Switching from sub-band full duplex mode

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for mode switching. In one method, a first apparatus receives indication information from a second apparatus, the indication information being related to a mode switch from a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) mode to a time division duplex (TDD) mode within a serving cell. Based on the indication information, the first apparatus triggers a timer related to the mode switch. In response to determining that the timer expires, and based on the first apparatus staying in the serving cell, the first apparatus performs the mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are generally related to the telecommunications field, and more particularly to methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer-readable storage media for switching from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode. Background Technology

[0002] SBFD mode is a full-duplex communication method that assigns uplink and downlink signals to different subbands for transmission. In this mode, uplink and downlink signals can be transmitted simultaneously in different frequency bands, thereby improving spectrum utilization and communication efficiency. On the other hand, TDD mode is a time-division duplex method that transmits uplink and downlink signals in different time slots. Switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode involves switching between two different full-duplex communication modes to meet different network requirements and service needs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to at least: receive indication information from a second apparatus, the indication information relating to a mode handover from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within a serving cell; trigger a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and, in response to determining that the timer has expired and based on the premise that the first apparatus will remain in the serving cell, perform a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to at least: determine, from a set of first apparatuses operating in sub-band full-duplex (SBFD) mode within a serving cell, at least one first apparatus for switching to time-division duplex (TDD) mode; send indication information related to a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode to the at least one first apparatus; trigger a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and, in response to determining that the timer has expired, perform a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode for one or more of the at least one first apparatuses within the serving cell.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving indication information from a second device, the indication information relating to a mode handover from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within a serving cell; triggering a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and performing a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode in response to determining that the timer has expired and based on the premise that a first device will remain in the serving cell.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: determining from a set of first devices operating in sub-band full-duplex (SBFD) mode within a serving cell at least one first device for switching to time-division duplex (TDD) mode; sending indication information related to a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode to the at least one first device; triggering a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and performing a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode for one or more of the at least one first device within the serving cell in response to determining that the timer has expired.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes: means for receiving indication information from a second apparatus, the indication information relating to a mode handover from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within a serving cell; means for triggering a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and means for performing a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode in response to determining that the timer has expired and based on the premise that the first apparatus will remain in the serving cell.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes: means for determining, from a set of first apparatuses operating in subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode within a serving cell, at least one first apparatus for switching to time division duplex (TDD) mode; means for sending indication information related to a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode to the at least one first apparatus; means for triggering a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and means for performing a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode for one or more of the at least one first apparatuses in the serving cell in response to determining that the timer has expired.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to at least execute the method according to a third aspect.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to at least execute the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example communication environment in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown; Figure 2A Example time-division duplexing is shown according to some example embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 2B Example frequency division duplexing is shown according to some example embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 2C Example sub-band full-duplex is shown according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 3 Schematic diagrams of sub-band full-duplex and non-sub-band full-duplex time slots according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown; Figure 4 The coverage of example SBFD UEs and non-SBFD UEs is shown; Figure 5 Signaling flows for mode switching according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated; Figure 6 Example signaling flows for mode switching according to some example embodiments of this disclosure are shown; Figure 7 A flowchart is shown showing an example method implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 8 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 9 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; and Figure 10 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] In all the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0015] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0016] References to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed that, whether explicitly described or not, in conjunction with other embodiments, influencing that feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0017] It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., preceding nouns may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another and do not restrict the order of the nouns. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0018] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ”, “at least one of ”, and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least one, at least any two or more, or all of these elements.

[0019] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the execution step “in response to A” does not indicate that the step is performed immediately after “A” occurs, and may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0020] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “covering” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0021] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuits); and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware; and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor(s) having software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions; and (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation does not require the software.

[0022] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors in general) or a portion thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit" also encompasses, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0023] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication technologies, future types of communication technologies and systems that can implement this disclosure will naturally emerge. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered limited to the aforementioned systems.

[0024] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access and receive services. Depending on the terminology and technology employed, a network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a remote radio header (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as a femtonode or piconode), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network equipment (such as satellite network equipment), low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, spacecraft network equipment, etc. In some example embodiments, the radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at the IAB host node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves similarly to a UE relative to its parent node, and the DU portion of the IAB node behaves similarly to a base station relative to the next-hop IAB node.

[0025] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0026] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device, including resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, or any other combination of time, frequency, spatial, and / or code domain resources used to enable communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency and time domains will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Note that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0027] Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication environment 100 includes a first device 110-1, a first device 110-2, a second device 120-1, and a second device 120-2.

