Seamless band combination handover scheme

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to technical solutions for seamless band combination handover. In one aspect, a terminal device sends, to a network device, information indicating a service interruption of at least one band combination or at least one band in a plurality of bands. Then, the terminal device receives, from the network device, a message indicating at least one band handover configuration associated with the service interruption and a band handover procedure for a target band combination in the at least one band combination or for a target band in the at least one band. Then, the terminal device performs, for the target band combination or the target band, the band handover procedure based on the at least one band handover configuration and the service interruption.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 737033, filed December 20, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and particularly to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for seamless band combination switching. Background Technology

[0003] A communication network can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices or provides communication devices with access to a data network. Mobile or wireless communication networks are an example of communication networks.

[0004] Such communication networks operate according to standards provided by organizations such as 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). An example of such a standard is the so-called 5G (fifth generation) standard provided by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a technical solution for a seamless frequency band combination switching scheme.

[0006] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: send to a network device information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band alternative includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as an alternative for the first frequency band; receive from the network device a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration, the at least one frequency band switching configuration being associated with: the at least one frequency band alternative, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in the at least one frequency band combination associated with the at least one frequency band alternative; and, based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration, perform a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in the at least one frequency band alternative, without service interruption.

[0007] In a second aspect, a network device is provided. The network device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receive from a terminal device information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band alternative includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as an alternative for the first frequency band; determine, based on the received information indicating the at least one frequency band alternative, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the at least one frequency band alternative, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in the at least one combination of frequency bands associated with the at least one frequency band alternative; and transmit the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0008] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method may include: sending to a network device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; receiving from the network device a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: the at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination from the at least one frequency band combination associated with the at least one frequency band substitute; and, based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration, performing a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in the at least one frequency band substitute, without service interruption.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method may include: receiving from a terminal device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; determining, based on the received information indicating the at least one frequency band substitute, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in the at least one combination of frequency bands associated with the at least one frequency band substitute; and sending the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0010] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: means for transmitting to a network device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; means for receiving from the network device a message indicating: at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in the at least one combination of frequency bands associated with the at least one frequency band substitute; and means for performing a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in the at least one frequency band substitute based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration without service interruption.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: means for receiving from a terminal device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; means for determining, based on the received information indicating the at least one frequency band substitute, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in the at least one combination of frequency bands associated with the at least one frequency band substitute; and means for transmitting the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing a device to execute at least the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0013] In an eighth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform at least the method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0014] In a ninth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may include: a transmitting circuitry configured to: transmit to a network device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; a receiving circuitry configured to: receive from the network device a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination from at least one combination of frequency bands associated with the at least one frequency band substitute; and an executing circuitry configured to: perform a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in the at least one frequency band substitute, based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration, without service interruption.

[0015] In a tenth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device may include: a receiving circuitry configured to: receive from a terminal device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; a determining circuitry configured to: determine, based on the received information indicating the at least one frequency band substitute, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in the at least one combination of frequency bands associated with the at least one frequency band substitute; and a transmitting circuitry configured to transmit the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0016] In an eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: send information to a network device indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; receive a message from the network device indicating: at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency bands; and, for the target combination of frequency bands or the target frequency band, perform the frequency band switching process based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

[0017] In a twelfth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: receive from a terminal device information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; based on the received information indicating a service interruption, determine at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency bands; and send the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0018] In a thirteenth aspect, a method is provided. The method may include: sending to a network device information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; receiving from the network device a message indicating: at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching procedure for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency bands; and performing the frequency band switching procedure for the target combination of frequency bands or the target frequency band, based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

[0019] In a fourteenth aspect, a method is provided. The method may include: receiving from a terminal device information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; determining, based on the received information indicating a service interruption, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band in the at least one combination of frequency bands; and sending the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0020] In a fifteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: components for sending information to a network device indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; components for receiving a message from the network device indicating: at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination or a target frequency band among the at least one frequency band combination; and components for performing a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination or target frequency band based on at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

[0021] In a sixteenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: components for receiving information from a terminal device indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; components for determining, based on the received information indicating the service interruption, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band in the at least one combination of frequency bands; and components for transmitting the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0022] In a seventeenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing a device to at least execute the method according to the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect.

[0023] In the eighteenth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform at least the method according to the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect.

[0024] In a nineteenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may include: a transmitting circuitry configured to: transmit to a network device information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; a receiving circuitry configured to: receive from the network device a message indicating: at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency bands; and an executing circuitry configured to: perform a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or a target frequency band, based on at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

[0025] In a twentieth aspect, a network device is provided. The network device may include: a receiving circuitry configured to: receive from a terminal device information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; a determining circuitry configured to: determine, based on the received information indicating a service interruption, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency bands; and a transmitting circuitry configured to: transmit at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0026] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Some embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1A The illustration shows an example network environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0029] Figure 1B The illustration shows a radio frequency hardware block diagram of a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 2 The illustration shows an example signaling process for seamless band combination handover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 3A The illustration shows a general example of a large-band combination of deactivation, activation, and RRC reconfiguration;

[0032] Figure 3B Examples of carrier substitution according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated;

[0033] Figure 4A The illustrations show some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Example signaling procedures related to the process;

[0034] Figure 4B The illustrations show some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4A Example embodiments of related inter-band carrier activation and UE block activation;

[0035] Figure 4C The illustrations show some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4A Example implementation of the supported frequency band combinations in the relevant UE capability list;

[0036] Figure 5 The illustrations show some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Another example of a signaling process related to this process;

[0037] Figure 6 The illustration shows another example signaling process for seamless band combination handover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 7 The illustrations show some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 Example signaling procedures related to the process;

[0039] Figure 8A The illustration shows a flowchart of an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 8B The illustration shows a flowchart of an example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 9A The illustration shows a flowchart of an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 9B The illustration shows a flowchart of an example method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 10 The illustration shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0044] Figure 11 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0045] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0046] 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 constitute any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0047] 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.

[0048] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," and "example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that, whether explicitly described or not, implementing such a feature, structure, or characteristic in combination with other embodiments is within the scope of their knowledge.

[0049] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein 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 the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may 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.

[0050] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “comprise” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “<at least one of a list of two or more elements>” and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0051] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0052] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0053] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols and / or higher generation communication protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody future types of communication technologies and systems. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0054] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. A network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Header (RH), a Remote Radio Header End (RRH), a relay, or a low-power node (such as a femtosecond, picosecond, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0055] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEE), laptop mounted devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment", "communication equipment", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0056] In the ongoing 6G discussions, there are clear indications that carrier aggregation (CA) is needed in 6G, but there is also a clear desire that this is not a copy-paste from 5G-A to 6G, but rather an enhanced and faster process. As with 5G-A, the changing CA configuration indicates a need for contingency planning in the event of service disruptions. RRC_Reconfiguration This process allows for adding, activating, deleting, and deactivating cells. It is used for cell-related configurations. RRC_ Reconfiguration This will come at the cost of service interruption and signaling overhead.

