Antenna port selection for UL TX switching

Abstract

The UE provides a wireless communication method for determining the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band containing one or more component carriers (CCs). [Solution] The determined number of antenna ports is based on multiple UL Tx chains for one or more CCs / frequency bands. The UE switches from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, and at least one of the first UL Tx chain and the second UL Tx chain is associated with one or more CCs / frequency bands. The number of antenna ports may correspond to the maximum number of antenna ports for individual CCs among the one or more CCs, or the total number of antenna ports for one or more CCs. In the latter case, the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the total number of antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to communication systems, and more particularly to antenna port determination for uplink (UL) transmit (Tx) switching.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcast. A typical wireless communication system may employ a multiple access technology capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0003]

[0003] These multiple access technologies are employed in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at urban, national, regional, and even global levels. An exemplary telecommunications standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of the Continuing Mobile Broadband Development announced by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) to meet new requirements related to latency, reliability, security, scalability (for example, related to the Internet of Things (IoT)), and other requirements. 5G NR includes services related to Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC), and Ultra-High Reliability Low Latency Communications (URLLC). Some aspects of 5G NR can be based on the 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE®) standard. Further improvements to 5G NR technology are needed. These improvements may also be applicable to other multiple access technologies and the telecommunications standards that employ these technologies. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0004]

[0004] The following provides a simplified overview of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This overview is not a comprehensive overview of all intended embodiments, nor does it identify the main or important elements of all embodiments, nor does it define the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed explanations to be presented later.

[0005]

[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus can determine the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band including one or more component carriers (CCs), and switch the number of antenna ports from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, based on a plurality of uplink (UL) transmit (Tx) chains for at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands, and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands.

[0006]

[0006] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus can receive from a UE at least one indication of at least one UE capability, determine a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain of a plurality of UL Tx chains based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band including one or more CCs, based on at least one indication of at least one UE capability corresponding to each frequency band, transmit to the UE the configuration for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain, and ensure that at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is related to at least one or more CCs or frequency bands.

[0007]

[0007] To achieve the above and related objectives, one or more embodiments shall have features that are fully described below and, in particular, indicated in the claims. The following description and accompanying drawings shall describe in detail some exemplary features of one or more embodiments. However, these features shall represent only a few of the various ways in which the principles of various embodiments may be employed, and this description shall include all such embodiments and their equivalents. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1]

[0008] A diagram showing an example of a wireless communication system and access network. [Figure 2A]

[0009] A diagram illustrating an example of the first frame according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 2B]

[0010] A diagram illustrating an example of a downlink (DL) channel within a subframe according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 2C]

[0011] A diagram illustrating an example of a second frame according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 2D]

[0012] A diagram illustrating an example of an uplink (UL) channel within a subframe according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 3]

[0013] A diagram showing an example of a base station and user equipment (UE) in an access network. [Figure 4]

[0014] A call flow diagram showing communication between the UE and the base station. [Figure 5]

[0015] A diagram showing a first frequency band and a second frequency band, each containing one or more component carriers (CCs). [Figure 6]

[0016] A flowchart illustrating wireless communication methods in UE (Unified Environment). [Figure 7]

[0017] A flowchart illustrating the wireless communication method at a base station. [Figure 8]

[0018] A diagram showing an example of a hardware implementation for an exemplary device. [Figure 9]

[0019] A diagram showing an example of a hardware implementation for an exemplary device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009]

[0020] The modes for carrying out the invention described below with respect to the attached drawings are intended to describe various configurations and are not intended to represent only configurations in which the concepts described herein can be put into practice. The modes for carrying out the invention include specific details to provide a complete understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be put into practice without these specific details. In some cases, well-known structures and components are shown in the form of block diagrams to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0010]

[0021] Next, several embodiments of telecommunication systems are presented with respect to various devices and methods. These devices and methods are described in embodiments for carrying out the following inventions and are shown in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0011]

[0022] For example, an element, or any part of an element, or any combination of elements, may be implemented as a “processing system” comprising one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, system-on-chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform various functions described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in a processing system may execute software. Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., regardless of the names used, such as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, and hardware description languages.

[0012]

[0023] Accordingly, in one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on a computer-readable medium or encoded on a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Computer-readable medium includes computer storage medium. Storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. Such computer-readable medium may include, but not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM®), optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of the computer-readable mediums of the types described above, or any other medium that can be used to store computer executable code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer.

[0013]

[0024] Figure 1 shows an example of a wireless communication system and access network 100. The wireless communication system (also called a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN)) includes a base station 102, user equipment (UE) 104, an advanced packet core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (for example, a 5G core (5GC)). The base station 102 may include macrocells (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cells (low-power cellular base stations). Macrocells include base stations. Small cells include femtocells, picocells, and microcells.

[0014]

[0025] The base station 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as the evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN)) can interface with the EPC 160 through a first backhaul link 132 (e.g., the S1 interface). The base station 102 configured for 5G NR (collectively referred to as the next-generation RAN (NG-RAN)) can interface with the core network 190 through a second backhaul link 184. In addition to other functions, the base station 102 can perform one or more of the following functions: transfer of user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load distribution, delivery for non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, radio access network (RAN) sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and device tracing, radio access network information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. The base stations 102 can communicate directly or indirectly with each other (e.g., through the EPC 160 or the core network 190) on a third backhaul link 134 (e.g., the X2 interface). The first backhaul link 132, the second backhaul link 184, and the third backhaul link 134 can be wired or wireless.

[0015]

[0026] Base station 102 can communicate wirelessly with UE 104. Each base station 102 can provide communication coverage to its respective geographical coverage area 110. There may be overlapping geographical coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell 102' may have a coverage area 110' that overlaps with the coverage area 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network containing both small cells and macro cells may be known as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include home-evolved node B (eNB) (HeNB) that can serve a limited group known as a limited subscriber group (CSG). The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (UL) transmissions from UE 104 to base station 102 (also called a reverse link) and / or downlink (DL) transmissions from base station 102 to UE 104 (also called a forward link). Communication link 120 may use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna techniques, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link may be through one or more carriers. Base station 102 / UE104 may use the spectrum of the highest Y MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400 MHz, etc.) bandwidth per carrier, allocated in a carrier aggregation of the highest total Yx MHz (x component carriers) used for transmission in each direction. Carriers may be adjacent or not adjacent to each other. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated for DL ​​than for UL). Component carriers may include primary component carriers and one or more secondary component carriers. Primary component carriers may be called primary cells (PCells), and secondary component carriers may be called secondary cells (SCells).