[0028] In the following text, for illustrative purposes, the first device 110-1 and the first device 110-2 may be collectively referred to as the first device 110 or individually. The second device 120-1 and the second device 120-2 may be collectively referred to as the second device 120 or individually. Some exemplary embodiments may be described using the first device 210 operating as a terminal device and the second device 120 operating as a network device. However, in some exemplary embodiments, the operations described in connection with the terminal device may be implemented at the network device or other devices, and the operations described in connection with the network device may be implemented at the terminal device or other devices.

[0029] In some example embodiments, the second device 120-1 may be a network device serving cell 130, such as the gNB of serving cell 130 of the first device 110-1. The second device 120-2 may be a network device serving candidate cell 140, such as the gNB of candidate cell 140 of the first device 110-2. In one example, when the first device 110-1 moves to the location of the first device 110-2 and is within candidate cell 140 provided by the second device 120-2, candidate cell 140 may become the new serving cell of the first device 110-1. Then, the second device 120 may perform a mode switch for the first device 110.

[0030] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number and type of devices shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. For example, communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of first and second devices.

[0031] In some example embodiments, if the first device 110 is a terminal device and the second device 120 is a network device, the link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 is called a downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 is called an uplink (UL). In the DL, the second device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and the first device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the first device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and the second device 120 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0032] Communication in communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other currently known or future-developed technologies.

[0033] For duplex evolution including SBFD, 5G NR supports two duplex modes: Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) for paired frequency bands and Time Division Duplex (TDD) for unpaired frequency bands. Figure 2A Example time-division duplexing (TDD) is illustrated according to some example embodiments of this disclosure. In TDD, as... Figure 2A As shown, time-domain resources are divided between the downlink and uplink. Allocating a limited duration to the uplink in TDD will result in reduced coverage, increased latency, and decreased capacity. Figure 2B Example frequency division duplexing (FDD) is illustrated according to some example embodiments of this disclosure. In FDD, as... Figure 2B As shown, this allows for simultaneous uplink and downlink transmissions on different frequency bands separated by a large 120-bandwidth system. Frequency bands typically cannot be flexibly changed, which can lead to higher complexity and cost.

[0034] Driven by this, one of the goals of the duplex operation evolution in NR to address the above challenges is to allow simultaneous downlink and uplink transmissions on different physical resource blocks (PRBs) / subbands within unpaired broadband NR cells. Figure 2C An example sub-band full-duplex is shown according to some example embodiments of this disclosure. In SBFD, as... Figure 2C As shown, the downlink and uplink operate simultaneously on the same time-division duplex carriers on different frequency resources. This duplex scheme can also be called cross-division duplex (xDD) or flexible division duplex (FDU).

[0035] In SBFD, both downlink and uplink transmissions can have two timeslot types. Figure 3 Schematic diagrams of sub-band full-duplex and non-sub-band full-duplex time slots according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 3As shown, during SBFD slot 310, both non-overlapping downlink subband 312 and uplink subband 314 can exist. During non-SBFD slots 316 and 318, the entire band is used for either downlink or uplink (e.g., conventional / full DL / UL slots). In this example, full non-SBFD slot 316 is used for downlink transmission, and full non-SBFD slot 318 is used for uplink transmission.

[0036] Several SBFD operation modes have been studied, including whether the SBFD-aware UE is aware of the time and frequency location of the sub-band used for SBFD operation. It has been agreed that operation modes in which the SBFD-aware UE is aware of the time and frequency location of the sub-band used for SBFD operation should be given priority. This means that in some example embodiments, the UE (e.g., the SBFD-aware UE) should be aware of the SBFD time slot in some way.

[0037] Figure 4 The coverage areas for example SBFD UEs and non-SBFD UEs are shown. Figure 4 As shown, the gNB 410 operating in SBFD mode can have better uplink coverage than the gNB 420 operating in non-SBFD mode. Therefore, if the network falls back to TDD mode, SBFD UEs at the cell edge may drop out due to reduced uplink coverage.

[0038] Because SBFD-aware UEs can have better uplink coverage than traditional UEs, problems arise when the gNB in ​​SBFD falls back to TDD mode. The uplink coverage of the SBFD-aware UE may be affected. Therefore, a solution that allows the UE and network to fall back from SBFD mode to TDD mode without causing additional network problems may be beneficial.

