Network apparatus, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method

Abstract

The network device includes: a receiving unit configured to receive information related to support of aggregation of a first network and a second network from another node; and a sending unit configured to send information related to support of the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to network devices, wireless communication systems, and wireless communication methods that support the migration of two or more networks. Background Technology

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP: registered trademark) standardizes fifth-generation mobile communication systems (also known as 5G, New Radio (NR), or Next Generation (NG)). Furthermore, within 3GPP, the standardization of next-generation technologies, referred to as Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G, is also underway.

[0003] Furthermore, prior to 5G, in dual connectivity where the UE connects to nodes of the 4G RAN (Radio Access Network) and the 5G RAN, coordination between the 4G RAN and the 5G RAN was studied (e.g., non-patent literature 1).

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Non-patent literature

[0006] Non-patent document 1: 3GPP TS 36.423 V17.6.0, 3rd Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network, EvolvedUniversal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), X2 application protocol (X2AP) (Release 17) Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, in the migration from existing technologies (hereinafter, 5G) to new technologies (hereinafter, 6G), we envision a scenario where the 5G core network (hereinafter, 5GC) and the 6G core network (hereinafter, 6GC) are coordinated, for example, we envision a scenario where a common UPF (User Plane Function) for 5G and 6G is adopted.

[0008] The inventors' in-depth research revealed the necessity of suppressing unnecessary releases of 5G or 6G cells, considering a mixed situation where both 5G and 6G coordinating functions were employed and those were not.

[0009] Therefore, this disclosure was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a network device, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method that can appropriately perform communication depending on whether the 5GC and 6GC coordination functions are used.

[0010] The disclosed method is a network device comprising: a receiving unit that receives information from other nodes relating to support for aggregation of a first network and a second network; and a transmitting unit that transmits information relating to support for the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network.

[0011] The disclosed method is a wireless communication system comprising a terminal and a network device provided in a first network, the network device comprising: a receiving unit that receives information from other nodes relating to support for aggregation of the first network and a second network; and a transmitting unit that transmits information relating to support for the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network, and determines whether to support the aggregation based on the information received from the first network.

[0012] The disclosed method is a wireless communication method comprising the steps of: receiving information from other nodes relating to support for aggregation of a first network and a second network; and transmitting information relating to support for the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wireless communication system 10.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a graph showing the frequency ranges used in cellular networks.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of radio frames, subframes, and time slots used in cellular networks.

[0016] Figure 4 This is the function block structure diagram of UE 200.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a functional block structure diagram of network device 50.

[0018] Figure 6 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0019] Figure 7It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0020] Figure 8 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0021] Figure 9 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0022] Figure 10 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0023] Figure 11 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0024] Figure 12 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0025] Figure 13 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0026] Figure 14 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0027] Figure 15 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0028] Figure 16 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0029] Figure 17 It is a diagram used to illustrate the topic and background.

[0030] Figure 18 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 1.

[0031] Figure 19 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 1.

[0032] Figure 20 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 1.

[0033] Figure 21 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 4.

[0034] Figure 22 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 4.

[0035] Figure 23 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 4.

[0036] Figure 24 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 4.

[0037] Figure 25 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 5.

[0038] Figure 26 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 5.

[0039] Figure 27 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 6.

[0040] Figure 28 This is a diagram used to illustrate action example 6.

[0041] Figure 29 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of gNB 100 and UE 200.

[0042] Figure 30 This is a diagram showing a structural example of vehicle 2001. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The embodiments are described below based on the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, identical or similar labels are used to refer to the same functions and structures, and their descriptions are omitted where appropriate.

[0044] [Implementation Method]

[0045] (1) Overall general structure of wireless communication system

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wireless communication system 10 according to the embodiment. The wireless communication system 10 includes a terminal 200 (hereinafter, UE (User Equipment) 200), a first network 10A, and a second network 10B.

[0047] The first network 10A includes a radio access network 20A and a core network 30A. The radio access network 20A includes a base station 100A that performs wireless communication with the UE 200. Alternatively, the first network 10A may not have a radio access network 20A, but may have a base station 100A. The first network 10A may also not have a core network 30A. The base station 100A may also consist of a DU (Distributed Unit) and a CU (Central Unit). The DU may perform processing below the MAC layer. The CU may perform processing above the PDCP layer.

[0048] Network 10A can also be a network that follows new technologies (6G). 6G can also be called Beyond 5G or 5G Evolution. Network 10A can also be a network that follows existing technologies (5G). 5G can also be called 5G New Radio (NR).

[0049] The second network 10B includes a radio access network 20B and a core network 30B. The radio access network 20B includes a base station 100B that performs wireless communication with the UE 200. Alternatively, the second network 10B may not have a radio access network 20B, but may have a base station 100B. The second network 10B may also not have a core network 30B. The base station 100B may also consist of a DU and a CU.

[0050] Network 10B can also be a network that follows existing technology (5G). 5G can also be referred to as 5G New Radio (NR). Network 10B can also be a network that follows new technology (6G). 6G can also be referred to as Beyond 5G or 5G Evolution.

[0051] Here, the first network 10A and the second network 10B only need to differ in their wireless access methods. For example, the wireless access method can be a cellular network wireless access method called 5G, Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G, etc.

[0052] First, cellular networks can support... Figure 2 The multiple frequency ranges (FR) are shown. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, the cellular network can support FR1 and FR2. The frequency bands of each FR are as follows.

[0053] FR1: 410MHz~7.125GHz

[0054] FR2-1: 24.25GHz~52.6GHz

[0055] FR2-2: Over 52.6GHz to 71GHz

[0056] In FR1, sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of 15, 30, or 60 kHz can be used, and a bandwidth (BW) of 5–100 MHz can be used. FR2 is a higher frequency than FR1, and can use SCS of 60 kHz or 120 kHz (which may also include 240 kHz), and a bandwidth (BW) of 50–400 MHz can be used.

[0057] Furthermore, cellular networks can also support frequency bands higher than FR2. Specifically, cellular networks support frequency bands above 52.6 GHz, up to 71 GHz or 114.25 GHz.

[0058] Secondly, cellular networks can support Figure 3 The wireless frames, subframes, and time slots shown are illustrated.

[0059] like Figure 3As shown, one time slot consists of 14 symbols. The larger (wider) the SCS, the shorter the symbol period (and time slot period). In addition to using 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, 240kHz, etc., SCS can also use 480kHz, 960kHz, etc.

[0060] Furthermore, the number of symbols constituting one time slot does not necessarily have to be 14 symbols (e.g., 28 symbols, 56 symbols). Also, the number of time slots in each subframe can vary depending on the SCS.

[0061] also, Figure 3 The time direction (t) shown can also be referred to as the time domain, symbol period, or symbol time, etc. Additionally, the frequency direction can be referred to as the frequency domain, resource block, subcarrier, bandwidth part (BWP), etc.

[0062] (2) Functional block structure of wireless communication system

[0063] The functional block structure of the wireless communication system 10 will be described below.

[0064] First, the functional block structure of UE 200 will be explained.

[0065] Figure 4 This is the function block structure diagram of UE 200. (Example) Figure 4 As shown, the UE 200 includes a wireless signal transceiver unit 210, an amplifier unit 220, a modem unit 230, and a control signal transceiver unit 200. The reference signal processing unit 240, the encoding / decoding unit 250, the data transceiver unit 260, and the control unit 270 are included.

