Method and apparatus for reducing functionality - Patents.com

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for capability reduction in a multi-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) user equipment (UE). One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a UE, the UE may include a first Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) associated with a first Radio Access Network (RAN), a second SIM associated with a second RAN, and a processor coupled to the first SIM and the second SIM, the processor configured to receive a first indication associated with capability reduction from the first RAN, and determine whether to switch chains to the second RAN based on the first indication.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications technologies, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for user equipment (UE) capability reduction. [Background technology]

[0002] A UE (e.g., a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, internet-of-things (IoT) device, etc.) may contain two or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs) and be referred to as a multi-SIM UE.

[0003] In general, a SIM may correspond to at least one subscription in an environment where a radio access technology (RAT) is employed. For example, a multi-SIM UE may have a first SIM associated with a first subscription and a second SIM associated with a second subscription. In some examples, the first SIM and the second SIM may share the same hardware components, such as radio frequency (RF) components and baseband components. In some examples, the first SIM and the second SIM may be associated with different hardware components.

[0004] In some scenarios, sharing of hardware components may result in temporary hardware conflicts in the UE. There is a desire in the industry for techniques to facilitate operation of multi-SIM communication devices in a communication system. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a UE, the UE may include a first subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a first radio access network (RAN), a second SIM associated with a second RAN, and a processor coupled to the first SIM and the second SIM, the processor may be configured to receive a first indication associated with a functionality reduction from the first RAN and determine whether to switch chains to the second RAN based on the first indication.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate at least one of whether the UE can request capability reduction, a timer value for performing capability reduction without a response, whether the UE can perform capability reduction without a request, and a chain that is shared between the first RAN and the second RAN or a chain that is fully occupied by the second RAN.

[0007] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to send a request for capability reduction when at least one of: the UE may include more than one receive chain, more than one transmit chain, or more than one radio frequency chain; a gap to satisfy the second RAN is not configurable; a gap configured by the first RAN is insufficient to satisfy the second RAN; a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the second RAN is not satisfied; or a chain required by the second RAN is occupied by the first RAN.

[0008] In some embodiments, the functionality reduction may be per receive chain, per transmit chain, or per radio frequency chain.

[0009] In some embodiments, the request for capability reduction may be sent via a UE Assistant Information message.

[0010] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to: determine not to switch chains in response to the gap configured by the first RAN being sufficient to satisfy the second RAN, or determine not to request to become idle or inactive in the first RAN in response to switching chains being sufficient to satisfy the second RAN.

[0011] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to receive a response to the request for capability reduction, the response may indicate at least one of releasing a secondary cell group (SCG) or releasing one or more secondary cells (SCells) via a radio resource control reconfiguration message, whether the UE is able to perform the requested capability reduction, and whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted or prohibited from switching to the second RAN, or whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted to switch to the second RAN are shared between the first RAN and the second RAN.

[0012] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to start a timer for capability reduction without a response in response to sending a request for capability reduction, and to stop the timer in response to receiving a response to the request for capability reduction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to switch the requested functionality to the second RAN in response to expiration of the timer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to, in response to performing the unsolicited functionality reduction, transmit information associated with the reduced functionality to the first RAN.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a BS, which may include a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver, where the processor may be configured to: transmit a first instruction associated with a functionality reduction to a user equipment (UE); and receive information associated with a request for functionality reduction or a reduced functionality from the UE based on the first instruction.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate at least one of: whether the UE can request capability reduction; a timer value for performing capability reduction without a response; whether the UE can perform capability reduction without a request; and a chain that is shared between a first radio access network (RAN) associated with the BS and a second RAN or a chain that is fully occupied by the second RAN.

[0017] In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to receive a request for capability reduction via a UE Assistant Information message.

[0018] In some embodiments, the functionality reduction may be per receive chain, per transmit chain, or per radio frequency chain.

[0019] In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to transmit a response to the request for capability reduction, the response may indicate at least one of releasing the SCG or releasing one or more SCells via a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message, whether the UE is able to perform the requested capability reduction, and whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted or prohibited from switching to the second RAN, or whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted to switch to the second RAN are shared between the first RAN and the second RAN.

