4) One time slot per subframe, two time slots per subframe, four time slots per subframe, eight time slots per subframe, and 16 time slots per subframe can be used, respectively. Each time slot can include a certain number (e.g., quantity) of symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols). In some implementations, the number (e.g., quantity) of time slots in a subframe can depend on the digital technique. For a regular cyclic prefix, a time slot can include 14 symbols. For an extended cyclic prefix (e.g., for a 60kHz subcarrier spacing), a time slot can include 12 symbols. The relationship between the number of symbols per time slot, the number of time slots per subframe, and the number of time slots per frame for both regular and extended cyclic prefixes can depend on the digital technique. It should be understood that for the first digital technique (e.g., quantity) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15kHz), μ The reference of =0 can be used interchangeably between subframes and time slots.

[0058] In the wireless communication system 100, the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum can be divided into various categories, frequency bands, frequency channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the wireless communication system 100 can support one or more operating frequency bands, such as frequency range names FR1 (410MHz-7.125GHz), FR2 (24.25GHz-52.6GHz), FR3 (7.125GHz-24.25GHz), FR4 (52.6GHz-114.25GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6GHz-71GHz), and FR5 (114.25GHz-300GHz). In some implementations, network entity 102 and UE 104 can perform wireless communication on one or more operating frequency bands. In some implementations, FR1 can be used by network entity 102 and UE 104, along with other devices or apparatuses, for cellular communication services (e.g., control information, data). In some implementations, FR2 can be used by network entity 102 and UE 104, along with other devices or apparatuses, for short-range, high data rate capabilities.

[0059] FR1 can be associated with one or more digital technologies (e.g., at least three digital technologies). For example, FR1 can be associated with the following: a first digital technology (e.g., μ =0), which includes a 15kHz subcarrier spacing; second digital technology (e.g., μ =1), which includes a 30kHz subcarrier spacing; third digital technology (e.g., μ =2), which includes a subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz. FR2 can be associated with one or more digital technologies (e.g., at least two digital technologies). For example, FR2 can be associated with a third digital technology (e.g., μ =2), which includes a 60kHz subcarrier spacing; fourth digital technology (e.g., μ =3), which includes a subcarrier spacing of 120kHz.

[0060] From the perspective of On-Demand SIB1, there are two applicable scenarios: single-cell scenario and multi-cell scenario. Figure 2A The illustration depicts an example single-cell scenario 200A of On-Demand SSB / SIB1 according to various aspects of this disclosure. It is assumed that the cell (e.g., a non-anchor cell) supports NES. Figure 2A As shown, in a single-cell scenario, the Wake-up Signal (WUS) configuration can be indicated to the UE via the SSB / Discovery Reference Signal (DRS) 211. Based on the WUS configuration, the UE can send WUS 212 within the cell. The UE can then receive SIB1 213 from the network within the cell.

[0061] Figure 2BThe illustration depicts an example multi-cell scenario 200B of on-demand SSB / SIB1 according to various aspects of this disclosure. For example... Figure 2B As shown, in a multi-cell scenario, the WUS configuration of a non-anchor cell supporting NES can be indicated to the UE via SSB 221, SIB1 222, or other SIBs from the anchor cell. Based on the WUS configuration, the UE can send WUS 223 in the non-anchor cell. The UE can then receive SIB1 224 from the network in the non-anchor cell.

[0062] It should be understood that Figure 2B This is merely an example of a multi-cell scenario. Alternatively, the UE can send a WUS requesting SIB1 from a non-anchor cell in the anchor cell and receive the SIB1 from the non-anchor cell in the non-anchor cell. As another alternative, the UE can send a WUS requesting SIB1 from a non-anchor cell in the anchor cell and receive the SIB1 from the non-anchor cell in the anchor cell. Of course, any other suitable application scenario is also feasible.

[0063] The embodiments disclosed herein provide a solution for acquiring DL transmissions in an NES. It should be understood that the DL transmission can be the transmission of SIB1 or any other suitable DL information. It should also be understood that this solution can be applied to single-cell or multi-cell scenarios or any other suitable NES scenario. This solution will be described in conjunction with the following... Figure 3 and Figure 4 Detailed introduction.

[0064] Figure 3 An example of a process 300 for acquiring DL transfers in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Describe process 300. Process 300 may involve, for example, Figure 1 The diagram shows UE 104, network entity 102-1, and network entity 102-2. It should be understood that... Figure 3 The steps and their order are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting.

[0065] For convenience, it is assumed that network entity 102-1 provides a first cell (e.g., cell 112-1) that supports NES, and network entity 102-2 provides a second cell (e.g., cell 112-2) where UE 104 camps, or a neighboring cell of the first cell (e.g., cell 112-2). In some embodiments, network entity 102-1 and network entity 102-2 may be different network entities. In some embodiments, network entity 102-1 and network entity 102-2 may be the same network entity. In some embodiments, UE 104 may be in an inactive state. In some embodiments, UE 104 may be in an idle state. In some embodiments, the second cell (i.e., the anchor cell) may support NES. In some embodiments, the second cell may not support NES.