[0066] The radio transceiver unit 210 transmits and receives radio signals that comply with NR. The radio transceiver unit 210 supports massive MIMO, CA that uses multiple CCs together, and DC that allows simultaneous communication between the UE and two NG-RAN nodes.

[0067] The amplification unit 220 is composed of a power amplifier (PA) and a low-noise amplifier (LNA). The amplification unit 220 amplifies the signal output from the modem 230 to a predetermined power level. Additionally, the amplification unit 220 amplifies the RF signal output from the wireless transceiver unit 210.

[0068] The modem 230 performs data modulation / demodulation, transmit power setting, and resource block allocation for each predetermined communication destination (gNB 100 or other gNB). Cyclic Prefix-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFDM) or Discrete Fourier Transform-Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM) can also be applied in the modem 230. Furthermore, DFT-S-OFDM can be used not only for the uplink (UL) but also for the downlink (DL).

[0069] The control signal and reference signal processing unit 240 performs processing related to various control signals transmitted and received by the UE 200, as well as processing related to various reference signals transmitted and received by the UE 200.

[0070] Specifically, the control signal / reference signal processing unit 240 receives various control signals transmitted from the gNB 100 via a predetermined control channel, such as control signals from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. Additionally, the control signal / reference signal processing unit 240 transmits various control signals to the gNB 100 via the predetermined control channel.

[0071] The control signal and reference signal processing unit 240 performs processing using reference signals (RS) such as demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) and phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS).

[0072] DM-RS is a terminal-specific reference signal (pilot signal) known between the base station and the terminal, used for estimating fading channels used in data demodulation. PT-RS is a terminal-specific reference signal intended for estimating phase noise, a problem in the high-frequency band.

[0073] In addition to DM-RS and PT-RS, the reference signal may also include Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), and Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) for location information.

[0074] In addition, the channels include control channels and data channels. Control channels include PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), RACH (Random Access Channel, containing downlink control information (DCI) including the Random Access Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RA-RNTI)), and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel), etc.

[0075] In addition, data channels include PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). Data refers to data transmitted via data channels. Data channels can also be replaced by shared channels.

[0076] Here, the control signal / reference signal processing unit 240 can receive downlink control information (DCI). The DCI includes fields such as DCI Formats, Carrier indicator (CI), BWP indicator, FDRA (Frequency Domain Resource Assignment), TDRA (Time Domain Resource Assignment), MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme), HPN (HARQ Process Number), NDI (New Data Indicator), and RV (Redundancy Version), which are existing fields.

[0077] The DCI Format field stores information elements specifying the format of the DCI. The CI field stores information elements specifying the CC (Combined Control) for which the DCI is applied. The BWP indicator field stores information elements specifying the BWP (BandwidthPart-Config) for which the DCI is applied. The BWP specified by the BWP indicator is set by the information element (BandwidthPart-Config) contained in the RRC message. The FDRA field stores information elements specifying the frequency domain resources for which the DCI is applied. Frequency domain resources are determined by the value stored in the FDRA field and the information element (RA Type) contained in the RRC message. The TDRA field stores information elements specifying the time domain resources for which the DCI is applied. Time domain resources are determined by the value stored in the TDRA field and the information elements (pdsch-TimeDomainAllocationList, pusch-TimeDomainAllocationList) contained in the RRC message. Time domain resources can be determined by the value stored in the TDRA field and the default table. The MCS field stores information elements specifying the MCS (Multi-Size Component) for which the DCI is applied. The MCS is determined by the values ​​stored in the MCS and the MCS table. The MCS table can be specified via RRC messages or determined via RNTI scrambling. The value stored in the HPN field is an information element specifying the HARQ process of the applied DCI. The value stored in the NDI is an information element used to determine whether the data applied to the DCI is the originally sent data. The value stored in the RV field is an information element specifying the redundancy of the data applied to the DCI.

[0078] The encoding / decoding unit 250 performs data segmentation / linking and channel encoding / decoding for each predetermined communication destination (gNB 100 or other gNB).

[0079] Specifically, the encoding / decoding unit 250 divides the data output from the data transceiver unit 260 into predetermined sizes and performs channel coding on the divided data. Additionally, the encoding / decoding unit 250 decodes the data output from the modem unit 230 and concatenates the decoded data.

[0080] The data transceiver unit 260 performs the transmission and reception of Protocol Data Units (PDUs) and Service Data Units (SDUs). Specifically, the data transceiver unit 260 performs the assembly / disassembly of PDUs / SDUs at multiple layers (Media Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), etc.). In addition, the data transceiver unit 260 performs error correction and retransmission control based on HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request).

[0081] The control unit 270 controls the functional blocks that constitute the UE 200. In an embodiment, the control unit 270 may also be configured to determine whether to support the aggregation of the first network 10A and the second network 10B.

[0082] The aggregation of Network 10A and Network 20B can also be replaced by the aggregation of Core Network 30A and Core Network 30B (CN Aggregation). CN Aggregation can also be replaced by Dual Stack or Dual Registration. CN Aggregation can also be the aggregation of the UPF of Network 10A and the UPF of Network 20B. In this case, the UPF of Network 10A and the UPF of Network 20B can also be composed of a single UPF (Combo UPF). Alternatively, the UPF of Network 10A and the UPF of Network 20B can be composed of different UPFs, with these different UPFs coordinating.

[0083] In this embodiment, the wireless transceiver unit 210 may also be configured as a receiving unit that receives information related to the aggregation (CN Aggregation) of the first network 10A and the second network 10B. The wireless transceiver unit 210 may also receive CN Aggregation-related information from the first network 10A. The wireless transceiver unit 210 may also receive CN Aggregation-related information from the second network 10B. Details regarding the CN Aggregation-related information will be described later.

[0084] Second, the functional block structure of network device 50 will be described. For example, network device 50 is located in a first network 10A or a second network 10B. That is, network device 50 can be a base station 100A, a CU that constitutes part of base station 100A, or a DU that constitutes part of base station 100A. Network device 50 can be a base station 100B, a CU that constitutes part of base station 100B, or a DU that constitutes part of base station 100B.

[0085] like Figure 5 As shown, the network device 50 includes a receiving unit 51, a transmitting unit 52, and a control unit 53.

[0086] The receiving unit 51 receives various signals from the UE 200. The receiving unit 51 can receive control signals (PUCCH) and data signals (PUSCH).

[0087] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 51 may also be configured to receive information related to the aggregation (CN Aggregation) of the first network 10A and the second network 10B from other nodes. Details regarding the information related to CN Aggregation will be described later.

[0088] The transmitting unit 52 transmits various signals to the UE 200. The transmitting unit 52 can transmit control signals (PDCCH) and data signals (PDSCH).

[0089] In this embodiment, the network device 50 may also be configured as a transmitting unit that transmits information related to the aggregation (CN Aggregation) of the first network 10A and the second network 10B. When the network device 50 is located in the first network 10A, it may also transmit CN Aggregation-related information in cells belonging to the first network 10A. When the network device 50 is located in the second network 10B, it may also transmit CN Aggregation-related information in cells belonging to the second network 10B. Details regarding the CN Aggregation-related information will be described later.

