Method and apparatus for global synchronization raster determination in wireless communications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for establishing SYNC raster to be used in cell search procedure. The number and profile of SYNC raster can be established based on different channel BW considerations to reduce connection time and save energy. Different methods can be used to establish which SYNC raster profile should be employed at the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless devices and wireless networks including the devices, computer-readable media, and methods for determining synchronization grids for cell search by the wireless devices. Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become increasingly complex and sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now offer access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating complex applications that utilize these functionalities. Furthermore, many different wireless communication technologies and standards exist. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A (Advanced LTE), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), and Bluetooth. ™ 5G New Radio (NR), etc.

[0003] The introduction of an ever-increasing number of features and functionalities into wireless communication devices has also created a continuous need for improving wireless communication and wireless communication devices.

[0004] During the initial cell search process, the radio device scans the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) and / or Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) blocks for synchronization. When each SSB has a bandwidth of 20 Resource Blocks (RBs) and is contained within the Channel Bandwidth (BW), the Synchronization Grid (i.e., the SYNC Grid) defines the set of permissible center frequencies used to find the SSB.

[0005] In current 5G NR designs, SYNC grids are established based on the minimum channel bandwidth (BW) for each frequency range (FR) to ensure that at least one SYNC grid is available for any two consecutive channel BWs. This can lead to unnecessarily dense SYNC grids. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Typically, the embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and apparatus for establishing SYNC grids to be used during cell search. The number and profile of the SYNC grids can be established based on different channel BW considerations. Different methods can be used to establish the SYNC grid at the UE.

[0007] In one aspect, the implementation relates to a cell search method performed by a user equipment (UE) to obtain intra-cell timing and frequency synchronization by searching for an SSB signal across a set of frequency locations defined by a SYNC grid in a frequency bandwidth. The method includes: deriving a frequency interval based on the cell's channel bandwidth and SSB bandwidth, the frequency interval being the distance between two consecutive SYNC grids; and determining the frequency location of the SYNC grid in the frequency bandwidth based on the derived frequency interval between the two consecutive SYNC grids. The method includes performing a frequency scan on the determined SYNC grids, including: measuring the SSB signal at each SYNC grid; and detecting the SSB signal at the frequency location of one of the SYNC grids in the frequency bandwidth based on the frequency scan. The UE uses the detected SSB at that one of the SYNC grids to obtain intra-cell timing and frequency synchronization.

[0008] In another embodiment, the implementation relates to a cell search method performed by a user equipment (UE) to obtain timing and frequency synchronization within a cell by searching for synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) across a set of frequency locations defined by a synchronization (SYNC) grid in a frequency bandwidth. The method includes determining the number of consecutive SYNC grids for a given frequency range based on the cell's channel bandwidth, a reference channel bandwidth, and a reference SYNC grid step size. The reference SYNC grid step size is associated with the reference channel bandwidth. The method includes the UE performing a frequency scan over the determined number of SYNC grids for the frequency range, including: measuring an SSB signal at each SYNC grid in the number of consecutive SYNC grids in the frequency bandwidth; and detecting the SSB signal at a frequency location of one of the SYNC grids in the frequency bandwidth based on the frequency scan. The UE uses the detected SSBs on the SYNC grids to obtain time and frequency synchronization within the cell.

[0009] The technologies described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any one of cellular phones, wireless devices, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and various other computing devices.

[0010] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the features described above are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0011] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of the various aspects in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 An example wireless communication system is illustrated based on some aspects.

[0013] Figure 2 Example block diagrams of a UE based on some aspects are shown.

[0014] Figure 3 An example is given of a base station (BS) communicating with a UE device based on some aspects.

[0015] Figure 4 Examples of general methods based on some aspects are given.

[0016] Figure 5 The maximum step size based on channel bandwidth is demonstrated based on several aspects.

[0017] Figure 6 Examples of different SYNC raster profiles for different BWs are shown, based on several aspects.

[0018] Figure 7 Examples of different SYNC grid profiles are shown based on their usage in various aspects.

[0019] Although the features described herein may be subject to various modifications and alternatives, their specific aspects are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit one to the specific forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The SYNC grid definition is used to locate the SSB (Secondary Substation) to achieve time and frequency synchronization within the cell. The SSB typically has a bandwidth of 20 RBs contained within the channel bandwidth (BW).