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown, UE 104 can detect cell 310 (e.g., cell 112-1) through cell quality measurements. The detected cell is a potential serving cell of UE 104 or a candidate cell on which UE 104 can camp. In some embodiments, UE 104 can perform cell quality measurements by measuring the SSB or simplified SSB (e.g., DRS) from the cell. In some embodiments, cell quality measurements may include measurements of reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) (e.g., Layer 1 (L1) SINR), or any other suitable metric.

[0067] Continue to refer to Figure 3 UE 104 can identify whether the cell detected by 320 is a first cell supporting NES based on the information of the detected cell. In some embodiments, the first cell may be a non-anchor cell. In some embodiments, the first cell may be an anchor cell.

[0068] In some embodiments, UE 104 can obtain information about the detected cell from its anchor cell (i.e., the second cell). In some embodiments, UE 104 can obtain information about the detected cell from neighboring cells of the detected cell. In some embodiments, the information about the detected cell can be transmitted via SI. In some embodiments, the information about the detected cell can be transmitted via dedicated signaling.

[0069] In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain information about the detected cell from the detected cell itself. In some embodiments, the SSB or DRS or any other suitable UL signal from the detected cell may be used to indicate that there is no anchor cell and that the detected cell supports NES.

[0070] In some embodiments, the information of the detected cell may include the cell's identity (ID) (e.g., Physical Cell Identity (PCI) or any other suitable identity) and / or an indication that the cell supports NES (e.g., NES technology that supports on-demand system information request / transmission). In some embodiments, UE 104 may store the ID of the detected cell.

[0071] Assume the detected cell is identified as the first cell supporting NES (e.g., NES technology that supports on-demand system information request / transmission). Continue to refer to... Figure 3 UE 104 can obtain the configuration of the UL signal of the cell detected by 330. The UL signal is used to request DL information from the detected cell.

[0072] In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain the configuration from its anchor cell (i.e., the second cell). In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain the configuration from neighboring cells of the detected cell. In some embodiments, the configuration may be transmitted via SI. In some implementations, information about the detected cell may be transmitted via dedicated signaling.

[0073] In some embodiments, the configuration can be broadcast directly. In some embodiments, UE 104 can send a System Information (SI) request to the anchor cell of UE 104 or a neighboring cell of the detected cell, and the anchor cell of UE 104 or a neighboring cell of the detected cell can send the configuration to UE 104 in response to the SI request. In some embodiments, the configuration can be included as an Information Element (IE) in an existing SIB. In some embodiments, the configuration can be sent via a separate SI.

[0074] In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain this configuration from the detected cell itself. In some embodiments, the SSB or DRS or any other suitable UL signal from the detected cell may be used to indicate this configuration.

[0075] In some embodiments, the configuration may include information (e.g., resources) regarding the transmission of the UL signal. In some embodiments, the configuration may include information about the UL signal. For example, the UL signal may be WUS. It should be understood that the UL signal may be any other suitable signal, existing or to be developed in the future. It should also be understood that the configuration may include any other suitable information for the transmission of the UL signal, and this disclosure is not limiting in this respect.

[0076] Continue to refer to Figure 3If the first set of conditions is met, then UE 104 may send a 340 UL signal. In some embodiments, if the second set of conditions is met, then UE 104 may not send a UL signal.

[0077] In some embodiments, a first set of conditions may be included in the configuration of the UL signal. In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may be predefined. In some embodiments, a second set of conditions may be included in the configuration of the UL signal. In some embodiments, the second set of conditions may be predefined. For illustration, some example embodiments of the first and second set of conditions will be described below in conjunction with Embodiments 1 and 2. Example 1

[0078] In this embodiment, conditions for initiating the transmission of a UL signal are defined. In this case, the condition can be used as a first set of conditions or as part of a first set of conditions.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a first cell (e.g., a non-anchor cell) having better signal quality than a second cell (e.g., an anchor cell). In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a first cell having signal quality higher than a first quality threshold. In some embodiments, signal quality may include RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, or any other suitable metric. In some embodiments, the first quality threshold may be broadcast in the SI of the anchor cell, the first cell, or neighboring cells of the first cell. In some embodiments, the first quality threshold may be predefined.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a first cell (e.g., a non-anchor cell) that is a higher priority frequency cell (e.g., a cell on a frequency with a higher priority than the serving frequency). In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a second cell (e.g., an anchor cell) that is heavily loaded. For example, based on an indication in the anchor cell's SI, UE 104 may determine whether the anchor cell is heavily loaded.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include UL service arrival. In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include DL service arrival.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a paging message (e.g., for UE 104) being received by UE 104. In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a response to the paging message to be sent by UE 104.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include UL service arrival and buffered data volume exceeding a data volume threshold. In some embodiments, the data volume threshold may be broadcast in the SI of the anchor cell, the first cell, or a neighboring cell of the first cell. In some embodiments, the data volume threshold may be predefined.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include the arrival of a first type of UL service, i.e., the arrival of a specific UL service (e.g., delay-critical service, high data rate service, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) service, or extended reality (XR) service). In some embodiments, the first type may be recommended to be initiated in a NES-enabled cell. For example, a list of specific services recommended to be initiated in an NES-enabled cell may be included in the SI of the anchor cell or the first cell or a neighboring cell of the first cell. In some embodiments, after the UE 104 identifies that the detected cell is a non-anchor cell and the non-anchor cell supports NES, the UE 104 may determine that the first set of conditions is satisfied. In some embodiments, after the UE 104 identifies that the detected cell is a single cell that supports NES, the UE 104 may determine that the first set of conditions is satisfied.

