Method and apparatus for providing a capacity restriction indication from a multi-universal subscriber identity module user device to a network - Patent Application 20070122997

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to a method and apparatus for indicating capability restriction information, the method in a user equipment including establishing or resuming a second service with a second network according to a second subscription, and indicating to the second network that the user equipment has capabilities for the second service that differ from capabilities previously indicated to a radio access technology node.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The embodiments described herein relate to a method and apparatus for providing feature restriction information from a multi-universal subscriber identity module user device to a network. [Background technology]

[0002] Multi-USIM The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) is currently studying how best to support user equipment (UE) that can manage two or more simultaneous subscriptions (also known as multiple universal subscriber identity modules (M-USIMs)) in Release 18 (Rel-18). A single UE can have two or more subscription credentials and essentially "act" as two UEs within one device / hardware entity. Even if mobile terminals (UE) with that characteristic exist, most operation is not optimized in practice, since there is no specific standardized support for multi-USIMs, for example, to make it easier for a UE to manage two or more subscriptions simultaneously.

[0003] Several aspects may be noted. For example, a UE may need to be provided with support to more easily switch between a state associated with the use of subscription 1 (USIM1, connecting to a first public land mobile network (PLMN1)) and a state associated with the use or communication using subscription 2 (USIM2, connecting to a second PLMN (PLMN2)), because such a state may depend, for example, on the RRC_CONNECTED state in PLMN1 and PLMN2. Such switching may be simple or even unnecessary if the UE has the capability to communicate toward two networks simultaneously using USIM1 and USIM2. For this to work, at least dual receiver and transmitter chains may be required, designed so that the frequencies used toward both networks do not cause interference with each other and the radio isolation is good enough, for example, not to cause intermodulation effects in the device. Yet another aspect that may be addressed by the standard is the introduction of signaling that allows, for example, a UE that is not capable of communicating with more than one network simultaneously to at least communicate to the network that it is leaving or will become unreachable from that network.

[0004] As described in RP-210316, WID: "Support for Multi-SIM Devices for LTE / NR" (herein referred to as "Reference 1"), the Release 17 (Rel-17) work on Multi-USIM focuses on devices with a single receiver (Rx) / single transmitter (Tx) or dual Rx / single Tx. That is, dual Rx / dual Tx UEs were out of scope.

[0005] In Rel. 18, 3GPP has begun studying enhancements to existing procedures to allow a dual-Rx / dual-Tx M-USIM UE to operate in RRC_CONNECTED state simultaneously in network A and network B. In particular, mechanisms for indicating temporary UE capability restrictions and preferences for lifting such restrictions will be standardized, as described in RP-220955, WID: "Dual Transmit / Receive (Tx / Rx) Multi-SIM for NR" (herein referred to as "Reference 2").

[0006] Currently, certain challenges exist.

[0007] In the current framework for Multi-USIM research in Rel-17, it may be assumed that a UE cannot stay in RRC_CONNECTED state in two networks simultaneously, e.g., a UE may not be able to receive / transmit data using one subscription while having an ongoing service in another subscription. At least for UEs with dual Tx and dual Rx, available resources may not be fully utilized when reporting UE capabilities.

[0008] In particular, when establishing a connection with the second network (while maintaining a connection with the first network), the UE may be misconfigured by the second network (e.g., network B) because the second network based the UE configuration on capabilities received during the registration phase, which may no longer be valid (e.g., the UE may now only be able to use one transceiver in the network and therefore may not be able to establish dual connectivity (DC)).

[0009] Furthermore, solutions to this problem have been sought by limiting the UE's dual Tx / dual Rx capabilities in Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages, such as the UE Assistance Information and UE Capability Information messages. However, these solutions do not send an acknowledgement for the UE capability limitation report. In other words, there is no acknowledgement from the network indicating whether the UE's request has been received or accepted. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these and other problems.

[0011] A MUSIM UE notifies the second network (e.g., network B) that its capabilities are limited when setting up or resuming a connection. This may be done, for example, by adding an indication in the RRCSetupRequest / RRCResumeRequest messages. The UE may then indicate the actual capability limitations in the following RRCSetupComplete / RRCResumeComplete messages, or in the UEInformationResponse (if requested by the network), or in the UEAssistanceInformation (if configured by the network), or in the UECapabilityInformation message (if a UECapabilityEnquiry is sent by the network).

[0012] Upon establishment or resumption of a connection with a second network (network B), while maintaining a connection with a first network (network A), the MUSIM UE indicates that its capabilities are limited (e.g. carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) is not possible). Four alternative solutions are described:

[0013] A.1-bit notification 1. The UE includes a 1-bit indication in the RRCSetupRequest or RRCResumeRequest to indicate to the network that its capabilities are limited. 2. The network can wait for the current capabilities to be sent from the UE and implement a temporary "base" configuration for the UE. 3. The UE informs the network about the actual capability limitations in RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete. 4. The network reconfigures the UE appropriately based on the current UE capabilities indicated.

[0014] B. Using the UEInformationRequest / Response Framework 1. The UE indicates that its capabilities are restricted in RRCSetupComplete, RRCResumeComplete, or RRCReconfigurationComplete by using a new information element. 2. The network uses a temporary "base" configuration for the UE and extracts the restricted capabilities (or capabilities currently supported by the UE) by sending a UEInformationRequest message. 3. The UE returns a UEInformationResponse message containing the restricted capabilities (or currently supported capabilities). 4. The network reconfigures the UE appropriately based on the current UE capabilities

[0015] C. Using the UEAssistanceInformation Framework 1. The UE indicates that its capabilities are limited by using a 1-bit indication in RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete. 2. The network configures the UE to use a temporary "base" configuration for the UE and to report limitations via the UEAssistanceInformation message. 3. The UE sends a UEAssistanceInformation message containing the restricted capabilities. 4. The network reconfigures the UE appropriately based on the current UE capabilities.

[0016] D. Using the UECapabilityEnquiry / UECapabilityInformation framework 1. The UE also includes the restricted capabilities, for example in a separate container, to indicate that some capabilities are restricted in the UECapabilityInformation message. 2. The network uses a temporary "base" configuration for the UE and waits to receive current capabilities from the UE. 3. The network reconfigures the UE appropriately based on the current UE capabilities.

[0017] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and its embodiments may provide solutions to these and other problems. The present disclosure provides a method for how a network acknowledges that a Dual Tx / Dual Rx (2Tx / 2Rx) UE has temporarily restricted or unrestricted its capabilities for M-USIM purposes. This is as follows: ● An indication in an RRC message, e.g., RRCReconfiguration, to indicate that the reconfiguration is due to downgrading the UE configuration to restricted UE capabilities. ● An indication in an RRC message, e.g., RRCReconfiguration, to indicate that the reconfiguration is due to upgrading the UE configuration to full UE capabilities / unrestricted UE capabilities.

[0018] Upon establishing or resuming a connection with network B (while maintaining a connection with network A), the M-USIM UE may indicate that its capabilities are limited (e.g., carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) is not possible), and the network will send an acknowledgement to the UE's request to limit the UE capabilities.

[0019] In addition, the network can provide configurations for both limited and full capabilities in the RRCReconfiguration message, and the UE can acknowledge to the network which configuration applies in the RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0020] According to some embodiments, there is provided a method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, wherein the UE has an ongoing first service using the first network according to a first subscription, the method including: establishing or resuming a second service using the second network according to a second subscription; and indicating to the second network that the user equipment has capabilities for the second service that differ from capabilities previously indicated to the radio access technology node.

[0021] According to some embodiments, there is provided a method performed by a network node in a second network for communicating with a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service with the first network according to a first subscription, the method including: establishing or resuming a second service with the UE according to the second subscription; and receiving an indication from the UE that the UE has capabilities for the second service that differ from capabilities previously indicated to the radio access technology node.

[0022] According to some embodiments, a method is provided that is performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, where the UE has an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service. The method includes sending a first request to the first network, the first request requesting a reduction of the configured UE capabilities for the ongoing service to also enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription, and receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request to reduce the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0023] According to some embodiments, a method is provided that is performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having a first ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service with a second network according to a second subscription, and one or more UE capabilities of the UE being restricted or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription. The method includes, after terminating the second ongoing service according to the second subscription, sending a first request to the first network, the first request requesting an increase in the UE capabilities configured for the first ongoing service, and receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the UE capability increase is accepted or rejected.

[0024] According to some embodiments, there is provided a method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to concurrently use two or more subscriptions to communicate with one or more networks, wherein the UE has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service. The method includes receiving a reconfiguration message from the first network, wherein the reconfiguration message has a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities, selecting one of the first configuration and the second configuration to use for the ongoing service, and sending an acknowledgment to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service.

[0025] According to some embodiments, a method is provided that is performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, where a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service with the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service. The method includes receiving a first request from the UE, the first request requesting a reduction of the configured UE capabilities for the ongoing service to also enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription, and transmitting a first acknowledgment to the UE, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the reduction of the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0026] According to some embodiments, a method is provided that is performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has a first ongoing service with the first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service with a second network according to a second subscription, the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, and the one or more UE capabilities of the UE are limited or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription. The method includes receiving a first request from the UE, the first request requesting an increase in the configured UE capability for the first ongoing service, and sending a first acknowledgment to the UE, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0027] According to some embodiments, there is provided a method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, where a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service with the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service. The method includes sending a reconfiguration message to the UE, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with the one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities, and receiving an acknowledgment from the UE indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service.

[0028] According to some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks is provided, the UE comprising processing circuitry adapted to cause the user equipment, when the UE has an ongoing first service using the first network according to the first subscription, to send a first request to the first network, the first request requesting a reduction in UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service to also enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription, and receive a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the reduction in UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0029] According to some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks is provided, the UE having a processing circuit adapted to cause the UE to have a first ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service with either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, where if one or more UE capabilities of the UE that enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription or the second subscription are limited or disabled, after terminating the second ongoing service according to the second subscription, send a first request to the first network, the first request requesting an increase in the UE capabilities configured for the first ongoing service, and receive a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the increase in UE capabilities was accepted or rejected.

[0030] According to some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks is provided, the UE having processing circuitry adapted to cause the UE, when the UE has an ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and the UE has been configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, to receive a reconfiguration message from the first network, where the reconfiguration message includes a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities, to select one of the first configuration and the second configuration to use for the ongoing service, and to send an acknowledgment to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service.

[0031] According to some embodiments, a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network is provided, the RAN node having processing circuitry adapted to cause the RAN node to, when a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service with the first network according to a first subscription and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, receive a first request from the UE, the first request requesting a reduction of the configured UE capabilities for the ongoing service to enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription, and send a first acknowledgment to the UE, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the reduction of the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0032] According to some embodiments, a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network is provided, the RAN node having processing circuitry adapted to cause the RAN node to, when a user equipment (UE) has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, the one or more UE capabilities of the UE being limited or disabled to allow the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, receive a first request from the UE, the first request requesting an increase in the configured UE capabilities for the first ongoing service, and send a first acknowledgment to the UE, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for the increase in UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0033] According to some embodiments, a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network is provided, the RAN node having processing circuitry adapted to cause, when the user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription and the UE has been configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, to send a reconfiguration message to the UE, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more UE capabilities, and receive an acknowledgment from the UE indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service.

[0034] According to some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) is provided that is adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having processing circuitry adapted to cause the UE, when the UE has an ongoing first service using the first network according to the first subscription, to establish or resume a second service using the second network according to a second subscription, and to indicate to the second network that the user equipment has different capabilities for the second service.

[0035] According to some embodiments, there is provided a network node in a second network for communicating with a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the network node having processing circuitry adapted to cause the network node to, if the UE has an ongoing first service with the first network according to the first subscription, establish or resume a second service with the UE according to a second subscription, and receive an indication from the UE that the UE has different capabilities for the second service.

[0036] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: A MUSIM UE may be connected in (at least) two networks, and each network may recognize that the UE is using limited capabilities. In this way, misconfiguration of the UE is avoided.

[0037] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: A UE may be reconfigured to be in RRC_CONNECTED state with multiple networks simultaneously, adapting the configuration of available radio resources to the UE's current needs and / or circumstances, e.g., maximizing throughput for data transmission / reception using one subscription while preserving / maintaining a phone call using another subscription. The method may also enable a UE to operate in RRC_CONNECTED state with multiple networks simultaneously while still meeting regulatory requirements related to human radio exposure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] For a better understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0039] [Figure 1] shows a high level procedure to enable a dual Rx / dual Tx M-USIM UE to indicate preference for temporary UE capability restriction so that it can connect to two networks simultaneously.

[0040] [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method according to some embodiments.

[0041] [Figure 3]1 is a flowchart illustrating a method according to some embodiments.

[0042] [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a method according to some embodiments.

[0043] [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a UE in accordance with various embodiments.

[0044] [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a UE in accordance with various embodiments.

[0045] [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a RAN node in a first network according to various embodiments.

[0046] [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a RAN node in a first network according to various embodiments.

[0047] [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a RAN node in a first network, according to various embodiments.

[0048] [Figure 10] 1 illustrates an example of a communication system according to some embodiments.

[0049] [Figure 11] 1 illustrates a UE according to some embodiments.

[0050] [Figure 12] 1 illustrates a network node according to some embodiments.

[0051] [Figure 13] is a block diagram of a host.

[0052] [Figure 14] is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0053] [Figure 15] 1 illustrates a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0054] Some of the presently contemplated embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: The embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0055] In this disclosure, "Network A" and "Network B" are considered to be two networks in which a multi-USIM UE can be or be simultaneously in the RRC_CONNECTED state. However, the solutions described herein are also applicable when the UE is connected to more than two networks, and one skilled in the art will understand how the method is performed in a scenario with more than two networks.

[0056] A UE may have multiple USIMs (i.e., two or more USIMs), and a use case for multiple USIMs is for different USIMs to be associated with different networks, where each network may be a PLMN or a non-public network (NPN). However, it is also possible for a UE to have multiple USIMs associated with the same network, e.g., for a UE to have two USIMs from the same operator (e.g., a user may have one USIM for a personal subscription and another USIM for a work or business subscription), or for example, for a UE to have two USIMs from different operators that use the same radio access network (RAN), i.e., different operators share the same RAN. Thus, while many of the method examples described herein are based on multiple SIMs being associated with different networks, it is understood that the methods can also be applied to scenarios where multiple USIMs are associated with the same network, in which case "Network A" and "Network B" as used herein refer to connection to the network using a first USIM (USIM1) and a second USIM (USIM2), respectively.

[0057] Furthermore, in the described example, the network is a PLMN, but without loss of generality, the network may be any type of network, e.g., a non-public network (NPN). Furthermore, the two (or more) networks to which the UE is connected may be of different types, e.g., network A may be a PLMN and network B may be an NPN, or vice versa.