[0020] Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method may include receiving a first indication associated with a capability reduction from a first radio access network (RAN) associated with a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE, and determining, based on the first indication, whether to switch chains to a second RAN associated with a second SIM of the UE.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate at least one of: whether the UE can request capability reduction; a timer value for performing capability reduction without a response; whether the UE can perform capability reduction without a request; a chain shared between the first RAN and the second RAN; or a chain fully occupied by the second RAN.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method may further include sending a request for reduced capabilities if the UE may include two or more receive chains, two or more transmit chains, or two or more radio frequency chains, a gap to satisfy the second RAN is not configurable, a gap configured by the first RAN is insufficient to satisfy the second RAN, a quality of service (QoS) requirement of the second RAN is not satisfied, or a chain required by the second RAN is occupied by the first RAN.

[0023] In some embodiments, the functionality reduction may be per receive chain, per transmit chain, or per radio frequency chain.

[0024] In some embodiments, the request for capability reduction may be sent via a UE Assistant Information message.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method may further include determining not to switch chains in response to the gap configured by the first RAN being sufficient to satisfy the second RAN, or determining not to request to become idle or inactive in the first RAN in response to switching chains being sufficient to satisfy the second RAN.

[0026] In some embodiments, the method may further include receiving a response to the request for capability reduction, where the response may indicate via an RRC message at least one of releasing the SCG or releasing one or more SCells, whether the UE is able to perform the requested capability reduction, and whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted or prohibited from switching to the second RAN, or whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted to switch to the second RAN are shared between the first RAN and the second RAN.

[0027] In some embodiments, the method may further include starting a timer for capability reduction without a response in response to sending a request for capability reduction, and stopping the timer in response to receiving a response to the request for capability reduction.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method may further include switching the requested functionality to the second RAN in response to expiration of the timer.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method may further include, in response to performing the unsolicited functionality reduction, transmitting information associated with the reduced functionality to the first RAN.

[0030] Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method performed by a base station (BS), the method may include sending a first instruction associated with a functionality reduction to a user equipment (UE) and receiving information associated with a request for functionality reduction or a reduced functionality from the UE based on the first instruction.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate at least one of: whether the UE can request capability reduction; a timer value for performing capability reduction without a response; whether the UE can perform capability reduction without a request; and a chain that is shared between a first radio access network (RAN) associated with the BS and a second RAN or a chain that is fully occupied by the second RAN.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method may further include receiving a request for capability reduction via a UE Assistant Information message.

[0033] In some embodiments, the functionality reduction may be per receive chain, per transmit chain, or per radio frequency chain.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method may further include transmitting a response to the request for capability reduction, where the response may indicate via an RRC message at least one of releasing the SCG or releasing one or more SCells, whether the UE is able to perform the requested capability reduction, and whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted or prohibited from switching to the second RAN, or whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted to switch to the second RAN are shared between the first RAN and the second RAN.

[0035] To explain how the advantages and features of the present disclosure can be obtained, the disclosure will be described by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered as limiting its scope. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart of an example procedure for wireless communication in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart of an example procedure for wireless communication in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The detailed description of the accompanying drawings is intended as an illustration of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments which are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0038] Although operations are shown in the figures in a particular order, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that such operations need not be performed in the particular order or sequence shown, or that all of the operations shown need not be performed, and in some cases one or more operations may be omitted, to achieve desirable results. Additionally, the figures may generally represent one or more exemplary processes in the form of a flow diagram. However, other operations not shown may also be incorporated into the generally illustrated exemplary process. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between the illustrated operations. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. For ease of understanding, the embodiments may be provided under specific network architectures and new service scenarios, such as 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) 5G (NR), 3GPP long-term evolution (LTE), etc. With the evolution of network architectures and new service scenarios, it is contemplated that all the embodiments in the present disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems, and further, the terms listed in the present disclosure may be changed, but do not affect the principles of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] 1, the wireless communication system 100 may include a number of UEs (e.g., UE 110), a number of BSs 120 (e.g., BS 120a, BS 120b, and BS 120c), a number of RANs (e.g., RAN 121a and RAN 121b), a number of core networks (e.g., CNs 130a and CNs 130b), and a public switched telephone network (e.g., PSTN 140). It is contemplated that the wireless communication system 100 may include any number of UEs, BSs, networks, and / or network components.