[0090] The control unit 53 controls the various blocks constituting the network device 50. For example, if the network device 50 is located in the first network 10A, the control unit 130 controls the communication of the first network 10A. If the network device 50 is located in the second network 10B, the control unit 130 controls the communication of the second network 10B.

[0091] (3) Background and topic

[0092] First, provide background information related to the migration from existing technologies (4G, 5G, etc.) to new technologies (6G). Consider the following options in the context of 6G implementation.

[0093] In option 1, such as Figure 6 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 5G RAN, 6G RAN, 5GC and 6GC, and coordination between 5G RAN and 6G RAN is required.

[0094] In option 2, such as Figure 7 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 5G RAN, 6G RAN, 5GC and 6GC, and coordination between 5GC and 6GC is required.

[0095] In option 3, such as Figure 8 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 5G RAN, 6G RAN and 5GC, and coordination between 5GC and 6GC is required.

[0096] In option 4, such as Figure 9 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 5G RAN, 6G RAN and 6GC, and coordination between 5GC and 6GC is required.

[0097] In option 5, such as Figure 10 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 4G RAN, 5G RAN, 6G RAN, 4GC, 5GC and 6GC, and coordination is required between 4G RAN, 5G RAN and 6G RAN.

[0098] In option 6, such as Figure 11 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 4G RAN, 5G RAN, 6G RAN, 4GC, 5GC and 6GC, and coordination is required between 4GC, 5GC and 6GC.

[0099] In option 7, such as Figure 12 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 4G RAN, 5G RAN, 6G RAN and 5GC. Coordination is required between 4G RAN, 5G RAN and 6G RAN.

[0100] In option 8, such as Figure 13As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 4G RAN, 5G RAN, 6G RAN and 6GC. Coordination is required between 4G RAN, 5G RAN and 6G RAN.

[0101] In option 9, such as Figure 14 As shown, consider the following scenario: There are 4G RAN, 5G RAN, 6G RAN and 4GC. Coordination is required between 4G RAN, 5G RAN and 6G RAN.

[0102] In the above scenario (e.g., option 2), such as Figure 15 As shown, UE 200 can also register with both 5GC and 6GC (Dual Registration). Alternatively, UE 200 can register with either 5GC or 6GC. In this case, UE 200 has a 5G protocol stack (Physical Layer (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Resource Control (RRC), and Non-Access Stratum (NAS)) and a 6G protocol stack (PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and NAS) (Dual Stack). Furthermore, no coordination between 5G RAN and 6G RAN is required.

[0103] And, as Figure 16 As shown, a 5G UPF and a 6G UPF can also be composed of a single UPF (5G / 6G Combo UPF). The 5G / 6G Combo UPF can also integrate data signals received via the 5G RAN and data signals received via the 6G RAN. Alternatively, it can separate data signals transmitted via the 5G RAN and data signals transmitted via the 6G RAN.

[0104] Secondly, the issues envisioned in the coordination (CN Aggregation) of the aforementioned 5GC and 6GC will be explained. Specifically, such as... Figure 17 As shown, imagine a scenario where Area #1, which supports CN aggregation, and Area #2, which does not support CN aggregation, coexist.

[0105] In this scenario, if UE 200 performs the initial connection in Area #2, it may not know whether CN aggregation is supported. Therefore, if UE 200, after performing the initial connection in Area #2, learns that CN aggregation is not supported, it needs to release either a 5G cell or a 6G cell. In other words, performing the initial connection without knowing whether CN aggregation is supported will result in the unnecessary release of either a 5G or 6G cell.

[0106] In addition, Figure 17 The example illustrates the coordination (CN Aggregation) of 5GC and 6GC, but it should be noted that the coordination (CN Aggregation) of 6GC and 6GC will also present the same challenges.

[0107] (4) Example of an action

[0108] To address the aforementioned issue, namely, to suppress unnecessary release of 5G or 6G cells, the following action example can be adopted.

[0109] (4.1) Action Example 1

[0110] In Action Example 1, UE 200 receives information related to the aggregation (CNAggregation) of the first network 10A and the second network 10B. The information related to CN aggregation can be consistent identification information when CN aggregation is supported. This identification information can also be referred to as a CNAggregationNumber. The same CNAggregationNumber can be assigned to UPFs that support CN aggregation. One CNAggregationNumber can be assigned to the aforementioned Combo UPF.

[0111] The CNAggregationNumber for network 10A can be sent from the RAN of network 10A, and the CNAggregationNumber for network 20B can be sent from the RAN of network 20B. The CNAggregationNumber can be included in a SIB or in an RRC message. The SIB can be SIB1, SIB3 / 4 / 5. The RRC message can be RRCReconfiguration. Consider the following options as action example 1.

[0112] In option 1-1, UE 200 can determine that CN aggregation (CNAggregation) is supported for both 5G and 6G cells if the CNAggregationNumber received from the 5G cell is the same as the CNAggregationNumber received from the 6G cell.

[0113] In options 1-2, UE 200 may determine that CN aggregation is supported for both 6G cell #1 and 6G cell #2 if the CNAggregationNumber received from 6G cell #1 is consistent with the CNAggregationNumber received from 6G cell #2.

[0114] In options 1-3, UE 200 may determine that CN aggregation is not supported for both 5G and 6G cells if the CNAggregationNumber received from the 5G cell is inconsistent with the CNAggregationNumber received from the 6G cell.

[0115] In options 1-4, UE 200 may determine that CN aggregation is not supported for 6G cell #1 and 6G cell #2 if the CNAggregationNumber received from 6G cell #1 is inconsistent with the CNAggregationNumber received from 6G cell #2.

[0116] In options 1-5, UE 200 can determine that it does not support CN aggregation for cells where CNAggregationNumber is not notified (e.g., cells that broadcast SIBs that do not contain CNAggregationNumber).

[0117] In options 1-6, UE 200 can determine that the cell with the same CNAggregationNumber is located under the Combo UPF.

[0118] In options 1-7, UE 200 can replace the PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) ID and CNAggregationNumber. That is, UE 200 can determine that CN aggregation is supported for cells with the same PLMN ID, and determine that CN aggregation is not supported for cells with different PLMN IDs.

[0119] In options 1-8, UE 200 can receive information indicating whether CN aggregation is enabled or disabled. This information can be included in the SIB. Alternatively, UE 200 can receive information indicating whether CN aggregation is activated or deactivated. This information can also be included in the SIB.

[0120] In options 1-8, UE 200 can determine that CN aggregation can be performed on the two cells if both cells notify that CN aggregation is enabled / activated. On the other hand, UE 200 can determine that CN aggregation cannot be performed on the two cells if at least one of the two cells notifies that CN aggregation is disabled / deactivated.

[0121] In options 1-8, UE 200 may determine that it supports CN aggregation if it is determined that it can perform CN aggregation on two cells and the CNAggregationNumbers notified from the two cells are consistent. Alternatively, UE 200 may determine that it does not support CN aggregation if it is determined that it can perform CN aggregation on two cells and the CNAggregationNumbers notified from the two cells are inconsistent.

[0122] In options 1-9, UE 200 can determine whether CN aggregation is supported based on CNAggregationNumber and PLMN ID.