[0039] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode is provided. In this solution, a second device (e.g., a network device) determines at least one first device (e.g., a terminal device) from a set of first devices operating in SBFD mode within the serving cell for switching to TDD mode. The second device then sends indication information related to the mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode to the first device. The first and second devices trigger timers related to the mode switch. If the timer expires (e.g., the device (first or second device) determines that the timer has expired or has expired, or based on (e.g., in response to) the timer expiration), the second device performs a mode switch for the first device, and the first device performs a mode switch based on the premise that the first device will remain in the serving cell.

[0040] In this way, by using a timer to notify in advance of the mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode, the first device can have sufficient time to consider the handover or cell handover in the communication network.

[0041] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 5 Signaling flow 500 for mode switching according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Reference will be made to this document for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Let's discuss signaling flow 500. Signaling flow 500 may involve a first device 110 and a second device 120. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may be a terminal device (e.g., an SBFD-aware UE or a UE with SBFD capability) or included in a terminal device (e.g., an SBFD-aware UE or a UE with SBFD capability). The second device 120 may be a network device or included in a network device (e.g., a gNB).

[0043] It should be understood that signaling flow 500 can involve more or fewer devices, and Figure 5 The number of devices shown is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation.

[0044] like Figure 5 As shown, the second device 120 determines (510) at least one first device 110 from a set of first devices operating in SBFD mode within the serving cell for switching to TDD mode. For example, the second device 120 may determine, based on one or more conditions, that some or all of the first devices in the first device set should switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode. For example, the second device 120 may determine that the SBFD mode within a cell (e.g., a cell provided by the second device, such as the serving cell) should be changed to TDD mode. This would mean that all terminal devices in the cell should use TDD mode. Therefore, all UEs currently operating in SBFD mode may need to change from SBFD mode to TDD mode so that the UEs can continue operating within the same cell.

[0045] In some example embodiments, one or more conditions may include cross-link interference (CLI) of the first devices in the first device set exceeding a predetermined interference threshold. Alternatively or additionally, one or more conditions may include the number or proportion of legacy first devices (e.g., legacy UEs) within the serving cell exceeding a number threshold. Alternatively or additionally, one or more conditions may include low uplink traffic load on the first devices in the first device set that is insufficient to justify the use of SBFD, or that the majority of the first devices in the serving cell are legacy first devices. Alternatively or additionally, one or more conditions may include the first device 110 having received, for example, higher-layer configuration from the core network or Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) information notifying it of the need to switch to TDD mode.

[0046] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 may, for example via a System Information Block (SIB) or Radio Resource Control (RRC), indicate configuration information for an SBFD mode to a set of first devices (e.g., all SBFD-aware UEs in the serving cell) or at least one first device 110, such configuration information including at least time resource information or frequency resource information for the SBFD-aware UEs to operate in SBFD mode.

[0047] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may require timer configuration information; for example, the first device 110 may receive timer configuration information from the second device 120. The timer configuration information can be transmitted via higher-level configuration (e.g., via SIB or RRC). Alternatively or additionally, the timer configuration information may be pre-configured in the first device 110 (e.g., specified in one or more specifications). For example, the timer configuration information may be pre-configured in the second device 120 (e.g., specified in one or more specifications). In both cases, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can obtain the same timer configuration information.

[0048] Then, the second device 120 sends (520) indication information related to the mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode to at least one first device 110. In some example embodiments, the indication information related to the mode switch may include a first indication for triggering a timer. In one embodiment, the indication information is sent together with timer configuration information. However, they may also be sent separately. In another example, if the timer configuration information is pre-configured, the timer configuration information may not be sent, and therefore the indication information may be sent without sending the timer configuration information.

[0049] After switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode, the first device 110 may suffer uplink performance loss; for example, if the UE cannot utilize SBFD uplink resources, the UE may suffer from insufficient uplink coverage. Alternatively or additionally, the indication information may include a second indication of uplink performance loss after mode switching. That is, the second indication may indicate that the UE may suffer uplink performance loss after switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode. Therefore, the UE can determine that such mode change may not be beneficial, and that SBFD mode should be preferred over TDD mode. Another option is to preconfigure the UE to always prefer SBFD mode over TDD mode.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, the indication information may include a third indication of an update to the SBFD mode configuration information. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may also receive updates to the SBFD mode configuration information from the second device 120. The first device 110 may be in a connected state (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED) with the second device 120, or the first device 110 may be in an idle state (e.g., RRC_IDLE) or an inactive state (e.g., RRC_INACTIVE) with the second device 120. If the first device 110 is in an RRC_CONNECTED connected state with the second device 120, the SBFD mode configuration information may include a measurement configuration for mode switching, such as an RRC reconfiguration including a new measurement configuration. Alternatively or additionally, the SBFD mode configuration information may include configuration information for the TDD mode, such as a common configuration for TDD and / or a dedicated configuration for TDD.