[0058] Additionally, while the technology is described with reference to operations, steps, and / or actions performed by a network (e.g., Network A or Network B), it will be appreciated that such operations, steps, and / or actions may be performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in the network, i.e., a node in the network that provides the air interface for the UE. In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the RAN node may be an eNB or eNodeB, and in a New Radio (NR) network, the RAN node may be a gNB or gNodeB.

[0059] The USIM of a UE may be in the form of a removable hardware USIM (e.g., a SIM card) or may be an embedded USIM (eUSIM). A particular UE may receive multiple removable hardware USIMs, or may have multiple eUSIMs, or may have one or more of both types of USIM.

[0060] Herein, the term "UE capabilities" refers to different capabilities or functions of a UE that can be activated / enabled / unrestricted and deactivated / disabled / restricted. Examples of UE capabilities related to the use or non-use of multiple subscriptions / USIMs include the use of dual connectivity (DC), the use of carrier aggregation (CA), the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), the use of aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2), the number of DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) and primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG) for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2), a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations, and a UE power class.

[0061] "UE capabilities" may be defined as UE radio access capabilities, which may be further defined as follows: ● A list of containers, each container indicating the UE capabilities for a particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) or Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC). ● UE Capability Information Message This may be segmented o This may include filters related to UE capabilities requested from the network ● UE response to UECapabilityEnquiry message Containers stored in the core network (CN) and / or RAT nodes that can be transferred between the CN and RAT nodes. ● An ID that can refer to any of the items listed above ● Structures (e.g., messages, IEs, containers) that contain functions divided into multiple granularities, e.g., per UE, per band (frequency band), per band combination (BC), per feature set combination, per feature set, per feature set per contiguous carrier (CC).

[0062] A "restricted UE capability" may be defined as a version of a UE capability, i.e., a UE capability that includes at least one different feature compared to a UE capability previously received by a RAT node, and the RAT node is notified of the differences included in such UE capability. This may be further defined as follows: ● Include only features not supported by the UE o In this way, the UE capability version may include, for example, NR-DC support, and may indicate that the UE does not support NR-DC in that version of the UE capability. What is supported by the UE does not need to be indicated, as this can be extracted from the UE capabilities previously received by the RAT node. ● For example, a list of UE capability versions: o A UE may include one version of UE capabilities that indicates support for NR-DC but not support for NR CA for at least one band combination, and another version that indicates support for NR CA but not support for NR-DC for at least one band combination. o The UE may include one version of its UE capabilities that does not include features that require 2Tx / 2Tx from the UE, e.g., support for more than two MIMO layers. ● Registration update procedure. The UE can then provide its version of UE capabilities to the RAT node when requested by the RAT node, e.g., via a UECapabilityEnquiry message.

[0063] The previous disclosure proposes a high-level procedure for enabling a dual Rx / dual Tx M-USIM UE to indicate a preference for temporary UE capability restriction so that it can connect to two networks simultaneously. This procedure is shown in Figure 1, and the following numbered paragraphs relate to the respective numbered signals in Figure 1. The procedure in Figure 1 relates to a UE with two USIMs: USIM1 for Network A (NW-A) and USIM2 for Network B (NW-B). The following signaling is shown in Figure 1:

[0064] 1. The UE registers with network A. a. The UE uploads the UE capabilities related to Network A (denoted as "UEcapA") to Network A. b. Network A configures the UE according to the provided UE capabilities.

[0065] 2. The UE registers with network B. a. The UE uploads the UE capabilities related to Network B (denoted as "UEcapB") to Network B. b. Network B configures the UE according to the provided UE capabilities.

[0066] Thus, the UE is registered with two networks and provided with the relevant UE capabilities. The UE may provide full capabilities in both of the networks.

[0067] 3. The UE starts service in network A. a. The UE is in RRC_CONNECTED mode only in network A. b. The UE is in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state in Network B. Possible UE behaviors are to perform camp cell evaluation, perform neighbor cell measurements, perform paging monitoring, and / or perform System Information Block (SIB) reading for Network B.

[0068] 4. After a while, the UE needs to connect to network B.

[0069] 5. The UE sends UE assistance information (denoted as "UEAssistanceInformation") to Network A to request that certain capabilities be (temporarily) disabled. The UE assistance information may indicate certain UE capabilities that the UE wants or needs to be disabled.

[0070] 6. Network A accepts the request and disables certain capabilities of the UE (possibly temporarily, i.e. for a defined period of time or until a timer expires), i.e. one or more of the UE capabilities that were active or unrestricted before the transmission of the UE assistance information are disabled / restricted / deactivated by Network A. a. Network A can configure the UE with reduced capabilities using an RRC reconfiguration procedure or lower layer means (e.g., Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) / Downlink Control Information (DCI) indication). b. Network A or the UE may trigger an adaptation (downgrade) for ongoing services in network A.

[0071] 7. The UE uses a specific capability to connect to network B. a. The UE is currently in RRC_CONNECTED mode in both networks (Network A and Network B). b. Network B may configure the UE with reduced capabilities using an RRC reconfiguration procedure or lower layer means (eg, MAC CE / DCI indication). c. Network B or the UE may trigger an adaptation (downgrade) for ongoing services in network B.

[0072] 8. The service between the UE and network A continues at a reduced capacity.

[0073] 9. After a certain time, the service between the UE and network B is terminated, and the UE disconnects from network B. At this point, the UE is in RRC_CONNECTED mode in network A and in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE mode in network B.

[0074] 10. The UE may send UE assistance information to Network A requesting that certain capabilities be re-enabled. That is, the UE may request that one or more of the UE capabilities that are currently restricted or disabled (e.g., one or more of the UE capabilities that were restricted or disabled in step 6) be re-enabled. According to some embodiments, the UE may request that complete (i.e., all) UE capabilities be re-enabled for the UE.

[0075] 11. Network A may accept the UE request and re-enable all of the previously disabled capabilities, or may re-enable only a subset of those capabilities (i.e., one or more, but not all). a. Network A may reconfigure the UE with the re-enabled capabilities using an RRC reconfiguration procedure or lower layer means (e.g., MAC CE / DCI indication). b. Network A or the UE may trigger an adaptation (upgrade) for ongoing services in network A.

[0076] The UE and network A continue to use the full (re-enabled) capabilities.

[0077] As shown in the procedure of Figure 1, a UE can register with two networks and provide full capabilities. However, when the UE connects to network B (while maintaining a connection with network A), it may only operate with limited capabilities.

[0078] Embodiments described herein provide methods that allow a MUSIM UE to indicate that its capabilities are limited upon establishment or resumption of a connection with network B (e.g., a second network). Some embodiments also provide methods for providing an indication of limited capabilities. Both the UE side and the network side are considered.

[0079] FIG. 2 illustrates a method according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a method according to a particular embodiment. The method of FIG. 2 may be performed by a UE or a wireless device (e.g., a UE 1012 or a UE 1100, as described below with respect to FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively). The UE may perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The UE may be configured to concurrently use two or more subscriptions to communicate with one or more networks, and the UE has an ongoing first service using the first network according to the first subscription. The method begins in step 202 with establishing or resuming a second service using a second network according to a second subscription. The first network may be the same as the second network. In step 204, the method includes indicating to the second network that the user equipment has limited capabilities for the second service. The first network may be referred to as Network A, and the second network may be referred to as Network B.

[0080] According to some embodiments, the method of FIG. 2 further includes transmitting an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service.

[0081] FIG. 3 illustrates a method according to some embodiments.

[0082] FIG. 3 illustrates a method according to a particular embodiment. The technique of FIG. 3 may be performed by a network node (e.g., network node 1010 or network node 1200, as described below in connection with FIGS. 10 and 12, respectively). The network node can perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The network node may be part of a second network and may be configured to communicate with a UE configured to concurrently use two or more subscriptions to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service using the first network according to the first subscription. The method begins in step 302 with establishing or resuming a second service with the UE according to the second subscription. In step 304, the method includes receiving an indication from the UE that the UE has limited capability for the second service. The first network may be referred to as network A, and the second network may be referred to as network B. The first network and the second network may be the same network.

[0083] In some examples, step 204 or step 304 occurs upon setting up or re-opening a connection with a second network (eg, network B).

[0084] According to some examples, step 204 or step 304 includes a user equipment device (UE) sending a one-bit notification to the second network indicating that the UE has limited capability for the second service.

[0085] According to some examples, the one-bit notification is sent in one of an RRCSetupRequest message (e.g., when in RRC_IDLE), an RRCResumeRequest message (e.g., when in RRC_INACTIVE), an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0086] According to some examples, if the UE included a one-bit indication in the RRCSetupRequest or RRCResumeRequest message, the UE may transmit a list of limited capabilities in a subsequent RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete message. In another alternative, the UE transmits a list of currently supported features in the RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete message. In other words, in response to transmitting the one-bit indication in the RRCSetupRequest or RRCResumeRequest message, the UE transmits an indication in the message indicating a first capability that is supported in the second service or an indication indicating a second capability that is not supported in the second service. The message may include an RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete message.

[0087] According to some examples, step 204 or step 304 includes the UE sending an information element to the second network indicating that the user equipment has limited capabilities for the second service. The information element may be sent in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message. The information element may indicate that one or more types of capabilities are limited. In other words, the information element may indicate that some types of capabilities are limited (e.g., component carrier (CC) limitation, bandwidth (BW) limitation, etc.) without indicating the actual values ​​of the limitations.

[0088] According to some embodiments, the first capabilities supported in the second service are transmitted in a UECapabilityInformation message. According to some examples, the UE transmits an indication of the first capabilities in response to receiving a UECapabilityEnquiry message from the second network. For example, if a UECapabilityEnquiry is received from the network, the UE may transmit a list of currently supported first capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message (e.g., limited UE capabilities). A new information element may be used to convey such first capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation, and the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication that the first capabilities are a subset of the set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

[0089] In another example, the UE may include both the normal UE capabilities and the first capabilities in separate entities in the UECapabilityInformation message. In another example, the UE may include both the normal UE capabilities and the first capabilities in the same list, e.g., the UE may include an indication for each of the normal UE capabilities, including one of the first capabilities.

[0090] According to some embodiments, the UE may send the first or second capabilities in a UEAssistanceInformation message, for example, if configured to do so by the second network.

[0091] According to some embodiments, the UE may transmit an indication of the first capabilities or an indication of the second capabilities in response to receiving a request to report the first capabilities or the second capabilities. For example, the UE may receive a UEInformationRequest message from a second network (e.g., a serving cell in network B).

[0092] For example, the UEInformationRequest message may include an indication that second capabilities should be reported. Based on the request, the UE may transmit a UEInformationResponse message providing an indication of the second capabilities. According to some examples, the UEInformationRequest message may include a request to report first capabilities. Based on the request, the UE may transmit a UEInformationResponse message providing the first capabilities.

[0093] According to some examples, the indication of the first capability or the second capability sent by the UE to the second network may include one or more of the following:

[0094] ● The maximum aggregate bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers in the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2) (FR1 defines a band in the sub-6 GHz spectrum (although 7125 MHz may be a maximum), and FR2 defines a band in the mmWave spectrum).

[0095] ● For the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2), the maximum number of downlink and uplink secondary cells in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of downlink and uplink primary and secondary cells in the secondary cell group.

[0096] ● Maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for the second frequency range (FR2)

[0097] ● A list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released.

[0098] ● A list of band combinations regarding whether measurement gaps / network-controlled small gaps (NCSGs) are required for the target New Radio (NR) / Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) bands that need to be updated.

[0099] ● One or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network. The restricted power class may be indicated by the UE on a per-UE basis (e.g., applying to all bands), per-band basis (e.g., applying to a specific band), or per-band combination basis (e.g., applying to a specific band combination, such as a specific UL CA configuration). The UE power class may define the maximum output power supported by the UE for transmitting signals when operating on a specific frequency band or band combination. Examples of UE power classes are Power Class 1 (e.g., 31 dBm), Power Class 1.5 (e.g., 29 dBm), Power Class 2 (e.g., 26 dBm), Power Class 3 (e.g., 23 dBm), Power Class 5 (e.g., 20 dBm), etc. For example, a UE may support a maximum UE power class 1.5 (29 dBm) and indicate that its restricted UE power class is Power Class 3 and / or Power Class 2 when operating in network B. In another example, a UE may indicate that it supports a maximum UE power class 2 (26 dBm) and that its limited UE power class is power class 3 when operating with network B. Thus, because network A and network B do not independently coordinate and / or schedule the UE, the UE power class limit may enable the UE to meet regulatory requirements related to human radiation exposure, such as electromagnetic power density exposure requirements provided by regulatory agencies, such as specific absorption rate (SAR).

[0100] ● Limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC). In other words, the UE may indicate a limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC) that enables the UE to perform operations in Network B as part of reduced UE configuration / capability. The MUDC represents the maximum percentage of time resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subframes) during a certain evaluation period (e.g., T1 seconds such as 1 second) that can be scheduled for uplink transmission to ensure that the UE meets the exposure requirements (e.g., electromagnetic energy absorption requirements such as SAR) specified by the regulatory authorities. For example, the UE may support a certain maximum value of MUDC (e.g., X1 percentage). However, when operating in Network B, the UE may indicate to the network node in the assistance information that it uses the lower limit value (limiting value) of MUDC (e.g., X2 percent, etc.). In one example, X2 < X1. In another example, X1 = 80% and X2 = 50%. Thanks to the reduced ability / configuration of MUDC when operating in Network B, according to one example, the UE may be able to use its maximum UE power class (e.g., PC 1.5). In another example, even when using the limited MUDC for operations in Network B, the UE may indicate that it uses a limited UE power class (e.g., PC2 or PC3).

[0101] ● Restricted MIMO configuration for UE operation in the second network. For example, the UE may indicate that it can be configured with up to N MIMO layers to operate signals in network B, where N < Nmax and Nmax is the maximum (unrestricted) number of MIMO layers supported by the UE. The parameter N may be the same for uplink and downlink MIMO operation in network B, or N may be different for uplink and downlink MIMO operation in network B, e.g., N1 for a limited number of UL downlink MIMO layers and N2 for a limited number of downlink MIMO layers. In one example, N=2 and Nmax=4. In another example, N1=1 and N2=2. The UE may have to restrict its MIMO configuration due to insufficient baseband resources, for example, when operating on two networks A and B.

[0102] ● Limited receive (Rx) chains and / or panels for the UE's operation in a second network. For example, the UE may indicate that it can be configured with a maximum of N Rx chains for operating signals in network B, where N < Nmax and Nmax is the maximum (unlimited) number of Rx chains / panels supported by the UE. In one example, N=2 and Nmax=4. In another example, N1=1 and N2=2. The UE may have to limit its Rx chain configuration due to insufficient beam resources, for example, when operating on two networks A and B.