[0085] It should be understood that the above conditions can be used in any suitable combination. In this way, a conditional request for obtaining DL information can be implemented.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a first cell supporting NES identified by UE 104. In some embodiments, UE 104 may determine that the first set of conditions is satisfied after identifying that the detected cell is a non-anchor cell and that the non-anchor cell supports NES. In some embodiments, UE 104 may determine that the first set of conditions is satisfied after identifying that the detected cell is a single cell supporting NES. In this way, an immediate request for obtaining DL information can be implemented. Example 2

[0087] In this embodiment, entry and exit conditions are defined. In this case, the entry condition can be used as a first set of conditions or a part of a first set of conditions. The exit condition can be used as a second set of conditions or a part of a second set of conditions.

[0088] Entry conditions are defined to determine whether the UE is the center UE of the first cell supporting NES, and exit conditions are defined to determine whether the UE is the edge UE of the first cell supporting NES. In other words, entry conditions are defined for the UE to enable the possibility of the UE sending a UL signal to trigger the transmission of DL information, and exit conditions are defined for the UE to restrict the possibility of the UE sending a UL signal to trigger the transmission of DL information.

[0089] In some embodiments, if the UE is a central UE, the transmission of the UL signal can be triggered. If the UE is an edge UE, the transmission of the UL signal may not be triggered. Figure 4 An example scenario 400 of an edge UE and a center UE according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. For convenience, it will be combined with... Figure 1 Describe this example. Assume that UE 104 will receive DL information from cell 112-1, which is the first cell supporting NES, and that UE 104 is camped on cell 112-2. Also assume that the UL coverage 410 of cell 112-1 is different from the DL coverage 420 of cell 112-1. It should be understood that this solution can also be applied to situations where UL coverage 410 and DL coverage 420 are the same.

[0090] like Figure 4 As shown, as UE 104 moves, UE 104 can become an edge UE of cell 112-1. For example, UE 104 can be located at position A at the edge of UL coverage 410. In these scenarios, if UE 104 triggers the transmission of a UL signal to cell 112-1, the UL signal may not be received even after multiple transmissions. Then, from the perspective of UE power saving, if UE 104 meets the leave condition (i.e., UE 104 is an edge UE), UE 104 preferably does not trigger UL signal transmission. In some embodiments, if UE 104 meets the leave condition, UE 104 will not trigger UL signal transmission even if UE 104 meets the first set of conditions described in Embodiment 1 or any other conditions for triggering UL signal transmission. In other words, from the perspective of UE implementation, if the leave condition is met, UE 104 ignores the conditions for triggering UL signal transmission (if configured).

[0091] Continue to refer to Figure 4 As UE 104 moves, UE 104 can become the central UE of cell 112-1; for example, UE 104 can be located at position B within UL coverage 410. In these scenarios, if UE 104 triggers the transmission of a UL signal to cell 112-1, the UL signal can be received. Then, if UE 104 meets the entry condition (i.e., UE 104 is the central UE), UE 104 can trigger the transmission of the UL signal. In some embodiments, if UE 104 meets the entry condition and also meets the first set of conditions described in Embodiment 1 or any other conditions for triggering the transmission of the UL signal, UE 104 can trigger the transmission of the UL signal.

[0092] In some embodiments, the entry condition may include a signal quality of a first cell (i.e., cell 112-1) that is higher than a second quality threshold. In some embodiments, the second quality threshold may be different from the first quality threshold. In some embodiments, the second quality threshold may be the same as the first quality threshold. In some embodiments, the signal quality may include RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, or any other suitable metric. In some embodiments, the second quality threshold may be broadcast in the SI of the anchor cell or the first cell or a neighboring cell of the first cell. In some embodiments, the second quality threshold may be predefined.

[0093] In some embodiments, the entry condition may also include a heavy load on the anchor cell (i.e., cell 112-2). For example, based on an indication in the SI of the anchor cell, the UE 104 may determine whether the anchor cell is heavily loaded.

[0094] In some embodiments, the entry condition may further include UL service arrival. In some embodiments, the entry condition may further include DL service arrival.