[0021] In current 5G NR designs, SYNC grids are established based on the minimum channel bandwidth (BW) for the frequency range (FR). Specifically, for FR2, the SYNC grids are spaced 50MHz apart. This SYNC grid spacing ensures that at least one SYNC grid can be used for two consecutive channel bandwidths.

[0022] The 5MHz SYNC grid spacing for FR1 is driven by the assumption that operators can utilize a 5MHz channel BW in FR1, which is not widely used in practice. As an example, if an operator uses a minimum channel BW of 10MHz, the current number of SYNC grids used can be reduced by a factor of five, while still providing at least one SSB in each of the two adjacent channel BWs. Therefore, the implementation disclosed herein determines and uses an effective number of SYNC grids for scanning for synchronization. This implementation helps minimize latency during the initial cell search process and further contributes to network energy savings for NR and future (6G) wireless networks.

[0023] The implementation described herein provides a SYNC grid that uses a channel bandwidth (BW) correlation method to indicate the frequency locations of SSBs that the UE can use for system acquisition when explicit signaling is unavailable. The implementation includes establishing a SYNC grid given a channel bandwidth (BW) and establishing a SYNC grid in association with a reference BW. The implementation allows the UE to perform effective SSB frequency searches given a more typical channel bandwidth (FR). The implementation also includes techniques for providing and establishing information about the relevant BWs used in the embodied SYNC grid search process.

[0024] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure: Memory medium – any device of any type of nontransitory memory device or storage device. The term “memory medium” is intended to include mounting media, such as CD-ROM, floppy disk, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory, such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory, such as flash memory; magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory medium may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory medium may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network (such as the Internet). In the latter example, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term “memory medium” may include two or more memory media residing in different locations in different computer systems connected via, for example, a network. Memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied in a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0025] Carrier medium – as described above, memory media and physical transmission media, such as buses, networks and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals or digital signals).

[0026] Programmable hardware elements encompass a variety of hardware devices that include multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can range from fine-grained (combinational logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "reconfigurable logic units."

[0027] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, networked appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0028] User equipment (UE) (also referred to as "user equipment" or "UE device")—any of various types of computer systems or devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). ™ Based on Android ™ Telephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) ™ PlayStation Portable ™ Gameboy Advance ™ iPhone ™ This includes laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), in-vehicle entertainment (ICE) devices, instrument clusters, head-up displays (HUD) devices, on-board diagnostics (OBD) devices, dashboard moving equipment (DME), mobile data terminals (MDT), electronic engine management systems (EEMS), electronic / engine control units (ECU), electronic / engine control modules (ECM), embedded systems, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management systems (EMS), connected or "smart" appliances, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Generally, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications equipment (or combination of equipment) capable of being transported by a user and enabling wireless communication.

[0029] A wireless device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or it can be stationary or fixed in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0030] A communication device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile), or it may be stationary or fixed in a location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0031] Base station—The term “base station” or “wireless station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system. For example, if a base station is implemented in an LTE environment, it may alternatively be referred to as an “eNodeB” or “eNB”. If a base station is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a “gNodeB” or “gNB”. Although certain aspects are described in the context of LTE or 5G NR, references to “eNB,” “gNB,” “nodeB,” “base station,” “NB,” etc., may also refer to one or more wireless nodes serving a cell to provide wireless connectivity between user equipment and, generally, a wider network, and the concepts discussed are not limited to any particular wireless technology. Although certain aspects are described in the context of LTE or 5G NR, references to “eNB,” “gNB,” “nodeB,” “base station,” “NB,” etc., are not intended to limit the concepts discussed herein to any particular wireless technology, and the concepts discussed can be applied to any wireless system.

[0032] Node – As used herein, the term “node” or “wireless node” can refer to one or more devices associated with a cell that provides a wireless connection between a user equipment and a typically wired network.

[0033] A processing element (or processor) is a component or combination of components capable of performing the functions of a device, such as a user equipment or cellular network device. A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, a portion or circuitry of a standalone processor core, an entire processor core, a standalone processor, a processor array, circuitry such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable hardware components such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and any combination thereof.