[0123] In options 1-9, UE 200 can determine that it supports CN aggregation if the CNAggregationNumber of cells with the same PLMN ID is consistent. On the other hand, UE 200 can determine that it does not support CN aggregation if the CNAggregationNumber of cells with the same PLMN ID is inconsistent.

[0124] In options 1-9, UE 200 can determine that it supports CN aggregation if the CNAggregationNumber is consistent for cells with different PLMN IDs. That is, regardless of whether the PLMN IDs are the same, UE 200 can determine that it supports CN aggregation if the CNAggregationNumber is consistent.

[0125] For example, such as Figure 18 As shown, consider the following scenario: 5G RAN and 6G RAN#1 are subordinate to the combined 5G / 6G UPF, and 6G RAN#2 is subordinate to the 6G UPF. In this case, SIB1 containing CNAggregationNumber=1 can be broadcast from 5G cell and 6G cell#1 respectively, and SIB1 containing CNAggregationNumber=2 can be broadcast from 6G cell#2. UE 200 determines that CN aggregation is supported for 5G cell and 6G cell#1. On the other hand, UE 200 determines that CN aggregation is not supported for 5G cell and 6G cell#2, and also determines that CN aggregation is not supported for 6G cell#1 and 6G cell#2.

[0126] For example, such as Figure 19 As shown, consider the following scenario: 5G RAN and 6G RAN#1 are subordinate to Combo 5G / 6G UPF#1, and 6G RAN#2 is subordinate to Combo 5G / 6G UPF#2. In this scenario, SIB1 containing CNAggregationNumber=1 can be broadcast from 5G cell and 6G cell#1 respectively, and SIB1 containing CNAggregationNumber=2 can be broadcast from 6G cell#2. UE 200 determines that CN aggregation is supported for 5G cell and 6G cell#1. On the other hand, UE 200 determines that CN aggregation is not supported for 5G cell and 6G cell#2, and also determines that CN aggregation is not supported for 6G cell#1 and 6G cell#2.

[0127] For example, such as Figure 20 As shown, consider the following scenario: 5G RAN is subordinate to 5G UPF, 6G RAN#1 is subordinate to 6GUPF#1, and 6G RAN#2 is subordinate to 6G UPF#2. However, it is configured to support coordination between 5G UPF and 6G UPF#1. In this scenario, SIB1 containing CNAggregationNumber=1 can be broadcast from 5G cell and 6G cell#1 respectively, and SIB1 containing CNAggregationNumber=2 can be broadcast from 6G cell#2. UE 200 determines that CN aggregation is supported for 5G cell and 6G cell#1. On the other hand, UE 200 determines that CN aggregation is not supported for 5G cell and 6G cell#2, and also determines that CN aggregation is not supported for 6G cell#1 and 6G cell#2.

[0128] (4.2) Action Example 2

[0129] In Action Example 2, UE 200 receives information related to CN aggregation of the first network 10A and the second network 10B. The information related to CN aggregation can also be information determining which second network 10B can aggregate with the first network 10A. The information determining which second network 10B can aggregate with the first network 10A can also be cell unit information. Consider the following options as Action Example 2.

[0130] In option 2-1, the information related to CN aggregation sent from a cell can be information about neighboring cells that support CN aggregation (hereinafter, cell information). Cell information can be a PCI (Physical Cell ID). The cell information can contain a list of neighboring cells that support CN aggregation (PCI list). Cell information can be broadcast via an SIB. The SIB can be SIB1, or SIB3 / 4 / 5.

[0131] In option 2-1, UE 200 can determine whether CN aggregation is supported for a specific cell and cells included in the cell information. UE 200 can also determine whether CN aggregation is not supported for a specific cell and cells not included in the cell information.

[0132] In option 2-2, the information related to CN aggregation sent from a cell can be information about neighboring cells (hereinafter, cell information) that are determined not to support CN aggregation for that cell. The cell information can contain a list of neighboring cells that do not support CN aggregation. The cell information can be a PCI (Physical Cell ID). The cell information can also contain a list of neighboring cells that do support CN aggregation (PCI list). The cell information can be broadcast via an SIB. The SIB can be SIB1, or SIB3 / 4 / 5.

[0133] In option 2-2, UE 200 can determine whether CN aggregation is not supported for a specific cell or cells included in the cell information. UE 200 can also determine whether CN aggregation is supported for a specific cell or cells not included in the cell information.

[0134] In options 2-3, cell information can be included in more than one of the following: IntraFreqNeighCellList, InterFreqCarrierFreqList, and InterRATCarrierCellList (e.g., CarrierFreqListNR). IntraFreqNeighCellList, InterFreqCarrierFreqList, and InterRATCarrierCellList (e.g., CarrierFreqListNR) can be included in SIB1, or in SIB3 / 4 / 5.

[0135] In options 2-4, cell information can be sent per PLMN.

[0136] In options 2-5, cell information can be included in the RRC message. The RRC message can be RRCReconfiguration.

[0137] (4.3) Action Example 3

[0138] In Action Example 3, UE 200 receives information related to CN aggregation of the first network 10A and the second network 10B. The information related to CN aggregation can also be information determining which second network 10B can aggregate with the first network 10A. The information determining which second network 10B can aggregate with the first network 10A can also be information about regional units. Consider the following options as Action Example 3.

[0139] In option 3-1, the information related to CN aggregation sent from a region can be information identifying neighboring regions that can support CN aggregation (hereinafter, region information). The region information can be a PCI (Physical Cell ID). The region information can contain a list of neighboring regions that can support CN aggregation (PCI list). The region information can be broadcast via an SIB. The SIB can be SIB1, or SIB3 / 4 / 5.

[0140] In option 3-1, UE 200 can determine whether CN aggregation is supported for a certain region and regions included in the region information. UE 200 can also determine whether CN aggregation is not supported for a certain region and regions not included in the region information.

[0141] In option 3-2, the information related to CN aggregation sent from a region can be information about neighboring regions that cannot support CN aggregation (hereinafter, region information). The region information can contain a list of neighboring regions that cannot support CN aggregation. The region information can be a PCI (Physical Cell ID). The region information can also contain a list of neighboring regions that can support CN aggregation (PCI list). The region information can be broadcast via an SIB. The SIB can be SIB1, or SIB3 / 4 / 5.

[0142] In option 3-2, UE 200 can determine whether CN aggregation is not supported for a specific region and regions included in the region information. UE 200 can also determine whether CN aggregation is supported for a specific region and regions not included in the region information.

[0143] In option 3-3, the area information can be represented by a cell list, a PCI list, or a CGI (Cell Global Identity) list.

[0144] In options 3-4, area information can be represented by physical coverage. Physical coverage can be represented by the center location of the area and the radius of the area.

[0145] In options 3-5, area information can be represented by a tracking area or a tracking area list. That is, area information can be represented by a TAC (Tracking Area Code), a list of TACs, a TAI (Tracking Area Identity), or a list of TAIs.

[0146] In options 3-6, the region information can be represented by a frequency (e.g., CarrierFreq) or by a list of frequencies.

[0147] In options 3-7, area information can be represented by a combination of frequency (e.g., CarrierFreq) and cell list (e.g., PCI list), or by a combination of frequency list and cell list (e.g., PCI list).