[0103] ● A restricted UE receiver configuration for the UE to operate with the second network. The UE receiver configuration may be characterized by one or more of the following: the number of receivers or receive antenna ports (Rx), the ability to mitigate, remove or minimize intra-cell and / or inter-cell interference or interfering signals (e.g., an interference reduction receiver, such as an interference cancellation and combining (IRC) receiver or an interference removal receiver). Examples of interfering signals are a reference signal (e.g., CRS) in the serving cell or an interfering cell, a signal transmitted by a network node (e.g., base station (BS)) to other UEs in the serving cell or an interfering cell, inter-MIMO layer or inter-stream interference caused by a signal transmitted by a network node to the same UE but on a different MIMO / other layer.

[0104] o For example, the UE may indicate that it may use up to M receivers to receive signals in network B, where M < Mmax and Mmax is the maximum (unlimited) number of receivers (e.g., receive antenna ports) supported by the UE. In one example, M=2, but Mmax=4. In another example, M=1, and Mmax=2. The UE may have to restrict the UE receiver configuration due to insufficient baseband resources, for example, when operating on two networks A and B.

[0105] o In another example, the UE may indicate that the UE cannot perform interference mitigation for receiving signals in network B. The indication for a restricted UE receiver configuration may further indicate that the UE cannot perform certain types of interference mitigation, e.g., the UE cannot perform inter-cell interference mitigation but not intra-cell interference mitigation, the UE cannot perform CRS interference cancellation / mitigation, etc.

[0106] o In another example, the UE may indicate that it can receive signals without limiting the number of receiver antennas, but cannot perform interference mitigation for receiving signals in network B.

[0107] o In another example, the UE may indicate that it can receive signals using a limited number of receiver antennas, but can perform interference mitigation for receiving signals in network B.

[0108] ● Restricted duplex mode (DM) for UE operation in the second network. Restricted DM may be indicated by the UE on a per-UE basis (e.g., applies to all bands), per-band basis (e.g., applies to a specific band), or per-band combination basis (e.g., applies to a specific band combination, such as a specific UL CA configuration). Examples of duplex modes are frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (FDD), half-duplex FDD (HD-FDD), full duplex (FD), etc. In an FDD operation mode, a device transmits a signal and the same device receives a signal on different carrier frequency channels. In a TDD operation mode, a device transmits a signal and the same device receives a signal on the same carrier frequency channel, but within different time resources that do not overlap in time. In an HD-FDD operation mode, a device transmits a signal and the same device receives a signal on different carrier frequencies and different time resources that do not overlap in time. In FD operation mode, the transmission of signals by a device and the reception of signals by the same device occur on the same carrier frequency and during the same time resource. Some examples of restricted DM as indicated by the UE are:

[0109] o For example, a UE that supports FDD may indicate that it can operate using only HD-FDD in network B.

[0110] o In another example, a UE that supports FD may indicate that it can operate using one or more of HD-FDD, FDD, and TDD in network B.

[0111] ● Restricted processing capability for the UE operation in the second network. Examples of restricted processing capability are longer processing delay requirements for RRC procedures compared to unrestricted processing capability, longer HARQ feedback delays for reception of DL channels (e.g., PDSCH) compared to unrestricted processing capability, and longer channel state indicator (CSI) feedback delays for reporting CSI results (e.g., channel quality indicator (CQI), rank indicator, L1 reference signal received power (RSRP), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), etc.) compared to unrestricted processing capability.

[0112] ● Restricted Sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network. SL operation may include operating (sending and / or receiving) signals between at least two UEs on a sidelink, which is a direct communication link between the UEs. Examples of SL operation / communication are V2X, Device-to-Device (D2D), etc. Restricted SL operation may include any one or more of the following:

[0113] ○ Do not perform any type of SL while operating on Network B

[0114] o Do not perform certain types of SL while operating in network B, e.g., do not perform SL on a shared carrier (between cellular / WAN operation and SL operation), do not perform SL on a dedicated carrier (carrier used only for SL operation), do not perform SL relay operation (e.g., the UE cannot be configured as an SL relay to serve other SL UEs), etc.

[0115] While operating in network B, only perform SL on a single carrier, i.e., do not perform SL CA.

[0116] While operating in network B, only perform SL on carriers on the same band, i.e. do not perform inter-band SL CA.

[0117] Run SL using only a subset of SL operation modes, e.g. ◆ Broadcast or multicast operation mode, ie, only using the SL to send and / or receive broadcast or multicast signals. ◆ Uses only unicast operation mode, i.e. transmits and / or receives between the SL and another UE in peer-to-peer communication.

[0118] ● Restricted operation of Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) in the second network when the UE operates in the second network. This allows the UE to use its restricted resources to perform and operate enhanced mobile broadband (MBB) operations in network B. The restricted URLLC operation may include one or more restricted functions related to URLLC. The restricted functions may include any one or more of the following: The UE cannot support PUCCH cell switching, e.g., the UE indicates that it cannot switch PUCCH transmission between PCell, PSCell, PUCCH SCell, or PUCCH sSCell, etc. o The UE cannot support PUSCH transmissions for durations less than a threshold (e.g., 7 symbols).

[0119] ● Limited measurement capability for UE operation in a second network for NeedForGaps and / or NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap) capability. A spare radio frequency (RF) chain for measurements on network A may be used for network B processing, and the UE may update the band combination state, which may require a measurement gap or NCSG band for measurements.

[0120] o When a UE reports that it supports NeedForGaps in network A and also indicates that it operates in network B, the information element (IE) NeedForGapsInfoNR, which indicates whether measurement gaps are required for the UE to perform SSB measurements based on the NR target band, should be updated.

[0121] o When a UE reports that it supports NCSG in network A and also indicates that it operates in network B, the IEs NeedForGapNCSG-InfoNR and NeedForGapNCSG-InfoEUTRA, which indicate whether a measurement gap or NCSG is required for the UE to perform SSB measurements based on the target band, should be updated.

[0122] ● Limited extended measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities. In other words, when the UE operates in network B, extended measurement capabilities, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities, may be limited. Measurement gaps for network A may be required by default, regardless of whether the UE reports band combination status for gaps and / or NCSG.

[0123] According to some examples, the UE may indicate timing information related to or associated with the second capability that is restricted in the second service. In other words, when reporting information about any of the restricted capabilities (e.g., in any of the above examples), the UE may further indicate timing information related to or associated with the restricted capability. In one example, the same indicated timing information applies to all restricted capabilities. In one example, the indicated timing information applies to one or more groups of restricted capabilities. In this (latter) case, separate timing information may be indicated for each group of restricted capabilities. For example, the timing information may indicate a time period (Tp) during which the restricted capability is applicable when the UE operates in network B. The UE may further indicate, or may be predefined (e.g., in a specification), that at times outside the indicated time period (Tp), the UE can operate in network B without any capability limitation, or the UE cannot operate in network B even with capability limitation, or the UE behavior is undefined (e.g., the behavior of the UE with or without capability limitation in network B is undefined, not guaranteed, or may operate on a best-effort basis, or may not meet requirements). The timing information may include one or more of the following timing parameters:

[0124] o Start of reference time (Ts), e.g., the start time instance when restricted capabilities are applicable to UE operation in network B. This may also be a time in the future, e.g., to allow the UE to complete one or more ongoing tasks, such as post-processing data received by the UE from a cell in another network (e.g., network B).

[0125] ○ The period (Tp) during which the limited capacity is applicable. Tp starts from Ts.

[0126] o An end reference time (Te), for example, a time instance when restricted capabilities are not applicable due to UE operation in network B. In one example, Te=Tr+Ts.

[0127] o The parameters Tr and Te may be expressed in terms of absolute time such as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time, network time or frame counter (e.g. frame number such as system frame number (SFN), hyperframe number such as H-SFN, subframe number, slot number, SFN or H-SFN combination, and time resource number such as subframe number, etc.) and / or time resource number (e.g. subframe number, slot number, symbol number, etc.).

[0128] In some examples, when the second network (e.g., a network node performing method 3) receives an indication that the UE capabilities are limited (by one of the alternatives above), the second network configures the UE with a "basic" configuration, i.e., the UE may be configured with only basic, required supported capabilities.

[0129] According to one embodiment, a network node (eg, a serving cell in network B) waits to receive the first or second capabilities in an RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete message from the UE.

[0130] According to some examples, a network node in the second network may configure the UE to report the first capability or the second capability through a UEAssistanceInformation message.

[0131] According to some examples, the network node obtains the first capabilities or the second capabilities by sending a UEInformationRequest message, which may include an indication of whether the UE should report the first capabilities or the second capabilities.

[0132] According to some examples, a network node obtains currently supported capabilities by sending a UEInformationRequest message, the message including an indication reporting the currently supported capabilities.

[0133] In some examples, a network node may extract capabilities currently supported by a UE by sending a UECapabilityEnquiry message, which may include an indication to report the currently supported capabilities.

[0134] According to another embodiment, when a network node (e.g., a serving cell in network B) receives the first or second capabilities (RRCSetupComplete / RRCResumeComplete, or UEInformationResponse, or UEAssistanceInformation), the network node appropriately reconfigures the UE by knowing the current (e.g., limited) UE capabilities.

[0135] A network node (e.g., a serving cell in network B) may reconfigure the UE based on the first capability and / or the second capability (e.g., restricted UE capability) starting from a reference time (Ts) indicated by the UE. Application of the first capability and / or the second capability may be possible starting from Ts. The network (e.g., a serving cell in network B) may further operate the UE in the first capability and / or the second capability for a duration / temporal period (Tp). Tp is indicated by the UE to which the restriction applies.

[0136] The network node (e.g., a serving cell in network B) may further cease UE operation in network B at or before an end reference time (Te), which may be indicated by the UE, after which one or more restrictions no longer apply.

[0137] According to some embodiments, a network node in network B (e.g. network node 1) may exchange the first capabilities and / or the second capabilities (e.g. restricted UE capabilities) with a second (target) node in network B (network node 2) over the Xn interface, for example via a HANDOVER REQUEST, S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST or UE Context Information- Retrieve UE Context Response message.

[0138] Non-limiting implementation examples include: This IE contains the UE Capability ID as defined in TS 23.003

[22] .

[0139] ┌────────────┬──┬──┬──────┬───────────┐ │IE / Group │Existence │Scope │IE Type and │Semantic Description │ │ │ │ │Reference│ │ ├────────────┼──┼──┼──────┼───────────┤ │UE Radio Capability ID │M │ │Octet │ │ │ │ │ │String │ │ ├────────────┼──┼──┼──────┼───────────┤ │ UE Radio Restriction Capability ID │ O │ │ octet │ │ │ │ │ │ String │ │ └────────────┴──┴──┴──────┴───────────┘

[0140] According to some examples, a network node in network B (e.g., network node 1) informs a second (target) node in network B (network node 2) that the UE capabilities are restricted by sending a flag over the Xn interface, for example, through a Handover Request, S-Node Addition Request, or UE Context Information - Retrieve UE Context Response message, and network node 2 then fetches the requested UE capabilities.

[0141] Non-limiting implementation examples include: This IE contains the UE Capability ID as defined in TS 23.003

[22] .

[0142] ┌────────────┬──┬──┬──────┬───────────┐ │IE / Group │Existence │Scope │IE Type and │Semantic Description │ │ │ │ │Reference│ │ ├────────────┼──┼──┼──────┼───────────┤ │UE Radio Capability ID │M │ │Octet │ │ │ │ │ │String │ │ ├────────────┼──┼──┼──────┼───────────┤ │ UE Radio Restriction Capability ID │ O │ │ Enumerations │ │ │ │ │ │ (true) │ │ └────────────┴──┴──┴──────┴───────────┘

[0143] Some embodiments described in this disclosure enable a network (e.g., network A in FIG. 1 above) to acknowledge a UE capability restriction request from a UE (e.g., the request sent / received in step 6). Furthermore, the network (e.g., network A) can reconfigure a UE in a CONNECTED state according to the restricted UE capabilities. This restriction of UE capabilities can be temporary, for example, until a timer expires or a predetermined period of time has passed, or the restriction can be until the UE requests that capabilities be re-enabled. In other words, the techniques described herein include methods for acknowledging to a UE that its UE configuration should be downgraded (i.e., UE capabilities are restricted) by network reconfiguration.

[0144] A serving node (e.g., eNB or gNB) in network A can indicate to the UE that the configuration is in accordance with the restricted UE capabilities to enable the UE to perform a connection in / to another network (e.g., network B). According to some embodiments, the serving node in network A includes an indication in an RRC message, e.g., an RRCReconfiguration message, initiated after the UE requests to restrict its capabilities, thereby restricting the UE configuration for M-USIM procedures. This causes the network to acknowledge to the UE that the restricted capabilities have been accepted / confirmed. Furthermore, the UE is reconfigured with the restricted UE capabilities (i.e., one or more of the UE capabilities that were previously enabled and are now restricted / disabled). For example, in step 6 of FIG. 1 above, network A can store the received UE assistance information related to the reduced capabilities for M-USIM. The restricted configuration is verified and activated by the UE upon receipt of an RRC message, e.g., an RRCReconfiguration.

[0145] According to another or further embodiment, when a UE requests to enable full (or multiple) UE capabilities due to releasing operation in another network (e.g., network B), the serving node in network A can acknowledge the UE's request via an RRC message, e.g., an RRCReconfiguration message. The network can indicate to the UE that the reconfiguration is in accordance with unrestricted (unrestricted) UE capabilities. By doing this, the network acknowledges to the UE that the request for unrestricted / unrestricted capabilities has been accepted. Furthermore, the UE is reconfigured with full UE capabilities (or at least with previously restricted / disabled UE capabilities). For example, in step 11 of FIG. 1, upon receiving the request to upgrade UE capabilities and applying the network reconfiguration, the UE and network A continue to use full capabilities.

[0146] A non-limiting implementation of the above embodiment is shown below: In particular, the data structure of the RRCReconfiguration message is shown, with the underlined portions indicating new fields and elements that can be used to implement the described techniques.

[0147] RRCReconfiguration Message

[0148] JPEG2025534196000002.jpg201164JPEG2025534196000003.jpg255149

[0149] ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ │ RRCReconfiguration field description │ ├──────────────────────────────────────┤ │RestrictedRRCReconfiguration│ │ Indicates whether restricted UE capabilities apply. │ │ If this field is set to true, restricted UE capabilities apply. │ │ If this field is set to false, the restricted UE capabilities are │ │ Not applicable. │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘

[0150] According to some embodiments, when the UE connects to network B (while in a connected state in network A), the UE may indicate its limited capabilities to network B. Network B further acknowledges the limited UE capabilities by using the mechanisms described in the above embodiments to indicate whether the UE's request is accepted or not.