[0016]

[0027] Some UEs 104 may communicate with each other using a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. The D2D communication link 158 may use the DL / UL WWAN spectrum. The D2D communication link 158 may use one or more sidelink channels, such as a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), and a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH). The D2D communication may be through various wireless D2D communication systems, such as WiMedia, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, Wi-Fi®, LTE, or NR based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard.

[0017]

[0028] The wireless communication system may further include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150 communicating with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154, for example, in a 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum. When communicating in the unlicensed frequency spectrum, the STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) before communicating to determine whether the channel is available.

[0018]

[0029] The small cell 102’ may operate in an authorized and / or unlicensed frequency spectrum. When operating in the unlicensed frequency spectrum, the small cell 102’ may adopt NR and use the same unlicensed frequency spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz, etc.) used by the Wi-Fi AP 150. The small cell 102’ adopting NR in the unlicensed frequency spectrum may boost the coverage of the access network and / or increase the capacity of the access network.

[0019]

[0030] The electromagnetic spectrum is often subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands are identified as frequency range designations FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz). Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are often referred to as midband frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often (interchangeably) referred to as the “sub-6 GHz” band in various documents and papers. A similar naming problem sometimes occurs with FR2, which is often (interchangeably) referred to as the “millimeter wave” band in documents and papers, even though FR2 is different from the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz to 300 GHz) which is identified by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the “millimeter wave” band.

[0020]

[0031] With the above aspects in mind, unless otherwise specified, terms such as "sub-6GHz" can broadly refer to frequencies that may be below 6GHz, within FR1, or include midband frequencies, as used herein. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, terms such as "millimeter wave" can broadly refer to frequencies that may include midband frequencies, within FR2, or within the EHF band, as used herein.

[0021]

[0032] Base station 102 may include and / or be referred to as an eNB, g-node B (gNB), or other type of base station, whether it is a small cell 102' or a large cell (e.g., a macro base station). Some base stations, such as gNB180, may operate in communication with UE104 in the conventional sub-6 GHz spectrum, in millimeter-wave frequencies, and / or near-millimeter-wave frequencies. When gNB180 operates at millimeter-wave or near-millimeter-wave frequencies, gNB180 may be referred to as a millimeter-wave base station. A millimeter-wave base station 180 may utilize beamforming 182 with UE104 to compensate for path loss and short range. Base station 180 and UE104 may each include multiple antennas, such as antenna elements, antenna panels, and / or antenna arrays, to enable beamforming.

[0022]

[0033] Base station 180 may transmit a beamformed signal to UE 104 in one or more transmit directions 182'. UE 104 may receive a beamformed signal from base station 180 in one or more receive directions 182''. UE 104 may also transmit a beamformed signal to base station 180 in one or more transmit directions. Base station 180 may receive a beamformed signal from UE 104 in one or more receive directions. Base station 180 / UE 104 may perform beam training to determine the best receive and transmit directions for each of them. The transmit and receive directions for base station 180 may or may not be the same. The transmit and receive directions for UE 104 may or may not be the same.

[0023]

[0034] EPC160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, another MME 164, a Serving Gateway 166, a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. MME 162 may communicate with a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. MME 162 is a control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and EPC160. Generally, MME 162 provides bearer and connectivity management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are forwarded through the Serving Gateway 166, which itself connects to the PDN Gateway 172. The PDN Gateway 172 provides IP address allocation for UEs and other functions. The PDN Gateway 172 and the BM-SC 170 are connected to the IP Service 176. IP service 176 may include the Internet, intranet, IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), PS streaming service, and / or other IP services. BM-SC170 may provide functionality for MBMS user service provisioning and distribution. BM-SC170 may act as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a public land mobile network (PLMN), and may be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. MBMS gateway 168 may be used to distribute MBMS traffic to base stations 102 belonging to a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) area broadcasting specific services, and may be responsible for session management (start / stop) and collecting eMBMS-related billing information.

[0024]

[0035] The core network 190 may include Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, Session Management Function (SMF) 194, and User Plane Function (UPF) 195. AMF 192 may communicate with Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. AMF 192 is a control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and the core network 190. Generally, AMF 192 provides QoS flow and session management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are forwarded through UPF 195. UPF 195 provides IP address allocation for the UE and other functions. UPF 195 connects to IP services 197. IP services 197 may include the Internet, intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Packet Switched (PS) Streaming (PSS) services, and / or other IP services.

[0025]

[0036] Base stations include and / or may be referred to as gNB, node B, eNB, access point, base transceiver station, radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, basic service set (BSS), extended service set (ESS), transmit / receive point (TRP), or any other preferred term. Base station 102 provides UE104 with an access point to EPC160 or core network 190. Examples of UE104 include cellular phones, smartphones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite radios, global positioning systems, multimedia devices, video devices, digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, tablets, smart devices, wearable devices, vehicles, electric meters, gas pumps, large or small kitchen appliances, healthcare devices, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other similar functional devices. Some of UE104 may be referred to as IoT devices (e.g., parking meters, gas pumps, toasters, vehicles, cardiac monitors, etc.). The UE104 may also be referred to as station, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or any other preferred term.

[0026]

[0037] Referring again to Figure 1, in some embodiments, the UE 104 may include an antenna port determination component 198 configured to determine the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band containing one or more component carriers (CCs), and to switch the number of antenna ports from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, based on multiple UL transmit (Tx) chains for one or more CCs or frequency bands, and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with one or more CCs or frequency bands. In some embodiments, the base station 180 may include a radio frequency (RF) chain component 199 configured to perform the following: receive from the UE at least one instruction of at least one UE capability; each UE capability instructed by the UE determines a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain of multiple UL Tx chains based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band including one or more CCs, based on the at least one instruction of at least one UE capability corresponding to each frequency band; transmit to the UE the configuration for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain; and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is related to one or more CCs or at least one of a frequency band. The following description may focus on 5G NR, but the concepts described herein may be applicable to other similar areas such as LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, GSM®, and other wireless technologies.