[0148] In options 3-8, the area information can be represented by a list of CAG (Closed Access Group) IDs.

[0149] In options 3-9, area information can be represented by a list of SNPN (Standalone Non-Public Network) IDs (e.g., a list of NIDs (Network Identifiers)).

[0150] In option 3-10, the area information can also be represented by a combination of two or more options selected from options 3-3 to 3-9.

[0151] In options 3-11, area information can be sent per RAT (Radio Access Technology).

[0152] In options 3-12, area information can be sent at each frequency.

[0153] In option 3-13, area information can be sent per PLMN.

[0154] In option 3-14, region information can be included in the RRC message. The RRC message can be RRCReconfiguration.

[0155] (4.4) Example of action 4

[0156] In Action Example 4, the scenario where network device 50 receives information related to CN aggregation from other nodes in order to transmit information related to CN aggregation is described. The information related to CN aggregation received from other nodes may be information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 1, information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 2, or information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 3. In Action Example 4, communication between RAN nodes is described. As Action Example 4, consider the following options.

[0157] In option 4-1, such as Figure 21 As shown, in step S10, the 5G RAN (6G RAN) sends an Xn setup request to the 6G RAN (5G RAN). In step S11, the 6G RAN (5G RAN) sends an NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment to the 5G RAN (6G RAN).

[0158] Here, the Xn setup request can contain information related to CN aggregation. In this case, 5G RAN (6G RAN) is an example of other nodes, and 6G RAN (5G RAN) is an example of network device 50.

[0159] In option 4-2, such as Figure 21 As shown, in step S10, the 5G RAN (6G RAN) sends an Xn setup request to the 6G RAN (5G RAN). In step S11, the 6G RAN (5G RAN) sends an NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment to the 5G RAN (6G RAN).

[0160] Here, the NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment may include information related to CN aggregation. In this case, 6G RAN (5G RAN) is one example of other nodes, and 5G RAN (6G RAN) is one example of network device 50.

[0161] In option 4-3, such as Figure 22 As shown, in step S20, 6G RAN#1 sends an Xn setup request to 6G RAN#2. In step S21, 6G RAN#2 sends an NG-RAN NODE CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE to 6G RAN#1.

[0162] Here, the Xn setup request can contain information related to CN aggregation. In such a case, 6G RAN#1 is an example of other nodes, and 6G RAN#2 is an example of network device 50.

[0163] In option 4-4, such as Figure 22 As shown, in step S20, 6G RAN#1 sends an Xn setup request to 6G RAN#2. In step S21, 6G RAN#2 sends an NG-RAN NODE CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE to 6G RAN#1.

[0164] Here, the NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment may include information related to CN aggregation. In such a case, 6G RAN#2 is an example of other nodes, and 6G RAN#1 is an example of network device 50.

[0165] In options 4-5, such as Figure 23As shown, in step S30, the 5G RAN (6G RAN) sends an NG-RAN node configuration update to the 6G RAN (5G RAN). In step S31, the 6G RAN (5G RAN) sends an NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment to the 5G RAN (6G RAN).

[0166] Here, the NG-RAN node configuration update can include information related to CN aggregation. In this case, 5G RAN (6G RAN) is one example of other nodes, and 6G RAN (5G RAN) is one example of network device 50.

[0167] In options 4-6, such as Figure 23 As shown, in step S30, the 5G RAN (6G RAN) sends an NG-RAN node configuration update to the 6G RAN (5G RAN). In step S31, the 6G RAN (5G RAN) sends an NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment to the 5G RAN (6G RAN).

[0168] Here, the NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment may include information related to CN aggregation. In this case, 6G RAN (5G RAN) is one example of other nodes, and 5G RAN (6G RAN) is one example of network device 50.

[0169] In options 4-7, such as Figure 24 As shown, in step S40, 6G RAN#1 sends an NG-RAN node configuration update to 6G RAN#2. In step S41, 6G RAN#2 sends an NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment to 6G RAN#1.

[0170] Here, the NG-RAN node configuration update can include information related to CN aggregation. In such a case, 6G RAN#1 is an example of other nodes, and 6G RAN#2 is an example of network device 50.

[0171] In options 4-8, such as Figure 24 As shown, in step S40, 6G RAN#1 sends an NG-RAN node configuration update to 6G RAN#2. In step S41, 6G RAN#2 sends an NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment to 6G RAN#1.

[0172] Here, the NG-RAN node configuration update acknowledgment may include information related to CN aggregation. In such a case, 6G RAN#2 is an example of other nodes, and 6G RAN#1 is an example of network device 50.

[0173] (4.5) Example 5 of the action

[0174] In Action Example 5, the scenario where network device 50 receives information related to CN aggregation from other nodes in order to send information related to CN aggregation is described. The CN aggregation-related information received from other nodes may be information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 1, information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 2, or information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 3. In Action Example 5, communication between CU and DU is described. As Action Example 5, consider the following options.

[0175] In option 5-1, such as Figure 25 As shown, in step S50, the 6G CU (5G CU) sends CN aggregation related information (i.e., the CN aggregation related information described in Action Examples 1-3) to the 6G DU (5G DU). In this case, the 6G CU (5G CU) is an example of another node, and the 6G DU (5G DU) is an example of network device 50.

[0176] In option 5-2, such as Figure 26As shown, in step S60, the 6G DU (5G DU) sends CN aggregation related information (i.e., the CN aggregation related information described in Action Examples 1-3) to the 6G CU (5G CU). In this case, the 6G DU (5G DU) is an example of another node, and the 6G CU (5G CU) is an example of network device 50.

[0177] (4.6) Example 6 of the action

[0178] In Action Example 6, the scenario where network device 50 receives information related to CN aggregation from other nodes in order to transmit information related to CN aggregation is described. The information related to CN aggregation received from other nodes may be information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 1, information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 2, or information held by those other nodes as described in Action Example 3. In Action Example 6, communication between the host node and the RAN node is described. As Action Example 6, consider the options shown below.

[0179] In option 6-1, such as Figure 27 As shown, in step S70, 6GC (5GC) sends CN aggregation related information (i.e., the CN aggregation related information described in action examples 1-3) to 6G RAN (5G RAN). In this case, 6GC (5GC) is an example of another node, and 6G RAN (5G RAN) is an example of network device 50.

[0180] In option 6-2, such as Figure 28 As shown, in step S60, the OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) sends CN aggregation related information (i.e., the CN aggregation related information described in Action Examples 1-3) to the 6G RAN (5G RAN). In this case, the OAM is an example of another node, and the 6G RAN (5G RAN) is an example of network device 50.

[0181] (5) Functions and effects

[0182] In the implementation, UE 200 receives information related to CN Aggregation of the first network 10A and the second network 10B, and determines whether CN Aggregation is supported based on the information related to CN Aggregation (Action Examples 1-3). According to this structure, UE 200 can determine whether CN Aggregation is supported before the initial connection is established, and can suppress unnecessary release of 5G or 6G cells.