[0151] According to an alternative embodiment, the network can configure the UE using an RRC message, e.g., a separate RestrictedRRCReconfiguration container within the RRCReconfiguration, that includes the downgraded UE configuration affected according to the restricted UE capabilities. This container can be added to the full capability-based configuration. In other words, network A can include associated configurations separately (in separate containers) for both full UE capabilities and restricted UE capabilities. In this case, the UE should send an acknowledgement to the network via an RRC message, e.g., an RRCReconfigurationComplete message, indicating which configuration has been selected for use. That is, the acknowledgement can indicate to the network whether the downgraded configuration related to the restricted capabilities should be applied or not.

[0152] A non-limiting implementation of the above alternative embodiment is shown below: In particular, the data structure of the RRCReconfiguration message is shown, with the underlined portions indicating new fields and elements that may be used to implement the described techniques.

[0153] RRCReconfiguration Message JPEG2025534196000004.jpg64164JPEG2025534196000005.jpg242163JPEG2025534196000006.jpg202170

[0154] RRCReconfigurationComplete Message JPEG2025534196000007.jpg40170JPEG2025534196000008.jpg239170

[0155] FIG. 4 illustrates a method according to some embodiments.

[0156] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a UE according to various embodiments. The UE may perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The UE may be a UE 1012 or a UE 1100, as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively. The UE is configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks. The UE has an ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service.

[0157] Accordingly, in step 402, the UE transmits a first request to the first network, the first request requesting a reduction in the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service to enable the UE to also communicate according to the second subscription.

[0158] In step 404, the UE receives a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request to reduce the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0159] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to limit or disable one or more of the UE capabilities for ongoing services. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0160] According to some embodiments, the method further includes reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the received reconfiguration message. After the reconfiguration, the method may further include communicating with the first network or the second network according to the second subscription. According to some embodiments, the method may further include sending a message to the first network or the second network indicating the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service according to the second subscription. According to some embodiments, the UE may receive a second acknowledgment from the first network or the second network, the second acknowledgment indicating whether the configured UE capabilities are accepted or rejected.

[0161] According to some embodiments, the first request is UE assistance information.

[0162] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is received in an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0163] The one or more UE capabilities may comprise one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0164] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a UE according to various embodiments. The UE may perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The UE may be a UE 1012 or a UE 1100, as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively. The UE is configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks. The UE has a first ongoing service using the first network according to the first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or the second network according to the second subscription. One or more UE capabilities of the UE are restricted or disabled to allow the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription.

[0165] Thus, in step 502, after terminating the second ongoing service according to the second subscription, the UE sends a first request to the first network, the first request requesting an increase in the UE capabilities configured for the first ongoing service.

[0166] In step 504, the UE receives a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0167] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE to unrestrict or enable one or more of the restricted or disabled UE capabilities. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request. According to some embodiments, the method further includes reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the received reconfiguration message.

[0168] According to some embodiments, the first request is UE assistance information.

[0169] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is received in an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0170] According to some embodiments, the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0171] Some embodiments provide a UE capable of performing both the method shown in FIG. 4 and the method shown in FIG.

[0172] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a UE according to various embodiments. The UE may perform the method in response to executing appropriately designed computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The UE may be a UE 1012 or a UE 1100, as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, respectively. The UE is configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks. The UE has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service.

[0173] In step 602, the UE receives a reconfiguration message from the first network. The reconfiguration message includes a first configuration and a second configuration, where the first configuration is to configure the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration is to configure the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities.

[0174] In step 604, the UE selects one of the first and second configurations to use for the ongoing service.

[0175] In step 606, the UE sends an acknowledgement to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service.

[0176] According to some embodiments, the acknowledgement is sent in a Reconfiguration Complete message. According to some embodiments, the acknowledgement is sent in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Reconfiguration Complete message.

[0177] According to some embodiments, the method further includes reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the selected configuration.

[0178] According to some embodiments, the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0179] 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a RAN node in a first network according to various embodiments. The RAN node can perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The RAN node may be a network node 1010 or a network node 1200, as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 12, respectively.

[0180] In step 702, the RAN node receives a first request from a UE. The UE is configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks. The UE has an ongoing service using a first network according to the first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service. The first request received in step 702 requests a reduction of the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service to also allow the UE to communicate according to the second subscription.

[0181] In step 704, the RAN node sends a first acknowledgment to the UE, the first acknowledgment indicating whether the request for reduction of the UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0182] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to limit or disable one or more of the UE capabilities for ongoing services. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0183] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the transmitted reconfiguration message.

[0184] According to some embodiments, after the reconfiguration, the method may further include communicating with the UE according to a second subscription, which may also be for the first network and may be with the same or a different operator as the first subscription. According to some embodiments, the method may further include receiving from the UE a message indicating UE capabilities configured for ongoing services according to the second subscription. According to some embodiments, the UE may send a second acknowledgment to the UE, which indicates whether the configured UE capabilities are accepted or rejected.

[0185] According to some embodiments, the first request is UE assistance information.

[0186] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgement is sent in an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0187] According to some embodiments, the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0188] 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a RAN node in a first network according to various embodiments. The RAN node can perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The RAN node may be a network node 1010 or a network node 1200, as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 12, respectively.

[0189] In step 802, the RAN node receives a first request from a UE. The UE has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription. The UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, and the one or more UE capabilities of the UE are limited or disabled to allow the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription. The first request received in step 802 requests an increase in the configured UE capabilities for the first ongoing service.

[0190] In step 804, the RAN node sends a first acknowledgment to the UE, which indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0191] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE to unrestrict or enable one or more of the restricted or disabled UE capabilities. According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0192] According to some embodiments, the first request is UE assistance information.

[0193] According to some embodiments, the first acknowledgement is sent in an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0194] According to some embodiments, the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0195] Some embodiments provide a RAN node capable of performing both the method shown in FIG. 7 and the method shown in FIG.

[0196] Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method performed by a RAN node in a first network according to various embodiments. The RAN node can perform the method in response to executing appropriately formulated computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be embodied on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, an optical disk, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product. The RAN node may be a network node 1010 or a network node 1200, as described below with reference to Figures 10 and 12, respectively.

[0197] In step 902, the RAN node sends a reconfiguration message to a UE. The UE has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service. The reconfiguration message sent in step 902 includes a first configuration and a second configuration. The first configuration is to configure the UE with one or more UE capabilities, and the second configuration is to configure the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities.

[0198] In step 904, the RAN node receives an acknowledgement from the UE indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service.

[0199] According to some embodiments, the acknowledgement is received in a reconfiguration complete message. According to some embodiments, the acknowledgement is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message.

[0200] According to some embodiments, the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0201] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a communication system 1000 according to some embodiments.

[0202] In the example, the communications system 1000 includes a telecommunications network 1002 including an access network 1004, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 1006 including one or more core network nodes 1008. The access network 1004 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1010a and 1010b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1010), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network nodes 1010 enable direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE)s (UEs), such as by connecting UEs 1012a, 1012b, 1012c, and 1012d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1012) to the core network 1006 via one or more wireless connections.

[0203] Exemplary wireless communications over wireless connections include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other data conductors. Additionally, in various embodiments, communications system 1000 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. Communications system 1000 may include and / or interface with any type of communications, telecommunications, data, cellular, wireless networks, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0204] The UE 1012 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including a wireless device positioned, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network node 1010 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network node 1010 is configured, configured to, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE 1012 and / or other network nodes or equipment within the telecommunications network 1002 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as management in the telecommunications network 1002.

[0205] According to the illustrated example, the core network 1006 connects the network node 1010 to one or more hosts, such as the host 1016. These connections may be direct or indirect through one or more intermediate networks or devices. In another example, a network node may be directly coupled to a host. The core network 1006 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., the core network node 1008) comprised of hardware and software components. The functionality of these components may be substantially similar to that described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore, these descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 1008. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier Deciphering Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0206] The host 1016 may be under the ownership or control of, and may be operated by, or on behalf of, a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 1004 and / or the telecommunications network 1002. The host 1016 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include providing live and / or pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services, such as searching and compiling data regarding various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytical functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and monitoring center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0207] 10 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, such as, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0208] According to some examples, the telecommunications network 1002 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the telecommunications network 1002 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the telecommunications network 1002. For example, the telecommunications network 1002 may provide Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs and / or providing Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) / Massive IoT services to additional UEs.

[0209] According to some examples, the UE 1012 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 1004 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network 1004. Additionally, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may be configured and operate in any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., for Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0210] In the example shown in FIG. 10 , the hub 1014 communicates with the access network 1004 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs 1012c and / or 1012d) and a network node (e.g., network node 1010b). According to some examples, the hub 1014 may be a controller, a router, a content source and analysis node, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to a UE. For example, the hub 1014 may be a broadband router that enables access to the core network 1006 for the UE. As another example, the hub 1014 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 1010, or by executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 1014. As another example, the hub 1014 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage for UE data and, according to some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of that data. As another example, the hub 1014 may be a content source. For example, in the case of a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, the hub 1014 can extract data related to VR assets, video, audio, or other media or sensory information via a network node, which the hub 1014 then provides directly to the UE, either after performing local processing and / or adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub 1014 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly if one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.

[0211] The hub 1014 can have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 1010b. The hub 1014 may also enable other communication schemes and / or schedules between the hub 1014 and the UEs (e.g., UEs 1012c and / or 1012d) and between the hub 1014 and the core network 1006. According to another example, the hub 1014 is connected to the core network 1006 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 1014 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 1004 and / or to other UEs over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 1010b while still being connected via the hub 1014 via a wired or wireless connection. According to some embodiments, the hub 1014 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communications from / to the network node 1010b to / from the UEs. According to other embodiments, the hub 1014 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UE and the network node 1010b, but that is also capable of operating as a communication origination and / or termination point for particular data channels.

[0212] 11 illustrates a UE 1100 according to some embodiments. As used herein, an example of a UE refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback appliances, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), automotive or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0213] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In another example, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but that may or may not initially be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but that may be associated with or operated for a user (e.g., a smart electricity meter).

[0214] The UE 1100 includes a processing circuit 1102 operably coupled to an input / output interface 1106, a power source 1108, a memory 1110, a communication interface 1112, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 1104. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 11. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0215] The processing circuit 1102 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in the memory 1110. The processing circuit 1102 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 1102 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuit 1102 may be operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other UE 1100 components such as the memory 1110, UE 1100 functionality, etc. For example, the processing circuit 1102 may be configured to cause the UE 1102 to perform the methods described with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, or FIG. 6.

[0216] In this example, the input / output interface 1106 may be configured to provide an interface to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, emitters, smart cards, other output devices, or any combination thereof. An input device may enable a user to capture information for the UE 1100. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, webcams, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, directional pads, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, gyroscope, tilt sensor, force sensor, magnetic sensor, optical sensor, proximity sensor, biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide input and output devices.

[0217] According to some embodiments, the power source 1108 is configured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a solar-powered device, or batteries, may also be used. The power source 1108 may further include power circuitry for delivering power to various parts of the UE 1100 from the power source 1108 itself and / or from the external power source via an interface, such as an input circuit or a power cable. The power transfer may be for charging the power source 1108, for example. The power circuitry may perform some shaping, conversion, or other modification of the power from the power source 1108 to make it suitable for each component of the UE 1100 to be powered.

[0218] The memory 1110 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. According to one example, the memory 1110 includes one or more application programs 1114, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data 1116. The memory 1110 may store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 1100.

[0219] The memory 1110 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD), an optical disk drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disk drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, an external mini-DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM (SDRAM), a smart card memory such as a tamper-resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs) such as a USIM and / or an ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly known as a "SIM card." The memory 1110 may enable the UE 1100 to access instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a transient or non-transitory memory medium to offload or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 1110, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0220] The processing circuit 1102 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface 1112. The communication interface 1112 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include, or be communicatively coupled to, an antenna 1122. The communication interface 1112 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1118 and / or receiver 1120 appropriate for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency-assigned, etc.). Additionally, the transmitter 1118 and receiver 1120 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1122) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware or may be implemented separately.

[0221] According to some embodiments, the communication capabilities of communication interface 1112 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth®, proximity communication, location-based communication such as using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as, for example, IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0222] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE can provide data output captured by its sensors via its communications interface 1112 to a network node over a wireless connection. Data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated via other UEs to the network node over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the load of notifications from multiple sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., moisture is detected and an alert is sent), on request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or as a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0223] As another example, a UE may include an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communications interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. The actuator, motor, or switch may change state in response to the received wireless input. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight in accordance with the received input, or that controls a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure in accordance with the received input.

[0224] If the UE is in the form of an IoT (Internet of Things) device, it may be a device for use in one or more application domains, including but not limited to wearable technology in the city, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are or are incorporated into devices such as connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting devices, electric meters, robot vacuums, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, flood / moisture sensors, electric door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems such as heat pumps, autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smart watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearables for haptic augmentation or sensory enhancement, water sprinklers, devices for tracking animals or items, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any type of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device, in addition to other components as described in connection with the UE 1100 shown in FIG. 11 .

[0225] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE, in this case, may be an M2M device, which may also be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP® context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP® NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, the UE may represent a means of transportation, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, or aircraft, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0226] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or integrated into a drone and provide drone speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When a user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the drone's throttle (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include more than one of the above-described functionalities. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0227] 12 illustrates a network node 1200 according to some embodiments. As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, and is configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0228] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power levels), and thus may be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may also be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna, such as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0229] Other examples of network nodes include multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as an MSR BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operations and maintenance (O&M) node, an operations support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC) and / or a minimized drive test (MDT).

[0230] Network node 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202, memory 1204, communications interface 1206, and power source 1208, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Network node 1200 may be comprised of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own respective components. In certain scenarios in which network node 1200 includes multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS and a BSC component), one or more separate components may be shared among multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such a scenario, each unique Node B and RNC pair may, in some cases, be considered a single, separate network node. In some embodiments, network node 1200 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be redundant (e.g., separate memories 1204 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1210 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 1200 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1200, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 1200.

[0231] The processing circuitry 1202 may include one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable, alone or in conjunction with other network node 1200 components, such as memory 1204, network node 1200 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 1202 may be configured to cause the network node to perform the methods described with respect to Figure 3, 7, 8, or 9.

[0232] According to some embodiments, processing circuitry 1202 comprises a system-on-chip (SOC). According to some embodiments, processing circuitry 1202 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1212 and baseband processing circuitry 1214. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1212 and baseband processing circuitry 1214 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1212 and baseband processing circuitry 1214 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0233] Memory 1204 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuit 1202. Memory 1204 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications that include one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions that can be executed by processing circuit 1202 and utilized by network node 1200. Memory 1204 may be used to store any computational results produced by processing circuit 1202 and / or any data received via communication interface 1206. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1202 and the memory 1204 are integrated.