[0042] The BS 120 may operate based on a standard protocol, such as, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), or other appropriate protocol. The BS 120 may also be referred to as an access point, access terminal, base, base unit, macro cell, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), gNB, Home Node B, relay node, or device, or described using other terminology used in the art. The BS 120 may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one UE (e.g., UE 110) to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as CN 130a and CN 130b.

[0043] BS 120 is generally part of a RAN, which may include one or more controllers communicatively coupled to one or more corresponding BSs. In the context of this disclosure, "configured by the RAN" may be interpreted as "configured by a BS associated with the RAN" or vice versa. For example, with reference to FIG. 1, BS 120a may be part of RAN 121a, which may also include other BSs and / or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), relay nodes, etc. BS 120b and BS 120c may be part of RAN 121b, which may additionally include other BSs and / or network elements (not shown in FIG. 1). Each of BS 120a, BS 120b, and BS 120c may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals within a particular geographic area, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0044] The RAN 121a may communicate with the CN 130a, and the RAN 121b may communicate with the CN 130b. The RAN 121a and the RAN 121b may employ the same or different radio access technologies (RATs). For example, the RAN 121a may employ evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) radio technology, and the RAN 121b may employ NR radio technology. For example, both the RAN 121a and the RAN 121b may employ NR radio technology. Each of the CN 130a and the CN 130b may include multiple core network components, such as a mobility management entity (MME) (not shown in FIG. 1), or an access and mobility management function (AMF) (not shown in FIG. 1). The CN may function as a gateway for UEs to access the PTSN 140 and / or other networks (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0045] The UE 110 may be any type of device configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment. For example, the UE 110 may include computing devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, smart televisions (e.g., televisions connected to the Internet), set-top boxes, game consoles, security systems (including security cameras), in-vehicle computers, network devices (e.g., routers, switches, and modems), and the like. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE 110 may include portable wireless communication devices, smartphones, cellular phones, flip phones, devices with subscriber identity modules, personal computers, selective call receivers, or any other devices capable of transmitting and receiving communication signals over a wireless network. In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE 110 includes wearable devices such as smart watches, fitness bands, optical head-mounted displays, and the like. Additionally, the UE 110 may be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile, mobile station, user, terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, fixed terminal, subscriber station, user terminal, or device, or may be described using other terms used in the art. The UE 110 may communicate with the BS 120 via uplink (UL) communication signals. The BS 102 may communicate with the UE 110 via downlink (DL) communication signals.

[0046] The UE 110 may include one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs) that enable access to one or more separate wireless communications networks. As shown in FIG. 1, the UE 110 may be configured to access the RAN 121a via the BS 120a by SIM#1 (not shown in FIG. 1) in the UE 110, or to access the RAN 121b via the BS 120b by SIM#2 (not shown in FIG. 1) in the UE 110. Although the UE 110 is shown accessing the RAN 121a and the RAN 121b, in other examples (not shown), the UE 110 may establish additional network connections using additional RATs, e.g., using another SIM in addition to SIM#1 and SIM#2.

[0047] Each of SIM#1 and SIM#2 may be associated with a type of wireless communication system. For example, either of SIM#1 and SIM#2 may be represented by a SIM card corresponding to a GSM system, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card corresponding to a UMTS system, a removable user identity module (RUIM) card or a CDMA subscriber identity module (CSIM) card corresponding to a CDMA2000 communication system, a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) corresponding to a 5G (NR) communication system, a wireless network card corresponding to an IEEE 802.11x wireless local area network (WLAN), or other suitable module capable of identifying a subscriber.

[0048] In some examples, a multi-SIM UE may be implemented as a multi-SIM single-standby (MSSS) UE, a multi-SIM-multi-standby (MSMS) UE, a multi-SIM-multi-active (MSMA) UE, etc.