[0027]

[0038] Figure 2A is Figure 200, which shows an example of a first subframe in a 5G NR frame structure. Figure 2B is Figure 230, which shows an example of a DL channel in a 5G NR subframe. Figure 2C is Figure 250, which shows an example of a second subframe in a 5G NR frame structure. Figure 2D is Figure 280, which shows an example of a UL channel in a 5G NR subframe. The 5G NR frame structure can be frequency division duplex (FDD) where, for a given set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), the subframes within the set of subcarriers are dedicated to either DL or UL, or it can be time division duplex (TDD) where, for a given set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), the subframes within the set of subcarriers are dedicated to both DL and UL. In the example provided in Figures 2A and 2C, the 5G NR frame structure is assumed to be TDD, with subframe 4 consisting of slot format 28 (mostly DL), where D is DL, U is UL, and F is flexible for use between DL / UL, and subframe 3 consisting of slot format 1 (all UL). Although subframes 3 and 4 are shown in slot formats 1 and 28 respectively, any particular subframe may consist of any of the various available slot formats 0-61. Slot formats 0 and 1 are all DL and UL, respectively. The other slot formats 2-61 include a mixture of DL, UL, and flexible symbols. The UE is configured in slot format through the received slot format indicator (SFI) (dynamically through DL control information (DCI) or semi-statically / statically through radio resource control (RRC) signaling). Note that the following description also applies to the 5G NR frame structure which is TDD.

[0028]

[0039] Other wireless communication technologies may have different frame structures and / or different channels. A frame (10 ms) may be divided into 10 equally sized subframes (1 ms). Each subframe may contain one or more time slots. A subframe may also contain minislots that may contain 7, 4, or 2 symbols. Each slot may contain 7 or 14 symbols depending on the slot configuration. In slot configuration 0, each slot may contain 14 symbols, and in slot configuration 1, each slot may contain 7 symbols. Symbols on DL may be cyclic prefix (CP) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (CP-OFDM) symbols. Symbols on UL may be CP-OFDM symbols (for high-throughput scenarios) or Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols (also called single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDMA) symbols) (for power-limited scenarios limited to single-stream transmission). The number of slots within a subframe is based on the slot configuration and numerology. In slot configuration 0, different numerologies μ0-4 allow for 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 slots per subframe, respectively. In slot configuration 1, different numerologies 0-2 allow for 2, 4, and 8 slots per subframe, respectively. Therefore, in slot configuration 0 and numerology μ, there are 14 symbols / slot and 2 μ There are 1 slot / subframe. The subcarrier interval and symbol length / duration are functions of numerology. The subcarrier interval is 2 μ*This can be equal to 15kHz, where μ is numerology 0 to 4. Thus, numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier interval of 15kHz, and numerology μ=4 has a subcarrier interval of 240kHz. Symbol length / duration is inversely related to subcarrier interval. Figures 2A to 2D provide examples of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25ms, the subcarrier interval is 60kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67μs. Within a set of frames, there may be one or more different bandwidth parts (BWPs) (see Figure 2B) that are frequency-division multiplexed. Each BWP may have a specific numerology.

[0029]

[0040] A resource grid may be used to represent the frame structure. Each time slot contains RBs (also called physical resource blocks (RBs) (PRBs)) that extend 12 consecutive subcarriers. The resource grid is divided into multiple resource elements (REs). The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0030]

[0041] As shown in Figure 2A, some of the REs carry reference (pilot) signals (RS) for the UE. RS may include demodulated RS (DM-RS) (shown as R for one particular configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible) and channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) for channel estimation in the UE. RS may also include beam measurement RS (BRS), beam refinement RS (BRRS), and phase tracking RS (PT-RS).

[0031]

[0042] Figure 2B shows an example of various DL channels within a subframe of a frame. A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carries DCI within one or more control channel elements (CCEs) (e.g., one, two, four, eight, or sixteen CCEs), each CCE containing six RE groups (REGs), each REG containing twelve consecutive REs within the OFDM symbol of the RB. A PDCCH within a single BWP may be called a control resource set (CORESET). The UE is configured to monitor PDCCH candidates in the PDCCH search space (e.g., common search space, UE-specific search space) during PDCCH monitoring occasions on the CORESET, where PDCCH candidates have different DCI formats and different aggregation levels. Additional BWPs may be located at higher and / or lower frequencies across the channel bandwidth. A primary synchronization signal (PSS) may be within symbol 2 of a particular subframe of the frame. The PSS is used by the UE104 to determine subframe / symbol timing and physical layer identification information. The secondary synchronization signal (SSS) may be within symbol 4 of a particular subframe of a frame. The SSS is used by the UE to determine the physical layer cell identification information group number and radio frame timing. Based on the physical layer identification information and physical layer cell identification information group number, the UE can determine the physical cell identifier (PCI). Based on the PCI, the UE can determine the location of the DM-RS described above. The physical broadcast channel (PBCH) carrying the master information block (MIB) may be logically grouped using the PSS and SSS to form synchronization signal (SS) / PBCH blocks (also called SS blocks (SSB)). The MIB provides the number of RBs in the system bandwidth and the system frame number (SFN). The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carries user data, broadcast system information not transmitted through the PBCH such as the system information block (SIB), and paging messages.

[0032]

[0043] As shown in Figure 2C, some of the REs carry DM-RS for channel estimation at the base station (indicated as R for one particular configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible). The UE may transmit DM-RS for the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and DM-RS for the physical uplink sharing channel (PUSCH). PUSCH DM-RS may be transmitted in the first one or two symbols of the PUSCH. PUCCH DM-RS may be transmitted in different configurations depending on whether a short or long PUCCH is transmitted, and depending on the specific PUCCH format used. The UE may transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS). SRS may be transmitted in the last symbol of a subframe. SRS may have a comb structure, and the UE may transmit SRS on one of the combs. SRS may be used by the base station for channel quality estimation to enable frequency-dependent scheduling on the UL.