[0234] The communications interface 1206 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or the UE. As shown, the communications interface 1206 includes a port / terminal 1216 for transmitting and receiving data to and from a network, for example, over a wired connection. The communications interface 1206 also includes a radio front-end circuit 1218 that is coupled to an antenna 1210 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna 1210. The radio front-end circuit 1218 includes a filter 1220 and an amplifier 1222. The radio front-end circuit 1218 may be connected to the antenna 1210 and the processing circuit 1202. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 1210 and the processing circuit 1202. The radio front-end circuit 1218 may receive digital data to be transmitted to another network node or the UE via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 1218 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1220 and / or amplifiers 1222. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 1210. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1210 may collect the radio signal, which is converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1218. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1202. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0235] According to certain alternative embodiments, network node 1200 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit 1218; instead, processing circuit 1202 includes the radio front-end circuitry and is connected to antenna 1210. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of RF transceiver circuitry 1212 is part of communications interface 1206. According to yet other embodiments, communications interface 1206 includes one or more ports or terminals 1216, radio front-end circuitry 1218, and RF transceiver circuitry 1212 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and communications interface 1206 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 1214 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0236] Antenna 1210 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1210 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 1218 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. According to an embodiment, antenna 1210 is separate from network node 1200 and may be connectable to network node 1200 through an interface or port.

[0237] Antenna 1210, communication interface 1206, and / or processing circuit 1202 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or some obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 1210, communication interface 1206, and / or processing circuit 1202 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment.

[0238] Power source 1208 provides power to the various components of network node 1200 in a form appropriate for each component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each component). Power source 1208 may include or be coupled to power management circuitry for providing power to the components of network node 1200 to perform the functionality described herein. For example, network node 1200 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuitry of power source 1208. As a further example, power source 1208 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated into the power circuitry. In the event of a failure of the external power source, the battery may provide backup power.

[0239] Embodiments of network node 1200 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 12 to provide particular aspects of network node functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality essential to supporting the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 1200 may include user interface devices that allow for the input of information into network node 1200 and the output of information from network node 1200. This allows a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on network node 1200.

[0240] 13 is a block diagram of a host 1300, which may be an embodiment of the host 1016 of FIG. 10, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 1300 may be or include hardware and / or software in various combinations, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 1300 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0241] Host 1300 includes a processing circuit 1302 operably coupled to an input / output interface 1306, a network interface 1308, a power supply 1310, and a memory 1312 via a bus 1304. In other embodiments, other components may be included, the functionality of which may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices in previous figures, such as Figures 11 and 12, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 1300.

[0242] Memory 1312 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host application programs 1314 and data 1316, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for host 1300 or data generated by host 1300 for a UE. An embodiment of host 1300 may utilize only a subset or all of the illustrated components. Host application programs 1314 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application program 1314 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or at the edge of the core network. Thus, the host 1300 may select and / or point to a different host for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application program 1314 may support a variety of protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0243] FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1400 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization refers to creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, including virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may apply to any device or component thereof described herein and refers to implementations in which at least a portion of its functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented within one or more virtual environments 1400 hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which a virtualized node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., a core network node or a host), the node may be virtualized in its entirety.

[0244] An application 1402 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) executes in the virtualized environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or advantages of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0245] Hardware 1404 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1406 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1408a and 1408b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1408), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 1406 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to VMs 1408.

[0246] The VMs 1408 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage and may be executed by a corresponding virtualization layer 1406. Various embodiments of instances of virtual appliances 1402 may be implemented in one or more of the VMs 1408, and the implementation may be done in various ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network functions virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types with industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may be located in a data center, as well as customer premises equipment.

[0247] In the context of NFV, VMs 1408 may be software implementations of physical machines that execute programs as if they were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 1408 and the portion of hardware 1404 on which it runs, whether the hardware is dedicated to that VM and / or shared by that VM with other VMs, forms a separate virtual network element. Also in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions running in one or more VMs 1408 on top of hardware 1404 and corresponds to application 1402.

[0248] The hardware 1404 may be implemented as a standalone network node having generic or specific components. The hardware 1404 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 1404 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or CPE) where multiple hardware nodes cooperate and are managed via management and orchestration 1410, which oversees, among other things, the lifecycle management of the application 1402. In some embodiments, the hardware 1404 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces or may be used in combination with virtual components, such as radio access nodes or base stations, to provide wireless capabilities to virtual nodes. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided with the use of a control system 1412, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0249] Figure 15 illustrates a communication diagram of a host 1502 communicating via a network node 1504 with a UE 1506 over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations of a UE (such as the UE 1012a of Figure 10 and / or the UE 1100 of Figure 11), a network node (such as the network node 1010a of Figure 10 and / or the network node 1200 of Figure 12), and a host (such as the host 1016 of Figure 10 and / or the host 1300 of Figure 13) described in the previous paragraph, according to various embodiments, are described with reference to Figure 15.

[0250] Similar to the host 1300, an embodiment of the host 1502 includes hardware such as a communications interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1502 also includes software stored on or accessible by the host 1502 and executable by the processing circuitry. This software includes a host application that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1506, connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1550 extending between the UE 1506 and the host 1502. In providing services to the remote user, the host application may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 1550.

[0251] The network node 1504 includes hardware for communicating with the host 1502 and the UE 1506. The connection 1560 can be direct or pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (such as the core network 1006 in FIG. 10) and / or one or more public, private, or host networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0252] The UE 1506 includes hardware and software stored on or accessible by the UE 1506 and executable by the UE's processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific "app," that, with the support of the host 1502, may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 1506. Host applications running on the host 1502 may communicate with client applications running on the UE 1506 via an OTT connection 1550 that terminates at the UE 1506 and the host 1502. During the provision of services to the user, the client application on the UE may receive request data from the host application on the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1550 may transfer both request data and user data. The client application on the UE may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 1550.

[0253] The OTT connection 1550 may extend via a connection 1560 between the host 1502 and the network node 1504 and via a wireless connection 1570 between the network node 1504 and the UE 1506 to provide connectivity between the host 1502 and the UE 1506. The connection 1560 and the wireless connection 1570 over which the OTT connection 1550 may be provided are depicted abstractly to illustrate communication between the host 1502 and the UE 1506 via the network node 1504 without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages through those devices.

[0254] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection 1550, in step 1508, the host 1502 provides user data that may be executed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with the UE 1506. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 1506 sharing data with the host 1502 without explicit human interaction. In step 1510, the host 1502 initiates a transmission to the UE 1506 carrying user data. The host 1502 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE 1506. The request may be triggered by human interaction with the UE 1506 or by the operation of a client application running on the UE 1506. The transmission may pass through the network node 1504 in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In response, in step 1512, the network node 1504 transmits the user data carried in the host 1502-initiated transmission to the UE 1506 in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1514 , the UE 1506 receives user data carried in a transmission that may be executed by a client application running on the UE 1506 associated with a host application executed by the host 1502 .

[0255] According to some examples, the UE 1506 executes a client application that provides user data to the host 1502. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to receiving the data from the host 1502. In response, the UE 1506 may provide the user data at step 1516, which may be done by executing the client application. During the provision of the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE 1506. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, the UE 1506 initiates transmission of the user data to the host 1502 via the network node 1504 at step 1518. At step 1520, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1504 receives the user data from the UE 1506 and initiates transmission of the received user data to the host 1502. At step 1522, the host 1502 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1506.

[0256] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 1506 using the OTT connection 1550, of which the radio connection 1570 forms the final leg. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the configuration of the UE, thereby providing benefits such as improved UE performance.

[0257] In an exemplary scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1502. As another example, the host 1502 may process audio and video data, which may have been obtained from UEs, for use in generating maps. As another example, the host 1502 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in vehicular congestion control (e.g., traffic light control). As another example, the host 1502 may store surveillance video uploaded by UEs. As another example, the host 1502 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR, or AR, that may be broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As another example, the host 1502 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads for balancing power generation needs, location services, presentation services (e.g., compiling diagrams from data collected from remote devices), or any other function that collects, acquires, stores, analyzes, and / or transmits data.

[0258] According to some examples, measurement procedures may be provided to monitor data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve. There may also be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1550 between the host 1502 and the UE 1506 in response to fluctuations in the measurements. The measurement procedures and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware in the host 1502 and / or the UE 1506. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection 1550 passes, and these sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​for the monitored quantities exemplified above or other physical quantities from which the monitored quantities may be calculated or estimated by software. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, appropriate routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node 1504. Such procedures and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In one embodiment, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. by the host 1502. The measurements may be implemented by software sending messages over the OTT connection 1550, specifically empty or "dummy" messages, while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0259] While the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may include computing devices having different combinations of components. It should be understood that the computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, transforming the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information with information stored at the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information, and making a decision as a result of that processing. Moreover, while components are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the computing device may include multiple different physical components that make up the illustrated single component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, the computationally less intensive functions of any of these components may be implemented in software or firmware, while the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0260] According to some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit, such as in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium. In any of these specific embodiments, the processing circuit can be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether it executes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to just the processing circuit or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0261] Embodiment

[0262] Group A Embodiments

[0263] 1. A method performed by a user equipment configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, wherein the UE has an ongoing first service with a first network according to a first subscription, the method comprising: establishing or resuming a second service using the second network according to the second subscription; Indicating to the second network that the user equipment has limited capability for a second service; Includes:

[0264] 2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising:

[0265] Sending an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service.

[0266] 3. In the method of embodiment 1 or 2, the step of indicating to the second network that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service includes: Sending a one-bit indication to the second network indicating that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service.

[0267] 4. The method according to embodiment 3, wherein the one-bit notification is sent in one of an RRCSetupRequest message, an RRCResumeRequest message, an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0268] 5. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the indicating steps include:

[0269] Sending an information element to the second network indicating that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service.

[0270] 6. The method of embodiment 5, wherein the information element is sent in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0271] 7. The method of embodiment 6, wherein the information element indicates that one or more types of capabilities are restricted.

[0272] 8. The method of embodiment 4, when dependent on embodiment 2, further includes: In response to sending the one-bit notification in the RRCSetupRequest message or the RRCResumeRequest message, sending in the message an indication of a first capability that is supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability that is not supported in the second service.

[0273] 9. The method of embodiment 8, wherein the message includes one of an RRCSetupComplete message or an RRCResumeComplete message.

[0274] 10. The method according to embodiment 2, wherein the first capability supported in the second service is transmitted in a UECapabilityInformation message.

[0275] 11. The method of embodiment 10, further comprising: the indication of the first capability being sent in response to receiving a UECapabilityEnquiry message from the second network.

[0276] 12. A method according to embodiment 10 or 11, wherein the indication of the first capability includes an indication that the first capability is a subset of a set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

[0277] 13. A method according to embodiment 10 or 11, wherein the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication of whether each of a set of normal UE capabilities is present in the first capabilities.

[0278] 14. The method of embodiment 2, wherein the first capability supported in the second service is transmitted in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

[0279] 15. The method of any one of embodiments 5 to 7, when dependent on embodiment 2, further includes:

[0280] In response to receiving a request to report the first capability or the second capability, transmitting an indication of the first capability or the second capability.

[0281] 16. A method according to embodiment 15, wherein the request to report the first capability or the second capability is received in a UEInformationRequest.

[0282] 17. The method of embodiment 16, wherein the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability is sent in a UEInformationResponse message.

[0283] 18. A method according to any preceding embodiment when dependent on embodiment 2, wherein the indication of the second capability restricted in the second service includes one or more of the following: a maximum aggregated bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers of the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); and the maximum number of downlink and uplink secondary cells in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of downlink and uplink primary and secondary cells in the secondary cell group for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); the maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for the second frequency range (FR2); a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released; a list of band combinations for which measurement gaps / NCSGs are required for the target NR / E-UTRA bands that need to be updated; one or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network; and A limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC); a restricted MIMO configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a limited receive (Rx) chain and / or panel for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted UE receiver configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted duplex mode (DM) for operation of the UE in the second network; limited processing capabilities for operation of the UE in the second network; restricted sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) restricted operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Limited measurement capabilities for UE operation in the second network for NeedForGaps and / or NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap) capabilities; Limited and extended measurement capabilities for UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities.

[0284] 19. The method of embodiment 18, further comprising: Indicates timing information related to or associated with a second capability that is restricted in a second service.

[0285] 20. The method of embodiment 19, wherein the timing information is associated with all of the second capabilities.

[0286] 21. The method of embodiment 19, wherein the timing information is associated with a subset of the second capabilities.

[0287] 22. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the first network is the same as the second network.

[0288] 23. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: Providing user data; forwarding user data to a host via transmission to a network node; Includes:

[0289] Group B Embodiments 24. A method performed by a network node in a second network for communicating with a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service with the first network according to a first subscription, the method comprising: establishing or resuming a second service with the UE according to the second subscription; receiving an indication from the UE that the UE has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0290] 25. The method of embodiment 24, further comprising: Receiving an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service.

[0291] 26. The method of embodiment 24 or 25, wherein the step of receiving an indication that the UE has limited capability for the second service comprises: receiving a one-bit indication from the UE indicating that the UE has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0292] 27. The method of embodiment 26, wherein the one-bit notification is received in one of an RRCSetupRequest message, an RRCResumeRequest message, an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0293] 28. The method of embodiment 24 or 25, wherein the step of receiving an indication that the UE has limited capability for the second service comprises: receiving an information element from the UE indicating that the UE has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0294] 29. The method of embodiment 28, wherein the information element is received in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0295] 30. The method of embodiment 29, wherein the information element indicates that one or more types of capabilities are restricted.

[0296] 31. The method of embodiment 27 or 28, when dependent on embodiment 26, further comprising: receiving, in response to receiving the one-bit notification included in the RRCSetupRequest message or the RRCResumeRequest message, an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability not supported in the second service in the message; Includes:

[0297] 32. The method of embodiment 31, wherein the message includes one of an RRCSetupComplete message or an RRCResumeComplete message.

[0298] 33. The method of any one of embodiments 26 to 29, further comprising: In response to receiving an indication that the UE has restricted capabilities, configuring the UE with a basic configuration; Includes:

[0299] 34. The method of embodiment 25, wherein the first capability supported in the second service is received in a UECapabilityInformation message.

[0300] 35. The method of embodiment 34, further comprising receiving an indication of the first capability in response to sending a UECapabilityEnquiry message to the UE.

[0301] 36. The method of embodiment 34 or 35, wherein the indication of the first capability includes an indication that the first capability is a subset of a set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

[0302] 37. The method of embodiment 34 or 35, wherein the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication of whether each of a set of normal UE capabilities is present within the first capabilities.

[0303] 38. The method of embodiment 25, wherein the first capability supported by the second service is received in a UE Assistance Information message.

[0304] 39. The method of embodiment 38, further comprising configuring the UE to report the first capability in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

[0305] 40. The method of any one of embodiments 28 to 30, when dependent on embodiment 25, further comprising: receiving an indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability in response to sending a request to report the first capability or the second capability; Includes:

[0306] 41. A method according to embodiment 40, wherein the request to report the first capability or the second capability is transmitted in a UEInformationRequest.