[0057] Carrier availability depends on the deployment scenario and can vary across the entire cell coverage area. For example, a small cell operating on a carrier frequency with limited coverage can coexist with a large macro cell operating on a carrier frequency with wider coverage. To fully utilize both frequencies, small cells need to be configured, added, or activated when the UE is within its coverage area; similarly, they need to be deleted and deactivated when the UE is no longer within its coverage area. All of these involve... RRC_Reconfiguration Service interruption.

[0058] Current specifications allow for service interruption in all active cells of the UE for any cell-related change, thus forcing the network to assume the UE is unavailable when such a change is implemented. However, from the UE hardware perspective, they can have the capability at the RF and baseband levels to avoid service interruption when adding or reconfiguring cells, depending on the combination of frequency bands being used and required.

[0059] For illustrative purposes, the following will refer to Figures 1A-11 The principles and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are given so that those skilled in the art can understand the inventive concepts of this disclosure and implement the technical solutions presented herein, and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way.

[0060] Figure 1A An example network environment 100 in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated.

[0061] like Figure 1A As shown, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 101 (hereinafter also referred to as a user equipment (UE) 101). The communication network 100 may also include a network device 102, which may be a serving gNB. The network device 102 may provide services to the terminal device 101, and the network device 102 and the terminal device 101 may transmit data and control information to each other. In some exemplary embodiments, the network device 102 and the terminal device 101 may communicate via a direct link / channel.

[0062] In communication system 100, the link from network device 102 to terminal device 101 is called the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 101 to network device 102 is called the uplink (UL). In the downlink, network device 102 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 101 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the uplink, terminal device 101 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and network device 102 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0063] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more terminal devices may be located in environment 100.

[0064] Communication in network environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G) or higher, wireless local area network communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, the communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), code division multiple access (CDM), Bluetooth, ZigBee and machine-type communication (MTC), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), carrier aggregation (CA), dual connectivity (DC), and new radio unlicensed (NR-U) technologies.

[0065] The 3GPP specification defines two types of cell groups for dual connectivity: MCG (Primary Cell Group) and SCG (Secondary Cell Group). For MCG, this is the serving cell group associated with the primary RAN node, including SpCells (Special Cells) called PCells (Primary Cells) and one or more optional SCells (Secondary Cells). In the case of Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), the primary node (MN) provides control plane connectivity to the core network. There can be many cells under an MCG. One cell is used to initiate initial access. This cell is called the PCell. As the name suggests, the PCell is the most important cell in the MCG. PCells and SCells under the MCG are combined using carrier aggregation (CA) technology.

[0066] For SCG, this is the serving cell group associated with the secondary RAN node, including a SpCell called PSCell (primary SCell) and one or more optional SCells. The secondary node will not have control plane connectivity to the core network, but will provide additional resources to the UE in the case of MR-DC. Similar to MCG, there is a primary cell, i.e., PSCell, under SCG, which can be simply understood as the cell where initial access is initiated under SCG. PSCells and SCells under SCG are also grouped together via CA.

[0067] The following section describes the process of adding, deleting, and modifying SCells. TS 38.331 describes the process of adding / deleting / modifying SCells, and TS 38.133 describes the speed at which the UE has applied the SCell-related configuration when the SCell is added / activated / modified / deactivated / deleted, as well as the corresponding service interruption requirements for the UE.

[0068] When gNB via RRC_Reconfiguration When adding an SCell to a cell group, it can attempt to include... sCellState To shorten the configuration steps, sCellState The UE can be told to activate the SCell immediately according to the ServingCell configuration. However, according to TS 38.133, even if this is done, the UE is still allowed a service interruption of up to 1ms, or up to 1ms + the synchronization signal block (SSB) burst period if the SCell is broadcasting an SSB.

[0069] As described in Section 8.2.2.2.1 of TS 38.133-i60 (Rel 18), for interrupts during SCell addition or release, when using the same RRCConnectionReconfiguration When adding or releasing any number of SCells between 1 and 7, the UE is allowed to interrupt any active serving cell during the RRC reconfiguration process, as follows: TS 38.133-i60 (Version 18) 8.2.2.2.1 Interruption during SCell addition / release When using the same definition in TS 38.331[2] RRCConnectionReconfiguration When adding or releasing any number of SCells between 1 and 7, the UE is allowed to interrupt any active serving cell during the RRC reconfiguration process, as follows: - Any disruption to service in the cell: - Up to X1 time slots if the active serving cell and the added or released SCell are located in an FR1 band pair or an FR1+FR2 band pair. - Up to X1 time slots are available if the active serving cell and the added or released SCell are located in an FR2 band pair and the UE is able to perform independent beam management on that FR2 band pair. - If the active serving cell is not contiguous with an SCell added or released in the same FR1 band, and the UE is able to perform... intraBandNR-CA-non-collocated-r18 ,and nonCollocatedTypeNR-CA-r18 If not provided, up to X1 time slots. X1 is specified in Table 8.2.2.2.1-1. or - If the active serving cell is contiguous with any SCell added or released in the same FR1 band, or if the active serving cell and any SCell added or released are in the same FR1 band, and the UE cannot perform... intraBandNR- CA-non-collocated-r18 Or the UE can perform intraBandNR-CA-non-collocated-r18 ,and[ nonCollocatedTypeNR-CA-r18 If provided, the duration is up to that shown in Table 8.2.2.2.1-2, provided that cell-specific reference signals from the active serving cell and the added or released SCell are available in the same time slot. - If the active serving cell is in the same frequency band as any added or released SCell, the duration is up to the duration shown in Table 8.2.2.2.1-2, provided that cell-specific reference signals from the active serving cell and the added or released SCell are available in the same time slot. Table 8.2.2.2.1-1: Interrupt length X1 for adding / releasing SCell for inter-band CA Table 8.2.2.2.1-2: Interruption duration for SCell addition / release for in-band CA 8.2.2.2.2 Interruption during SCell activation / deactivation When the SCell is activated or deactivated according to the definition of TS 37.340