[0033]

[0044] Figure 2D shows an example of various UL channels within a frame subframe. In one configuration, the PUCCH may be located as shown. The PUCCH carries uplink control information (UCI), such as scheduling requests, channel quality indicators (CQI), precoding matrix indicators (PMI), rank indicators (RI), and hybrid automatic retransmission request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK) (HARQ-ACK) information (ACK / negative ACK (NACK)) feedback. The PUCCH may carry data and may be further used to carry buffer status reports (BSR), power headroom reports (PHR), and / or UCI.

[0034]

[0045] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a base station 310 communicating with UE350 in the access network. In DL, IP packets from EPC160 can be fed to the controller / processor 375. The controller / processor 375 implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions. Layer 3 includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and Layer 2 includes the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 375 includes RRC layer functions related to broadcasting system information (e.g., MIB, SIB), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions related to header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functions related to forwarding upper layer packet data units (PDUs), error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), and MAC SDUs from TBs. It provides MAC layer functions related to SDU multiplexing, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel prioritization.

[0035]

[0046] The TX processor 316 and the receiver (RX) processor 370 implement Layer 1 functions related to various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. The TX processor 316 handles mapping to signal constellations based on various modulation schemes (e.g., 2-phase shift keying (BPSK), 4-phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). Coded and modulated symbols can then be split into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to OFDM subcarriers to generate a physical channel carrying a time-domain OFDM symbol stream, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot) in the time-domain and / or frequency-domain, and then synthesized together using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from channel estimator 374 can be used to determine the coding and modulation scheme, as well as for spatial processing. Channel estimates can be derived from a reference signal and / or channel state feedback transmitted by UE350. Each spatial stream can then be provided to different antennas 320 via a separate transmitter 318TX. Each transmitter 318TX can modulate the RF carrier in its respective spatial stream for transmission.

[0036]

[0047] In UE350, each receiver 354RX receives signals through its respective antenna 352. Each receiver 354RX reconstructs the information modulated on the RF carrier and provides that information to the receiver (RX) processor 356. The TX processor 368 and RX processor 356 implement Layer 1 functions related to various signal processing functions. The RX processor 356 may perform spatial processing on the information to reconstruct the spatial streams destined for UE350. If multiple spatial streams are destined for UE350, they can be combined into a single OFDM symbol stream by the RX processor 356. The RX processor 356 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to convert the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal has a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier and the reference signal are reconstructed and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation point transmitted by the base station 310. These soft decisions are obtained based on channel estimates calculated by the channel estimator 358. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals initially transmitted by the base station 310 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to the controller / processor 359, which implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions.

[0037]

[0048] The controller / processor 359 may be associated with memory 360, which stores program code and data. Memory 360 is sometimes referred to as computer-readable media. In UL, the controller / processor 359 provides multiplex isolation between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing to reconstruct IP packets from the EPC160. The controller / processor 359 is also responsible for error detection using the ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0038]

[0049] Similar to the functions described for DL ​​transmission by base station 310, the controller / processor 359 provides RRC layer functions related to system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions related to header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions related to the transfer of upper layer PDUs, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions related to mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto TB, multiplexing and deselecting MAC SDUs from TB, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel prioritization.

[0039]

[0050] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator 358 from a reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 310 can be used by the TX processor 368 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme and to enable spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 368 can be provided to different antennas 352 via separate transmitters 354TX. Each transmitter 354TX can modulate the RF carrier in its respective spatial stream for transmission.

[0040]

[0051] UL transmission is processed at base station 310 in a manner similar to that described for receiver functions in UE350. Each receiver 318RX receives the signal through its respective antenna 320. Each receiver 318RX reconstructs the information modulated on the RF carrier and provides that information to RX processor 370.

[0041]

[0052] The controller / processor 375 may be associated with memory 376, which stores program code and data. Memory 376 is sometimes referred to as computer-readable media. In UL, the controller / processor 375 provides multiplex isolation between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing to reconstruct IP packets from the UE350. IP packets from the controller / processor 375 may be supplied to the EPC160. The controller / processor 375 is also responsible for error detection using the ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0042]

[0053] At least one of the TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and controller / processor 359 may be configured to implement an embodiment relating to the antenna port determination component 198 of Figure 1.

[0043]

[0054] At least one of the TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375 may be configured to implement an embodiment relating to the RF chain component 199 in Figure 1.

[0044]

[0055] Wireless communication systems can be configured to share available system resources and provide various telecommunications services (e.g., telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcast, etc.) based on multiple access technologies such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and TD-SCDMA, supporting communication with multiple users. Often, common protocols enabling communication with wireless devices are adopted in various telecommunications standards. For example, communication methods related to eMBB, mMTC, and URLLC may be incorporated into 5G NR telecommunications standards, while other aspects may be incorporated into 4G LTE standards. Since mobile broadband technology is part of a continuous development, further improvements in mobile broadband remain useful for the continued advancement of such technology.

[0045]

[0056] Figure 4 is a call flow diagram 400 showing communication between UE402 and base station 404. Communication may be performed to determine the number of antenna ports (e.g., one antenna port, two antenna ports, etc.) for a frequency band containing one or more CCs. In 406, UE402 may transmit an instruction for UE capability to base station 404. For example, UE402 may report to base station 404 at least one instruction for at least one UE capability per frequency band, for example, UE402 may report UE capability for a first frequency band or a second frequency band, or UE402 may report two separate UE capabilities for the first frequency band and the second frequency band. The UE capability may indicate whether it is possible for UE402 to use a single UL Tx chain for a frequency band containing one or more CCs. The UL Tx chain may include power amplifiers and / or other RF components.

[0046]

[0057] In 408, base station 404 may determine a configuration for UL Tx switching based on instructions received from UE 402 in 406. The configuration may be based on switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, which is performed in relation to the number of antenna ports determined for a frequency band containing one or more CCs. In 410, base station 404 may transmit the configuration for UL Tx switching to UE 402.