[0307] 42. The method of embodiment 41, wherein the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability is received in a UEInformationResponse message.

[0308] 43. A method according to any preceding embodiment when dependent on embodiment 25, wherein the indication of the second capability being limited in the second service includes one or more of the following: a maximum aggregated bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers in the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); and the maximum number of downlink and uplink secondary cells in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of downlink and uplink primary and secondary cells in the secondary cell group for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); the maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for the second frequency range (FR2); a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released; a list of band combinations for which measurement gaps / NCSGs are required for the target NR / E-UTRA bands that need to be updated; one or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network; and A limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC); a restricted MIMO configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a limited receive (Rx) chain and / or panel for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted UE receiver configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted duplex mode (DM) for operation of the UE in the second network; limited processing capabilities for operation of the UE in the second network; restricted sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; limited operation of Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Limited measurement capabilities for UE operation in the second network for NeedForGaps and / or NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap) capabilities; Limited and extended measurement capabilities for UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities.

[0309] 44. The method of embodiment 43, further comprising: receiving timing information related to or associated with a second capability that is restricted in a second service; Includes:

[0310] 45. The method of embodiment 44, wherein the timing information is associated with all of the second capabilities.

[0311] 46. ​​The method of embodiment 44, wherein the timing information is associated with a subset of the second capabilities.

[0312] 47. The method of any preceding embodiment when dependent on embodiment 25, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE based on the first capability or the second capability; Includes:

[0313] 48. In the method of embodiment 47, when dependent on one of embodiments 44 to 46, the step of reconfiguring the UE based on the first capability or the second capability includes reconfiguring the UE for a time period indicated by the timing information.

[0314] 49. The method of any one of embodiments 24 to 38, further comprising: notifying a second node in a second network that the UE capabilities are restricted; Includes:

[0315] 50. The method according to any one of embodiments 24 to 49, wherein the first network is the same as the second network.

[0316] 51. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: Obtaining user data; and transferring the user data to the host or user device.

[0317] Group C Embodiments

[0318] 52. A user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service with a first network according to a first subscription; a processing circuit configured to cause a user device to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A; a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the processing circuit; Includes:

[0319] 53. A network node for communicating with a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service using a first network according to a first subscription, the network node comprising: a processing circuit configured to cause a network node to perform any step of any embodiment in Group B; a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the processing circuit; Includes:

[0320] 54. A user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service using a first network according to a first subscription, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit coupled to the antenna and processing circuit and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit; the processing circuitry configured to perform any step of any embodiment of Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information processed by the processing circuit from the UE; a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to power the UE; Includes:

[0321] 55. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE); wherein the UE includes a communication interface and a processing circuit, and the communication interface and processing circuit of the UE are configured to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A to receive user data from the host.

[0322] 56. The host of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit user data from the host to the UE.

[0323] 57. The host of the two preceding embodiments, processing circuitry of the host configured to execute a host application and thereby provide user data; The host application is configured to interact with a client application running on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0324] 58. A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system further including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Providing user data for the UE; initiating a transmission to convey the user data to the UE over a cellular network including the network node; wherein the UE performs any operation of any embodiment in group A to receive the user data from the host.

[0325] 59. The method of any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: executing, at the host, a host application associated with the client application executing on the UE to receive user data from the UE; Includes:

[0326] 60. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: sending, at the host, input data to a client application executing on the UE; wherein the input data is provided by executing a host application and the user data is provided by a client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0327] 61. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE); and the UE includes a communication interface and a processing circuit, the communication interface and the processing circuit of the UE configured to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A to transmit user data to the host.

[0328] 62. The host of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit user data from the UE to the host.

[0329] 63. The host of the two preceding embodiments, processing circuitry of the host configured to execute a host application and thereby provide user data; The host application is configured to interact with a client application running on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0330] 64. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system further including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, at the host, user data transmitted by the UE to the host via the network node; and the UE performs any step of any embodiment in Group A to transmit user data to the host.

[0331] 65. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: executing, at the host, a host application associated with the client application executing on the UE for receiving user data from the UE; Includes:

[0332] 66. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: sending, at the host, input data to a client application executing on the UE; wherein the input data is provided by executing a host application and the user data is provided by a client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0333] 67. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE); wherein the network node includes a communications interface and processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry of the network node is configured to perform any of the operations of any of the embodiments in Group B to transmit user data from a host to a UE.

[0334] 68. The host of any of the preceding embodiments, processing circuitry of the host configured to execute a host application that provides user data; The UE includes processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive user data transmissions from the host.

[0335] 69. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system further including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Providing user data for the UE; initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE over a cellular network including the network node; wherein the network node performs any operation of any of the embodiments in Group B to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

[0336] 70. The method of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: transmitting, at the network node, user data provided by the host for the UE.

[0337] 71. A method according to any of the two preceding embodiments, wherein the user data is provided in the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application running on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0338] 72. A communication system configured to provide over-the-top services, the communication system including a host, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data to a user equipment (UE), wherein the user data is associated with the over-the-top service; a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network node for delivery to the UE; wherein the network node includes a communications interface and processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry of the network node is configured to perform any operation of any embodiment in Group B to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

[0339] 73. The communication system of any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: the network node, and / or The user device includes:

[0340] 74. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to initiate reception of user data; a network interface configured to receive user data from a network node in a cellular network; wherein the network node includes a communications interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any operation of any embodiment in Group B to receive user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host.

[0341] 75. The host of any of the preceding embodiments, processing circuitry of the host configured to execute a host application and thereby provide user data; The host application is configured to interact with a client application running on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0342] 76. A host according to any of the preceding two embodiments, wherein initiating reception of user data includes requesting the user data.

[0343] 77. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system further including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: and initiating, at the host, reception of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission received by the network node from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments to receive the user data from the UE for the host.

[0344] 78. The method of the preceding embodiment, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.

[0345] Embodiment

[0346] Group A Embodiments 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: sending a first request to a first network, the first request requesting a reduction in configured UE capabilities for an ongoing service to enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for the UE capability reduction is accepted or rejected.

[0347] 2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring UE capabilities.

[0348] 3. A method according to embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to limit or disable one or more of the UE capabilities for the ongoing service.

[0349] 4. The method of embodiment 3, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0350] 5. The method of embodiment 2, 3 or 4, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the received reconfiguration message; Includes:

[0351] 6. The method of embodiment 5, further comprising: communicating with the first network or the second network pursuant to a second subscription; Includes:

[0352] 7. The method of embodiment 6, further comprising: sending a message to the first network or the second network indicating the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service according to the second subscription; Includes:

[0353] 8. The method of embodiment 7, further comprising: receiving a second acknowledgment from the first network or the second network; and a second acknowledgment indicating whether the configured UE capabilities are accepted or rejected.

[0354] 9. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0355] 10. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0356] 11. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0357] 12. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, one or more UE capabilities of the UE being restricted or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising: sending the first request to the first network after terminating the second ongoing service according to the second subscription; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network, the first request requesting an increase in the UE's configured capabilities for a first ongoing service; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0358] 13. The method of embodiment 12, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities.

[0359] 14. A method according to embodiment 12 or 13, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to unrestrict or enable one or more of the restricted or disabled UE capabilities.

[0360] 15. The method of any one of embodiments 12 to 14, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0361] 16. The method of any one of embodiments 12 to 15, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the received reconfiguration message; Includes:

[0362] 17. A method according to any one of embodiments 12 to 16, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0363] 18. The method according to any one of embodiments 12 to 17, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0364] 19. The method of any one of embodiments 12 to 18, wherein the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequency and / or carrier frequency combination; and UE power class.

[0365] 20. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the method comprising: Executing the method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11 to enable the UE to also communicate according to a second subscription; After terminating the ongoing service according to the second subscription, performing the method according to any one of embodiments 12 to 19; Includes:

[0366] 21. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: receiving a reconfiguration message from a first network, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration being to configure the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration being to configure the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities; selecting one of the first configuration and the second configuration to use for the ongoing service; sending an acknowledgement to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service; Includes:

[0367] 22. The method of embodiment 21, wherein the acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration complete message.

[0368] 23. The method of embodiment 22, wherein the acknowledgment is sent in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message.

[0369] 24. The method of embodiment 21, 22, or 23, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the selected configuration; Includes:

[0370] 25. A method according to any one of embodiments 21 to 24, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power classes.

[0371] Group B Embodiments

[0372] 26. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: receiving a first request from the UE, the first request requesting a reduction in configured UE capabilities for an ongoing service to enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; sending a first acknowledgment to the UE; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request to reduce the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0373] 27. The method of embodiment 26, wherein the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities.

[0374] 28. A method according to embodiment 26 or 27, wherein the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to limit or disable one or more of the UE capabilities for the ongoing service.

[0375] 29. The method of embodiment 28, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0376] 30. The method of embodiment 28 or 29, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the transmitted reconfiguration message; Includes:

[0377] 31. The method of embodiment 30, further comprising: communicating with the UE in accordance with the second subscription; Includes:

[0378] 32. The method of embodiment 31, further comprising: receiving a message from the UE indicating UE capabilities configured for communication according to the second subscription; Includes:

[0379] 33. The method of embodiment 32, further comprising: and sending a second acknowledgment to the UE, the second acknowledgment indicating whether the configured UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0380] 34. The method according to any one of embodiments 26 to 33, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0381] 35. The method according to any one of embodiments 26 to 34, wherein the first acknowledgment is transmitted in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0382] 36. A method according to any one of embodiments 26 to 35, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0383] 37. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has a first ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, and one or more UE capabilities of the UE are restricted or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising: receiving a first request from the UE, the first request requesting an increase in a UE capability configured for a first ongoing service; sending a first acknowledgment to the UE; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0384] 38. The method of embodiment 37, wherein the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities.

[0385] 39. A method according to embodiment 37 or 38, wherein the first acknowledgment is transmitted in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to unrestrict or enable one or more of the restricted or disabled UE capabilities.

[0386] 40. The method of any one of embodiments 37 to 39, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0387] 41. The method according to any one of embodiments 37 to 40, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0388] 42. The method according to any one of embodiments 37 to 41, wherein the first acknowledgment is transmitted in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0389] 43. The method of any of embodiments 37-42, wherein the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0390] 44. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: performing the method according to any one of embodiments 26 to 35 to enable the UE to also communicate according to the second subscription; After the UE terminates the ongoing service according to the second subscription, performing the method according to any one of embodiments 37 to 43; Includes:

[0391] 45. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: sending a reconfiguration message to the UE, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities; receiving an acknowledgement from the UE indicating a selected configuration for the ongoing service; Includes:

[0392] 46. ​​The method of embodiment 45, wherein the acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration complete message.

[0393] 47. The method of embodiment 46, wherein the acknowledgment is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message.

[0394] 48. A method according to any one of embodiments 45 to 47, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0395] Group C Embodiments

[0396] 49. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code being configured to, when executed by a suitable computer or processor, cause the computer or processor to perform the method of any of the Group A embodiments or Group B embodiments.

[0397] 50. A user equipment (UE) configured to perform the method of any of the Group A embodiments.

[0398] 51. A user equipment (UE) comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor, such that the UE is operable to perform the method of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0399] 52. A radio access network (RAN) node configured to perform the method of any of the Group B embodiments.

[0400] 53. A Radio Access Network (RAN) node, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the RAN node is operable to perform the method of any of the Group B embodiments.

[0401] 54. A user device, comprising: a processing circuit configured to cause a user device to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A; a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the processing circuit; Includes:

[0402] 55. A network node, comprising: a processing circuit configured to cause a network node to perform any step of any embodiment in Group B; a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the processing circuit; Includes:

[0403] 56. A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising: an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit coupled to the antenna and processing circuit and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit; the processing circuitry configured to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information processed by the processing circuit from the UE; a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to power the UE; It has.

[0404] Reference materials 1. RP-210316, WID: Multi-SIM device support for LTE / NR 2. RP-220955, WID: Dual Transmit / Receive (Tx / Rx) Multi-SIM for NR

[0405] Abbreviation This disclosure may use at least some of the following abbreviations. In the event of a conflict between an abbreviation, the way it is used above shall prevail. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall prevail over any subsequent listings.

[0406] BW: Bandwidth CA: Carrier aggregation CC: Component Carrier CE: Control Elements DC: Dual Connectivity DCI: Downlink Control Information HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request MAC: Medium Access Control MCG: Master Cell Group MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output MUDC: Maximum Uplink Duty Cycle MUSIM: Multi-USIM NCSG: Network Controlled Small Gap NW: Network NPN: Closed Network PC: Power class PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel PUCCH: Physical uplink control channel PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network Rx: Receiver SAR: Specific Absorption Rate SCG: Secondary Cell Group Tx: Transmitter UE: User Equipment (wireless device in 3GPP® systems) URLLC: Ultra-reliable and low-latency communication USIM: Universal Subscriber Identity Module 1xRTT: CDMA2000 1x wireless transmission technology 3GPP (registered trademark): Third Generation Partnership Project 5G: Fifth Generation 6G: Sixth Generation ABS: Nearly blank subframe ARQ: Automatic Repeat Request AWGN: Additive White Gaussian Noise BCCH: Broadcast Control Channel BCH: Broadcast Channel CA: Carrier aggregation CC: Carrier Component CCCH SDU: Common Control Channel SDU CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access CGI: Cell Global Identifier CIR: Channel Impulse Response CP: Cyclic Prefix CPICH: Common Pilot Channel CPICH Ec / No: CPICH received energy per chip divided by in-band power density CQI: Channel Quality Information C-RNTI: Cell RNTI CSI: Channel State Information DCCH: Dedicated Control Channel DL: Downlink DM: Demodulation DMRS: Demodulation Reference Signal DRX: Intermittent reception DTX: Intermittent transmission DTCH: Dedicated Traffic Channel DUT: Device Under Test E-CID: Extended Cell ID (positioning method) eMBMS: Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service E-SMLC: Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center ECGI: Evolutionary CGI eNB: NodeB of E-UTRAN ePDCCH: Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel E-SMLC: Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center E-UTRA: Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN: Evolved UTRAN FDD: Frequency Division Duplex FFS: Future Research gNB:NR base station GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HO: Handover HSPA: High Speed ​​Packet Access HRPD: High Rate Packet Data LOS: Line of sight LPP: LTE Positioning Protocol LTE: Long Term Evolution MAC: Medium Access Control MAC: Message Authentication Code MBSFN: Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services Single Frequency Network MBSFN ABS: MBSFN's nearly blank subframe MDT: Minimizing Drive Test MIB: Master Information Block MME: Mobility Management Entity MSC: Mobile Switching Center NPDCCH: Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel NR: New Radio OCNG: OFDMA Channel Noise Generator OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDMA: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS: Operation Support System OTDOA: Observed Time Difference of Arrival O&M: Operation and maintenance PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel P-CCPCH: Primary Common Control Physical Channel PCell: Primary Cell PCFICH: Physical Control Format Indicator Channel PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDP:Profile Delay Profile PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel PGW: Packet Gateway PHICH: Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network PMI: Precoder Matrix Indicator PRACH: Physical Random Access Channel PRS: Positioning Reference Signal PSS: Primary Synchronization Signal PUCCH: Physical uplink control channel PUSCH: Physical Uplink Shared Channel RACH: Random Access Channel QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation RAN: Radio Access Network RAT: Radio Access Technology RLC: Radio Link Control RLM: Radio Link Management RNC: Radio Network Controller RNTI: Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC: Radio Resource Control RRM: Radio Resource Management RS:Reference signal RSCP: Received signal code power RSRP: Reference Symbol Received Power or Reference Signal Received Power RSRQ: Reference signal reception quality or reference symbol reception quality RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator RSTD: Reference signal time difference SCH: Synchronization Channel SCell: Secondary cell SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol SDU: Service Data Unit SFN: System Frame Number SGW: Serving Gateway SI: System Information SIB: System Information Block SNR: Signal-to-Noise Ratio SON: Self-optimizing Network SS: Synchronization signal SSS: Secondary Synchronization Signal TDD: Time Division Duplex TDOA: arrival time difference TOA: Time of Arrival TSS: Tertiary synchronization signal TTI: Transmission Time Interval UE: User Equipment UL: Uplink USIM: Universal Subscriber Identity Module UTDOA: Uplink Time Difference of Arrival WCDMA (registered trademark): Wide CDMA WLAN: Wide Area Local Area Network

[0407] Embodiment

[0408] Group A Embodiments

[0409] 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, wherein the UE has an ongoing first service using a first network according to a first subscription, the method comprising: establishing or resuming a second service using the second network according to the second subscription; Indicating to the second network that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0410] 2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising:

[0411] Sending an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service.