[17] , the UE is allowed. - Any disruption to service in the cell: - If the active serving cell and the activated or deactivated SCell are located in the FR1 band pair or the FR1+FR2 band pair, then up to X2 time slots. - Up to X2 time slots are available if the active serving cell and the activated or deactivated SCell are located in the FR2 band pair and the UE is able to perform independent beam management on that FR2 band pair. - If the active serving cell is not contiguous with SCells that are activated or deactivated in the same FR1 band, and the UE is able to perform... intraBandNR-CA-non-collocated-r18 ,and[ nonCollocatedTypeNR-CA-r18 If not provided, up to X2 time slots are available. X2 is specified in Table 8.2.2.2.2-1. or - If the active serving cell is contiguous with any SCell that is activated or deactivated in the same FR1 band, or if the active serving cell is in the same FR1 band as any SCell that is activated or deactivated, and the UE cannot perform... intraBandNR-CA-non-collocated-r18 Or the UE can perform intraBandNR-CA- non-collocated-r18 ,and nonCollocatedTypeNR-CA-r18 If provided, the duration is up to that shown in Table 8.2.2.2.2-2, provided that cell-specific reference signals from the active serving cell and the activated or deactivated SCell are available in the same time slot. - If the active serving cell and any of the active or deactivated SCells are located in the same FR2 band, the duration is up to that shown in Table 8.2.2.2.2-2, provided that cell-specific reference signals from the active serving cell and the active or deactivated SCell are available in the same time slot. Table 8.2.2.2.2-1: Interrupt length x2 for SCell activation / deactivation for inter-band CA Table 8.2.2.2.2-2: Interruption duration for SCell activation / deactivation for in-band CA

[0070] The following text will refer to Figure 1B Describe the UE radio frequency (RF) hardware block diagram. A general UE RF hardware block diagram is shown below. Figure 1B As shown in the diagram. The UE may have one or more transceivers, which have two important elements relevant to some embodiments of this disclosure. It has m local oscillators (LOs) that provide the necessary down-conversion frequencies for receivers (up to n) to move the RF allocation from the RF domain to the baseband domain (down-conversion). The UE does not have as many LOs as the receivers, so multiplexing systems are typically used to route LO signals to the receivers needed for the active front-end modules and antennas. In carrier aggregation (CA) and dual connectivity (DC), the number of simultaneously active carriers depends, among other factors, on the number of LOs that can serve the most receivers, while the digital transmission of data can provide sufficient bandwidth for all active receivers.

[0071] The activation of multiple LOs and receivers depends on the operator's support and requirements for CA and DC configurations. The UE can... Figure 1B The system notifies the network of supported combinations, which map the operating frequency bands to the supported frequency band combinations within the combination. Many combinations can activate the same antenna, front-end module, receiver, and LO, but each combination is unique. Since the NW receives a list of supported radio configurations in the UE, the NW can map UE hardware functions to operator-available operating frequency bands and channels within the network. Currently, transitions between radio configuration states are achieved via RRC (Radio Reconfiguration) messages, which add or remove carriers based on NW procedures and purposes. Each such reconfiguration may result in reprogramming and switching within the UE hardware, and to ensure these hardware state transitions do not interfere with the radio link, transitions are allowed for certain reconfiguration interruptions or settling times. Reconfiguration takes into account the reprogramming of LOs, receivers, and multiple switches, which may also have settling times associated with electrical operation.

[0072] As mentioned above, in the ongoing 6G discussions, there are clear indications that CA is needed in 6G, but there is also a clear desire that this is not a copy-paste from 5G-A to 6G, but an enhanced and faster process.

[0073] As described above in 5G-A, the changed CA configuration indicates that it needs to be implemented in the event of service interruption. RRC_ Reconfiguration This process allows for adding, activating, deleting, and deactivating cells. It is used for cell-related configurations. RRC_Reconfiguration This incurs service interruptions and signaling overhead. For example, carrier availability depends on the deployment scenario and can vary across the entire cell coverage area. For instance, a small cell operating on a carrier frequency with limited coverage can coexist with a large macro cell operating on a carrier frequency with wider coverage. To fully utilize these two frequencies, small cells need to be configured, added, or activated when the UE is within its coverage area; similarly, they need to be deleted and deactivated when the UE is no longer within its coverage area. All of these involve... RRC_Reconfiguration Service interruption.

[0074] Current specifications allow for service interruption in all active cells of the UE for any cell-related change, thus forcing the network to assume the UE is unavailable when such a change is implemented. However, from the UE hardware perspective, they can have the capability at the RF and baseband levels to avoid service interruption when adding or reconfiguring cells, depending on the combination of frequency bands being used and required.

[0075] In view of the above, reference will be made to Figure 2 Example signaling procedures 200 according to some embodiments of this disclosure are described. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1A The communication process is described in section 200. It should be understood that, although referenced... Figure 1A The network environment 100 describes the communication process 200, but this communication process 200 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios. It should be understood that terminal device 201 is an example of terminal device 101, and network device 202 is an example of network device 102.

[0076] like Figure 2 As shown, terminal device 201 sends (205) information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one frequency band combination from a plurality of frequency bands, and the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band. Network device 202 receives (210) this information. Based on the received information indicating at least one frequency band substitute, network device 202 determines (215) at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in at least one frequency band combination associated with at least one frequency band substitute. Then, network device 202 sends (220) a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration to terminal device 201. Terminal device 201 receives (225) the message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration. Then, based on the received message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration, terminal device 201 performs (230) a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in at least one frequency band substitute, without service interruption.

[0077] Through process 200, the network can identify which frequency bands can be replaced with alternative frequency bands without affecting other frequency bands, thereby allowing the network to change the frequency band combination to another frequency band combination when needed, without unconfiguring other cells or interrupting services on other frequency bands that are in use.

[0078] In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands may include one or more types of information. For example, the information may include: the terminal device's capability for at least one frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added, or deleted; carrier alternatives for individual frequency bands constituting an inter-band combination or an intra-band combination; or any combination thereof. (Refer to...) Figure 3B , Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C Some example implementations are described in detail.

[0079] In some embodiments, the frequency band switching process may include: an SCell modification process, an SCell addition process, an SCell release process, or any combination of these processes. In some embodiments, the SCell modification process may include: an SCell activation process, an SCell deactivation process, or any other process for modifying the SCell.

[0080] For example, when performing a band switching procedure based on at least one band switching configuration, the terminal device can determine whether the band switching procedure is applicable to at least one band alternative. Based on the determination that the band switching procedure is applicable to at least one band alternative, the terminal device can apply service interruptions on the bands included in the at least one band alternative. Based on the determination that the band switching procedure is not applicable to at least one band alternative, the terminal device can avoid applying service interruptions on the bands included in the at least one band alternative.

[0081] For example, when determining whether a band switching process is applicable to at least one band replacement, the terminal device may determine whether the SCell to be added, released, activated, or deactivated is indicated as at least one band replacement, and the terminal device may apply a service interruption on the SCell that is being added, released, activated, or deactivated and is indicated as at least one band replacement.

[0082] In some other embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of frequency bands from a plurality of frequency bands includes: the terminal device's capability for at least one frequency band combination; a list of secondary cells (SCells) to be replaced; or a list of SCell alternatives, wherein the SCell alternatives include: the frequency band to be replaced and the frequency band as the alternative. (See reference...) Figure 5 These embodiments are described in detail.

[0083] For example, the band switching process includes an SCell replacement process. In these embodiments, when performing a band switching process based on at least one band switching configuration, the terminal device can determine whether to perform an SCell replacement process; and based on the determination that an SCell is being replaced, the terminal device can apply a service interruption on the SCell indicated as at least one band replacement. Furthermore, when determining whether to perform an SCell replacement process, the terminal device can determine whether the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is part of the current terminal device configuration; based on the determination that the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is part of the current terminal device configuration, the terminal device can perform the SCell replacement process; and based on the determination that the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is not part of the current terminal device configuration, the terminal device can perform an SCell addition process.