[0183] In this implementation, network device 50 receives information related to the aggregation (CN Aggregation) of the first network 10A and the second network 10B from other nodes (Operation Examples 4-6). Based on this structure, network device 50, by collecting information related to CN Aggregation held by other nodes, is able to transmit information related to CN Aggregation as envisioned in Operation Examples 1-3.

[0184] (6) Other implementation methods

[0185] The present invention has been described above according to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these descriptions and various modifications and improvements can be made, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0186] The block structure diagram used in the description of the above embodiments ( Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 The diagram illustrates blocks organized by function. These functional blocks (structural units) are implemented through any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the implementation method of each functional block. That is, each functional block can be implemented using a single device that is physically or logically combined, or by directly or indirectly (e.g., using wired, wireless, etc.) connecting two or more physically or logically separate devices. Functional blocks can also be implemented by combining software within the aforementioned single or multiple devices.

[0187] The functions include judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, receiving, sending, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assigning, but are not limited to these. For example, the functional block (structural part) that performs the sending function is called the transmitting unit or transmitter. In short, as mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on the implementation method.

[0188] Furthermore, the aforementioned network device 50 and UE 200 (the device) can also function as a computer for processing the wireless communication method disclosed herein. Figure 29 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of the device. (As shown...) Figure 29 As shown, the device can also be configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, and a bus 1007.

[0189] Furthermore, in the following description, the term "device" can be replaced with "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware structure of the device can be configured as either a device comprising one or more of the illustrated components, or a device without any components.

[0190] The functional blocks of the device (refer to) Figure 4 This can be achieved through any hardware element or combination of hardware elements of the computer device.

[0191] In addition, the functions of the device are implemented by reading predetermined software (programs) into hardware such as processor 1001 and memory 1002, so that processor 1001 performs calculations and controls communication of communication device 1004 or controls at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage device 1003.

[0192] The processor 1001 controls the computer as a whole by instructing the operating system to operate. The processor 1001 may also be a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc.

[0193] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, data, etc., from at least one direction of memory 1002 in the storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004, and performs various processes accordingly. The program is used to cause the computer to perform at least a portion of the actions described in the above embodiments. Moreover, the various processes described above can be executed by one processor 1001, or by two or more processors 1001 simultaneously or sequentially. The processor 1001 can also be implemented using one or more chips. Furthermore, the program can also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0194] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of the following: read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and random access memory (RAM). The memory 1002 may be referred to as a register, cache, main memory (main storage device), etc. The memory 1002 may store programs (program code), software modules, etc., capable of executing the methods according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0195] Storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of the following: optical discs such as CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), hard disk drives, floppy disks, magneto-optical discs (e.g., compact discs, digital multipurpose discs, Blu-ray discs), smart cards, flash memory (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives), floppy disks, magnetic stripes, etc. Storage device 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The aforementioned recording medium may, for example, be a database, server, or other suitable media that includes at least one of memory 1002 and storage device 1003.

[0196] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transceiver) used for communication between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also known as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc.

[0197] The communication device 1004 may also be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc., to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD).

[0198] Input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from external sources (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). Output device 1006 is an output device that performs output to external sources (e.g., display, speaker, LED, etc.). Furthermore, input device 1005 and output device 1006 can also be integrated (e.g., a touch panel).

[0199] Furthermore, devices such as processor 1001 and memory 1002 are connected via bus 1007 for communicating information. Bus 1007 can be configured as a single bus or as different buses between devices.

[0200] Furthermore, the device can be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which can be used to implement some or all of the functional blocks. For example, the processor 1001 can also be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0201] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the forms / implementations described in this disclosure, and other methods may also be used. For example, information notification may be implemented through physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling), broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Additionally, RRC signaling may also be referred to as an RRC message, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, etc.

[0202] The various forms / implementations described in this disclosure can also be applied to systems utilizing LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New Radio (NR), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), other suitable systems, and next-generation systems based on these systems. Additionally, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G, etc.).

[0203] The processing procedures, timing, and flow of the various forms / implementations described in this disclosure may be changed in order, provided there is no contradiction. For example, the elements of various steps are indicated using an illustrative order in the methods described in this disclosure, but are not limited to the specific order indicated.

[0204] In this disclosure, certain actions performed by the base station are sometimes also performed by its upper node, depending on the circumstances. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is obvious that various actions performed to communicate with a terminal can be performed by at least one of the base station and other network nodes besides the base station (e.g., considering an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). The above illustration depicts a case where there is only one other network node besides the base station, but it can also be a combination of multiple other network nodes (e.g., an MME and an S-GW).

[0205] It can output information and signals (information, etc.) from a higher (or lower) level to a lower (or higher) level. It can also input and output through multiple network nodes.

[0206] Input and output information can be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information can be overwritten, updated, or appended. Output information can also be deleted. Input information can also be sent to other devices.

[0207] The determination can be made by the value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (Boolean: true or false), or by comparing numerical values ​​(e.g., comparing with a predetermined value).

[0208] The various forms / implementations described in this disclosure can be used individually or in combination, and can be switched depending on the execution. Furthermore, the notification of predetermined information (e.g., a "It is X" notification) is not limited to being explicit, but can also be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0209] Software, whether called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by other names, should be broadly interpreted as referring to commands, command sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc.

[0210] In addition, software, commands, information, etc., can be sent and received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is sent from a webpage, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) etc.) and wireless technologies (infrared, microwave, etc.), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included within the definition of a transmission medium.

[0211] The information, signals, etc., described in this disclosure can also be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, the data, commands, instructions, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., that may be involved in the above description as a whole can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or photons, or any combination of these.

[0212] Furthermore, the terms used in this disclosure and those necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms that have the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may also be a signal (signaling). Additionally, a signal may also be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may also be referred to as a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0213] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are used interchangeably.

[0214] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure can be represented using absolute values, relative values ​​to predetermined values, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources can be indicated using indexes.

[0215] The names used for the above parameters are non-limiting in any respect. Furthermore, the formulas, etc., using these parameters may sometimes differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any appropriate name, and therefore the various names assigned to these channels and information elements are non-limiting in any respect.

[0216] In this disclosure, the terms "Base Station (BS)," "wireless base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" are used interchangeably. Sometimes, terms such as macro cell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell are also used to refer to base stations.

[0217] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells (also called sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can also provide communication services through the base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (Remote Radio Head: RRH)).

[0218] Terms such as “cell” or “sector” refer to a portion or the entire coverage area of ​​at least one of the base stations and base station subsystems that provide communication services within that coverage area.

[0219] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" are used interchangeably.

[0220] For mobile stations, those skilled in the art sometimes also use the following terms: subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handheld device, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other appropriate terms.

[0221] At least one of the base station and mobile station can also be referred to as a transmitting device, receiving device, communication device, etc. Furthermore, at least one of the base station and mobile station can also be a device mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body can be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), a mobile body moving in an unmanned manner (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (humanized or unmanned). In addition, at least one of the base station and mobile station also includes devices that do not necessarily move during communication. For example, at least one of the base station and mobile station can be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0222] Furthermore, the base station in this disclosure can also be replaced by a mobile station (user terminal, hereinafter the same). For example, various forms / implementations of this disclosure can also be applied to structures that replace communication between the base station and the mobile station with communication between multiple mobile stations (e.g., also referred to as D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the mobile station has the functions of the base station. In addition, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc. can also be replaced with side channel.