[0412] 3. In the method of embodiment 1 or 2, the step of indicating to the second network that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service includes: sending a one-bit indication to the second network indicating that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0413] 4. The method according to embodiment 3, wherein the one-bit notification is sent in one of an RRCSetupRequest message, an RRCResumeRequest message, an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0414] 5. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the indicating step comprises:

[0415] transmitting an information element to the second network indicating that the user equipment has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0416] 6. The method of embodiment 5, wherein the information element is sent in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0417] 7. The method of embodiment 6, wherein the information element indicates that one or more types of capabilities are restricted.

[0418] 8. The method according to embodiment 4, when dependent on embodiment 2, further comprising: In response to sending the one-bit notification included in the RRCSetupRequest message or the RRCResumeRequest message, sending in the message an indication of a first capability that is supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability that is not supported in the second service.

[0419] 9. The method of embodiment 8, wherein the message includes one of an RRCSetupComplete message or an RRCResumeComplete message.

[0420] 10. The method according to embodiment 2, wherein the first capability supported in the second service is transmitted in a UECapabilityInformation message.

[0421] 11. The method of embodiment 10, further comprising sending an indication of the first capability in response to receiving a UECapabilityEnquiry message from the second network.

[0422] 12. A method according to embodiment 10 or 11, wherein the indication of the first capability includes an indication that the first capability is a subset of a set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

[0423] 13. A method according to embodiment 10 or 11, wherein the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication of whether each of a set of normal UE capabilities is present in the first capabilities.

[0424] 14. The method of embodiment 2, wherein the first capability supported in the second service is transmitted in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

[0425] 15. The method of any one of embodiments 5 to 7, when dependent on embodiment 2, further comprising:

[0426] In response to receiving a request to report the first capability or the second capability, transmitting an indication of the first capability or the second capability; Includes:

[0427] 16. A method according to embodiment 15, wherein the request to report the first capability or the second capability is received in a UEInformationRequest.

[0428] 17. The method of embodiment 16, wherein the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability is sent in a UEInformationResponse message.

[0429] 18. A method according to any preceding embodiment, when dependent on embodiment 2, wherein the indication of a second capability restricted in the second service comprises: a maximum aggregated bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers of the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); and the maximum number of downlink and uplink secondary cells in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of downlink and uplink primary and secondary cells in the secondary cell group for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); the maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for the second frequency range (FR2); a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released; a list of band combinations for which measurement gaps / NCSGs are required for the target NR / E-UTRA bands that need to be updated; one or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network; and A limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC); a restricted MIMO configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a limited receive (Rx) chain and / or panel for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted UE receiver configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted duplex mode (DM) for operation of the UE in the second network; limited processing capabilities for operation of the UE in the second network; restricted sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; limited operation of Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Limited measurement capabilities for UE operation in the second network for NeedForGaps and / or NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap) capabilities; Limited and extended measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities; and It includes one or more of the following.

[0430] 19. The method of embodiment 18, further comprising: indicating timing information relating to or associated with a second capability that is limited in the second service; Includes:

[0431] 20. The method of embodiment 19, wherein the timing information is associated with all of the second capabilities.

[0432] 21. The method of embodiment 19, wherein the timing information is associated with a subset of the second capabilities.

[0433] 22. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the first network is the same as the second network.

[0434] 23. The method of any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: Providing user data; forwarding user data to a host via transmission to a network node; Includes:

[0435] 24. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: sending a first request to a first network, the first request requesting a reduction in configured UE capabilities for an ongoing service to enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for the UE capability reduction is accepted or rejected.

[0436] 25. The method of embodiment 24, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities.

[0437] 26. A method according to embodiment 24 or 25, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to limit or disable one or more of the UE capabilities for the ongoing service.

[0438] 27. The method of embodiment 26, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0439] 28. The method of embodiment 25, 26, or 27, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the received reconfiguration message; Includes:

[0440] 29. The method of embodiment 28, further comprising: communicating with the first network or the second network pursuant to a second subscription; Includes:

[0441] 30. The method of embodiment 29, further comprising: sending a message to the first network or the second network indicating the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service according to the second subscription; Includes:

[0442] 31. The method of embodiment 30, further comprising: receiving a second acknowledgment from the first network or the second network, the second acknowledgment indicating whether the configured UE capabilities are accepted or rejected.

[0443] 32. The method according to any one of embodiments 23 to 31, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0444] 33. The method according to any one of embodiments 23 to 32, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0445] 34. A method according to any one of embodiments 23 to 33, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power classes.

[0446] 35. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, wherein the UE has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, and one or more UE capabilities of the UE are restricted or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising: sending a first request to the first network after terminating the second ongoing service according to the second subscription, the first request requesting an increase in the UE capability configured for the first ongoing service; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0447] 36. The method of embodiment 35, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring UE capabilities.

[0448] 37. A method according to embodiment 35 or 36, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to unrestrict or enable one or more of the restricted or disabled UE capabilities.

[0449] 38. The method of any one of embodiments 35 to 37, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0450] 39. The method of any one of embodiments 35 to 38, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the received reconfiguration message; Includes:

[0451] 40. The method of any one of embodiments 35-39, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0452] 41. The method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 40, wherein the first acknowledgment is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0453] 42. The method of any one of embodiments 35 to 41, wherein the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0454] 43. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the method comprising: Performing the method according to any one of embodiments 23 to 34 to enable the UE to communicate according to the second subscription; and performing the method according to any one of embodiments 35 to 42 after terminating the ongoing service according to the second subscription.

[0455] 44. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, wherein the UE has an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: receiving a reconfiguration message from a first network, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities; selecting one of the first configuration and the second configuration to use for the ongoing service; sending an acknowledgement to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service; Includes:

[0456] 45. The method of embodiment 44, wherein the acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration complete message.

[0457] 46. ​​The method of embodiment 45, wherein the acknowledgment is sent in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message.

[0458] 47. The method of embodiment 44, 45, or 46, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the selected configuration; Includes:

[0459] 48. A method according to any one of embodiments 44 to 47, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0460] Group B Embodiments

[0461] 49. A method performed by a network node in a second network for communicating with a user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service with the first network according to a first subscription, the method comprising: establishing or resuming a second service with the UE according to the second subscription; receiving an indication from the UE that the UE has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0462] 50. The method of embodiment 49, further comprising: receiving an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service; Includes:

[0463] 51. The method of embodiment 49 or 50, wherein the step of receiving an indication that the UE has limited capability for the second service comprises: receiving a one-bit indication from the UE indicating that the UE has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0464] 52. The method of embodiment 51, wherein the one-bit notification is received in one of an RRCSetupRequest message, an RRCResumeRequest message, an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0465] 53. The method of embodiment 49 or 50, wherein the step of receiving an indication that the UE has limited capability for the second service comprises:

[0466] receiving an information element from the UE indicating that the UE has limited capability for the second service; Includes:

[0467] 54. A method according to embodiment 53, wherein the information element is received in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0468] 55. A method according to embodiment 54, wherein the information element indicates that one or more types of capabilities are restricted.

[0469] 56. The method of embodiment 52 or 53, when dependent on embodiment 26, further comprising: receiving, in response to receiving the one-bit notification included in the RRCSetupRequest message or the RRCResumeRequest message, an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability not supported in the second service in the message; Includes:

[0470] 57. The method of embodiment 56, wherein the message includes one of an RRCSetupComplete message or an RRCResumeComplete message.

[0471] 58. The method of any one of embodiments 51 to 54, further comprising: In response to receiving an indication that the UE has limited capabilities, configuring the UE with a basic configuration; Includes:

[0472] 59. A method according to embodiment 50, wherein the first capability supported in the second service is received in a UECapabilityInformation message.

[0473] 60. The method of embodiment 59, further comprising receiving an indication of the first capability in response to sending a UECapabilityEnquiry message to the UE.

[0474] 61. The method of embodiment 59 or 60, wherein the indication of the first capability includes an indication that the first capability is a subset of a set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

[0475] 62. The method of embodiment 59 or 60, wherein the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication of whether each of a set of normal UE capabilities is present in the first capabilities.

[0476] 63. In the method of embodiment 50, the first capability supported by the second service is received in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

[0477] 64. The method of embodiment 63, further comprising configuring the UE to report the first capability in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

[0478] 65. The method according to any one of embodiments 53 to 55, when dependent on embodiment 50, further comprising: receiving an indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability in response to sending a request to report the first capability or the second capability; Includes:

[0479] 66. A method according to embodiment 65, wherein the request to request reporting of the first capability or the second capability is transmitted in a UEInformationRequest.

[0480] 67. The system of embodiment 66, wherein the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability is received in a UEInformationResponse message.

[0481] 68. In any one of embodiments 49 to 67, when the method is dependent on embodiment 50, the indication of the second capability restricted in the second service is: a maximum aggregated bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers of the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); and the maximum number of downlink and uplink secondary cells in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of downlink and uplink primary and secondary cells in the secondary cell group for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); the maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for the second frequency range (FR2); a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released; a list of band combinations for which measurement gaps / NCSGs are required for the target NR / E-UTRA bands that need to be updated; one or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network; and A limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC); a restricted MIMO configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a limited receive (Rx) chain and / or panel for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted UE receiver configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted duplex mode (DM) for operation of the UE in the second network; limited processing capabilities for operation of the UE in the second network; restricted sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; limited operation of Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Limited measurement capabilities for UE operation in the second network for NeedForGaps and / or Network Controlled Small Gap (NCSG) capabilities; Limited and extended measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities; and It includes one or more of the following.

[0482] 69. The method of embodiment 68, further comprising: receiving timing information related to or associated with a second capability that is limited in a second service; Includes:

[0483] 70. The method of embodiment 69, wherein the timing information is associated with all of the second capabilities.

[0484] 71. The method of embodiment 69, wherein the timing information is associated with a subset of the second capabilities.

[0485] 72. The method according to any one of embodiments 49 to 71, when dependent on embodiment 50, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE based on the first capability or the second capability; Includes:

[0486] 73. In the method of embodiment 72, when dependent on one of embodiments 44 to 46, the step of reconfiguring the UE based on the first capability or the second capability includes reconfiguring the UE for a time period indicated by the timing information.

[0487] 74. The method of any one of embodiments 49 to 73, further comprising: notifying a second node in a second network that the UE capabilities are restricted; Includes:

[0488] 75. The method of any one of embodiments 49 to 74, wherein the first network is the same as the second network.

[0489] 76. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: receiving a first request from the UE, the first request requesting a reduction in configured UE capabilities for an ongoing service to enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; sending a first acknowledgment to the UE; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request to reduce the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

[0490] 77. The method of embodiment 76, wherein the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities.

[0491] 78. A method according to embodiment 76 or 77, wherein the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to limit or disable one or more of the UE capabilities for the ongoing service.

[0492] 79. The method of embodiment 78, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0493] 80. The method of embodiment 78 or 79, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE capabilities according to the transmitted reconfiguration message; Includes:

[0494] 81. The method of embodiment 80, further comprising: communicating with the UE in accordance with the second subscription; Includes:

[0495] 82. The method of embodiment 81, further comprising: receiving a message from the UE indicating UE capabilities configured for communication according to the second subscription; Includes:

[0496] 83. The method of embodiment 82, further comprising: sending a second acknowledgment to the UE; and a second acknowledgment indicating whether the configured UE capabilities are accepted or rejected.

[0497] 84. The method of any one of embodiments 76 to 83, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0498] 85. The method of any one of embodiments 76 to 84, wherein the first acknowledgment is transmitted in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0499] 86. A method according to any one of embodiments 76 to 85, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0500] 87. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has a first ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, and one or more UE capabilities of the UE are restricted or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising: receiving a first request from the UE, the first request requesting an increase in a UE capability configured for a first ongoing service; sending a first acknowledgment to the UE; and the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

[0501] 88. The method of embodiment 87, wherein the first acknowledgment is sent in a reconfiguration message for reconfiguring the UE capabilities.

[0502] 89. A method according to embodiment 87 or 88, wherein the first acknowledgment is transmitted in a reconfiguration message that reconfigures the UE to unrestrict or enable one or more of the restricted or disabled UE capabilities.

[0503] 90. The method of any one of embodiments 87-89, wherein the first acknowledgment indicates that the reconfiguration of the UE capabilities is in response to the first request.

[0504] 91. The method of any one of embodiments 87 to 90, wherein the first request is UE assistance information.

[0505] 92. The method of any one of embodiments 87-91, wherein the first acknowledgment is transmitted in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

[0506] 93. The method of any one of embodiments 87 to 92, wherein the one or more restricted or disabled UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0507] 94. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: Executing the method according to any one of embodiments 76 to 85 to enable the UE to also communicate according to the second subscription; After the UE terminates the ongoing service according to the second subscription, performing the method according to any one of embodiments 87 to 93; Includes:

[0508] 95. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: sending a reconfiguration message to the UE, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities; receiving an acknowledgement from the UE indicating a selected configuration for the ongoing service; Includes:

[0509] 96. The method of embodiment 95, wherein the acknowledgment is received in a reconfiguration complete message.