[0047]

[0058] In 412, UE402 may determine antenna ports associated with frequency bands containing one or more CCs. For example, UE402 may determine the number of antenna ports for a frequency band (e.g., one antenna port, two antenna ports, etc.). In 414, UE402 may switch UL Tx chains (e.g., based on the configuration for UL Tx switching received from base station 404 in 410). In 414, the switching of UL Tx chains may be between different CCs and / or frequency bands. In 416, UE402 may transmit UL Tx chains to base station 404 based on the antenna port schedule.

[0048]

[0059] Figure 500 shows a first frequency band (e.g., band A 502) and a second frequency band (e.g., band B 504), each containing one or more CCs. UL Tx switching may be performed by the UE based on the UE's thermal limitation and / or power consumption. A UL Tx chain may include two separate UL Tx chains. Thus, inter-carrier aggregation for two frequency bands may include separate UL Tx chains for each of the two frequency bands (e.g., a first UL Tx chain for band A 502 and a second UL Tx chain for band B 504). In some configurations, it may be possible for the UE to perform UL Tx switching for three or more frequency bands. In such cases, the UE may be configured to utilize three or more UL Tx chains to perform UL Tx switching.

[0049]

[0060] UL Tx switching decisions for inter-band carrier aggregation may be based on switching between a first band / band A 502 and a second band / band B 504. In some examples, band A 502 may correspond to band n1, and band B 504 may correspond to band n78. The first band (e.g., band n1) may be the FDD band, and the second band (e.g., band n78) may be the TDD band. Some UL Tx switching procedures may be based on the assumption that each of bands A 502 and B 504 corresponds to one CC, while other UL Tx switching procedures may be based on at least one band containing two or more CCs. For example, band B 504, which may correspond to band n78, may contain two CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and CC3 510). UL Tx switching between different frequency bands may enable UL MIMO operation on PCell. UL MIMO operation can also be enabled on SCell, which may involve larger bandwidths than PCell. The TDD bandwidth can include a larger bandwidth than the FDD bandwidth. For example, the TDD bandwidth may include a 100MHz bandwidth, which can be fully utilized in some 5G NR applications.

[0050]

[0061] When different mobile carriers jointly utilize the same frequency spectrum, they may decide to implement communication based on both UL intraband carrier aggregation and UL interband carrier aggregation. Intraband carrier aggregation may relate to the aggregation of CC2 508 with CC3 510, while interband carrier aggregation may relate to the aggregation of CC1 506 (for example, included in band A 502) with at least one of CC2 508 or CC3 510 (for example, included in band B 504). Different mobile carriers / UEs jointly utilizing the same frequency spectrum may each be allocated a bandwidth of 100 MHz in band B 504, which may have a total bandwidth of 200 MHz. Different mobile carriers / UEs may also each be allocated a bandwidth of 50 MHz in band A 502, which may relate to one or more channels depending on the deployment configuration of the different mobile carriers / UEs.

[0051]

[0062] In some configurations, when deciding whether to perform the UL Tx switching procedure, the UE may decide that consecutive CCs should be considered as a single CC. In other configurations, the UE may consider each intraband CC in a frequency band separately before deciding to perform the UL Tx switching procedure. Thus, the difference between deciding that consecutive CCs in a frequency band should be considered as a single CC and deciding that intraband CCs should be considered separately can lead to ambiguity regarding the determination of the number of CCs associated with a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). The decision of whether a frequency band (e.g., band B 504) should be associated with one CC or multiple CCs may depend on the UE's capabilities.

[0052]

[0063] A UE may report its capabilities to a base station, where the number of antenna ports used for UL transmission may be based on the UE's reported / determined capabilities. In a first aspect, the number of antenna ports may correspond to the maximum number of antenna ports for individual CCs (individual CCs) in a frequency band. For example, if CC2 508 is associated with one antenna port and CC3 510 is also associated with one antenna port, the maximum number of antenna ports for any one of CCs 508-510 may be one antenna port. Thus, band B 504 may be associated with one antenna port. If CC2 508 is instead associated with two antenna ports and CC3 510 is still associated with one antenna port, then since the maximum number of antenna ports for any one of the CCs is two antenna ports, band B 504 may be associated with two antenna ports. When determining the maximum number of antenna ports in such cases, the UE may utilize a single UL Tx chain for all CCs in the frequency band, regardless of the number of CCs in the frequency band or the size of the channel bandwidth in the frequency band.

[0053]

[0064] An UE may alternatively utilize two or more UL Tx chains for a frequency band. A UE utilizing two or more UL Tx chains for a frequency band may have reduced capabilities compared to a UE utilizing a single UL Tx chain for a frequency band. In a second embodiment, the number of antenna ports may correspond to the sum of antenna ports of the CCs included in the frequency band. For example, if CC2 508 is associated with one antenna port and CC3 510 is also associated with one antenna port, the number of antenna ports for band B 504 may be two, based on the fact that the sum of antenna ports associated with CC2 508 and CC3 510 is two antenna ports. If the sum of antenna ports exceeds the maximum number of UE antenna ports (e.g., exceeding UE capabilities), the number of antenna ports may be limited to the maximum number of UE antenna ports.

[0054]

[0065] Band A 502 may include one CC (e.g., CC1 506) that can be used for transmission over UL, while Band B 504 may include two CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and CC3 510) that can be used for transmission over DL and / or UL. Band A 502 may be an FDD band that includes two UL portions 512 but does not include a DL portion 514. Band B 504 may be a TDD band that includes two DL portions 514 and / or UL portions 512. The UE may determine the schedule for the antenna port based on whether the frequency band is considered to include a single CC or multiple CCs.

[0055]

[0066] The UE may report its ability to schedule antenna ports to the base station based on the maximum number of antenna ports for individual CCs, or based on the total number of antenna ports for the CCs. The UE may send the capability report to the base station based on a single UL Tx chain that may include a single power amplifier and / or other RF components, or on separate UL Tx chains that may include separate power amplifiers and / or other RF components. Such instructions may depend on the UE's capabilities. In some cases, a single UL Tx chain / power amplifier may be used for two CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and CC3 510) in a single band (e.g., band B 504). That is, one antenna port for CC2 508 + one antenna port for CC3 510, determined based on intraband carrier aggregation, may correspond to one antenna port for band B 504. When a single UL Tx chain / power amplifier is not used for multiple CCs in a frequency band, separate UL Tx chains / power amplifiers may be used for multiple CCs in a frequency band. In other words, one antenna port for CC2 508 and one antenna port for CC3 510, determined based on intraband carrier aggregation, may correspond to two antenna ports for band B 504.