[0034] A channel is a medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on the wireless protocol, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standardized manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, for example, different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0035] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which a channel is used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0036] Automatic—means an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with an action performed or specified manually by the user (where the user provides input to directly perform the action). An automatic process may be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, radio buttons, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be filled out automatically by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input of answers to specify the fields. As indicated above, users can invoke the form's autofill function but do not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., instead of manually specifying answers to fields, they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of actions that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0037] Approximately—means a value close to the correct or precise value. For example, approximately can refer to a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can be application-dependent. For example, in some respects, “approximately” may mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other respects, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application.

[0038] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, or programs in a manner that overlaps at least partially. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or using “weak parallelism,” where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0039] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured as" to perform one or more tasks. In this context, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having a structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Therefore, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured as" can be a broad expression generally meaning "having a circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Therefore, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently switched on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0040] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Statements describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks are explicitly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 USC § 112(f) for that component.

[0041] Example wireless communication system Now go to Figure 1 This illustrates a simplified example of a wireless communication system based on some aspects. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The system described herein is a non-limiting example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0042] As shown in the figure, the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B to 106Z via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0043] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (e.g., a “cellular base station”), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UEs 106A to 106Z.

[0044] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, and 3GPP2 CDMA2000. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE context, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR context, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0045] In some aspects, UE 106 can be an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connectivity. The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as M2M or MTC to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), Proximity Service (ProSe), or Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, sensor network, or IoT network. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connectivity. As an example, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) may utilize ProSe features using a PC5 interface to communicate directly between devices. The IoT UE may also perform background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0046] like Figure 1As shown, UEs such as UE 106A and UE 106B can directly exchange communication data via PC5 interface 108A. Furthermore, UEs 106C, 106N, and 106Z can jointly exchange communication data via PC5 interfaces 108B, 108C, and 108D. Generally, this type of PC5 interface is referred to as an SL connection.

[0047] PC5 interface 108 may include one or more physical channels, including but not limited to Physical Side Link Shared Channel (PSSCH), Physical Side Link Control Channel (PSCCH), Physical Side Link Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), and Physical Side Link Feedback Channel (PSFCH). According to the embodiments disclosed herein, PC5 interface 108 can handle direct communication (unicast) between devices, selective group message transmission and reception (multicast) between devices, and broadcast message transmission and reception.

[0048] In a V2X scenario, one or more base stations in base station 102 may be roadside units (RSUs) or act as roadside units (RSUs). The term RSU can refer to any transport infrastructure entity used for V2X communication. An RSU may be implemented in or by a suitable radio node or a stationed (or relatively stationed) UE, wherein the RSU is implemented in or by the UE, eNB, or gNB. For example, an RSU is a computing device coupled to radio frequency circuitry located on the roadside that provides connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs.

[0049] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and / or the Internet, and various other possibilities). Therefore, base station 102A facilitates communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0050] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B to 102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UEs 106A to 106Z and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0051] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1The illustrated "serving cells" are UEs 106A to 106Z, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B to 102Z and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Such cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in Figure 1 Base stations 102A and 102B illustrated can be macro cells, while base station 102Z can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0052] In some respects, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station (e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or "gNB"). In some respects, the gNB may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) / 5G core (5GC) network. Furthermore, the gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. For example, base station 102A and one or more other base stations 102 may support joint transmission, enabling UE 106 to receive transmissions from multiple base stations (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same base station). For example, as... Figure 1 As illustrated, both base station 102A and base station 102C are shown as serving UE 106A.

[0053] It should be noted that UE 106 may be able to communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to some of the cellular communication protocols discussed herein, UE 106 may also be configured to use wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi). - The UE 106 may communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) (e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H), and / or any other wireless communication protocols, if desired. Other combinations of wireless communication standards, including more than two, are also possible.

[0054] In one or more embodiments, UE 106 can be a cellular communication-enabled device, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, laptop, tablet, smartwatch or other wearable device or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0055] UE 106 may include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may execute any method aspect of the method aspects described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include any programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), integrated circuit, and / or any other possible hardware component configured to execute (e.g., independently or in combination) any method aspect of the method aspects described herein or any part of any method aspect of the method aspects described herein.