[0510] 97. The method of embodiment 96, wherein the acknowledgment is received in a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration complete message.

[0511] 98. A method according to any one of embodiments 95 to 97, wherein the one or more UE capabilities include one or more of: dual connectivity (DC); carrier aggregation (CA); multiple input multiple output (MIMO); aggregated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) bandwidth usage for carriers in frequency range 1 (FR1) and / or frequency range 2 (FR2); DL and UL secondary cells (SCells) in a master cell group (MCG) for FR1 and / or FR2; the number of DL and UL primary secondary cells (PSCells) / secondary cells (SCells) in a secondary cell group (SCG); carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations; and UE power class.

[0512] 99. The method of any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising: Obtaining user data; transferring user data to a host or user device; Includes:

[0513] Group C Embodiments

[0514] 1. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code being configured to, when executed by a suitable computer or processor, cause the computer or processor to perform the method of any of the Group A embodiments or Group B embodiments.

[0515] 2. A user equipment (UE) configured to perform the method of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0516] 3. A user equipment (UE) comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor, the UE operable to perform the method of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0517] 4. A Radio Access Network (RAN) node configured to perform the method of any of the Group B embodiments.

[0518] 5. A Radio Access Network (RAN) node, comprising a processor and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor, whereby said RAN node is operable to perform the method of any of the Group B embodiments.

[0519] 6. A user device, a processing circuit configured to cause a user device to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A; a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the processing circuit; Includes:

[0520] 7. A network node, the network node comprising: a processing circuit configured to cause a network node to perform any step of any embodiment in Group B; a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the processing circuit; Includes:

[0521] 8. A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising: an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit coupled to the antenna and processing circuit and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit; the processing circuitry configured to perform any step of any of the embodiments in Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information processed by the processing circuit from the UE; a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to power the UE; Includes:

Claims

1. 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service with a first network according to a first subscription; Establishing or resuming a second service with a second network according to a second subscription (202); Indicating to the second network that the user equipment has capabilities for the second service that differ from capabilities previously indicated to a radio access technology node (204); A method comprising:

2. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service; A method comprising:

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of indicating to the second network that the user equipment has different capabilities for the second service comprises: sending a one-bit indication to the second network indicating that the user equipment has a different capability for the second service; A method comprising:

4. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one-bit notification is sent in one of an RRCSetupRequest message, an RRCResumeRequest message, an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

5. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the indicating step comprises: sending an information element to the second network indicating that the user equipment has different capabilities for the second service; A method comprising:

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information element is transmitted in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

7. 7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the information elements indicate one or more different types of capabilities.

8. The method according to claim 4 dependent on claim 2, further comprising: In response to sending the one-bit notification in an RRCSetupRequest message or an RRCResumeRequest message, sending in a message an indication of a first capability that is supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability that is not supported in the second service.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message comprises one of an RRCSetupComplete message or an RRCResumeComplete message.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first capabilities supported in the second service are transmitted in a UECapabilityInformation message.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: sending the indication of the first capability in response to receiving a UECapabilityEnquiry message from the second network.

12. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the indication of the first capability includes an indication that the first capability is a subset of a set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

13. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication of whether each of a set of normal UE capabilities is within the first capabilities.

14. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first capabilities supported in the second service are transmitted in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

15. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7 dependent on claim 2, further comprising: In response to receiving a request to report a first capability or a second capability, transmitting an indication of the first capability or an indication of the second capability; A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request to report a first capability or a second capability is received in a UEInformationRequest.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability is sent in a UEInformationResponse message.

18. 18. The method of any one of claims 1 to 17, when dependent on claim 2, wherein the indication of a limited second capability in the second service comprises: a maximum aggregate bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers of the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); and for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2), the maximum number of secondary cells for downlink and uplink in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of primary and secondary cells for downlink and uplink in the secondary cell group; the maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for a second frequency range (FR2); and a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released; A list of band combinations regarding whether measurement gaps / NCSGs are required for the target NR / E-UTRA bands that need to be updated; and one or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network; and a limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC); and a restricted MIMO configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a limited receive (Rx) chain and / or panel for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted UE receiver configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a restricted duplex mode (DM) for operation of the UE in the second network; and limited processing power for operation of the UE in the second network; restricted sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; and Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) restricted operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Limited measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network for NeedForGaps and / or NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap) capabilities; - limited extended measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities; A method comprising one or more of:

19. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: indicating timing information related to or associated with the second capability that differs in the second service; A method comprising:

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the timing information is associated with all of the second capabilities.

21. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the timing information is associated with the second subset of capabilities.

22. 22. The method of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the first network is the same as the second network.

23. 1. A method performed by a network node in a second network for communicating with a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing first service with a first network according to a first subscription, the method comprising: Establishing or resuming a second service with the UE according to a second subscription (302); receiving (304) an indication from the UE that the UE has capabilities for the second service that differ from capabilities previously indicated to a radio access technology node; A method comprising:

24. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: receiving an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability restricted in the second service; A method comprising:

25. 25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein the step of receiving an indication that the UE has limited capability for the second service comprises: receiving a one-bit indication from the UE indicating that the UE has a different capability for the second service; A method comprising:

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the one-bit notification is received in one of an RRCSetupRequest message, an RRCResumeRequest message, an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

27. 25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein the step of receiving an indication that the UE has limited capabilities for the second service comprises: receiving an information element from the UE indicating that the UE has limited capabilities for the second service; A method comprising:

28. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the information element is received in one of an RRCSetupComplete message, an RRCResumeComplete message, or an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

29. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein the information element indicates that one or more types of capabilities are limited.

30. 28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, dependent on claim 26, further comprising: In response to receiving the one-bit notification in an RRCSetupRequest message or an RRCResumeRequest message, receiving in a message an indication of a first capability supported in the second service or an indication of a second capability not supported in the second service.

31. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the message comprises one of an RRCSetupComplete message or an RRCResumeComplete message.

32. 29. The method of any one of claims 25 to 28, further comprising: In response to receiving an indication that the UE has restricted capabilities, configuring the UE with a basic configuration; A method comprising:

33. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first capabilities supported in the second service are received in a UECapabilityInformation message.

34. 34. The method of claim 33, further comprising receiving an indication of the first capability in response to sending a UECapabilityEnquiry message to the UE.

35. 35. The method of claim 33 or 34, wherein the indication of the first capability includes an indication that the first capability is a subset of a set of normal UE capabilities in the UECapabilityInformation message.

36. 35. A method as claimed in claim 33 or 34, wherein the indication of the first capabilities includes an indication of whether each of a set of normal UE capabilities is within the first capabilities.

37. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first capabilities supported in the second service are received in a UEAssistanceInformation message.

38. 38. The method of claim 37, further comprising configuring the UE to report the first capability in a UEassistanceInformation message.

39. 30. The method of any one of claims 27 to 29 dependent on claim 24, further comprising: receiving the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability in response to sending a request to report the first capability or the second capability; A method comprising:

40. 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the request to report a first capability or a second capability is sent in a UEInformationRequest.

41. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the indication of the first capability or the indication of the second capability is received in a UEInformationResponse message.

42. 42. The method of any one of claims 23 to 41 dependent on claim 24, wherein the indication of a second capability that is limited in the second service comprises: a maximum aggregate bandwidth across all downlink and uplink carriers of the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2); and for the first frequency range (FR1) and / or the second frequency range (FR2), the maximum number of secondary cells for downlink and uplink in the master cell group and / or the maximum number of primary and secondary cells for downlink and uplink in the secondary cell group; the maximum number of receive (Rx) chains or panels for a second frequency range (FR2); and a list of carrier frequencies and / or carrier frequency combinations that need to be released; A list of band combinations regarding whether measurement gaps / NCSGs are required for the target NR / E-UTRA bands that need to be updated; and one or more restricted UE power classes for operation in the second network; and a limited maximum uplink duty cycle (MUDC); and a restricted MIMO configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a limited receive (Rx) chain and / or panel for operation of the UE in the second network; a restricted UE receiver configuration for operation of the UE in the second network; and a restricted duplex mode (DM) for operation of the UE in the second network; and limited processing power for operation of the UE in the second network; restricted sidelink (SL) operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; and Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) restricted operation in the second network when the UE operates in the second network; Limited measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network for NeedForGaps and / or NCSG (Network Controlled Small Gap) capabilities; - limited extended measurement capabilities for the UE operation in the second network, such as NeedForGaps and / or NCSG capabilities; A method comprising one or more of:

43. 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising: receiving timing information related to or associated with the second capability that is restricted in the second service; A method comprising:

44. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the timing information is associated with all of the second capabilities.

45. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the timing information is associated with the second subset of capabilities.

46. 46. ​​The method of any one of claims 23 to 45 dependent on claim 25, further comprising: reconfiguring the UE based on the first capability or the second capability; A method comprising:

47. 47. A method according to claim 46 when dependent on any one of claims 43 to 45, wherein the step of reconfiguring the UE based on the first capability or the second capability comprises: reconfiguring the UE for a period of time indicated by the timing information; A method comprising:

48. 48. The method of any one of claims 23 to 47, further comprising: notifying a second node in the second network that the UE capabilities are restricted; A method comprising:

49. 49. The method of any one of claims 23 to 48, wherein the first network is the same as the second network.

50. 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: sending (402) a first request to a first network, the first request requesting a reduction in the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service to also enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network (404); wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request to reduce UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

51. 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using a second network according to a second subscription, one or more UE capabilities of the UE being restricted or disabled to allow the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising: sending a first request to the first network after terminating (502) the second ongoing service according to the second subscription, the first request requesting an increase in UE capabilities configured for the first ongoing service; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network (504); wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

52. 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently for communicating with one or more networks, the method comprising:

52. Performing the method of claim 51 to also enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; performing the method of claim 52 after terminating ongoing service according to the second subscription; A method comprising:

53. 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently to communicate with one or more networks, the UE having an ongoing service with a first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: receiving (602) a reconfiguration message from the first network, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities; selecting (604) one of the first configuration and the second configuration to use for the ongoing service; sending (606) an acknowledgement to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service; A method comprising:

54. 1. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: receiving (702) a first request from the UE, the first request requesting a reduction in configured UE capabilities for the ongoing service to enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; Sending a first acknowledgment to the UE (704); wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request to reduce UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

55. 1. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using a second network according to a second subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, and one or more UE capabilities of the UE being restricted or disabled to allow the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the method comprising: receiving a first request from the UE (802), the first request requesting an increase in UE capabilities configured for the first ongoing service; Sending a first acknowledgment to the UE (804); wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

56. 1. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising:

56. Performing the method of claim 55 so as to also enable the UE to communicate according to a second subscription; 57. Performing the method of claim 56 after the UE has terminated an ongoing service according to the second subscription; A method comprising:

57. 1. A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node in a first network, wherein a user equipment (UE) has an ongoing service using the first network according to a first subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the method comprising: sending 902 a reconfiguration message to a UE, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or limit one or more of the UE capabilities; receiving an acknowledgement from the UE indicating a selected configuration for the ongoing service (904); A method comprising:

58. 1. A user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently for communicating with one or more networks, the UE having processing circuitry that causes the user equipment to: sending a first request to the first network when the UE has an ongoing first service using a first network according to a first subscription, the first request requesting a reduction of the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service to enable the UE to also communicate according to a second subscription; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network; wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request to reduce the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

59. 1. A user equipment (UE) configured to concurrently use two or more subscriptions to communicate with one or more networks, the UE including processing circuitry that causes the UE to: sending the first request to the first network when the UE has a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, and one or more UE capabilities of the UE are to be restricted or disabled to enable the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription after terminating the second ongoing service according to the second subscription, the first request requesting an increase in the UE capabilities configured for the first ongoing service; receiving a first acknowledgment from the first network; wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

60. 1. A user equipment (UE) configured to concurrently use two or more subscriptions to communicate with one or more networks, the UE including processing circuitry that causes the UE to: receiving a reconfiguration message from the first network when the UE has an ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or restrict one or more of the UE capabilities; selecting one of the first configuration and the second configuration to use for the ongoing service; sending an acknowledgement to the first network indicating the selected configuration for the ongoing service; The UE is adapted to execute the above.

61. A radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, the RAN node having processing circuitry, the processing circuitry providing to the RAN node: receiving a first request from a user equipment (UE) when the UE has an ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the first request requesting a reduction of the UE capabilities configured for the ongoing service to enable the UE to also communicate according to a second subscription; transmitting a first acknowledgment to the UE; wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for reducing the UE capabilities is accepted or rejected.

62. A radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, the RAN node having processing circuitry, the processing circuitry providing to the RAN node: receiving a first request from a user equipment (UE), the UE having a first ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and a second ongoing service using either the first network or a second network according to a second subscription, the UE being configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing services, the one or more UE capabilities of the UE being restricted or disabled to allow the UE to communicate concurrently according to the first subscription and the second subscription, the first request requesting an increase in the configured UE capabilities for the first ongoing service; transmitting a first acknowledgment to the UE; wherein the first acknowledgment indicates whether the request for an increase in UE capability is accepted or rejected.

63. A radio access network (RAN) node in a first network, the RAN node having processing circuitry, the processing circuitry providing to the RAN node: sending a reconfiguration message to a user equipment device (UE) when the UE has an ongoing service using a first network according to a first subscription and the UE is configured with one or more UE capabilities for the ongoing service, the reconfiguration message including a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration configuring the UE with one or more UE capabilities and the second configuration configuring the UE to disable or restrict one or more of the UE capabilities; receiving an acknowledgement from the UE indicating a selected configuration for the ongoing service; A RAN node adapted to perform

64. 1. A user equipment (UE) configured to use two or more subscriptions concurrently for communicating with one or more networks, the UE having a processing circuit, the processing circuitry providing to the UE: if the UE has an ongoing first service using a first network according to a first subscription, establishing or resuming a second service using a second network according to a second subscription; indicating to the second network that the user equipment has different capabilities for the second service; The UE is adapted to execute the above.

65. 50. The UE of claim 49, wherein the processing circuitry is further adapted to cause the UE to perform a method according to any one of claims 2 to 22.

66. A network node in a second network for communicating with a user equipment (UE) adapted to use two or more subscriptions concurrently for communicating with one or more networks, the network node having processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to: If the UE has an ongoing first service using a first network according to a first subscription, establishing or resuming a second service with the UE according to a second subscription; receiving an indication from the UE that the UE has a different capability for the second service; A network node adapted to run

67. A network node according to claim 51, wherein the processing circuitry is further adapted to cause the network node to perform a method according to any one of claims 23 to 49.

68. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause said at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 57.

69. 69. A carrier comprising the computer program of claim 68, the carrier comprising one of an electrical signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer readable storage medium.

70. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 57.

71. 69. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon the computer program of claim 68.

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