[0084] In some embodiments, an SCell is one of a plurality of secondary cells configured on a secondary carrier in a carrier aggregation mode, and in dual connectivity mode, an SCell addition or release procedure is performed on the secondary node while service is maintained on the primary node.

[0085] In some embodiments, multiple frequency bands are associated with separate radio frequency chains. In some embodiments, service interruptions are limited to a predefined duration. In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of multiple frequency bands is transmitted via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, the band switching process is associated with carrier aggregation.

[0086] The following text will refer to Figure 3A Describe deactivation, activation, and RRC_Reconfiguration A general example of a large-bandwidth combination.

[0087] This application allows the UE and network to seamlessly change the frequency band in a frequency band combination without needing to go through [the network / system]. RRC_ Reconfiguration To implement service interruption, two main components are required. First, the network needs to know which cells / bands the UE can add / replace in the band combination without service interruption. Second, the UE's performance requirements need to be adapted so that the UE only allows service interruption when a specific change in the band combination is actually required.

[0088] In this way, such as Figure 3A As shown, the network can configure large frequency band combinations for the UE (i.e., currently up to 6 DL bands). Figure 3A As shown, the deactivation of a frequency band is shown in gray, while the activation of a frequency band is shown in black.

[0089] like Figure 3A As shown, since a single large CA configuration may not exist to serve the network (and all UEs), a reconfiguration to another frequency band combination is ultimately required, for example... Figure 3A As shown RRC_Reconfiguration .

[0090] The following text will refer to Figure 3B Description of some embodiments according to this application and Figure 2 Examples of carrier substitution related to the process.

[0091] like Figure 3BAs shown, the UE has declared that frequency band nB is a substitute for nZ, and it should be understood that the substitute for frequency band nZ does not need to be a single frequency band, but can be several frequency bands. By declaring that frequency band nB is a substitute for nZ, it is only necessary to activate frequency band nZ, replace frequency band nZ with frequency band nB, and then activate frequency band nB. Therefore, it is not necessary to... RRC_ Reconfiguration Reconfiguration Figure 3A Another frequency band combination with medium-to-heavy configuration.

[0092] Therefore, as Figure 3B As shown, the network can identify which frequency bands can be replaced with alternative frequency bands without affecting other frequency bands, thus allowing the network to change the frequency band combination to another frequency band combination when needed without revoking the configuration of other cells or interrupting services on other frequency bands that are in use.

[0093] The following text will refer to Figure 4A Description of some embodiments according to this application and Figure 2 Example signaling procedure 400 related to the process. It should be understood that UE 401 is an example of terminal device 101 and Node B (NB) 402 is an example of network device 102.

[0094] like Figure 4A As shown, the UE and NB 402 are in the initial RRC configuration. At 405, in addition to the UE's capability for band combinations, UE 401 also sends to NB 402 a band alternative for each band in each of the multiple band combinations. The UE sends information for each band in the band combination regarding alternative options for a given band, which can be activated to replace the active band. This indicates to the gNB that one of the indicated alternatives (e.g., a SCell replacing another SCell) can be applied without affecting the other bands in the band combination.

[0095] At 410, NB 402 sends the cell group and cell configuration (e.g., initial band combination) to UE 401. At 415, NB 402 identifies the need for a CA configuration update. At 420, NB 402 plans the target and intermediate band combinations based on band substitutes. For example, when it is identified that a new band combination needs to be used, the network can construct a band combination handover command using the reported band combinations (including fallback options) and the reported band substitute options for each band combination. In doing so, the network knows which bands can be activated / deactivated without requiring service interruption on other active cells.

[0096] Then, at 425, NB 402, according to the planned configuration, for example via... RRC_ReconfigurationThe network configures the SCell addition / deletion / modification process for the UE. For example, the network configures a frequency band combination (e.g., a target frequency band combination) for the UE and uses the serving cell addition / modification / deletion process to switch to the target frequency band combination.

[0097] At 430, the UE performs a handover between frequency band combinations. For example, the UE checks whether the transition or handover is compatible with a frequency band substitute; if so, it does not apply service interruption on other frequency bands in the frequency band combination. Otherwise, the UE may apply service interruption on frequency bands in the frequency band combination. For example, UE 401 performs a seamless handover between frequency band combinations, including those reachable via a substitute. Seamless handover is understood to mean that no service interruption occurs on any active cells not in the replaced frequency band.

[0098] The requirements of a UE for seamless handover can be described as follows: (1) When the frequency band replacement indicated by the UE cannot directly reach the frequency band combination, the UE is allowed to interrupt service (according to the specification); when the network first configures the deactivation of the frequency band and then configures the activation of the frequency band indicated as the replacement, the UE is also allowed to interrupt service on that specific frequency band, but the interruption of service does not apply to any other frequency bands, because these frequency bands are not affected by the handover.

[0099] The following will refer to Figure 4B Description and Figure 4A Related implementation examples of inter-band carrier activation and UE block activation, and referenced Figure 4C Description and Figure 4A Related implementation examples supporting frequency band combinations.

[0100] like Figure 4B As shown, the UE is depicted on the left in four connection scenarios to the right-hand gNB, with operational states of 1 active downlink band, 2 active downlink bands, 3 active downlink bands, and 4 active downlink bands within the UE. When a carrier is active in a band within a different band group, it is marked in black. When a carrier is active, the block within the UE also becomes active, as indicated by the bold black outline. Which receivers within the UE are active is not shown, but the LO providing downconversion service to the receiver is shown.

[0101] like Figure 4B As shown at the bottom, when the UE reaches the active state in 4 frequency bands, all front-end modules and all antennas are engaged. The UE is using 4 of the 6 LOs shown in this example, which means that the UE can activate more downconversion frequencies than is required in the 4-band combination shown on the right.

[0102] To illustrate this application in modern UE design, an example of a UE capability list (supporting frequency band combinations) is shown below. Figure 4CAs shown in the diagram. Each frequency band requires one LO, and six frequency bands can be added to the main configuration compared to the intra-frame frequency bands, with all six frequency bands located at different frequency positions. All aspects of this application are independent of whether it is CA or E-UTRAN NR dual-connectivity (EN-DC).

[0103] By linking the supported frequency band combinations to a list of "alternatives" for each carrier, the UE can exchange information with the network, enabling seamless transitions. This seamless mobility can be viewed as a transition between any inter-band connections that add any frequency band within a black box, such as... Figure 4C The EN-DC portion surrounding downlink 7-3-1-n78 is shown in the diagram.