[0056] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some aspects, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, NR or LTE using at least some shared radio components. As an additional possibility, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio component may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processors, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, and amplifiers) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies (such as those discussed above).

[0057] In some aspects, UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therein. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or either LTE or 1xRTT, or either LTE or GSM, and various other possibilities), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0058] In some respects, the downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmission from any of the base stations in base station 102 to UE 106, while uplink transmission can utilize similar techniques. This grid can be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which represents the physical resources in the downlink within each time slot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is standard practice for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems, making radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid may include multiple resource blocks, which describe the mapping from a specific physical channel to resource elements. Each resource block includes a set of resource elements. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0059] One such channel is the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) that carries user data and higher-layer signaling to UE 106. Among other information, the PDCCH can carry information about the transmission format and resource allocation associated with the PDSCH channel. It can also inform UE 106 of the transmission format, resource allocation, and HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) information associated with the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 102 within the cell) can be performed at any base station in base station 102 based on channel quality information fed back from any UE in UE 106. Downlink resource assignment information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used for (e.g., assigned to) each UE in the UE.

[0060] The PDCCH can use Control Channel Elements (CCEs) to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH are first organized into quadruplets, which are then arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more of these CCEs, where each CCE corresponds to a set of four physical resource elements (REGs) of nine. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. The number of CCEs used to transmit the PDCCH depends on the size of the downlink control information (DCI) and the channel conditions. Four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L=1, 2, 4, or 8) can exist.

[0061] Example communication device Figure 2Example of a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 or other user equipment 106 according to some aspects. UE 106 can be a cellular communication-capable device, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, or other wearable device, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0062] UE 106 may include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may execute any method aspect of the method aspects described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include any programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), integrated circuit, and / or any other possible hardware component configured to execute (e.g., independently or in combination) any method aspect of the method aspects described herein or any part of any method aspect of the method aspects described herein.

[0063] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some aspects, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, NR or LTE using at least some shared radio components. As an additional possibility, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio component may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processors, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies (such as those discussed above).

[0064] In some aspects, UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therein. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or either LTE or 1xRTT, or either LTE or GSM, and various other possibilities), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0065] In some respects, the downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmission from any of the base stations in base station 102 to UE 106, while uplink transmission can utilize similar techniques. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which represents the physical resources in the downlink within each time slot. This time-frequency representation is common practice for OFDM systems, making radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid can include multiple resource blocks, which describe the mapping from a specific physical channel to resource elements. Each resource block includes a set of resource elements. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0066] The PDSCH carries user data and higher-layer signaling to UE 106. Among other information, the PDCCH carries information about the transmission format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It also informs UE 106 of the transmission format, resource allocation, and H-ARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 102 within the cell) can be performed at any base station in base station 102 based on channel quality information fed back from any UE in UE 106. Downlink resource assignment information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used for (e.g., assigned to) each UE.

[0067] The PDCCH can use Control Channel Elements (CCEs) to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH are first organized into quadruplets, which are then arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more of these CCEs, where each CCE corresponds to a set of four physical resource elements (REGs) of nine. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. The number of CCEs used to transmit the PDCCH depends on the size of the downlink control information (DCI) and the channel conditions. Four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L=1, 2, 4, or 8) can exist.

[0068] Figure 2 A simplified block diagram illustrating a communication device 106 according to some aspects is shown. Note that... Figure 2 The block diagram of the communication device is merely one example of possible communication devices. Depending on the aspects, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 200 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 200 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. The set of components 200 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of the communication device 106.

[0069] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 210), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 220 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 260 that may be integrated with or external to communication device 106, and wireless communication circuitry 230 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, UMTS, GSM, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.). In some aspects, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet, for example.

[0070] The wireless communication circuit 230 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antenna 335 as shown in the figure. The wireless communication circuit 230 may include cellular communication circuitry and / or short-to-medium range wireless communication circuitry, and may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0071] In some aspects, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 230 may include one or more receive chains (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) of multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some aspects, the cellular communication circuit 230 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT (e.g., LTE) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with a second radio component. A second radio component may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain. In some aspects, the second RAT is capable of operating at millimeter-wave frequencies. Because millimeter-wave systems operate at frequencies higher than those typically found in LTE systems, signals in the millimeter-wave frequency range are significantly attenuated due to environmental factors. To help address this attenuation problem, millimeter-wave systems typically utilize beamforming and include more antennas compared to LTE systems. These antennas may be organized into antenna arrays or panels consisting of individual antenna elements. These antenna arrays can be coupled to a radio link.