[0095] In some embodiments, the entry condition may further include the receipt of a paging message (e.g., for UE 104) by UE 104. In some embodiments, the entry condition may further include the requirement for UE 104 to send a response to the paging message.

[0096] In some embodiments, the entry conditions may further include UL service arrival and buffered data volume exceeding a data volume threshold. In some embodiments, the data volume threshold may be broadcast in the SI of the anchor cell, the first cell, or a neighboring cell of the first cell. In some embodiments, the data volume threshold may be predefined.

[0097] In some embodiments, the entry condition may further include the arrival of a first type of UL service, i.e., the arrival of a specific UL service. In some embodiments, the first type may be recommended to be initiated in a NES-enabled cell. For example, the list of specific services recommended to be initiated in an NES-enabled cell may be included in the SI of the anchor cell or the first cell or a neighboring cell of the first cell.

[0098] It should be understood that the above entry conditions can be used in any suitable combination. In this way, the transmission of the UL signal to the NES-enabled cell can only be triggered when the UE is the central UE of the cell.

[0099] In some embodiments, the departure condition may include the signal quality of the first cell being lower than a third quality threshold. In some embodiments, the third quality threshold may be different from either the first or second quality threshold. In some embodiments, the third quality threshold may be the same as either the first or second quality threshold. In some embodiments, signal quality may include RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, or any other suitable metric. In some embodiments, the third quality threshold may be broadcast in the SI of the anchor cell or the first cell or a neighboring cell of the first cell. In some embodiments, the third quality threshold may be predefined.

[0100] In some embodiments, the departure condition may also include a light load on the anchor cell (i.e., cell 112-2). For example, based on an indication in the SI of the anchor cell, the UE 104 may determine whether the anchor cell is lightly loaded.

[0101] In some embodiments, the departure condition may further include UL service arrival and buffered data volume falling below a data volume threshold. In some embodiments, the data volume threshold may be broadcast in the SI of the anchor cell, the first cell, or a neighboring cell of the first cell. In some embodiments, the data volume threshold may be predefined.

[0102] In some embodiments, the departure condition may further include the absence of first-type UL traffic. In some embodiments, the first type may be recommended to be initiated in a NES-enabled cell. For example, a list of specific traffic recommended to be initiated in an NES-enabled cell may be included in the SI of the anchor cell or the first cell or a neighboring cell of the first cell.

[0103] It should be understood that the above departure conditions can be used in any suitable combination. In this way, if the UE is an edge UE of the cell, the transmission of the UL signal to the NES-enabled cell may not be triggered.

[0104] Assume the first condition set is satisfied. (Continue to refer to...) Figure 3 In some embodiments, UE 104 may send a 341 UL signal to network entity 102-1 providing the first cell. In some embodiments, UE 104 may send a 342 UL signal to network entity 102-2 providing the anchor cell. In this case, network entity 102-2 may indicate to network entity 102-1 providing the first cell that the UL signal has been received.

[0105] In some embodiments, UE 104 may transmit UL signals a predetermined number of times at predetermined time intervals. In some embodiments, the predetermined number of times may be once. In some embodiments, the predetermined number of times may be more than once. In some embodiments, the predetermined number of times may be configurable. In some embodiments, the predetermined number of times may be predefined. In some embodiments, a counter for the number of times UL signals are transmitted may be managed in the Media Access Control (MAC) layer of UE 104. In some embodiments, the counter may be managed in the Physical (PHY) layer of UE 104. In some embodiments, the counter may be managed in the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of UE 104.

[0106] In some embodiments, the predetermined time interval can be configured. In some embodiments, the predetermined time interval can be predefined. For example, the predetermined time interval can be used to control two UL transmissions. This means that the next UL transmission should be sent within a predetermined time interval after the previous UL transmission. For example, the predetermined number of UL signal transmissions can be consecutive transmissions in the time field.

[0107] In some embodiments, UE 104 may transmit UL signals by initiating a random access (RA) procedure. In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain RACH-related special configurations for the transmission of UL signals via a random access channel (RACH) partition.

[0108] In some embodiments, UE 104 may send a preamble, for example, on a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resource (such as RACH timing). In some embodiments, if a preamble is sent, UE 104 may determine that the RA procedure has been successfully completed. In some embodiments, if a preamble is sent, UE 104 may not monitor the Random Access Response (RAR). In some embodiments, if a preamble is sent, UE 104 may not initiate a RAR window. In some embodiments, if a RAR including a Timing Advance (TA) command is received, UE 104 may ignore the TA command included in the RAR. In some embodiments, if a RAR including a TA command is received, UE 104 may apply the TA value in the TA command. In some embodiments, UE 104 may receive a RAR that does not include a TA command.

[0109] It should be understood that the RA process is merely an example, and any other suitable process, whether existing or to be developed in the future, can also be applied to the transmission of UL signals.

[0110] Continue to refer to Figure 3UE 104 can determine 350 the information received from a first cell supporting NES for DL ​​information (hereinafter also referred to as first information for convenience). In some embodiments, the first information can be predefined. In some embodiments, the first information can be configured.