[0051] In some examples, if the first device 110 and the second device 120 are in an RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE connected state, the first device 110 can receive a message from the second device 120 notifying of an update to the SBFD mode configuration information, such as a short message or paging message notifying of an SIB update. In some example embodiments, updating the SBFD mode configuration information may include removing the SBFD mode configuration information from system information (e.g., SIB).

[0052] Alternatively or additionally, updates to the SBFD mode configuration information may include an indication (e.g., a flag) that disables the SBFD mode. Alternatively or additionally, updates to the SBFD mode configuration information may include at least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in the SBFD mode, such as the identifier of at least one neighboring cell that is still operating in SBFD mode.

[0053] Based on the indication information, the first device 110 triggers (530) a timer related to mode switching, and the second device 120 triggers (532) a timer related to mode switching. Therefore, a timer can be started (i.e., triggered) based on the indication information. For example, the first device 110 can start the timer based on receiving the indication information. For example, the second device 120 can start the timer based on sending the indication information. For example, the second device 120 can trigger the timer in response to sending the indication information, and the first device 110 can trigger the timer in response to receiving the indication information. An example of a timer is a countdown timer started with a specific value (e.g., an initial value). The timer can decrement to another specific value (e.g., zero), and when it reaches that other specific value, the timer can expire. The initial value can be indicated by timer configuration information or indication information.

[0054] In some example embodiments, while the timer is running, the first device 110 determines whether it remains in the serving cell or switches to a different cell. If the first device 110 will switch to a different cell during the timer's operation, it can initiate a cell handover or transition from the serving cell to that different cell. In other words, based on the first device 110's determination to switch to or transition to that different cell (i.e., to a different cell than the serving cell where the mode change will occur), the first device 110 can initiate a cell handover or transition as described above. It should be noted that cell handover can include cell handover in RRC idle or RRC inactive modes (e.g., cell (re)selection), or it can include handover in RRC connected modes.

[0055] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may have already received an update to the configuration information for SBFD, which includes a measurement configuration for mode handover. Therefore, based on the measurement configuration for mode handover, the first device 110 can perform measurements relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell to obtain measurement results.

[0056] In some example embodiments, while the timer is running (i.e., has been started), the first device 110 can determine, based on measurement results, whether to remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell among at least one candidate cell. For example, when the SBFD-aware UE is in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state, based on a comparison of the measurement results with (multiple) measurement thresholds, the SBFD-UE can determine whether to reselect to a different cell in TDD mode or a different cell in SBFD mode, or whether to remain in the current cell and fall back to TDD mode. In another example, when the SBFD-aware UE is in the RRC_CONNECTED state, based on a comparison of the measurement results with measurement thresholds, the SBFD-UE can determine whether to switch or redirect to a neighboring cell, or whether to remain in the current cell and switch to TDD mode.

[0057] Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 may send measurement results to the second device 120, so that the second device 120 can determine whether the first device 110 should perform a cell handover or transition. In some example embodiments, after receiving the measurement results, the second device 120 may determine whether the first device should perform a cell handover or transition. Then, based on the received measurement results, the second device 120 may send a fourth instruction to the first device 110 regarding whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

[0058] If the timer expires or the timer meets a criterion, the second device 120 performs (540) a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode for one or more of the first devices in at least one of the first devices in the serving cell, and the first device 110 performs (542) a mode handover based on its intention to remain in the serving cell. In some example embodiments, the criterion may include a value satisfaction criterion associated with the timer, such as the timer being less than a threshold time remaining until expiration. That is, based on the timer expiring or meeting the criterion, and the first device 110 intending to remain in the serving cell, the first device 110 may perform a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode. For example, the first device 110 may determine that it will remain in the serving cell (e.g., determine not to perform a handover to a different cell or cell reselection), and may also determine that the timer has expired or has expired, and perform a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode in the serving cell based on these determinations.

[0059] In some example embodiments, if a cell handover fails to complete successfully before the timer expires, the first device 110 may perform a mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode. For example, for a UE in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode, if the first device 110 fails to switch to a different cell among at least one candidate cell (also known as cell reselection) or the cell reselection criteria are not met, the UE remains in the current serving cell, and SBFD senses the UE switching to TDD mode. Therefore, in this case, the first device 110 can determine that the cell handover failed to complete successfully before the timer expires and change the mode accordingly. In this case, the mode change may also occur based on the timer expiring or the timer meeting the criteria.