[0072] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include any of a variety of elements, such as a display 260 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a discrete keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0073] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 245 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) cards 245.

[0074] As shown, the SOC 200 may include a processor 202 and display circuitry 204. The processor executes program instructions from the communication device 106, and the display circuitry performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 260. The processor 202 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240, which is configured to receive addresses from the processor 202 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 206, read-only memory (ROM) 250, NAND flash memory 210) and / or into other circuitry or devices (such as display circuitry 204, wireless communication circuitry 230, connector I / F 220, and / or display 260). The MMU 240 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some aspects, the MMU 240 may be included as part of the processor 202.

[0075] As noted above, communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 202 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 202 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 200, 204, 206, 210, 220, 230, 240, 245, 250, 260, processor 202 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0076] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 202 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 202 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 202. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 202.

[0077] Furthermore, as described herein, the wireless communication circuit 230 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the wireless communication circuit 230. Therefore, the wireless communication circuit 230 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 230. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 230.

[0078] Example base station Figure 3 An example block diagram of base station 102 is shown, illustrating some aspects. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include processor 304, which executes program instructions for base station 102. Processor 304 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 304 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 360 and read-only memory (ROM) 350) or into other circuitry or devices.

[0079] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 370. Network port 370 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to multiple devices (such as UE device 106) as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Access to the telephone network described in the text.

[0080] Network port 370 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 370 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by a cellular service provider).

[0081] In some respects, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a “gNB”. In such respects, base station 102 may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) / 5G core (5GC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0082] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 334, and may include multiple antennas. At least one antenna 334 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver, and may also be configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 330. Antenna 334 communicates with radio component 330 via communication link 332. Communication link 332 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 330 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0083] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some instances, base station 102 may include multiple radio components that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. When base station 102 supports millimeter wave, the 5G NR radio component may be coupled to one or more millimeter wave antenna arrays or panels. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies, such as 5G NR and LTE, 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.

[0084] As further described herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 304 of base station 102 may be configured, for example, to implement or support some or all of the specific implementations of the methods described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 304 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or further), in conjunction with one or more of other components 330, 332, 334, 340, 350, 360, 370, the processor 304 of BS 102 may be configured to implement or support implementations of some or all of the features described herein.

[0085] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 304 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 304 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 304. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 304.

[0086] Furthermore, as described herein, radio component 330 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, radio component 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio component 330. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio component 330.

[0087] Global SYNC grid determination using channel bandwidth correlation method The implementation scheme described herein provides a SYNC grid that uses a channel BW correlation method to indicate the frequency location of the SSB that can be used by the UE for system acquisition. Figure 4 An example of a general cell search method 400 based on some aspects is illustrated. UE execution Figure 4 The method is used to obtain timing and frequency synchronization within the cell. In step 410, the UE determines the number of SYNC grids for a given frequency range.

[0088] In some implementations, the UE determines the number of SYNC grids by deriving the frequency spacing based on the cell's channel bandwidth and SSB bandwidth. The UE uses the channel bandwidth, SSB bandwidth, and channel grid gap to derive the maximum distance between two consecutive SYNC grids.

[0089] Figure 5 Example 500 demonstrates the maximum SYNC grid step size based on channel bandwidth, according to several aspects. Figure 5 In the diagram, channel BW 510 is shown with SYNC grids 520 and 530 for two consecutive channel locations. Each SYNC grid 520, 530 is shown with a potential SSB bandwidth 540, shown as a shaded area. That is, for two consecutive channel locations, the SSB shown in the shaded area can be configured. Figure 5 The channel grid gap 550 between SYNC grid 520 and consecutive SYNC grids 530 is also illustrated. In this configuration, the maximum SYNC grid gap 560 will be located between the centers of each SSB BW.