[0111] In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain first information from neighboring cells of the first cell via SI. In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain first information from its anchor cell via SI. In some embodiments, UE 104 may obtain first information from the first cell via additional DL information. In some embodiments, the additional DL information may include SSB, SI, or any other suitable DL information. For example, the manner in which DL information (e.g., SIB1) is received may be the same as the manner in which additional DL information (e.g., SSB) is received. In another example, the location of the resource from which the DL information is received may be derived from the location from which the additional DL information is received.

[0112] In some embodiments, UE 104 may receive first information from neighboring cells of the first cell or the first cell or the anchor cell of UE 104 via a predetermined public channel or resource or search space.

[0113] In some embodiments, UE 104 may receive first information via dedicated signaling from a neighboring cell of the first cell, the first cell, or the anchor cell of UE 104 in a connected state. For example, the first information may be included in an RRC release message. In another example, the first information may be included in an RRC reconfiguration message. In some embodiments, the first information may be indicated in association with the ID of the first cell.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first information may include a search space. In some embodiments, the first information may include a public search space. In some embodiments, the first information may include a search space dedicated to receiving DL information.

[0115] In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following: the start time of receiving DL information, the period of DL information, the time offset relative to the start time, the timing of DL information transmission, or the transmission mode of DL information.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first information may include a time period.

[0117] Continue to refer to Figure 3 Based on the first information, UE 104 can receive 360 ​​DL information from the network entity 102-1 that provides the first cell.

[0118] In some embodiments where the first information includes the search space, the UE 104 can monitor the search space if a UL signal is transmitted. In other words, the UE 104 can immediately monitor or receive potential DL transmissions in the search space after the transmission of the UL signal.

[0119] In some embodiments where the first information includes a time period, the UE 104 can monitor the DL information if the time period has elapsed since the UL signal was sent.

[0120] In some embodiments, the DL information may include an SSB. In some embodiments, the DL information may include a simplified SSB. In some embodiments, the DL information may include an SIB1. It should be understood that any other suitable DL information is also possible.

[0121] So far, the acquisition of DL transfers in NES has been described. DL transfers in NES can be triggered through process 300, and NES can be enhanced.

[0122] Figure 5 An example of an acquisition device 500 supporting DL transmission in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Device 500 may be an example of a UE 104 as described herein. Device 500 may support wireless communication with one or more network entities 102, UE 104, or any combination thereof. Device 500 may include components for bidirectional communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications (such as processor 502, memory 504, transceiver 506, and optional I / O controller 508). These components may communicate electronically or be otherwise coupled (e.g., operative ground, communication ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground) via one or more interfaces (e.g., bus).

[0123] Processor 502, memory 504, transceiver 506, or various combinations thereof, or various components thereof, may be examples of components used to perform various aspects of the present disclosure described herein. For example, processor 502, memory 504, transceiver 506, or various combinations thereof, or components thereof, may support methods for performing one or more of the operations described herein.

[0124] In some implementations, processor 502, memory 504, transceiver 506, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., in a communication management circuitry system). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, configured to or otherwise supporting components for performing the functions described in this disclosure. In some implementations, processor 502 and memory 504 coupled to processor 502 may be configured to perform one or more functions described herein (e.g., by executing instructions stored in memory 504 by processor 502).

[0125] For example, according to the examples disclosed herein, processor 502 may support wireless communication at device 500. Processor 502 may be configured to operate to support components for: sending a UL signal for requesting DL information from a first cell supporting NES if a first set of conditions is satisfied; determining first information for receiving the DL information; and receiving the DL information from the first cell based on the first information.

[0126] Processor 502 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, processor 502 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In some other implementations, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 502. Processor 502 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 504) to cause device 500 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0127] Memory 504 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 504 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, including instructions that, when executed by processor 502, cause device 500 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or another type of memory. In some implementations, the code may not be directly executed by processor 502, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein. In some implementations, memory 504 may include a basic I / O system (BIOS) that controls basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0128] I / O controller 508 can manage the input and output signals of device 500. I / O controller 508 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device 500. In some implementations, I / O controller 508 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some implementations, I / O controller 508 can utilize an operating system such as iOS®, Android®, MS Windows®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, Linux®, or other known operating systems. In some implementations, I / O controller 508 can be implemented as part of a processor, such as processor 506. In some implementations, a user can interact with device 500 via I / O controller 508 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 508.

[0129] In some implementations, device 500 may include a single antenna 510. However, in other implementations, device 500 may have more than one antenna 510 (i.e., multiple antennas), including multiple antenna panels or antenna arrays capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. Transceiver 506 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 510, wired or wireless links, as described herein. For example, transceiver 506 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 506 may also include a modem for modulating packets, providing modulated packets to one or more antennas 510 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 510. Transceiver 506 may include one or more transmit chains, one or more receive chains, or combinations thereof.