[0056]

[0067] When a frequency band is configured for UL Tx switching, the UE may report its capabilities based on a single UL Tx chain / power amplifier or on separate UL Tx chains / power amplifiers. If the UE does not report its capabilities to the base station, a default configuration may be assumed by the base station. The default configuration is that UL transmission will be performed based on either a single UL Tx chain / power amplifier or separate UL Tx chains / power amplifiers. When the UE reports its capabilities to the base station based on a single UL Tx chain / power amplifier, the number of antenna ports may be determined based on the maximum number of antenna ports for individual CCs in the frequency band. When the UE reports its capabilities to the base station based on separate UL Tx chains / power amplifiers, the number of antenna ports may be determined based on the total number of antenna ports for CCs in the frequency band.

[0057]

[0068] Figure 6 is a flowchart 600 of a wireless communication method. This method may be implemented by a UE (e.g., UE104 / 402, device 802, etc.), which may include memory 360, the entire UE104 / 402, or components of the UE104 / 402 such as the TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and / or controller / processor 359.

[0058]

[0069] In 602, the UE may transmit to the base station at least one instruction of at least one UE capability, each UE capability indicated to the base station corresponding to a respective frequency band. For example, referring to Figures 4-5, UE402 may transmit an instruction of UE capability to base station 404 in 406. UE402 may report at least one UE capability per frequency band; for example, UE402 may report a UE capability for band A 502 or band B 504, or UE402 may report two separate UE capabilities for band A 502 and band B 504. At least one UE capability may indicate to UE402 whether it is possible to use a single UL Tx chain for a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). In a first embodiment, at least one instruction of at least one UE capability may be based on a single power amplifier for one UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, for example, for one or more CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and / or CC3 510) in a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). In a second embodiment, at least one instruction of at least one UE capability may be based on a separate UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, for example, for a separate power amplifier for one or more CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and / or CC3 510) in a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). In a third embodiment, at least one UE capability may be based on a default capability associated with a single UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains (e.g., a single power amplifier) ​​or a separate UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains (e.g., a separate power amplifier) ​​when at least one UE capability is not transmitted to base station 404. Transmission may be performed, for example, by the transmitting component 834 of the device 802 in Figure 8.

[0059]

[0070] In 604, the UE may receive a configuration from the base station for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain based on at least one instruction of at least one UE capability. For example, referring to Figure 4, UE 402 may receive a configuration for UL Tx switching from base station 404 in 410, based on an instruction of at least one UE capability transmitted to base station 406. Reception may be performed, for example, by the receiving component 830 of device 802 in Figure 8.

[0060]

[0071] In 606, the UE may determine the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band containing one or more CCs, the number of antenna ports being based on multiple UL Tx chains for at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands. For example, referring to Figures 4-5, UE402 may determine in 412 the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band containing one or more CCs. The number of antenna ports may be determined in 412 if UE402 is configured for UL Tx switching mode. In a first embodiment, the number of antenna ports may correspond to the maximum number of antenna ports for individual CCs (e.g., CC1 506, CC2 508, or CC3 510) of one or more CCs contained in one or more frequency bands (e.g., band A 502 or band B 504) configured for UL Tx switching. In some examples, the maximum number of antenna ports may be obtained based on the UE implementation and may not be reported by the UE. In a second embodiment, the number of antenna ports may correspond to the sum of the antenna ports of one or more CCs (e.g., CC1 506, CC2 508, or CC3 510) contained within a frequency band (e.g., band A 502 or band B 504). The number of antenna ports may be limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the sum of the antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports. The determination may be performed, for example, by the determination component 840 of the device 802 in Figure 8.

[0061]

[0072] In 608, the UE can switch from a first UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains to a second UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands. For example, referring to Figures 4-5, UE 402 can switch UL Tx chains in 414. In a first embodiment, the first UL Tx chain may correspond to a frequency band (e.g., band B 504), and the second UL Tx chain may correspond to a different frequency band (e.g., band A 502). At least one of the frequency band (e.g., band B 504) or a different frequency band (e.g., band A 502) may be configured for UL Tx switching. In a second embodiment, the first UL Tx chain and the second UL Tx chain may correspond to a frequency band (e.g., band B 504), where the frequency band (e.g., band B 504) may be configured for UL Tx switching. Switching may be performed, for example, by a switcher component 842 of device 802 in Figure 8.

[0062]

[0073] In 610, the UE may transmit multiple UL Tx chains to the base station based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports. For example, referring to Figure 4, UE 402 may transmit a UL Tx chain to base station 404 in 416 based on the antenna port schedule. The transmission may be carried out, for example, by the transmitting component 834 of device 802 in Figure 8.

[0063]

[0074] Figure 7 is a flowchart 700 of a wireless communication method. This method may be implemented by a base station (e.g., base station 102 / 404, device 902, etc.), which may include memory 376, the entire base station 102 / 404, or components of base station 102 / 404 such as TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and / or controller / processor 375.

[0064]

[0075] In 702, the base station may receive at least one instruction from the UE of at least one UE capability, each UE capability indicated by the UE corresponding to a respective frequency band. For example, referring to Figures 4-5, base station 404 may receive an instruction for UE capability from UE 402 in 406. Base station 404 may receive at least one UE capability per frequency band; for example, base station 404 may receive a UE capability for band A 502 or band B 504, or base station 404 may receive two separate UE capabilities for band A 502 and band B 504. At least one UE capability may indicate whether UE 402 is able to use a single UL Tx chain for a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). In a first embodiment, at least one instruction of at least one UE capability may be based on a single power amplifier for one UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, for example, for one or more CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and / or CC3 510) in a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). In a second embodiment, at least one instruction of at least one UE capability may be based on a separate UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, for example, for a separate power amplifier for one or more CCs (e.g., CC2 508 and / or CC3 510) in a frequency band (e.g., band B 504). In a third embodiment, at least one UE capability may be based on a default capability associated with a single UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains (e.g., a single power amplifier) ​​or a separate UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains (e.g., a separate power amplifier) ​​when at least one UE capability is not transmitted to base station 404. Reception may be performed, for example, by the receiving component 930 of device 902 in Figure 9.