[0049] For example, a UE that includes multiple SIMs and connects to more than one network with more than one SIM active at a given time may be referred to as an MSMA UE. An exemplary MSMA UE may be a dual-SIM-dual-active (DSDA) UE, which may include two SIMs. Both SIMs of a DSDA UE may remain active. For example, a UE with multiple SIMs and connected to more than one network with one SIM active at a given time may be referred to as an MSMS UE. An example of an MSMS UE may be a dual-SIM-dual-standby (DSDS) UE. A DSDS UE may include two SIMs and may use a single radio front-end and baseband to register the communication device to a single (same) public land mobile network or to two different PLMNs with two SIMs, respectively.

[0050] In a multi-SIM UE, multiple SIMs may share the hardware capabilities of the UE to use the hardware efficiently and economically. For example, the hardware capabilities of the UE may include two or more receiving (Rx) chains, two or more transmitting (Tx) chains, and / or two or more RF chains. Each RF chain may include at least one Rx chain and at least one Tx chain. Sharing of an RF chain may refer to sharing of the Rx chain and the Tx chain of an RF chain.

[0051] However, sharing hardware functions may result in temporary hardware contention for the UE. For example, referring to FIG. 1, when the UE 110 is in a connected state in the RAN 121a and the UE 110 is in an idle or inactive state in the RAN 121b, all RF chains may be occupied by the SIM#1 of the UE 110 for communication in the RAN 121a. When the UE 110 becomes connected in the RAN 121b via SIM#2, it may be necessary to switch the Rx chain, the Tx chain, or the RF chain to the RAN 121b.

[0052] In this case, if the RAN 121a is not aware of the UE's reduced capability change, there may be data loss due to demodulation failure and waste of radio resources in the RAN 121a. To avoid the above problems, assistance information from the UE 110 to the RAN 121a regarding these temporary UE (or UE capability) limitations may be beneficial.

[0053] 2 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary procedure 200 for wireless communication according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The details described in all of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to the embodiment illustrated in FIG 2. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the order of operations in the exemplary procedure 200 may be changed, and some of the operations in the exemplary procedure 200 may be deleted or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] 2, the UE 210 and the BS 220 may function as the UE 110 and the BS 120 shown in FIG. 1, respectively. In operation 211, the UE 210 and the BS 220 may interact to perform an RRC reconfiguration operation involving the UE 210. For example, the BS 220 may send an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE 210. The RRC reconfiguration message may instruct the UE 210 to report assistance information to the BS 220. Under some scenarios, the UE 210 may send a UE assistance information message to the BS 220 in operation 213.

[0055] For example, the UE may use the UE Assistance Information message to inform the network of the following information: Delay budget report that conveys the desired increment / decrement in connected mode discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle length -Overheat Support Information - Its in-device coexistence (IDC) support information Preferences for DRX parameters for power saving Preference for maximum aggregate bandwidth for power saving Preference for maximum number of secondary component carriers for power saving Preference for maximum number of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers for power saving Preference for minimum scheduling offset in cross-slot scheduling for power saving RRC state preferences Configured grant support information for NR sidelink communication Preferences regarding whether reference time information is provided Multi-SIM (e.g. Multi-USIM (MUSIM)) support information, or Any combination thereof.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a UE capable of providing multi-SIM assistance information may initiate the above procedure (e.g., if the UE is configured to do so) in response to a determination that a gap is required or to leave a connected state, or, for example, in response to a change in gap information without leaving a connected state.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE may provide information related to the reduced functionality (eg, Rx chain, Tx chain, or RF chain) to the BS using the above procedures.

[0058] 3 illustrates a flow chart of an example procedure 300 for wireless communication according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Details described in all of the previous embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to the embodiment illustrated in FIG.

[0059] In Figure 3, UE 310 and BS 320 can function as UE 110 and BS 120, respectively, shown in Figure 1. Hereinafter, in this disclosure, the solution will be described using UE 310 including two SIMs (e.g., SIM#3A and SIM#3B), but it should be noted that the solution also applies to UEs with more than two SIMs and can access more than two RANs.