[0060] In some example embodiments, when the first device 110 is in a connected state with the second device 120, the second device 120 can perform a cell handover for the first device 110 in the connected state. If the cell handover is not successfully completed before the timer expires, the second device can release the connection with the first device 110 in the connected state. For example, for an SBFD-aware UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state, if the SBFD-aware UE does not receive a handover command or does not meet the handover criteria, the SBFD-aware UE switches to TDD mode in the current cell. If the handover fails, the SBFD-aware UE can also operate in TDD mode in the serving cell, or the SBFD-aware UE can perform an RRC connection release.

[0061] The following provides an example mode switching process for switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode. Figure 6 Example signaling flow 600 for mode switching according to some example embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Signaling flow 600 relates to neighboring cell 602, UE in RRC connected mode (also referred to as RRC_CONNECTED UE or UE in RRC connected state) 604, serving cell 606, and UE in RRC idle or inactive mode (also referred to as RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE or UE in RRC idle / RRC inactive state) 608.

[0062] like Figure 6As shown, a mode switch (e.g., fallback) is provided for RRC_CONNECTED UE 604. At 610, RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 communicates with serving cell 606 using SBFD uplink or downlink data. At 612, serving cell 606 (or more specifically, the network node providing serving cell 606) sends a configuration associated with fallback to TDD mode to RRC_CONNECTED UE 604, and a timer (e.g., a fallback timer) is started in serving cell 606. This configuration includes indication information related to the mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode.

[0063] The RRC_CONNECTED UE 604, which receives this configuration or more specifically the indication information, also starts a timer related to mode switching. The RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 can also initiate cell measurements for the serving cell 606 and / or neighboring cell 602. At 614, the neighboring cell 602 (or more specifically, the network node providing the neighboring cell 602) measures the signal quality of the RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 using at least one of the following parameters: Reference Received Power (RSRP), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), or Reference Received Quality (RSRQ) parameter, to obtain a measurement report. At 616, the RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 sends the measurement report to the serving cell 606.

[0064] In some cases, RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 decides to perform a handover from serving cell 606 to neighboring cell 602 based on measurement reports and / or a handover command from serving cell 606 (which makes the handover decision for RRC_CONNECTED UE 604). In these cases, at 618, RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 and serving cell 606 can perform handover preparation. At 620, the handover from serving cell 606 to neighboring cell 602 by RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 is completed. At 622, if RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 decides to remain in serving cell 606 or the handover process is not completed and the timer expires, serving cell 606 completes the fallback of RRC_CONNECTED UE 604 to TDD mode. In this case, RRC_CONNECT UE 604 can also perform a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode when the timer expires. After the mode switch, serving cell 606 and RRC_CONNECT UE 604 can communicate with each other in TDD mode.

[0065] In addition, mode switching (e.g., fallback) is provided for RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608. At 630, serving cell 606 sends an indication of SIB update to RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608. At 632, serving cell 606 sends an SIB update to RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608, and a timer starts. The SIB update can be sent along with indication information related to mode switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode. Based on the transmission of the indication information, a timer related to mode switching is started in serving cell 606. Based on the reception of the indication information, a timer related to mode switching is started in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608.

[0066] The RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 can also initiate cell measurements for the serving cell 606 and / or neighboring cell 602. At 634, the neighboring cell 602 measures the signal quality of the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 using at least one of the RSRP, RSSI, or RSRQ parameters to obtain measurement results for the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608. In some cases, the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 determines, based on the measurement results, to initiate a cell reselection to the neighboring cell 602. In these cases, at 636, the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 performs a cell reselection to the target cell (i.e., neighboring cell 602).

[0067] At point 638, if RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 decides to remain in serving cell 606 or if cell reselection is incomplete and the timer expires, serving cell 606 completes the fallback of RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 to TDD mode. In this case, when the timer expires, RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 can also perform a mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode. After the mode switch, serving cell 606 and RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE 608 can communicate in TDD mode.

[0068] Figure 7 A flowchart of an example method 700 implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 700 is described by the angle of the first device 110 in the middle.

[0069] At frame 710, the first device 110 receives instruction information from the second device, the instruction information being related to a mode handover from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within the serving cell.

[0070] At frame 720, based on the indication information, the first device 110 triggers a timer related to mode switching.