[0104] like Figure 4C As shown, it can be observed that if notified by the UE, the NW can deactivate any of the frequency bands [n3, n5, n7, n8, n28, n40], one of which can be a configuration SCell, and reactivate at any new frequency band in the alternative group [n3, n5, n7, n8, n28, n40], while keeping the EN-DC combination 7-3-1-n78 active.

[0105] Table 1 below provides an explanation of the alternative band combinations that support them. The first column lists the EN-DC band combinations, where 7-3-1_n78 can be used to add NR bands n3, n5, n7, n8, n28, or n40. In this table, bold bands indicate active bands, while non-bold bands are considered inactive. The second column then provides the final set of band combinations after adding a new NR band. Deactivation and replacement of LTE band 7 are not indicated in bold in the second column. The third column then provides options for adding new LTE bands on top of the active band combinations in the second column. Table 1 lists the possible additions to the frequency band combination 7-3-1_n78 in this example to add NR frequency bands and replace LTE frequency bands. bring

[0106] The following text will describe and Figure 4A The process is associated with new UE capabilities for frequency band alternatives.

[0107] Based on the interpretation of how the UE configures its hardware blocks, a new scheme for downlink carrier configuration can be defined, which does not use... RRC_Reconfiguration Commands, and can use alternatives to reduce bandwidth. RRC_ Reconfiguration The use of. In some examples, for instance, it can be done by sending to BandParameters Adding new parameters to implement signaling for band substitution, and these new parameters can be called... bandSubstitutes According to the capabilities used for UE BandParameters In addition to the list of frequency band combinations, the UE may also include carrier substitutes for individual frequency bands that constitute inter-band / intra-band combinations, which allows the NW to seamlessly move downlink carriers.

[0108] The following text will describe and Figure 4A The process involves new UE service interruption requirements related to frequency band alternatives.

[0109] As described above, the replacement process includes deactivating the active frequency band, replacing the inactive frequency band with the indicated applicable replacement frequency band implemented through the configuration process, and activating the replacement frequency band. In one implementation, the current process can be reused to implement the replacement frequency band (configuration) using release and addition processes. In this case, when using a frequency band specified for a replacement, it is only necessary to update the service interruption requirements associated with SCell addition / release and SCell activation / deactivation to non-interruption. For example, if the added / released SCell is indicated as a frequency band replacement, service interruption is only allowed on the SCell, and if the activated / deactivated SCell is indicated as a frequency band replacement, service interruption is only allowed on the SCell. In the example, if the configuration can be... RRC_Reconfiguration To capture no-service interruptions for band replacements, this configuration is adapted to the requirements associated with interruptions on the PCell and the active SCell.

[0110] The following text will refer to Figure 5 Description of some embodiments according to this application and Figure 2 Another signaling process 500 related to the process. It should be understood that UE 501 is an example of terminal device 101 and NB 502 is an example of network device 102.

[0111] like Figure 5 As shown, the UE and network device 502 are in the initial state. RRC-Configuration At 505, in addition to the UE's capability for frequency band combinations, UE 501 also sends to NB 502 a frequency band alternative for each frequency band in each of the multiple frequency band combinations. The UE sends information about an alternative option for a given frequency band for each frequency band in the frequency band combination, which can be activated instead of being the active frequency band. This indicates to the gNB that one of the indicated alternatives (e.g., a SCell replacing another SCell) can be applied without affecting the other frequency bands in the frequency band combination.

[0112] At 510, NB 502 sends the cell group and cell configuration (e.g., initial band combination) to UE 501. At 515, NB 502 identifies the need for a CA configuration update. At 520, NB 502 plans the target band combination and intermediate band combinations based on band substitutes. For example, when it is identified that a new band combination needs to be used, the network can use the reported band combinations (including fallback options) and the reported band substitute options for each band combination to construct a band combination handover command.

[0113] Then, at 525, NB 502, according to the planned configuration, for example via... RRC_Reconfiguration The network configures a SCell replacement procedure for the UE. For example, the network configures a frequency band combination (e.g., a target frequency band combination) for the UE and uses the serving cell replacement procedure to switch to the target frequency band combination.

[0114] At 550, the UE performs a handover between band combinations. For example, UE 501 performs a SCell replacement procedure (e.g., deactivation, configuration, and activation), and for a SCell replacement with a band replacement, the UE may not apply service interruptions on other bands not included in the band replacement in the band combination.

[0115] The following text will describe and Figure 5 This involves a new process associated with the alternative frequency band replacement. In this replacement implementation, a dedicated process for SCell replacement is being defined. This signifies the introduction of a new approach to SCell replacement. RRC_ Reconfiguration A variant (in TS 38.331) is provided, along with a corresponding set of requirements (in TS 38.133).

[0116] For example, the RRC entity here can include a new list of SCells to be replaced (e.g., sCellToSubstituteList ) and a new list of SCell alternatives (e.g., SCellSubstitute Each SCell substitute in the list of SCell substitutes may include at least one frequency band to be replaced (e.g., bandToSubstituteListNR ) and a frequency band as a substitute (e.g., bandSubstituteNR ).

[0117] Furthermore, for example, in the SCell replacement process, for the part that is part of the current UE configuration sCellToSubstituteList Each included sCellIndex Value (SCell replacement), the UE can according to sCellConfigCommon and sCellConfigDedicated Deactivate and sCellIndex The corresponding SCell. For parts that are not currently configured in the UE. sCellToSubstituteListEach included sCellIndex Value (added to SCell), UE can be based on sCellConfigCommon and sCellConfigDedicated Add and sCellIndex The corresponding SCell.

[0118] Therefore, an interruption is introduced at the SCell replacement; when an SCell is replaced, the UE is only allowed to experience a service interruption on the SCell indicated as the band replacement. In the example, it can be named " sCellToSubstituteList Add the new parameter " CellGroupConfig In, for example, for the part that is part of the current UE configuration sCellToSubstituteList Each included sCellIndex Value (SCell substitution), based on sCellConfigCommon and sCellConfigDedicated The deactivated SCell corresponds to sCellIndex In other examples, for parts that are not currently configured in the UE... sCellToSubstituteList Each included sCellIndex Value (added by SCell), based on sCellConfigCommon and sCellConfigDedicated The added SCell corresponds to sCellIndex .

[0119] In the example, if the configuration can be passed... RRC_Reconfiguration To capture no-service interruptions for band replacements, this configuration is adapted to the requirements associated with interruptions on the PCell and the active SCell.

[0120] The following text will refer to Figure 6 Another example signaling procedure 600 for seamless band combination handover according to some embodiments of this disclosure is described. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1A The communication process is described in section 600. It should be understood that, although referenced... Figure 1A The network environment 100 describes the communication process 600, but this communication process 600 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios. It should be understood that terminal device 601 is an example of terminal device 101, and network device 602 is an example of network device 102.