[0060] In operation 311, UE 310 may receive a configuration message (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message) from BS 320 associated with network #3A. UE 310 may access BS 320 or network #3A via SIM #3A. For example, UE 310 may be in a connected state in network #3A. UE 310 may be in an idle or inactive state in another network (denoted "network #3B"). Network #3B may be associated with SIM #3B.

[0061] In some embodiments, the configuration message may indicate that the UE 310 may request a gap or that the UE 310 may request a preferred state, such as an idle or inactive state. The gap configuration may indicate a duration, optionally a period, that the UE will remain connected in a network (e.g., network #3A) while temporarily switching to another network (e.g., network #3B).

[0062] In some embodiments, the configuration message may indicate that the UE 310 may request capability reduction from the BS 320. The capability reduction request may be per RF chain, per TX chain, and / or per RX chain. The capability reduction request may indicate any combination of RF chains, TX chains, and RX chains. In some examples, the UE 310 may determine whether to send a capability reduction request (e.g., whether to switch a chain occupied by network #3A to network #3B or whether to switch a chain to network #3B) based on this indication.

[0063] For example, the UE 310 may include two or more Rx chains, two or more Tx chains, and / or two or more RF chains. Each RF chain may include at least one Rx chain and at least one Tx chain. For simplicity, the UE 310 includes Rx chain #1 and Rx chain #2, Tx chain #1 and Tx chain #2, RF chain #1 includes Rx chain #1 and Tx chain #1, and RF chain #2 includes Rx chain #2 and TX chain #2.

[0064] In some examples, the reduced functionality may be per Rx chain, such as requesting a switch of Rx chain #1 from network #3A to network #3B. In some examples, the reduced functionality may be per Tx chain, such as requesting a switch of Tx chain #1 from network #3A to network #3B. In some examples, the reduced functionality may be per RF chain, such as requesting RF chain #1 from network #3A to network #3B. In some examples, the functionality reduction may be per Rx chain and per Tx chain, per Rx chain and per RF chain, per Tx chain and per RF chain, or per Rx chain, per Tx chain, and RF chain. For example, the UE 310 may request to switch Tx chain #1 and R chain #2 from network #3A to network #3B.

[0065] In some embodiments, the configuration message may indicate a value of a timer for switching without a response. For example, this configured timer value may allow the UE 310 to switch the requested functionality (e.g., Rx chain, Tx chain, RF chain, or any combination thereof) in response to expiration of the timer if there is no response to the capability reduction request. A detailed description of the timer is provided in the following text of this disclosure.

[0066] In some embodiments, the configuration message may indicate that the UE 310 can autonomously switch hardware functions (e.g., Rx chain, Tx chain, RF chain, or any combination thereof) from network #3A to another network (e.g., network #3B) without a request. Details of autonomous function reduction are described in the following text of this disclosure.

[0067] In some embodiments, the configuration message may indicate a switched function (e.g., a chain) that is shared between network #3A and another network (e.g., network #3B). In some embodiments, the configuration message may indicate a switched function (e.g., a chain) that is fully occupied by another network (e.g., network #3B).

[0068] In operation 313, the UE may decide to switch to network #3B. The UE may make such a decision in various scenarios, including but not limited to the following: Scenario 1: Periodic switching, such as receiving paging in network #3B or performing measurements in network #3B. Scenario 2: Aperiodic switching such as tracking area update (TAU), RAN-based notification area update (RNAU), mobile originate short message service (MO SMS), voice over LTE (VoLTE) or voice over NR (VoNR) voice calls in network #3B. Scenario 3: UE 310 may include at least two Rx chains. When UE 310 is in a connected state in network #3A and needs to switch part of the Rx function (e.g., the Rx chain) to network #3B, and the UE is in an idle or inactive state in network #3B, UE 310 changes the Rx function in network #3A for DL ​​reception in network #3B. Scenario 4: Aperiodic (eg, one-shot) switching. For example, the UE 310 is in a connected state (eg, RRC connection resumption / setup) in network #3B, including registration, SMS, RAU, busy indication, etc.