[0090] Given Figure 5 In some implementations, the maximum offset between two consecutive SYNC grids can be determined based on equation (1): (1) in It is the maximum interval. It is the channel bandwidth. It is the bandwidth of the SSB, and It is the space between two consecutive RF channel locations.

[0091] In other implementations, equation (2) can be used to derive the maximum offset: (2) in It is the maximum interval. It is the channel bandwidth. It is the bandwidth of the SSB, and It is the space between two consecutive channel locations. In equation (2), Indicates that " The value of "" is mapped to values ​​less than "". The floor function is the largest integer. This ensures that the step size is an integer in MHz.

[0092] Table 1 summarizes the maximum offset (i.e., SYNC grid step size) for different combinations of channel BW and SSB BW for FR1 according to the above implementation scheme, assuming a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS). Table 1 includes the number of resource blocks (RBs) for a given channel bandwidth.

[0093] Table 1 : Figure 6 Example 600 illustrates different SYNC raster profiles for different BWs according to the above implementation scheme. Figure 6 The top SYNC grid profile 601 shown represents the current SYNC grid profile used in 5G NR, assuming a 5MHz BW with a 1MHz SYNC grid step size. The remaining SYNC grid profiles 602, 604, 606, 608, and 610 illustrate different SYNC grid profiles with different bandwidths according to the embodiments described herein. For Figure 6 Each SYNC grid profile shown illustrates the SYNC grid step size determined according to equation (2).

[0094] As shown in Table 1 and Figure 6 It can be seen that, compared with the current 5G NR design, for channel BW values ​​of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 50MHz, the number of SYNC grids that the UE must blindly search can be reduced by factors of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 45 in grid profiles 602, 604, 606, 608, and 610. Therefore, the implementation scheme can reduce the time and energy required to find network SSBs.

[0095] In some implementations, in step 410, the UE determines the set of reference SYNC grids based on the cell's channel bandwidth, reference channel bandwidth, and reference SYNC grid step size. In these implementations, the standard 5G NR SYNC grid can be used to determine the set of reference SYNC grids. More specifically, the standard 5MHz channel BW in FR1 (and the equivalent 50MHz for FR2) can be used as the reference channel BW to determine the set of reference SYNC grids.

[0096] In some implementations, for channel BW A SYNC grid can be restricted to one of "K" reference SYNC grids, as defined by equation (3): (3) in It is the reference SYNC grid step size applied to the reference configuration, and This is the reference channel bandwidth. For example, and =5MHz can be used for FR1. In this example, K values ​​of 5, 10...45 can be used for... =10, 15...50.

[0097] Figure 7 Example 700 illustrates different SYNC raster profiles based on various aspects of SYNC raster usage. Similar to... Figure 6 The top SYNC grid profile 701 indicates the current SYNC grid profile used in 5G NR assuming a 5MHz BW. Figure 7 The remaining SYNC grid profiles 702, 704, and 706 illustrate implementation schemes for SYNC grid profiles for 10, 15, and 20MHz channel BWs, along with the corresponding values ​​for the available “K”. Compared to current 5G NR designs, this reduces the number of SYNC grids that the UE must blindly search, saving time and power.

[0098] In some implementations, the value of K may be pre-established (e.g., associated with a potential channel BW) and encoded into the radio standard used to perform cell search.

[0099] return Figure 4 After determining the number of SYNC grids and the SYNC grid profiles to be used for the frequency range in step 410, the UE performs a frequency scan of the frequency range based on the SYNC grids in step 420. Ideally, the UE uses one of the SYNC grids to detect the SSB signal (yes in step 430). Then, the UE obtains timing and frequency synchronization with the cell in step 440.

[0100] However, given the channel bandwidth or the value of "K" used in the above embodiments, if the UE does not detect an SSB signal after scanning the SYNC grid profile (no in step 430), the process can return to repeat steps 410 and 420 to determine the number of SYNC grid updates and perform an updated frequency scan. This loop can be repeated as needed until an SSB signal is detected. In some embodiments, once a specific SYNC grid has been scanned in step 420, the SYNC grid at the same frequency location can be skipped in future scans. That is, a scan at a specific SYNC grid will not be repeated in any subsequent frequency scans. This can further contribute to time and energy savings.