[0130] The transmission chain can be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). The transmission chain may include at least one modulator for modulating data onto a carrier signal, preparing the signal for transmission over a wireless medium. At least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes such as phase shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). The transmission chain may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. The transmission chain may also include one or more antennas 510 for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0131] The receiver chain can be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) via a wireless medium. For example, the receiver chain may include one or more antennas 510 for receiving signals over the air or via a wireless medium. The receiver chain may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. The receiver chain may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and acquire transmitted data by reversing the modulation technique applied during signal transmission. The receiver chain may include at least one decoder for decoding the demodulated signal to receive the transmitted data.

[0132] Figure 6 An example of a processor 600 supporting overlapping processing between at least SDT processes according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Processor 600 may be an example of a processor configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 600 may include a controller 602 configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 600 may optionally include at least one memory 604, such as an L1 / L2 / L3 cache. Additionally or alternatively, processor 600 may optionally include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs) 606. One or more of these components may be electronically communicated or otherwise coupled (e.g., operative ground, communicative ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0133] Processor 600 may be a processor chipset and includes a protocol stack (e.g., a software stack) executed by the processor chipset to perform various operations (e.g., receive, acquire, retrieve, send, output, forward, store, determine, identify, access, write, read) according to the examples described herein. The processor chipset may include one or more cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory local to the processor chipset or included in the processor chipset (e.g., processor 600)) or other memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (PCM), etc.).

[0134] Controller 602 can be configured to manage and coordinate various operations of processor 600 (e.g., signaling, receiving, acquiring, retrieving, transmitting, outputting, forwarding, storing, determining, identifying, accessing, writing, and reading) to enable processor 600 to support various operations of the UE according to the examples described herein. For example, controller 602 can operate as a control unit of processor 600 to generate control signals for managing the operation of various components of processor 600. These control signals include enabling or disabling functional units, selecting data paths, initiating memory accesses, and coordinating operation timing.

[0135] Controller 602 may be configured to fetch (e.g., fetch, retrieve, receive) instructions from memory 604 and determine subsequent instructions(s) to be executed, enabling processor 600 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Controller 602 may be configured to track the memory addresses of instructions associated with memory 604. Controller 602 may be configured to decode instructions to determine the operations to be performed and the operands involved. For example, controller 602 may be configured to interpret instructions and determine control signals to be output to other components of processor 600, enabling processor 600 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Additionally or alternatively, controller 602 may be configured to manage data flow within processor 600. Controller 602 may be configured to control data transfers between registers, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and other functional units of processor 600.

[0136] Memory 604 may include one or more caches (e.g., memory or other memory, such as RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, MRAM, flash memory, etc., local to or included in processor 600). In some implementations, memory 604 may reside within or on the processor chipset (e.g., local to processor 600). In some other implementations, memory 604 may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., remote from processor 600).

[0137] Memory 604 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, including instructions that, when executed by processor 600, cause processor 600 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. Controller 602 and / or processor 600 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 604 to cause processor 600 to perform various functions. For example, processor 600 and / or controller 602 may be coupled to or coupled to memory 604, and processor 600, controller 602, and memory 604 may be configured to perform the various functions described herein. In some examples, processor 600 may include multiple processors, and memory 604 may include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors may be coupled to one or more of the multiple memories, which may be configured individually or collectively to perform the various functions described herein.

[0138] One or more ALU 606s can be configured to support a variety of operations as described in the examples herein. In some implementations, one or more ALU 606s may reside within or on a processor chipset (e.g., processor 600). In some other implementations, one or more ALU 606s may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., processor 600). One or more ALU 606s can perform one or more calculations on data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, one or more ALU 606s can receive input operands and an opcode that determines the operation to be performed. One or more ALU 606s are configured with a variety of logic and arithmetic circuitry, including adders, subtractors, shifters, and logic gates, to process and manipulate data according to the operation. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ALU 606s may support logical operations such as AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and NAND, enabling one or more ALU 606s to handle conditional operations, comparisons, and bitwise operations.

[0139] Based on the examples disclosed herein, processor 600 may support wireless communication. Processor 600 may be configured or operable to support components for: transmitting a UL signal for requesting DL information from a first NES-enabled cell if a first set of conditions is satisfied; determining first information for receiving the DL information; and receiving the DL information from the first cell based on the first information.

[0140] Figure 7A flowchart illustrating a method 700 for acquiring DL transmissions in NES according to various aspects of this disclosure is provided. Operation of method 700 may be implemented by the device or components thereof described herein. For example, operation of method 700 may be performed by the UE 104 described herein. In some implementations, the device may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Alternatively or concurrently, the device may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0141] At box 710, method 700 may include determining that a first set of conditions is satisfied. The operation of 710 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of 710 may be derived from references. Figure 1 The aforementioned device is used to perform this action.