[0069] The UE 310 may transmit various requests, including, but not limited to, a gap request, a request to reduce capabilities, and a request for a priority state (e.g., to become idle or inactive in network #3A) to switch to network #3B. In some embodiments, the UE 310 may transmit a gap request in priority to a request to reduce capabilities and a request for a priority state. The UE 310 may transmit a request to reduce capabilities in priority to a request for a priority state. That is, the priority of a gap request is higher than the priority of a request for reduced capabilities, which is higher than the priority of a request for priority state.

[0070] In some embodiments, the UE 310 may determine which request to send based on the following criteria: i. If a gap can meet the requirements of network #3B, then UE301 shall request the gap in preference to requests for reduced capabilities and priority state requests. ii. For example, UE310 may request capability reduction if UE301 supports capability reduction, if a gap to fill network #3B is not configurable, if the gap configured by network #3A is insufficient to serve network #3B, if the quality of service (QoS) requirements of network #3B cannot be met, or if a capability required by network #3B (e.g., chaining) is occupied by network #3A. iii. For example, if UE301 does not support reduced functionality or if the reduced functionality is insufficient to provide service to network #3B, UE310 may request transition to an idle or inactive state in network #3A.

[0071] For example, a UE supporting reduced capabilities may mean that the UE includes two or more Tx chains, two or more Rx chains, or two or more RF chains. A UE that includes only one Tx chain and one Rx chain may be considered not to support reduced capabilities. In other words, only UEs that have at least two Tx chains, at least two Rx chains, or both, can send a reduced capabilities request.

[0072] For example, non-configurability of network-satisfying gaps may mean that UE301 cannot request gaps from network #3A that can meet the requirements of network #3B, e.g., because the requested gaps are longer than a threshold or the periodicity of the requested gaps is high (e.g., higher than a threshold).

[0073] For example, the gaps configured by a network that are insufficient to serve another network may mean that the gaps configured by network #3A are insufficient to serve network #3B, e.g., none of the gaps configured by network #3A meet the requirements of network #3B.

[0074] For example, the inability to meet the QoS requirements of the network may mean that the gap configuration is unable to meet the QoS requirements (eg, transmission speed, latency requirements, etc.) of network #3B.

[0075] For example, a function required by a network being occupied by another network may mean that an Rx chain, a Tx chain, or an RF chain required by network #3B is occupied by network #3A. For example, UE 310 may want to be connected in network #3B (e.g., to receive DL data or transmit UL data). However, an RF function, a Tx function, or an Rx function required by network #3B is occupied by network #3A. In this case, the UE may send a request for reduced functionality to BS 320 (or network #3A).

[0076] At operation 315, the UE 310 may transmit a request for reduced capabilities to the BS 320. In some examples, the request may be included in a UE Assistance Information message. In some examples, the request may be included in other messages, such as a dedicated message. The request for reduced capabilities may indicate the Rx chain, the Tx chain, the RF chain, or any combination thereof.

[0077] In some embodiments, the UE 310 may be configured with a value of a timer for capability reduction without a response. In response to sending the request, the UE 310 may start the timer. If the UE 310 does not receive a response to the request until the timer expires, the UE 310 may autonomously switch the requested capability (e.g., Rx chain, Tx chain, RF chain, or any combination thereof) to network #3B. If the UE 310 receives a response to the request while the timer is still running, the UE 310 may stop the timer.

[0078] In operation 317, in response to receiving the request from the UE 310, the BS 320 may transmit a response to the UE 310. The response may be implemented in a variety of ways, as detailed in the following text. The following embodiments of the response may be used alone or in any combination thereof.

[0079] In some embodiments, the response may indicate the release of the SCG or the release of one or more SCells and may be transmitted via an RRC reconfiguration message. In some examples, the RRC reconfiguration message may indicate the release of a secondary cell group (SCG) of network #3A, which may suggest that the BS320 approves all or at least a portion of the capability reduction request. In some examples, the RRC reconfiguration message may indicate the release of one or more SCells. For example, the capability reduction request may request the release of some cells (X number of SCells). The RRC reconfiguration message may instruct the UE to release some cells (Y number of SCells). X and Y may be different or the same. In some examples, the RRC reconfiguration message may not indicate the release of any cells, which may suggest that the BS320 rejects the capability reduction request.