[0223] Similarly, the mobile station in this disclosure can be replaced by a base station. In this case, the base station can also be configured to have the functions of a mobile station.

[0224] A radio frame can consist of one or more frames in the time domain. In the time domain, one or more frames can be called subframes.

[0225] In the time domain, a subframe can also consist of one or more time slots. A subframe can be a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of the parameter set (numerology).

[0226] A parameter set can be communication parameters applied to at least one of the transmission and reception of a signal or channel. For example, a parameter set can represent at least one of the following: Subcarrier Spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, Transmission Time Interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering processing performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing processing performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0227] In the time domain, a time slot can be composed of one or more symbols (OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbols, SC-FDMA (Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access) symbols, etc.). A time slot can be a time unit based on a set of parameters.

[0228] A time slot can contain multiple mini-time slots. Each mini-time slot can consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. Additionally, a mini-time slot can also be called a sub-time slot. A mini-time slot can consist of fewer symbols than a time slot. PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in time units larger than mini-time slots can be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type (type) A. PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using mini-time slots can be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type (type) B.

[0229] Radio frames, subframes, time slots, mini-time slots, and symbols all represent time units for transmitting signals. Radio frames, subframes, time slots, mini-time slots, and symbols can each be referred to by other corresponding names.

[0230] For example, a single subframe can be called a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes can also be called a TTI, and a single time slot or a single mini-time slot can also be called a TTI. In other words, at least one of a subframe or TTI can be a subframe (1ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1ms. Furthermore, the unit representing TTI can also be called a time slot, mini-time slot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0231] Here, TTI refers, for example, to the smallest unit of time for scheduling in wireless communication. For instance, in an LTE system, the base station schedules the allocation of radio resources (bandwidth, transmit power, etc., available to each user terminal) in units of TTI. However, the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0232] The Time Interval (TTI) can be the transmission time unit for channel-coded data packets (transmission blocks), code blocks, codewords, etc., or it can be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. Furthermore, when a TTI is given, the actual time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) in which the transmission block, code block, codeword, etc., are mapped can be shorter than that TTI.

[0233] Furthermore, when one time slot or one mini time slot is referred to as a TTI, more than one TTI (i.e., more than one time slot or more than one mini time slot) can become the minimum time unit for scheduling. In addition, the number of time slots (mini time slots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling can also be controlled.

[0234] A TTI with a duration of 1ms can also be called a normal TTI (TTI in LTE Rel.8-12), a long TTI, a normal subframe, a long subframe, or a time slot. A TTI shorter than a normal TTI can also be called a shortened TTI, a short TTI, a partial or fractional TTI, a shortened subframe, a short subframe, a mini time slot, a sub-time slot, or a time slot.

[0235] Furthermore, a long TTI (e.g., a typical TTI, a subframe, etc.) can be understood as a TTI with a duration of more than 1 ms, while a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) can be understood as a TTI with a duration of less than a long TTI but more than 1 ms.

[0236] A resource block (RB) is a unit of resource allocation in both the time and frequency domains. In the frequency domain, it can contain one or more consecutive subcarriers. The number of subcarriers contained in an RB can be the same regardless of the parameter set, for example, it can be 12. The number of subcarriers contained in an RB can also be determined based on the parameter set.

[0237] In addition, the time domain of an RB can contain one or more symbols, which can be a time slot, a mini time slot, a subframe, or a TTI in length. A TTI, a subframe, etc., can each be composed of one or more resource blocks.

[0238] In addition, one or more RBs can also be called Physical Resource Block (PRB), Sub-Carrier Group (SCG), Resource Element Group (REG), PRB pair, RB pair, etc.

[0239] In addition, a resource block can consist of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE can be a radio resource area consisting of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0240] The Bandwidth Part (BWP) (also known as partial bandwidth, etc.) can represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) used for a certain parameter set in a given carrier. Here, common RBs can be determined by indexing RBs based on a common reference point of that carrier. PRBs can be defined and numbered within a BWP.

[0241] A BWP can include a UL BWP and a DL BWP. One or more BWPs can be set for a UE within a single carrier.

[0242] At least one of the configured BWPs can be active, and the UE does not necessarily intend to transmit or receive predetermined signals / channels outside of the active BWP. Furthermore, the terms "cell," "carrier," etc., used in this disclosure can be replaced with "BWP."

[0243] The structures of radio frames, subframes, time slots, mini-time slots, and symbols described above are merely illustrative. For example, the number of subframes contained in a radio frame, the number of time slots in each subframe or radio frame, the number of mini-time slots contained within a time slot, the number of symbols and RBs contained in a time slot or mini-time slot, the number of subcarriers contained in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, and other structures can be varied in many ways.

[0244] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variations thereof are intended to indicate any direct or indirect connection or combination between two or more elements, including cases where there is one or more intermediate elements between the two elements that are “connected” or “coupled.” The combination or connection between elements can be physical, logical, or a combination of these. For example, “access” can be used instead of “connected.” In the context of this disclosure, it can be understood that two elements are “connected” or “coupled” to each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, as some non-limiting and non-inclusive examples, using electromagnetic energy with wavelengths in the wireless frequency domain, microwave region, and light (both visible and invisible) region to “connect” or “couple” to each other.

[0245] The reference signal can be simply called the Reference Signal (RS), or, depending on the standard applied, the pilot signal.

[0246] As used in this disclosure, the word "based on" does not mean "based on only" unless otherwise expressly stated. In other words, the word "based on" means both "based on only" and "based on at least".

[0247] Alternatively, the "unit" in the structure of the above devices can be replaced with "section", "circuit", "equipment", etc.

[0248] Any reference to elements using the designations "first," "second," etc., as used in this disclosure does not necessarily limit the number or order of these elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Therefore, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements can be present or that the first element must precede the second element in any form.

[0249] When the terms "include," "including," and their variations are used in this disclosure, these terms, like the term "comprising," imply inclusion. Furthermore, the term "or" as used in this disclosure does not refer to XOR.

[0250] In this disclosure, for example, in cases where articles are added through translation, such as in English (e.g., a, an, and the), this disclosure may also include cases where the noun following these articles is in a plural form.

[0251] As used in this disclosure, terms such as "determining" and "determining" sometimes encompass a variety of actions. For example, "determining" or "determining" may include actions such as judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), and ascertaining, which are considered as actions of "determining" or "determining." Furthermore, "determining" or "determining" may include actions such as receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), which are considered as actions of "determining" or "determining." Additionally, "determining" or "determining" may include actions such as resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, and comparing, which are considered as actions of "determining" or "determining." That is, "judgment" and "decision" can include matters that are considered as having been "judged" or "decided". In addition, "judgment (decision)" can also be replaced by "assuming", "expecting", "considering", etc.

[0252] In this disclosure, the phrase "A and B are different" can mean "A and B are not the same." Furthermore, this phrase can also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combined" can also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0253] Figure 30 An example of the structure of vehicle 2001 is shown. For example... Figure 30 As shown, the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a gear shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013.

[0254] The drive unit 2002 may consist of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid power system of an engine and a motor.

[0255] The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a steering wheel) configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user.