[0071] At box 730, in response to determining that the timer has expired and based on the premise that the first device will remain in the serving cell, the first device 110 performs a mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode.

[0072] In some example embodiments, while the timer is running, the first device 110 determines whether the first device wants to remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell. In response to determining that the first device wants to switch to a different cell and the timer is running, the first device 110 initiates a cell handover from the serving cell to the different cell.

[0073] In some example embodiments, in response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires, the first device 110 performs a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode.

[0074] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in a connected state, in response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires, the first device 110 performs a connection release from the serving cell.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the indication information includes at least one of the following: a first indication for triggering a timer, a second indication for uplink performance loss after switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode, or a third indication for updating configuration information for SBFD mode.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 receives timer configuration information for a timer from the second device; or, the timer configuration information for a timer is pre-configured in the first device.

[0077] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 receives an update to configuration information for SBFD mode from the second device, wherein the update to the configuration information for SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: measurement configuration for mode switching, or configuration information for TDD mode.

[0078] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in an idle or inactive state, updating the configuration information for SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: removing the configuration information for SBFD mode from the system information, an indication to disable SBFD mode, or at least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in SBFD mode.

[0079] In some example embodiments, the first device 110 performs measurements relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell based on a measurement configuration to obtain measurement results. While a timer is running, the first device 110 determines, based on the measurement results, whether the first device should remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell among the at least one candidate cell.

[0080] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in a connected state, the first device 110 performs measurements relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell based on a measurement configuration to obtain measurement results. The first device 110 sends the measurement results to the second device. The first device 110 receives a fourth indication from the second device, the fourth indication indicating whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the first device is a terminal device or is included in a terminal device, and the second device is a network device or is included in a network device.

[0082] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example method 800 implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 Method 800 is described by the angle of the second device 120 in the middle.

[0083] At frame 810, the second device 120 determines from a set of first devices operating in subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode within the serving cell at least one first device for switching to time-division duplex (TDD) mode.

[0084] At frame 820, the second device 120 sends indication information related to a mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode to at least one first device.

[0085] At box 830, based on the indication information, the second device 120 triggers a timer related to mode switching.

[0086] At box 840, in response to determining that a timer has expired, the second device 120 performs a mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode for one or more of the first devices in at least one of the first devices in the serving cell.

[0087] In some example embodiments, the indication information includes at least one of the following: a first indication that triggers a timer, a second indication of uplink performance loss after switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode, or a third indication of an update to configuration information for SBFD mode.

[0088] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 sends timer configuration information related to the timer to at least one first device.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 sends an update to configuration information for SBFD mode to at least one first device, wherein the update to the configuration information for SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: measurement configuration for multiple mode switching, or configuration information for TDD mode.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the update of the SBFD mode configuration information sent to the first device in an idle or inactive state further includes at least one of the following: removing the SBFD mode configuration information from the system information, an indication to disable the SBFD mode, or at least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in the SBFD mode.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the second device 120 receives measurement results from the first device, which is in a connected state. The second device 120 sends a fourth indication to the first device, which is in a connected state, regarding whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

[0092] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in a connected state, the second device 120 performs a cell handover for the first device in the connected state. In response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires, the second device 120 performs a connection release for the first device in the connected state.

[0093] In some example embodiments, a first means capable of performing any of the methods in method 700 (e.g., Figure 1 The first device 110 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 700. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented as a circuit or a software module. The first device may be implemented as... Figure 1 The first device 110 may be included in the first device 110.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the first device includes: a component for receiving indication information from a second device, the indication information being related to a mode handover from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within the serving cell; a component for triggering a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and a component for performing a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode in response to determining that the timer has expired and based on the premise that the first device will remain in the serving cell.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes: a component for determining, while a timer is running, whether the first device should remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell; and a component for initiating a cell handover from the serving cell to the different cell in response to determining that the first device should switch to a different cell and that the timer is running.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further includes a component for performing a mode switch from SBFD mode to TDD mode in response to determining that a cell handover has not been successfully completed before a timer expires.

[0097] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in a connected state, the first device further includes a component for releasing the connection from the serving cell in response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the indication information includes at least one of the following: a first indication to trigger a timer, a second indication for uplink performance loss after switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode, or a third indication for updating configuration information for SBFD mode.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes: a component for receiving timer configuration information for a timer from the second device; or the timer configuration information for a timer is pre-configured in the first device.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for receiving updates to configuration information for SBFD mode from the second device, wherein the updates to the configuration information for SBFD mode include at least one of the following: measurement configuration for mode switching, or configuration information for TDD mode.