[0080] In some embodiments, the response may explicitly indicate whether the request is granted or denied. That is, the response may indicate whether the UE is able to perform the requested capability reduction. Such an indication may include a bit. For example, a value of "1" may indicate grant and a value of "0" may indicate denial, or vice versa. The indication may be included in the RRC reconfiguration message, or any other message, such as a dedicated message.

[0081] In some embodiments, the response may indicate specific Tx chains, Rx chains, RF chains, or any combination thereof that are permitted or prohibited from switching to network #3B. For example, the indication may indicate that RF chain #1 can be switched to network #3B.

[0082] In some embodiments, the response may indicate whether the Rx chain, Tx chain, or RF chain being switched is shared between network #3A and network #3B, or is fully occupied by network #3B.

[0083] In operation 319, based on the response from the BS 320, the UE 310 may switch the corresponding functions (eg, a Tx chain, an Rx chain, an RF chain, or any combination) to network #3B.

[0084] In some embodiments, the UE 310 may be configured for autonomous capability reduction without a request. When the UE 310 decides to reduce capabilities associated with network #3A, the UE 310 may autonomously perform the capability reduction (e.g., switch a chain occupied by network #3A to network #3B, or switch a chain to network #3B) without sending a capability reduction request to the BS 320 as described above. In operation 321, in response to the capability reduction without a request, the UE 310 may transmit information associated with the reduced capabilities (e.g., the switched RF chain, RX chain, or TX chain) to the BS 320.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will understand that the order of the operations in the exemplary procedure 300 may be changed, and some of the operations in the exemplary procedure 300 may be deleted or modified, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0086] 4 illustrates a block diagram of an example apparatus 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus 400 may include at least one processor 404 and at least one transceiver 402 coupled to the processor 404. The apparatus 400 may be a UE or a BS.

[0087] In this figure, elements such as at least one transceiver 402 and processor 404 are described in the singular, but the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 402 may be split into two devices, such as a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 400 may further include an input device, a memory, and / or other components.

[0088] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 400 may be a UE. The transceiver 402 and the processor 404 may interact with each other to perform operations related to a UE, such as those described above in FIGS.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus 400 may be a BS. The transceiver 402 and the processor 404 may interact with each other to perform operations related to the BS as described above in FIGS.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present application, the apparatus 400 may further include at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-transitory computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions for causing the processor 404 to perform a method related to a UE as described above. For example, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor 404 interacting with the transceiver 402 to perform the operations related to a UE described in FIGS. 1-3.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present application, the apparatus 400 may further include at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the non-transitory computer-readable medium may store computer-executable instructions for causing the processor 404 to perform a method related to the BS as described above. For example, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor 404 interacting with the transceiver 402 to perform the operations related to the BS described in FIGS. 1-3.

[0092] The methods of the present disclosure can be implemented on a programmed processor. However, the controllers, flowcharts, and modules may also be implemented in hardware electronic or logic circuits such as general purpose or special purpose computers, programmed microprocessors or microcontrollers and peripheral integrated circuit elements, integrated circuits, discrete element circuits, programmable logic devices, etc. In general, any device having a finite state machine capable of implementing the flowcharts shown in the figures can be used to implement the processing functions of the present disclosure.

[0093] Although the present disclosure has been described with its specific embodiments, it is apparent that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, various components of the embodiments may be exchanged, added, or substituted in other embodiments. Also, not all elements shown in each figure are necessary for the operation of the disclosed embodiments. For example, a person skilled in the art of the disclosed embodiments could make and use the teachings of the present disclosure by simply using the elements of the independent claims. Thus, the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0094] In this disclosure, relational terms such as "first," "second," and the like may be used only to distinguish one entity or act from another entity or act, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual such relationship or order between such entities or acts. The terms "includes," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus, rather than including only those elements. An element beginning with "a," "an," and the like, does not, without further constraint, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element. Also, the term "another" is defined as at least a second or more. Terms such as "having," as used herein, are defined as "including." A phrase such as "A and / or B" or "at least one of A and B" may include any combination of the words listed with that phrase. For example, the phrase "A and / or B" or "at least one of A and B" may include A, B, or both A and B. The phrases "first", "second", and the like are used only to clearly describe the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not used to limit the contents of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 100 Wireless communication system 110UE 120BS 121a RAN 121b RAN 130a CN 130b CN 140 PSTN 200 Steps 210UE 220BS 300 Steps 310UE 320BS 400 equipment 402 Transceiver 404 Processor