[0101] For example, refer to Figure 6 In some implementations, the UE may first scan using profile 610, which corresponds to a 50MHz channel BW, with a SYNC grid step size of 45MHz, as shown in the bottom SYNC grid profile. If no SSB is detected in the scan, the UE may then perform a second scan using a SYNC grid profile corresponding to a smaller channel BW. Specifically, the UE may use SYNC grid profile 608, which corresponds to a 25MHz channel BW, with a SYNC grid step size of 20MHz; followed by grid profile 606, which corresponds to a 20MHz channel BW, with a SYNC grid step size of 15MHz; followed by grid profile 604, which corresponds to a 15MHz channel BW, with a SYNC grid step size of 15MHz; and so on, until an SSB is detected.

[0102] In the example above, a specific SYNC grid 605a is scanned in the first frequency scan based on the 50MHz channel BW profile 610. Therefore, the specific SYNC grid 605b in subsequent scans based on the 20MHz channel BW profile 606 can be skipped.

[0103] Therefore, the implementation can perform multiple frequency scans using different SYNC grid profiles based on the reduced channel BW / “K” value. In this way, the UE can scan for SSBs based on the channel BW and step through smaller channel BW options until an SSB is found. Compared to the currently used 5G NR SYNC grid, such an implementation will still likely reduce the number of SYNC grids available for the UE to survey.

[0104] Various methods can be used to provide information about the channel BW or "K" value to be used by the UE in the above-described implementation. In some implementations, the channel BW or "K" value may be associated with different operating frequency bands, as encoded in the radio standard. For example, Table 2 illustrates the association of the channel BW and "K" values ​​of the SYNC grid profile with 6G radio operating frequency bands.

[0105] Table 2 : Those skilled in the art will understand that Table 2 can be configured similarly using SYNC grid step size or a combination of channel BW and SYNC grid step size.

[0106] In some implementations, multiple channel BW or "K" values ​​can be associated with different operating frequency bands. Such implementations can provide operators with greater deployment flexibility. For example, Table 3 illustrates the association of multiple "K" values ​​with different 6G radio operating frequency bands.

[0107] Table 3 : In such implementations, the UE can perform a synchronous scan for a given frequency band using only the indicated "K" value.

[0108] In the implementation plan, the SYNC grid step size... Can be used with channel BW Correlation. For example, Table 4 illustrates the correlation between the channel BW and SYNC grid step size that can be established for the UE.

[0109] Table 4 : In the implementation scheme associated with Table 4, a larger SYNC grid step size is defined for a larger channel BW.

[0110] The embodiments disclosed herein advantageously provide methods and apparatus for saving time and energy when performing frequency scanning of the SSB for timing / synchronization. The embodiments reduce the number of SYNC grids to be scanned, which saves power at the UE and reduces the time required to connect the UE.

[0111] Various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some aspects may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. Other aspects may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Still other aspects may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0112] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, when the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any aspect of the method described herein, or any combination of the method aspects described herein, or any subset of any method aspects of the method aspects described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0113] In some aspects, an apparatus (e.g., UE 106, BS 102) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and wherein the processor is configured to read from the memory medium and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any method aspect (or any combination of method aspects described herein, or any subset of any method aspects described herein, or any combination of such subsets) of the various method aspects described herein. The apparatus may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0114] Although the foregoing aspects have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the foregoing disclosure is fully understood. It is intended that the following claims be construed as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A cell search method performed by a user equipment (UE) to obtain timing and frequency synchronization within a cell by searching for synchronization signal block (SSB) signals across a set of frequency locations defined by a synchronization (SYNC) grid in a frequency bandwidth, the method comprising: The frequency interval is derived based on the channel bandwidth and SSB bandwidth of the cell, and the frequency interval is the distance between two consecutive SYNC grids; The frequency position of the SYNC grid in the frequency bandwidth is determined based on the frequency interval between the two consecutive SYNC grids derived. as well as Perform a frequency scan on the determined SYNC grid, including: The SSB signal was measured at each SYNC grid. Based on the frequency scan, the SSB signal is detected at the frequency position of one of the SYNC grids in the frequency bandwidth; and Time and frequency synchronization within the cell is obtained using the detected SSB on one of the SYNC grids.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency interval between consecutive SYNC grids used to obtain timing and frequency synchronization with the cell is derived using the following formula: in It is the frequency interval, It is the channel bandwidth of the cell. It is the bandwidth of the SSB, and It is the frequency space between two consecutive channel locations in the cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency interval between consecutive SYNC grids used to obtain timing and frequency synchronization with the cell is derived using the following formula: in It is the frequency interval, It is the channel bandwidth of the cell. It is the bandwidth of the SSB, and It is the frequency space between two consecutive channel locations within a cell. Indicates will Mapping to less than " The floor function for the largest integer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the frequency interval between consecutive SYNC grids to obtain timing and frequency synchronization with the cell is further based on the reference channel bandwidth and the frequency interval between two consecutive SYNC grids derived for the reference channel bandwidth within a given frequency range.