[0101] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in an idle or inactive state, updating the configuration information for SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: removing the configuration information for SBFD mode from the system information, disabling the SBFD mode indication, or at least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in SBFD mode.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes: components for performing measurements relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell based on a measurement configuration to obtain measurement results; and components for determining, when a timer is running, whether the first device should remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell among the at least one candidate cell based on the measurement results.

[0103] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in a connected state, the first device further includes: a component for performing measurements relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell based on a measurement configuration to obtain measurement results; a component for sending the measurement results to the second device; and a component for receiving a fourth indication from the second device, the fourth indication indicating whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the first device is a terminal device or is included in a terminal device, and the second device is a network device or is included in a network device.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 700 or the first device 110. In some example embodiments, the components include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to perform corresponding operations.

[0106] In some example embodiments, a second means capable of performing any of the methods in method 800 (e.g., Figure 1 The second device 120 may include a component for performing a corresponding operation of method 800. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented as a circuit or a software module. The second device can be implemented as... Figure 1 The second device 120 may be included in the second device 120.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus includes: components for determining, from a set of first apparatuses operating in subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode within the serving cell, at least one first apparatus for switching to time division duplex (TDD) mode; components for sending indication information related to the mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode to at least one first apparatus; components for triggering a timer related to the mode handover based on the indication information; and components for performing a mode handover from SBFD mode to TDD mode for one or more of the at least one first apparatuses within the serving cell in response to determining that the timer has expired.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the indication information includes at least one of the following: a first indication that a timer is triggered, a second indication of uplink performance loss after switching from SBFD mode to TDD mode, or a third indication of an update to configuration information for SBFD mode.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes a component for sending timer configuration information related to the timer to at least one first device.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes: a component for sending an update to configuration information for SBFD mode to at least one first device, wherein the update to the configuration information for SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: measurement configuration for mode switching or configuration information for TDD mode.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the update of the SBFD mode configuration information sent to the first device in an idle or inactive state further includes at least one of the following: removing the SBFD mode configuration information from the system information, an indication to disable the SBFD mode, or at least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in the SBFD mode.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes: a component for receiving measurement results from the first device in a connected state; and a component for sending a fourth indication to the first device in a connected state whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

[0113] In some example embodiments, when the first device is in a connected state, the second device further includes: a component for performing cell handover for the first device in the connected state; and a component for performing connection release for the first device in the connected state in response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes components for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 800 or the second device 120. In some example embodiments, the components include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to perform corresponding operations.

[0115] Figure 9 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 900 can be provided to implement a communication device, for example, such as... Figure 1The first device 110 or the second device 120 shown. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 920 coupled to the processors 910, and one or more communication modules 940 coupled to the processors 910.

[0116] Communication module 940 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 940 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, communication module 940 may include at least one antenna.

[0117] As a non-limiting example, processor 910 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 900 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock of a synchronous main processor.

[0118] Memory 920 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 924, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 922 and other volatile memories that cannot retain data during power loss.

[0119] Computer program 930 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 910. The instructions of program 930 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 930 may be stored in memory (e.g., ROM 924). Processor 910 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 930 into RAM 922.

[0120] Example embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 930, enabling device 900 to perform as shown in Figures 2 to 30. Figure 8 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0121] In some example embodiments, program 930 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 900 (such as memory 920) or in other storage devices accessible to device 900. Device 900 may load program 930 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 922 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0122] Figure 10 An example of a computer-readable medium 1000 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. Program 930 is stored on the computer-readable medium 1000.

[0123] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0124] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions that execute in a device on a target physical or virtual processor, such as those included in a program module, to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can execute within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0125] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0126] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0127] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0128] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or that all shown operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the discussion above, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0129] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: The device receives instruction information related to mode switching from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within the serving cell. Based on the indicated information, a timer related to the mode switch is triggered; as well as In response to determining that the timer has expired, and based on the premise that the first device will remain in the serving cell, the mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode is performed.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to: While the timer is running, it determines whether the first device should remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell; and In response to determining that the first device needs to switch to the different cell and that the timer is running, a cell handover from the serving cell to the different cell is initiated.

3. The first device according to claim 2, wherein the first device is configured to: In response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires, the mode handover from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode is performed.

4. The first device according to claim 2, wherein when the first device is in the connected state, the first device is caused to: In response to determining that the cell handover has not been successfully completed before the timer expires, a connection release from the serving cell is performed.

5. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indication information includes at least one of the following: The first indication that triggers the timer, A second indication of uplink performance loss after switching from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode, or A third instruction for updating configuration information for the SBFD mode.

6. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first device is configured to: Receive the timer configuration information for the timer from the second device; or The timer configuration information for the timer is pre-configured in the first device.

7. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first device is configured such that: Receive updates to configuration information for the SBFD mode from the second device. The update of the configuration information for the SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: Measurement configuration for the aforementioned mode switching, or Configuration information for the TDD mode.

8. The first device according to claim 7, wherein updating the configuration information for the SBFD mode when the first device is in an idle or inactive state includes at least one of the following: Remove the configuration information for the SBFD mode from the system information. Instructions to disable the SBFD mode, or At least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in the SBFD mode.

9. The first device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the first device is configured to: Based on the measurement configuration, measurements are performed relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell to obtain measurement results; and While the timer is running, it determines, based on the measurement results, whether the first device should remain in the serving cell or switch to a different cell among the at least one candidate cell.

10. The first device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein when the first device is in the connected state, the first device is caused to: Based on the measurement configuration, measurements are performed relative to the serving cell and at least one candidate cell to obtain measurement results; The measurement result is sent to the second device; as well as The second device receives a fourth instruction, which indicates whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

11. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first device is a terminal device or is included in a terminal device, and the second device is a network device or is included in a network device.

12. A second device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to perform at least the following operations: Determine at least one first device from a set of first devices operating in subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode within the serving cell for switching to time-division duplex (TDD) mode; Send indication information related to mode switching from the SBFD mode to the at least one first device; Based on the indicated information, a timer related to the mode switch is triggered; as well as In response to determining that the timer has expired, a mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode is performed for one or more of the at least one first device in the serving cell.

13. The second device according to claim 12, wherein the indication information includes at least one of the following: The first indication that triggers the timer, A second indication of uplink performance loss after switching from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode, or A third instruction for updating configuration information for the SBFD mode.

14. The second device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the second device is further configured to: Send timer configuration information related to the timer to the at least one first device.

15. The second device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the second device is further configured to: Send an update of configuration information for the SBFD mode to the at least one first device. The update of the configuration information for the SBFD mode includes at least one of the following: Measurement configuration for the aforementioned mode switching, or Configuration information for the TDD mode.

16. The second device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the update of the configuration information for the SBFD mode sent to the first device in an idle or inactive state further comprises at least one of the following: Remove the configuration information for the SBFD mode from the system information. Instructions to disable the SBFD mode, or At least one identifier of at least one candidate cell in the SBFD mode.

17. The second device according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the second device is further configured to: Receive measurement results from the first device in a connected state; and A fourth instruction is sent to the first device in the connected state regarding whether to switch from the serving cell to a different cell.

18. The second device according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein when the first device is in the connected state, the second device is such that: Perform cell handover for the first device in the connected state; and In response to determining that the cell handover was not successfully completed before the timer expired, a connection release was performed on the first device in the connected state.

19. A method comprising: The first device receives indication information from the second device, the indication information being related to mode switching from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within the serving cell; Based on the indicated information, a timer related to the mode switch is triggered; as well as In response to determining that the timer has expired, and based on the premise that the first device will remain in the serving cell, the mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode is performed.

20. A method comprising: The second device determines, from a set of first devices operating in subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode within the serving cell, at least one first device for switching to time-division duplex (TDD) mode; Send indication information related to mode switching from the SBFD mode to the at least one first device; Based on the indicated information, a timer related to the mode switch is triggered; as well as In response to determining that the timer has expired, a mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode is performed for one or more of the at least one first device in the serving cell.

21. A first device, comprising: A component for receiving indication information from a second device, the indication information being related to mode switching from subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode to time-division duplex (TDD) mode within the serving cell; A component for triggering a timer related to the mode switching based on the indication information; as well as A component for performing the mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode in response to determining that the timer has expired and based on the premise that the first device will remain in the serving cell.

22. A second device, comprising: Components for determining, from a set of first devices operating in subband full-duplex (SBFD) mode within the serving cell, at least one first device for switching to time-division duplex (TDD) mode; A component for sending indication information related to mode switching from the SBFD mode to the at least one first device; A component for triggering a timer related to the mode switching based on the indication information; as well as A component for performing a mode switch from the SBFD mode to the TDD mode for one or more of the at least one first device in the serving cell in response to determining that the timer has expired.

23. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to claim 19 or 20.

Images