[0121] like Figure 6As shown, terminal device 601 sends (605) information indicating a service interruption in at least one frequency band combination or at least one frequency band among a plurality of frequency bands. At least one frequency band may be in at least one frequency band combination. Network device 602 receives (610) information indicating a service interruption. Based on the received information indicating a service interruption, network device 602 determines (615) at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency band combination. Network device 602 sends (620) a message indicating the at least one frequency band switching configuration. Terminal device 601 receives (625) this message. Then, terminal device 601 performs (630) a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination or target frequency band, based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

[0122] Through process 600, as such Figure 2 The suggested alternative to the frequency band replacement indication allows the UE to indicate which frequency band combinations or frequency band changes require service interruption. This allows for the reuse of a complete list of frequency band combinations from 5G, with the addition of capability indications to specify which frequency band combination(s) or frequency band(s) require service interruption and which do not. This is useful because there can be multiple frequency band combinations or frequency band(s) that do not require service interruption, while other bands may require it.

[0123] The following will refer to Figure 7 Description of some embodiments according to this application and Figure 6 This is an example of a signaling procedure related to the process. It should be understood that UE 701 is an example of terminal device 101, and NB 702 is an example of network device 102.

[0124] like Figure 7 As shown, the UE and NB 702 are in the initial state. RRC-configuration At 705, in addition to the UE's capability for frequency band combinations, UE 701 also sends to NB 702 a list of frequency band combinations indicating which transitions in the frequency band combination require interruption for a service interruption duration, or a list of frequency bands indicating which transitions in the frequency band require interruption for a service interruption duration.

[0125] At 710, NB 702 sends the cell group and cell configuration (e.g., initial band combination) to UE 701. At 715, NB 702 identifies the need for a CA configuration update. At 720, NB 702 plans the target band combination and intermediate band combination based on a service interruption indication, or plans the target band and intermediate band based on a service interruption indication. For example, when it is identified that a new band combination or a new band needs to be used, the network can use the reported band combination (including fallback options) and the reported service interruption indication options for the band combination or for the band to construct a band combination handover command or a band handover command. In doing so, the network knows which bands can be activated / deactivated without requiring service interruption of other active cells.

[0126] Then, at 725, NB 702, according to the planned configuration, for example via... RRC_Reconfiguration The network configures the SCell addition / deletion / modification process for the UE. For example, the network configures a frequency band combination (e.g., a target frequency band combination or a target frequency band) for the UE and uses the serving cell addition / modification / deletion process to switch to the target frequency band combination or target frequency band.

[0127] At 730, the UE performs a handover between frequency band combinations or frequency bands. For example, the UE checks whether the transition or handover is appropriate for the indicated service interruption, and if so, the UE can apply a service interruption for the indicated duration.

[0128] The following describes a new UE capability for band combination handovers that require service interruption. An alternative to the indication of band substitutes (or even supplements) is to allow the UE to indicate which band combination transitions require service interruption. This allows for the reuse of a list of all band combinations from 5G, and then the addition of a capability indication to indicate which band combination or band requires service interruption and which does not. This can be a binary indication, and can even reuse the service interruption table from TS 38.133 when service interruption is indicated as required. This is useful because there may be combinations that do not require service interruption, but in less obvious cases, such as if the UE prefers to keep some LOs off during transitions between band combinations or bands, other combinations may require service interruption. In the example, this can be achieved, for example, by adding a new parameter to indicate which band combination or band requires service interruption. RRC RF- Parameters This is achieved by adding entries to the UE capabilities indicated in the documentation. For example, a new parameter "" can be invoked. serviceInterruption onBandCombinationList ".

[0129] The following section will describe an example from the perspective of UL TX switching. Figure 4CIn the example of frequency band combinations, it can be observed that for a single DL frequency band combination, multiple UL frequency band combinations can be supported, and these combinations have been extracted into Table 2 below. Table 2: Supported Combinations of Multiple UL Bands

[0130] It is clear from these frequency band combinations that the UE can configure CA for both DL and UL frequency bands n41, n3 and n1, but UL is Tx handover, where the UE can switch between 5 different transmitter configurations while maintaining the configuration for all three uplink frequency bands.

[0131] This means that the UE can be configured in the uplink beyond a single line entry in the frequency band combination list in the UE's capabilities, without requiring service interruption. RRC_Reconfiguration Although current specifications allow for interruptions of at least 35µs.

[0132] Due to the richness of LO (Local Interrupt), the UE can even configure the next frequency band before activating the carrier. This means that when the UE adds or removes a frequency band via a band substitute, the allowed interruption (UL and DL) can be set to 0ms, similar to handover in Time Division Duplex (TDD). Therefore, adding 0ms as the UL TX handover duration is also feasible.

[0133] Figure 8A A flowchart illustrating an example method 800A implemented at a terminal device (e.g., terminal device 101) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 800A is described from the perspective of terminal device 101.

[0134] like Figure 8A As shown, at block 810A, the terminal device sends information to the network device indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of frequency bands from a plurality of frequency bands, and the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band. At block 820A, the terminal device receives from the network device a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination in at least one combination of frequency bands associated with at least one frequency band substitute. At block 830A, the terminal device performs a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in the at least one frequency band substitute, based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration, without service interruption.

[0135] In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the capability of a terminal device for at least one frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or carrier alternatives for individual frequency bands constituting an inter-band combination or an intra-band combination.

[0136] In some embodiments, the frequency band switching process includes at least one of the following: a SCell modification process; a SCell addition process; or a SCell release process. In some embodiments, the SCell modification process includes at least one of the following: a SCell activation process; or a SCell deactivation process.

[0137] In some embodiments, the terminal device is configured to perform a band switching process based on at least one band switching configuration by: determining whether the band switching process is applicable to at least one band alternative; applying service interruption on the bands included in the at least one band alternative based on the determination that the band switching process is applicable to at least one band alternative; and avoiding application service interruption on the bands included in the at least one band alternative based on the determination that the band switching process is not applicable to at least one band alternative. In some embodiments, the terminal device is configured to determine whether the band switching process is applicable to at least one band alternative by: determining whether the SCell to be added, released, activated, or deactivated is indicated as at least one band alternative.

[0138] In some embodiments, the terminal device is made to apply service interruption on a frequency band included in at least one frequency band substitute by: applying service interruption on an SCell that is being added, released, activated or deactivated and is indicated as at least one frequency band substitute.

[0139] In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of frequency bands in a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for at least one combination of frequency bands; a list of secondary cells (SCells) to be replaced; or a list of SCell alternatives, wherein the SCell alternatives include: the frequency band to be replaced and the frequency band as the alternative.

[0140] In some embodiments, the band switching process includes an SCell replacement process. In some embodiments, the terminal device is configured to perform the band switching process based on at least one band switching configuration by: determining whether to perform an SCell replacement process; and, based on the determination that an SCell is being replaced, applying a service interruption on the SCell indicated as at least one band replacement.

[0141] In some embodiments, the terminal device is configured to determine whether to perform a SCell replacement process by: determining whether the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is part of the current terminal device configuration; performing a SCell replacement process based on determining that the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is part of the current terminal device configuration; and performing a SCell addition process based on determining that the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is not part of the current terminal device configuration.