[0065]

[0076] In 704, the base station may determine a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains, based on at least one instruction of at least one UE capability, and based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band containing one or more CCs. For example, referring to Figures 4-5, base station 404 may, in 408, determine a configuration for UL Tx switching based on the instruction of UE capability received from UE 402 in 406. In a first embodiment, the number of antenna ports may correspond to the maximum number of antenna ports for an individual CC (e.g., CC1 506, CC2 508, or CC3 510) of one or more CCs contained in one or more frequency bands (e.g., band A 502 or band B 504) configured for UL Tx switching. In some examples, the maximum number of antenna ports may be determined based on the UE implementation and may not be reported by the UE. A first UL Tx chain may correspond to a frequency band (e.g., band B 504), and a second UL Tx chain may correspond to a different frequency band (e.g., band A 502). At least one of the frequency bands (e.g., band B 504) or a different frequency band (e.g., band A 502) may be configured for UL Tx switching. In a second embodiment, the number of antenna ports may correspond to the total number of antenna ports of one or more CCs (e.g., CC1 506, CC2 508, or CC3 510) contained within the frequency band (e.g., band A 502 or band B 504). The number of antenna ports may be limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the total number of antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports. The first and second UL Tx chains may correspond to a frequency band (e.g., band B 504), where the frequency band (e.g., band B 504) may be configured for UL Tx switching. The decision may be made, for example, by the decision component 940 of the apparatus 902 in Figure 9.

[0066]

[0077] In 706, the base station may transmit to the UE a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, where at least one of the first or second UL Tx chains is associated with at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands. For example, referring to Figure 4, base station 404 may transmit a configuration for UL Tx switching to UE 402 in 410. The transmission may be carried out, for example, by the transmitting component 934 of the device 902 in Figure 9.

[0067]

[0078] In 708, the base station may receive multiple UL Tx chains from the UE based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports. For example, referring to Figure 4, base station 404 may receive UL Tx chains from UE 402 in 416 based on the antenna port schedule. Reception may be performed, for example, by the receiving component 930 of the device 902 in Figure 9.

[0068]

[0079] Figure 8 is Figure 800, which shows an example of a hardware implementation for device 802. Device 802 is a UE and includes a cellular baseband processor 804 (also called a modem) coupled to a cellular RF transceiver 822 and one or more subscriber identification module (SIM) cards 820, an application processor 806 coupled to a secure digital (SD) card 808 and a screen 810, a Bluetooth module 812, a wireless local area network (WLAN) module 814, a global positioning system (GPS) module 816, and a power supply 818. The cellular baseband processor 804 communicates with UE 104 and / or BS 102 / 180 through the cellular RF transceiver 822. The cellular baseband processor 804 may include computer-readable media / memory. The computer-readable media / memory may be non-transient. The cellular baseband processor 804 is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored in the computer-readable media / memory. When the software is executed by the cellular baseband processor 804, it causes the cellular baseband processor 804 to perform the various functions described above. Computer-readable media / memory may also be used to store data manipulated by the cellular baseband processor 804 when the software is executed. The cellular baseband processor 804 further includes a receiving component 830, a communications manager 832, and a transmitting component 834. The communications manager 832 includes one or more illustrated components. Components within the communications manager 832 may be stored in computer-readable media / memory and / or configured as hardware within the cellular baseband processor 804. The cellular baseband processor 804 may be a component of the UE350 and may include memory 360 and / or at least one of the TX processor 368, the RX processor 356, and the controller / processor 359.In one configuration, device 802 is a modem chip and may include only a baseband processor 804, while in another configuration, device 802 is the entire UE (see, for example, 350 in Figure 3) and may include additional modules described earlier for device 802.

[0069]

[0080] The receiving component 830 is configured to receive, for example, a configuration from a base station for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain based on at least one instruction of at least one UE capability, as described with respect to 604. The communication manager 832 includes a determination component 840 configured to determine the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band containing one or more CCs, as described with respect to 606, the number of antenna ports being based on a plurality of UL Tx chains for at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands. The communication manager 832 further includes a switcher component 842 configured to switch from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain among a plurality of UL Tx chains, as described with respect to 608, at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain associated with at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands. The transmitting component 834 is configured to transmit to the base station, for example, one instruction for at least one UE capability, as described with respect to 602 and 610, and for each UE capability instructed to the base station, transmit to the base station a UL Tx chain based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports, corresponding to the respective frequency band.

[0070]

[0081] The device may include additional components that implement each of the algorithm blocks in the flowchart of Figure 6 described above. Thus, each block in the flowchart of Figure 6 described above may be implemented by one component, and the device may include one or more of those components. A component may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to perform the described process / algorithm, implemented by a processor configured to perform the described process / algorithm, stored in a computer-readable medium for processor implementation, or any combination thereof.

[0071]

[0082] In one configuration, the device 802, and in particular the cellular baseband processor 804, includes means for determining the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band including one or more CCs, means for switching the number of antenna ports from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, based on a plurality of UL Tx chains for at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands, and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands. The device 802 further includes means for transmitting at least one instruction for at least one UE capability to a base station. The device 802 further includes means for receiving from the base station a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain based on at least one instruction for at least one UE capability. The device 802 further includes means for transmitting a plurality of UL Tx chains to the base station based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports.

[0072]

[0083] The means described above may be one or more of the components described above of the apparatus 802 configured to perform the functions demonstrated by the means described above. As described above, the apparatus 802 may include a TX processor 368, an RX processor 356, and a controller / processor 359. Thus, in one configuration, the means described above may be the TX processor 368, the RX processor 356, and the controller / processor 359, configured to perform the functions demonstrated by the means described above.