[0256] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, a memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (I / O port) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2027 of the vehicle are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 can also be referred to as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0257] The signals from various sensors 2021 to 2028 include current signals from current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, speed signals of the front and rear wheels obtained by speed sensor 2022, air pressure signals of the front and rear wheels obtained by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals obtained by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals obtained by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal input signals obtained by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal input signals obtained by brake pedal sensor 2026, gear lever operation signals obtained by gear lever sensor 2027, and detection signals obtained by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0258] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices such as a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, which provide various information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information obtained from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of vehicle 1.

[0259] The Driver Assistance System 2030 comprises various devices used to prevent accidents or reduce driver workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning devices (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyroscope systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. Furthermore, the Driver Assistance System 2030 transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to achieve driver assistance or autonomous driving functions.

[0260] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and the components of the vehicle 1 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 can send and receive data with the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, gear shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, microprocessor 2031 in the electronic control unit 2010, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and sensors 2021 to 2028 in the vehicle 2001 via the communication port 2033.

[0261] The communication module 2013, controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010, is a communication device capable of communicating with external devices. For example, it can transmit and receive various types of information with external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 can be located inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. External devices can be, for example, base stations, mobile stations, etc.

[0262] The communication module 2013 transmits current signals from the current sensor, which are input to the electronic control unit 2010, to an external device via wireless communication. Additionally, the communication module 2013 also transmits to the external device via wireless communication the following signals input to the electronic control unit 2010: front and rear wheel speed signals obtained by the speed sensor 2022; front and rear wheel air pressure signals obtained by the air pressure sensor 2023; vehicle speed signals obtained by the vehicle speed sensor 2024; acceleration signals obtained by the acceleration sensor 2025; accelerator pedal depressor signals obtained by the accelerator pedal sensor 2029; brake pedal depressor signals obtained by the brake pedal sensor 2026; gear shift lever operation signals obtained by the gear shift lever sensor 2027; and detection signals for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc., obtained by the object detection sensor 2028.

[0263] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, vehicle-to-vehicle information, etc.) sent from external devices and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided by the vehicle. Furthermore, the communication module 2013 stores the various information received from external devices in a memory 2032 available to the microprocessor 2031. The microprocessor 2031 can also control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, gearshift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, and sensors 2021-2028 provided by the vehicle 2001 based on the information stored in the memory 2032.

[0264] The present disclosure has been described in detail above, but it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented as modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0265] (Postscript)

[0266] The above disclosure can also be expressed as follows.

[0267] The first feature is a terminal comprising: a receiving unit that receives information from a first network relating to support for aggregation of the first network and a second network; and a control unit that determines whether to support the aggregation based on the information received from the first network.

[0268] The first-second feature is that, in the first-first feature, the information is consistent identification information that supports the aggregation.

[0269] The first-third feature is that, in the first-first feature, the information is information that determines the second network that can be aggregated with the first network.

[0270] Features 1-4 are a network device comprising: a receiving unit that receives information in a first network relating to support for aggregation of the first network and a second network; and a control unit that envisions a terminal determining whether to support the aggregation based on the information received from the first network.

[0271] Features 1-5 are a wireless communication system comprising a terminal and a network device disposed in a first network, the network device transmitting information relating to support for aggregation of the first network and a second network, and the terminal determining whether to support the aggregation based on the information received from the first network.

[0272] Features 1-6 are a wireless communication method comprising the steps of: receiving from a first network information relating to support for an aggregation of the first network and a second network; and determining, based on the information received from the first network, whether the aggregation is supported.

[0273] The second-first feature is a network device comprising: a receiving unit that receives information from other nodes relating to support for aggregation of a first network and a second network; and a transmitting unit that transmits information relating to support for the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network.

[0274] The second-2 feature is that, in the second-1 feature, the information is consistent identification information that supports the aggregation.

[0275] The second-third feature is that, in the second-first feature, the information is information that determines the second network that can be aggregated with the first network.

[0276] Features 2-4 are a wireless communication system comprising a terminal and a network device provided in a first network, the network device comprising: a receiving unit that receives information from other nodes relating to support for aggregation of the first network and a second network; and a transmitting unit that transmits information relating to support for the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network, and determines whether to support the aggregation based on the information received from the first network.

[0277] Features 2-5 are a wireless communication method comprising the steps of: receiving information from other nodes relating to support for aggregation of a first network and a second network; and transmitting information relating to support for the aggregation in a cell belonging to the first network.

[0278] Label Explanation

[0279] 10 Wireless Communication Systems

[0280] 10A First Network

[0281] 10B Second Network

[0282] 20A and 20B Wireless Access Networks

[0283] 30A and 30B core networks

[0284] 50 network devices

[0285] 51 Receiving Department

[0286] 52. Sending Department

[0287] 53 Control Department

[0288] 100A and 100B base stations

[0289] 200 UE

[0290] 210 Wireless Signal Transceiver Unit

[0291] 220 Enlarged Section

[0292] 230 Modulation and Demodulation Section

[0293] 240 Control Signal & Reference Signal Processing Unit

[0294] 250 Encoding / Decoding Unit

[0295] 260 Data Transceiver Department

[0296] 270 Control Department

[0297] 1001 processor

[0298] 1002 Memory

[0299] 1003 Storage device

[0300] 1004 Communication device

[0301] 1005 Input Device

[0302] 1006 Output Device

[0303] 1007 bus

[0304] Vehicle 2001

[0305] 2002 Drive Unit

[0306] 2003 Steering Unit

[0307] 2004 Accelerator Pedal

[0308] 2005 Brake Pedal

[0309] 2006 gearshift lever

[0310] Front wheels around 2007

[0311] 2008 rear wheels (left and right)

[0312] 2009 axle

[0313] 2010 Electronic Control Department

[0314] 2012 Information Service Department

[0315] 2013 Communication Module

[0316] 2021 Current Sensor

[0317] 2022 Speed ​​Sensor

[0318] 2023 Barometric Pressure Sensor

[0319] 2024 vehicle speed sensor

[0320] 2025 Accelerometer

[0321] 2026 Brake Pedal Sensor

[0322] 2027 Gearshift sensor

[0323] 2028 Object Detection Sensor

[0324] 2029 Accelerator Pedal Sensor

[0325] 2030 Driver Assistance Systems Department

[0326] 2031 microprocessor

[0327] 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM)

[0328] 2033 Communication Port

Claims

1. A network device comprising: The receiving unit receives information from other nodes related to support for the aggregation of the first and second networks; and The transmitting unit transmits information related to support for the aggregation in cells belonging to the first network.

2. The network device according to claim 1, wherein, The information is consistent identification information that supports the aggregation.

3. The network device according to claim 1, wherein, The information is information that identifies the second network that can be aggregated with the first network.

4. A wireless communication system comprising a terminal and a network device disposed in a first network. The network device includes: The receiving unit receives information from other nodes related to support for the aggregation of the first and second networks; and The transmitting unit, within the cells belonging to the first network, transmits information related to support for the aggregation. Based on the information received from the first network, it is determined whether the aggregation is supported.

5. A wireless communication method comprising the following steps: Receive information from other nodes related to support for the aggregation of the first and second networks; and In the cells belonging to the first network, information related to support for the aggregation is sent.

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