[0142] In some embodiments, an SCell is one of a plurality of secondary cells configured on a secondary carrier in a carrier aggregation mode. In some embodiments, in dual-connectivity mode, an SCell addition or release procedure is performed on the secondary node while service is maintained on the primary node. In some embodiments, multiple frequency bands are associated with separate radio chains. In some embodiments, service interruptions are limited to a predefined duration. In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of multiple frequency bands is transmitted via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, a band switching procedure is associated with carrier aggregation.

[0143] Figure 8B A flowchart illustrating an example method 800B implemented at a network device (e.g., network device 102) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 800B is described from the perspective of network device 102.

[0144] like Figure 8B As shown, at block 810B, the network device receives information from the terminal device indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of frequency bands from a plurality of frequency bands, and the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band. At block 820B, the network device determines at least one frequency band switching configuration based on the received information indicating at least one frequency band substitute, the at least one frequency band switching configuration being associated with: at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination from at least one combination of frequency bands associated with at least one frequency band substitute. At block 830B, the network device sends the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0145] In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the capability of a terminal device for at least one frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added, or deleted; or carrier alternatives constituting an individual frequency band of an inter-band combination or intra-band combination. In some embodiments, the frequency band switching process includes at least one of the following: an SCell modification process; an SCell addition process; or an SCell release process. In some embodiments, the SCell modification process includes at least one of the following: an SCell activation process; or an SCell deactivation process.

[0146] In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of frequency bands from a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for at least one frequency band combination; a list of secondary cells (SCells) to be replaced; or a list of SCell alternatives, wherein the SCell alternatives include: the frequency band to be replaced and the frequency band as the alternative. In some embodiments, the frequency band switching process includes an SCell replacement process.

[0147] In some embodiments, an SCell is one of a plurality of secondary cells configured on a secondary carrier in a carrier aggregation mode. In some embodiments, in dual-connectivity mode, an SCell addition or release procedure is performed on the secondary node while service is maintained on the primary node. In some embodiments, multiple frequency bands are associated with separate radio chains. In some embodiments, service interruptions are limited to a predefined duration. In some embodiments, information indicating at least one frequency band alternative for at least one combination of multiple frequency bands is transmitted via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, a band switching procedure is associated with carrier aggregation.

[0148] Figure 9A A flowchart illustrating an example method 900A implemented at a terminal device (e.g., terminal device 101) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 900A is described from the perspective of terminal device 101.

[0149] like Figure 9AAs shown, at block 910A, the terminal device sends information to the network device indicating a service interruption of at least one frequency band combination or at least one frequency band among a plurality of frequency bands. At block 920A, the terminal device receives from the network device a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: a service interruption, and a frequency band switching procedure for a target frequency band combination or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency band combination. At block 930A, the terminal device performs a frequency band switching procedure for a target frequency band combination or target frequency band, based on at least one frequency band switching configuration and a service interruption.

[0150] In some embodiments, information indicating a service interruption for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for the frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency band combinations indicating the duration of service interruption required for which frequency band combinations to be switched.

[0151] In some embodiments, information indicating service interruption for at least one of multiple frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for a combination of frequency bands; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency bands indicating the duration of service interruption that requires switching between frequency bands.

[0152] In some embodiments, the frequency band switching process includes at least one of the following: a SCell modification process; a SCell addition process; or a SCell release process. In some embodiments, the SCell modification process includes at least one of the following: a SCell activation process; or a SCell deactivation process.

[0153] In some embodiments, the terminal device is configured to perform a band switching process based on at least one band switching configuration by: determining whether the band switching process is applicable to a service interruption indicated in the information indicating a service interruption; applying the service interruption based on the determination that the band switching process is applicable to a service interruption; and avoiding applying the service interruption based on the determination that the band switching process is not applicable to a service interruption.

[0154] In some embodiments, multiple frequency bands are associated with separate radio frequency chains. In some embodiments, an SCell is one of multiple secondary cells configured on a secondary carrier in a carrier aggregation mode. In some embodiments, in dual connectivity mode, an SCell addition or release procedure is performed on the secondary node while service is maintained on the primary node. In some embodiments, information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band is sent via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. In some embodiments, a service interruption is associated with frequency bands used for uplink and downlink, or combinations of frequency bands used for uplink and downlink. In some embodiments, a band switching procedure is associated with carrier aggregation.

[0155] Figure 9B A flowchart illustrating an example method 900B implemented at a network device (e.g., network device 102) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this flowchart for discussion purposes. Figure 1A Method 900B is described from the perspective of network device 102.

[0156] like Figure 9B As shown, at block 910B, the network device receives information from the terminal device indicating a service interruption of at least one frequency band combination or at least one frequency band among a plurality of frequency bands. At block 920B, based on the received information indicating a service interruption, the network device determines at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination or for a target frequency band among the at least one frequency band combination. At block 930B, the network device sends the at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0157] In some embodiments, information indicating a service interruption for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for the frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency band combinations indicating the duration of service interruption required for which frequency band combinations to be switched.

[0158] In some embodiments, information indicating service interruption for at least one of multiple frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for a combination of frequency bands; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency bands indicating the duration of service interruption that requires switching between frequency bands.

[0159] In some embodiments, the frequency band switching process includes at least one of the following: a SCell modification process; a SCell addition process; or a SCell release process. In some embodiments, the SCell modification process includes at least one of the following: a SCell activation process; or a SCell deactivation process. In some embodiments, multiple frequency bands are associated with separate radio frequency chains.

[0160] In some embodiments, an SCell is one of a plurality of secondary cells configured on a secondary carrier in a carrier aggregation mode. In some embodiments, in dual connectivity mode, an SCell addition or release procedure is performed on the secondary node while service is maintained on the primary node. In some embodiments, information indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band is sent via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

[0161] In some embodiments, service interruptions are associated with frequency bands used for uplink and downlink, or combinations of frequency bands used for uplink and downlink. In some embodiments, the band switching process is associated with carrier aggregation.

[0162] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., terminal device 101) capable of performing any operation of method 800A may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 800A. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0163] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for sending information to a network device indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band from a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; means for receiving from the network device a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with: at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination from at least one combination of frequency bands associated with at least one frequency band substitute; and means for performing a frequency band switching process for the target frequency band combination on an active frequency band not included in at least one frequency band substitute without service interruption based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration.

[0164] In some embodiments, the components for execution include: components for determining whether a band switching process is applicable to at least one band alternative; components for applying a service interruption on a band included in at least one band alternative based on the determination that the band switching process is applicable to at least one band alternative; and components for avoiding applying a service interruption on a band included in at least one band alternative based on the determination that the band switching process is not applicable to at least one band alternative.

[0165] In some embodiments, the component for determining whether a band switching process is applicable to at least one band substitute includes: a component for determining whether a SCell to be added, released, activated, or deactivated is indicated as at least one band substitute.