5. A cell search method performed by a user equipment (UE) to obtain timing and frequency synchronization within a cell by searching for a synchronization signal block (SSB) on a set of frequency locations defined by a synchronization (SYNC) grid in a frequency bandwidth, the method comprising: The number of consecutive SYNC grids for a given frequency range is determined based on the cell's channel bandwidth, reference channel bandwidth, and reference SYNC grid step size, wherein the reference SYNC grid step size is associated with the reference channel bandwidth. Performing a frequency scan on the determined number of SYNC grids for the frequency range includes: The SSB signal is measured at each of the SYNC grids in the number of consecutive SYNC grids over the frequency bandwidth; Based on the frequency scan, the SSB signal is detected at the frequency position of one of the SYNC grids in the frequency bandwidth; and Time and frequency synchronization within the cell is obtained using the detected SSBs on the SYNC grid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determination of the number of consecutive SYNC grids for obtaining timing and frequency synchronization with the cell is based on the difference between the channel bandwidth of the cell and the reference channel bandwidth divided by the reference SYNC grid step size.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: The number of reference SYNC grids within the frequency range is determined based on the reference SYNC grid step size. and from" "Select one of the reference SYNC grids to use as the SYNC grid for the cell, and" in This represents the channel bandwidth of the cell. Indicates the reference channel bandwidth and This indicates the reference SYNC grid step size, and Indicates that " "Mapping to less than" The floor function for the largest integer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the channel bandwidth of the cell within the frequency range ( Predefined A set of values, and different values ​​correspond to different channel bandwidths of the cell.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference channel bandwidth is 5 MHz for frequency range 1 (FR1).

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference channel bandwidth is 50 MHz for frequency range 2 (FR2).

11. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: The second number of consecutive SYNC grids for obtaining timing and frequency synchronization within the cell is determined based on the second channel bandwidth, the second reference channel bandwidth, and the reference SYNC grid step size based on the second reference channel bandwidth of the cell. Perform a second frequency scan on the second number of determined SYNC grids, including: The SSB signal is measured at each of the second number of consecutive SYNC grids in the frequency bandwidth; as well as An SSB signal was not detected at the frequency location of the SYNC grid within the bandwidth during the second frequency scan.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the SYNC grids measured in the second frequency scan are not measured in the frequency scan of the determined number of SYNC grids.

13. The method of claim 1 or 5, wherein the channel bandwidth is determined based on the association between the channel bandwidth and the radio operating bands within the frequency range.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the radio operating band is associated with a plurality of channel bandwidths.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the number of consecutive SYNC grids and " The value is based on the number of consecutive SYNC grids or... The value is determined in relation to the radio operating frequency band within the frequency range.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the radio operating frequency band is associated with the plurality of "..." used to determine the number of consecutive SYNC grids. "Value associated." 17. The method of claim 1 or 5, wherein the frequency interval between two consecutive SYNC grids is determined based on the association between the frequency interval between the two consecutive SYNC grids and the radio operating band within the frequency range.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the radio operating band is associated with a plurality of frequency intervals between two consecutive SYNC grids.

19. The method of claim 1 or 5, wherein the channel bandwidth is associated with a plurality of frequency spaces between two consecutive channel locations.

20. A wireless device that performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19 for cell search and to obtain timing and frequency synchronization within the cell.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store and execute instructions to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

22. A baseband processor configured to execute instructions to cause a wireless device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

Images