[0142] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include at least one of the following: the signal quality of the first cell is better than the signal quality of the second cell where the UE 104 is camped; the signal quality of the first cell is higher than a first quality threshold; the first cell is a higher priority frequency cell; the first cell is heavily loaded; uplink traffic arrives; downlink traffic arrives; the UE 104 receives a paging message; the UE 104 is about to send a response to the paging message; uplink traffic arrives and the buffered data volume is higher than a data volume threshold; a first type of uplink traffic arrives, and the first type is recommended to be initiated in the first cell; or the UE 104 identifies that the first cell supports network energy saving.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may include a signal quality in the first cell that is higher than a second quality threshold. In some embodiments, the first set of conditions may further include at least one of the following: the second cell where UE 104 is camped is heavily loaded; uplink traffic arrives; downlink traffic arrives; UE 104 receives a paging message; UE 104 is about to send a response to the paging message; uplink traffic arrives and the buffered data volume is higher than a data volume threshold; or a first type of uplink traffic arrives, the first type being recommended to be initiated in the first cell.

[0144] In some embodiments, method 700 may further include: obtaining information about the first cell from neighboring cells of the first cell or from the first cell; and identifying the first cell that supports NES based on the information about the first cell.

[0145] At block 720, method 700 may include sending an uplink signal for requesting downlink information from a first NES-enabled cell. The operation of 720 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of 720 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The aforementioned device is used to perform this action.

[0146] In some embodiments, sending an uplink signal may include sending an uplink signal a predetermined number of times at a predetermined time interval.

[0147] In some embodiments, sending an uplink signal may include initiating a random access procedure. In some embodiments, initiating a random access procedure may include at least one of the following: sending a preamble; determining that the random access procedure has been successfully completed based on the determination that the preamble has been sent; not monitoring the random access response based on the determination that the preamble has been sent; not starting a random access response window based on the determination that the preamble has been sent; ignoring the timing advance command included in the random access response based on the determination that a random access response including a timing advance command has been received; applying the timing advance value in the timing advance command based on the determination that a random access response including a timing advance command has been received; or receiving a random access response that does not include a timing advance command.

[0148] In some embodiments, method 700 may further include: if the second set of conditions is satisfied, then not sending an uplink signal for requesting downlink information from a first cell supporting NES.

[0149] In some embodiments, the second set of conditions may include the signal quality of the first cell being lower than a third quality threshold. In some embodiments, the second set of conditions may also include at least one of the following: the second cell where UE 104 is camped has a light load; uplink traffic arrives and the buffered data volume is lower than a data volume threshold; or no first type of uplink traffic arrives, and the first type is recommended to be initiated in the first cell.

[0150] At box 730, method 700 may include determining first information for receiving downlink information. The operation of 730 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of 730 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The aforementioned device is used to perform this action.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first information may include a search space. In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following: the start time of receiving downlink information, the period of downlink information, the time offset relative to the start time, the timing of downlink information transmission, or the transmission mode of downlink information. In some embodiments, the first information may include a time period.

[0152] In some embodiments, determining the first information may include at least one of the following: obtaining the first information via system information from a neighboring cell of the first cell or from a second cell where the UE 104 is camped; obtaining the first information via additional downlink information from the first cell; receiving the first information via a predetermined public channel or resource or search space; or receiving the first information via dedicated signaling in a connected state.

[0153] At box 740, method 700 may include receiving downlink information from a first cell based on first information. The operation of 740 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of 740 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The aforementioned device is used to perform this action.

[0154] In some embodiments where the first information includes the search space, receiving downlink information may include: monitoring the search space if an uplink signal is transmitted.

[0155] In some embodiments where the first information includes a time period, receiving downlink information may include: monitoring downlink information if the aforementioned time period has elapsed since the uplink signal was sent.

[0156] It should be understood that the operation of method 700 corresponds to the combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operation described is explained here, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, other details will not be repeated.

[0157] It should be noted that the methods described in this paper describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are also possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods can be combined.

[0158] The various illustrative blocks and components disclosed herein can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, CPU, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware component or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0159] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0160] Computer-readable media include both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. For example, non-transitory computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, optical disc (CD) ROM or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor.

[0161] As used herein, including in the claims, the article “a” preceding an element is unrestricted and should be understood to mean “at least one” or “one or more” of those elements. The terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” are interchangeable. As used herein, including in the claims, the use of “or” in a list of items (e.g., a list of items beginning with phrases such as “at least one of…” or “one or more of…” or “one or two of…”) indicates an inclusive list, such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step described as “based on condition A” without departing from the scope of this disclosure could be based on both condition A and condition B. In other words, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase “at least partially based on.” Furthermore, as used herein, including in the claims, “set” can include one or more elements.

[0162] The description provided herein is intended to enable those skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A user equipment, comprising: processor; as well as A transceiver, the transceiver being coupled to the processor, The processor is configured as follows: Based on the determination that the first set of conditions is met, an uplink signal is sent to request downlink information from the first cell that supports network energy saving. Determine the first information, which is used for receiving the downlink information; as well as Based on the first information, the downlink information is received from the first cell via the transceiver.

2. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first set of conditions includes at least one of the following: The signal quality of the first cell is better than the signal quality of the second cell where the user equipment is camped; The signal quality of the first cell is higher than the first quality threshold; The first cell is a high-priority frequency cell; The first cell has a heavy load; Uplink service arrives; Downlink traffic arrives; The user equipment receives a paging message; The user equipment shall send a response to the paging message; The uplink service arrives and the buffered data volume exceeds the data volume threshold; The first type of uplink service arrives, and the first type is recommended to be initiated in the first cell; or The user equipment identifies that the first cell supports network energy saving.

3. The user equipment according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: Information about the first cell is obtained from neighboring cells of the first cell or from the first cell itself; and Based on the information from the first cell, it is identified that the first cell supports network energy saving.

4. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first set of conditions includes: The signal quality of the first cell is higher than the second quality threshold.

5. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the first set of conditions further comprises at least one of the following: The second cell where the user equipment is located has a heavy load; Uplink service arrives; Downlink traffic arrives; The user equipment receives a paging message; The user equipment shall send a response to the paging message; The uplink service arrives and the buffered data volume exceeds the data volume threshold; or The first type of uplink service arrives, and the first type is recommended to be initiated in the first cell.

6. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: If the second set of conditions is satisfied, no uplink signal is sent to request downlink information from the first cell that supports network energy saving, wherein the second set of conditions includes the signal quality of the first cell being lower than a third quality threshold.

7. The user equipment of claim 6, wherein the second set of conditions further comprises at least one of the following: The second cell where the user equipment is located has a lighter load; Uplink traffic arrives and the buffered data volume is below the data volume threshold; or If no uplink service of type 1 arrives, type 1 is recommended to be initiated in the first cell.

8. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the uplink signal in the following manner: The uplink signal is sent a predetermined number of times at predetermined time intervals.

9. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the uplink signal in the following manner: Initiate a random access procedure.

10. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to initiate a random access procedure by at least one of the following: The preamble is transmitted via the transceiver; Based on the confirmation that the preamble has been sent, it is determined that the random access procedure has been successfully completed; Based on the confirmation that the preamble has been sent, random access responses are not monitored. If the preamble is confirmed to have been sent, the random access response window is not initiated. If a random access response including a timing advance command is received, the timing advance command included in the random access response is ignored. Based on the determination that the random access response including the timing advance command has been received, the timing advance value in the timing advance command is applied; or The transceiver receives a random access response that does not include a timed advance command.

11. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the first information includes a search space, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the downlink information in such a manner as: Based on the determination that the uplink signal has been sent, the search space is monitored.

12. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: The start time point of receiving the downlink information. The period of the downlink information Time offset relative to the starting time point. The timing of the transmission of the downlink information, or The transmission mode of the downlink information.

13. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the first information includes a time period, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the downlink information in the following manner: The downlink information is monitored based on the time period elapsed since the uplink signal was sent.

14. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the first information by at least one of the following: The first information is obtained through system information, which comes from neighboring cells of the first cell or from the second cell where the user equipment is camped; The first information is obtained via additional downlink information from the first cell; The first information is received via a predetermined public channel, resource, or search space; or The first information is received via dedicated signaling while in a connected state.

15. A processor for wireless communication, comprising: At least one memory; as well as A controller, coupled to the at least one memory, and configured such that the processor: Based on the determination that the first set of conditions is met, an uplink signal is sent to request downlink information from the first cell that supports network energy saving. Determine the first information, which is used for receiving the downlink information; as well as The downlink information is received from the first cell based on the first information.

16. The processor of claim 15, wherein the first set of conditions comprises at least one of the following: The signal quality of the first cell is better than the signal quality of the second cell where the user equipment is camped; The signal quality of the first cell is higher than the first quality threshold; The first cell is a high-priority frequency cell; The first cell has a heavy load; Uplink service arrives; Downlink traffic arrives; The user equipment receives a paging message; The user equipment shall send a response to the paging message; The uplink service arrives and the buffered data volume exceeds the data volume threshold; The first type of uplink service arrives, and the first type is recommended to be initiated in the first cell; or The user equipment identifies that the first cell supports network energy saving.

17. The processor of claim 15, wherein the first set of conditions comprises: The signal quality of the first cell is higher than the second quality threshold.

18. The processor of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to: If the second set of conditions is satisfied, no uplink signal is sent to request downlink information from the first cell that supports network energy saving, wherein the second set of conditions includes the signal quality of the first cell being lower than a third quality threshold.

19. The processor of claim 15, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following: The start time point of receiving the downlink information. The period of the downlink information Time offset relative to the starting time point. The timing of the transmission of the downlink information, or The transmission mode of the downlink information.

20. A method performed by a user equipment, the method comprising: Based on the determination that the first set of conditions is met, an uplink signal is sent to request downlink information from the first cell that supports network energy saving. Determine the first information, which is used for receiving the downlink information; as well as The downlink information is received from the first cell based on the first information.

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