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), a first subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with a first radio access network (RAN); a second SIM associated with a second RAN; a processor coupled to the first SIM and the second SIM, the processor comprising: receiving a first indication from the first RAN associated with a functionality reduction; determining whether to switch the chain to the second RAN based on the first instruction; The processor and A user equipment (UE) comprising:

2. The first instruction: Whether the UE can request capability reduction; The timer value for performing feature reduction without response, whether the UE can perform capability reduction without a request; a chain shared between the first RAN and the second RAN; or a chain that is fully occupied by the second RAN; The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE exhibits at least one of the following:

3. the UE comprises two or more receive chains, two or more transmit chains, or two or more radio frequency chains; The gap filling the second RAN is not configurable. the gaps created by the first RAN are insufficient to fill the second RAN; the quality of service (QoS) requirements of the second RAN are not met; or A chain required by the second RAN is occupied by the first RAN. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to send a request for capability reduction if at least one of:

4. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the functionality reduction is per receive chain, per transmit chain, or per radio frequency chain.

5. The UE of claim 3, wherein the request for capability reduction is sent via a UE Assistant Information message.

6. The processor, determining not to switch chains in response to the gaps configured by the first RAN being sufficient to fill the second RAN; or determining, in response to switching the chain being sufficient to satisfy the second RAN, not to require the first RAN to become idle or inactive; The UE of claim 1 , further configured to:

7. The processor is further configured to receive a response to the request for the functionality reduction, the response comprising: Releasing a secondary cell group (SCG) or releasing one or more secondary cells (SCells) via a radio resource control reconfiguration message; whether the UE is capable of performing the requested capability reduction; one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted or prohibited from switching to the second RAN; or Whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that is allowed to switch to the second RAN are shared between the first RAN and the second RAN; The UE of claim 3, wherein the UE exhibits at least one of the following:

8. The processor, initiating a timer for no response capability reduction in response to said sending of said request for capability reduction; stopping the timer in response to receiving a response to the request for the functionality reduction; The UE of claim 3, further configured to:

9. The processor, and switching the requested functionality to the second RAN in response to expiration of the timer. The UE of claim 8, further configured to:

10. 10. The UE of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to performing an unsolicited functionality reduction, transmit information associated with the reduced functionality to the first RAN.

11. A base station (BS), A transceiver; a processor coupled to the transceiver, the processor comprising: transmitting a first indication associated with a functionality reduction to a user equipment (UE); receiving from the UE a request for functionality reduction or information associated with a reduced functionality based on the first indication; A processor configured to: A base station (BS) comprising:

12. The first instruction: Whether the UE can request capability reduction; The timer value for performing feature reduction without response, whether the UE can perform capability reduction without a request; a chain shared between a first Radio Access Network (RAN) and a second RAN associated with the BS; or a chain that is fully occupied by the second RAN; The BS according to claim 11, wherein the BS indicates at least one of the following:

13. The BS of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to receive a request for capability reduction via a UE Assistant Information message.

14. 14. The BS according to claim 11, wherein the functionality reduction is per receive chain, per transmit chain, or per radio frequency chain.

15. The processor is further configured to transmit a response to the request for the functionality reduction, the response comprising: Releasing a secondary cell group (SCG) or releasing one or more secondary cells (SCells) via a radio resource control reconfiguration message; whether the UE is capable of performing the requested capability reduction; one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that are permitted or prohibited from switching to a second RAN; or Whether one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or one or more radio frequency chains of the UE that is allowed to switch to a second RAN are shared between the first RAN and the second RAN; The BS according to claim 13, which exhibits at least one of the following:

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