[0166] In some embodiments, the component for applying a service interruption on a frequency band included in at least one frequency band substitute includes: a component for applying a service interruption on an SCell that is being added, released, activated, or deactivated and is indicated as at least one frequency band substitute.

[0167] In some embodiments, the components for performing a band switching process based on at least one band switching configuration include: components for determining whether to perform an SCell replacement process; and components for applying a service interruption on the SCell indicated as at least one band replacement based on the determination that the SCell is being replaced.

[0168] In some embodiments, the components for determining whether to perform a SCell replacement process include: components for determining whether the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is a part of the current terminal device configuration; components for performing a SCell replacement process based on determining that the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is a part of the current terminal device configuration; and components for performing a SCell addition process based on determining that the SCell index value of the SCell to be replaced is not a part of the current terminal device configuration.

[0169] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps in some embodiments of method 800A. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code configured to, together with the at least one processor, implement the performance of the apparatus.

[0170] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 102) capable of performing any operation of method 800B may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 800B. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0171] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for receiving from a terminal device information indicating at least one frequency band substitute for at least one combination of at least one frequency band among a plurality of frequency bands, wherein the frequency band substitute includes: a first frequency band to be replaced, and at least one second frequency band as a substitute for the first frequency band; means for determining, based on the received information indicating at least one frequency band substitute, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with at least one frequency band substitute, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination among at least one combination of frequency bands associated with at least one frequency band substitute; and means for transmitting at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0172] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps in some embodiments of method 800B. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, together with the at least one processor, to achieve the performance of the apparatus.

[0173] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., terminal device 101) capable of performing any operation of method 900A may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 900A. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0174] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for sending information to a network device indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; components for receiving a message from the network device indicating: at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band in the at least one combination of frequency bands; and components for performing a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or a target frequency band based on at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

[0175] In some embodiments, information indicating a service interruption for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for the frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency band combinations indicating the duration of service interruption required for which frequency band combinations to be switched.

[0176] In some embodiments, information indicating service interruption for at least one of multiple frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for a combination of frequency bands; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency bands indicating the duration of service interruption that requires switching between frequency bands.

[0177] In some embodiments, the components for performing a band switching process based on at least one band switching configuration include: components for determining whether the band switching process is applicable to a service interruption indicated in information indicating a service interruption; components for applying a service interruption based on determining that the band switching process is applicable to a service interruption; and components for avoiding applying a service interruption based on determining that the band switching process is not applicable to a service interruption.

[0178] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps in some embodiments of method 900A. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, together with the at least one processor, to achieve the performance of the apparatus.

[0179] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 102) capable of performing any operation of method 900B may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 900B. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0180] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving information from a terminal device indicating a service interruption of at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; components for determining, based on the received information indicating a service interruption, at least one frequency band switching configuration associated with the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target combination of frequency bands or for a target frequency band in the at least one combination of frequency bands; and components for transmitting at least one frequency band switching configuration to the terminal device.

[0181] In some embodiments, information indicating a service interruption for at least one frequency band combination among a plurality of frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for the frequency band combination; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency band combinations indicating the duration of service interruption required for which frequency band combinations to be switched.

[0182] In some embodiments, information indicating service interruption for at least one of multiple frequency bands includes at least one of the following: the terminal device’s capability for a combination of frequency bands; at least one secondary cell (SCell) to be activated, deactivated, added or deleted; or a list of frequency bands indicating the duration of service interruption that requires switching between frequency bands.

[0183] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps in some embodiments of method 900B. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, together with the at least one processor, to achieve the performance of the apparatus.

[0184] Figure 10 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 1000 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 1000 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1A The terminal device 101 and network device 102 are shown. As shown, device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010, one or more memories 1020 coupled to processor 1010, and one or more communication modules 1040 coupled to processor 1010.

[0185] The communication module 1040 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 1040 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0186] Processor 1010 can be any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 1000 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0187] Memory 1020 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1024, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1022 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0188] Computer program 1030 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 1010. Program 1030 may be stored in ROM 1024. Processor 1010 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 1030 into RAM 1022.

[0189] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by a program, enabling device 1000 to execute any of the processes of this disclosure as described above. Embodiments of this disclosure can also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0190] In some embodiments, program 1030 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 1000 (such as memory 1020) or other storage device accessible to device 1000. Device 1000 may load program 1030 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1022 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 11 An example of a computer-readable medium 1100 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. A program 1030 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0191] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented using hardware, while others can be implemented using firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0192] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the processes described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of the program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0193] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0194] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0195] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0196] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Send a message to the network device indicating a service interruption in at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; The network device receives a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration, the at least one frequency band switching configuration being associated with: the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination or a target frequency band in the at least one frequency band combination; as well as For the target frequency band combination or the target frequency band, the frequency band switching process is performed based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the service interruption of at least one combination of the plurality of frequency bands comprises at least one of the following: The terminal device's capability for frequency band combinations; At least one secondary cell SCell that will be activated, deactivated, added, or deleted; or A list of frequency band combinations that indicates the duration of service interruptions required for switching.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the SCell is one of a plurality of secondary cells configured on a secondary carrier in carrier aggregation mode.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the service interruption of at least one of the plurality of frequency bands comprises at least one of the following: The terminal device's capability for frequency band combinations; At least one secondary cell SCell that will be activated, deactivated, added, or deleted; or A list of frequency bands that indicate the duration of service interruptions required for band switching.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency band switching process includes at least one of the following: SCell modification process; SCell addition process; or SCell release process.

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the SCell modification process includes at least one of the following: SCell activation process; or SCell deactivation process.

7. The terminal device according to claim 5, wherein in dual-connection mode, the SCell addition process or the SCell release process is executed on the secondary node, while service is maintained on the primary node.

8. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to perform the frequency band switching process based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration by means of: Determine whether the frequency band switching procedure applies to the service interruption indicated in the information indicating the service interruption; Based on the determination that the frequency band switching process is applicable to the service interruption, the service interruption is applied; as well as Based on the determination that the frequency band switching process is not applicable to the service interruption, the application of the service interruption is avoided.

9. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency bands are associated with a separate radio frequency chain.

10. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the service interruption of at least one combination of the plurality of frequency bands or the at least one frequency band is transmitted via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

11. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the service interruption is associated with frequency bands used for uplink and downlink, or a combination of frequency bands used for uplink and downlink.

12. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency band switching process is associated with carrier aggregation.

13. A method for communication at a terminal device, comprising: Send a message to the network device indicating a service interruption in at least one combination of frequency bands or at least one frequency band; The network device receives a message indicating at least one frequency band switching configuration, the at least one frequency band switching configuration being associated with: the service interruption, and a frequency band switching process for a target frequency band combination or a target frequency band in the at least one frequency band combination; as well as For the target frequency band combination or the target frequency band, the frequency band switching process is performed based on the at least one frequency band switching configuration and the service interruption.

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