[0073]

[0084] Figure 9 is a diagram of Figure 900 showing an example of a hardware implementation for device 902. Device 902 is a BS and includes a baseband unit 904. The baseband unit 904 can communicate with UE 104 through a cellular RF transceiver 922. The baseband unit 904 may include computer-readable media / memory. The baseband unit 904 is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored in the computer-readable media / memory. When the software is executed by the baseband unit 904, it causes the baseband unit 904 to perform the various functions described above. The computer-readable media / memory may also be used to store data manipulated by the baseband unit 904 when the software is executed. The baseband unit 904 further includes a receiving component 930, a communication manager 932, and a transmitting component 934. The communication manager 932 includes one or more illustrated components. The components within the communications manager 932 may be stored in a computer-readable medium / memory and / or configured as hardware within the baseband unit 904. The baseband unit 904 may be a component of the BS310 and may include memory 376 and / or at least one of the TX processor 316, the RX processor 370, and the controller / processor 375.

[0074]

[0085] The receiving component 930 is configured to receive from the UE at least one instruction for at least one UE capability, as described, for example, with respect to 702 and 708, and to receive from the UE a plurality of UL Tx chains based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports, with each UE capability indicated by the UE corresponding to its respective frequency band. The communication manager 932 includes a determining component 940 configured to determine a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain among a plurality of UL Tx chains, based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band containing one or more CCs, based on the at least one instruction for at least one UE capability, as described, for example, with respect to 704. The transmitting component 934 is configured to transmit to the UE a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, as described, for example, with respect to 706, where at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is related to at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands.

[0075]

[0086] The device may include additional components that implement each of the algorithm blocks in the flowchart of Figure 7 described above. Thus, each block in the flowchart of Figure 7 described above may be implemented by one component, and the device may include one or more of those components. A component may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to perform the described process / algorithm, implemented by a processor configured to perform the described process / algorithm, stored in a computer-readable medium for processor implementation, or any combination thereof.

[0076]

[0087] In one configuration, the device 902, and in particular the baseband unit 904, includes means for receiving from the UE at least one instruction of at least one UE capability; means for determining a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain of a plurality of UL Tx chains based on the at least one instruction of at least one UE capability, based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band including one or more CCs; means for transmitting to the UE the configuration for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain, wherein at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is related to at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands. The device 902 further includes means for receiving a plurality of UL Tx chains from the UE based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports.

[0077]

[0088] The means described above may be one or more of the components described above of the apparatus 902 configured to perform the functions demonstrated by the means described above. As described above, the apparatus 902 may include a TX processor 316, an RX processor 370, and a controller / processor 375. Thus, in one configuration, the means described above may be the TX processor 316, the RX processor 370, and the controller / processor 375, configured to perform the functions demonstrated by the means described above.

[0078]

[0089] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed process / flowchart is an example of an exemplary technique. It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process / flowchart may be reconfigured based on design preferences. Furthermore, some blocks may be combined or omitted. The attached method claims present elements of various blocks in an exemplary order, and are not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0079]

[0090] The above description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may apply to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims should not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the maximum scope that is not inconsistent with the claim language, where references to singular elements mean "one or more" and not "one unique" unless otherwise explicitly stated. Terms such as "if," "when," and "while" should be interpreted as meaning "under the condition that," rather than implying an immediate temporal relationship or response. That is, these phrases, for example, "when," do not imply an immediate action in response to or during the occurrence of an action, but simply imply that an action occurs if the condition is met, but does not require a specific or immediate temporal constraint on which the action should occur. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "to serve as an example, case, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” should not necessarily be construed as being more preferable or advantageous than any other embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C.More specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combination may include one or more members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents of the various aspects of the elements described throughout this disclosure, known to those skilled in the art or to be known thereafter, are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are included in the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein, whether such disclosure is expressly represented in the claims or not, is not made public. Words such as “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” and “device” may not be substitutes for the word “means.” Therefore, no claim element should be interpreted as means plus function unless it is explicitly stated using the phrase “means for.”

[0080]

[0091] The following embodiments are illustrative and not limiting, but may be combined with other embodiments or teachings described herein.

[0081]

[0092] Embodiment 1 is a method for wireless communication in a UE, comprising: determining the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band including one or more CCs; switching the number of antenna ports from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain, based on a plurality of UL Tx chains for at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands; and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain being associated with at least one of the one or more CCs or frequency bands.

[0082]

[0093] Embodiment 2 may be combined with Embodiment 1 and includes the fact that the number of antenna ports is determined when the UE is configured for UL Tx switching mode.

[0083]

[0094] Embodiment 3 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 2 and further includes transmitting to a base station an instruction for at least one UE capability, where each UE capability instructed to the base station corresponds to a respective frequency band.

[0084]

[0095] Embodiment 4 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the maximum number of antenna ports of an individual CC among one or more CCs, wherein one or more CCs are included in one or more frequency bands configured for UL Tx switching.

[0085]

[0096] Embodiment 5 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 4 and includes the fact that at least one instruction of at least one UE capability is based on a single UL Tx chain among a plurality of UL Tx chains.

[0086]

[0097] Embodiment 6 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 5 and includes the first UL Tx chain corresponding to a frequency band, the second UL Tx chain corresponding to a different frequency band, and at least one of the frequency band or the different frequency band being configured for UL Tx switching.

[0087]

[0098] Embodiment 7 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 3 and includes the fact that the number of antenna ports corresponds to the sum of the antenna ports of one or more CCs, and that the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the sum of the antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

[0088]

[0099] Embodiment 8 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 3 or Embodiment 7 and includes at least one instruction of at least one UE capability being based on a separate UL Tx chain among a plurality of UL Tx chains.

[0089]

[0100] Embodiment 9 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 3 or Embodiments 7 to 8 and includes the first UL Tx chain and the second UL Tx chain corresponding to a frequency band, the frequency band being configured for UL Tx switching.

[0090]

[0101] Embodiment 10 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 9 and includes at least one UE capability indicating whether the UE is able to use a single UL Tx chain for a frequency band.

[0091]

[0102] Embodiment 11 may be combined with any of embodiments 1 to 10 and further includes receiving a configuration from a base station for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain based on at least one instruction of at least one UE capability.

[0092]

[0103] Embodiment 12 may be combined with any of embodiments 1 to 11 and further includes transmitting multiple UL Tx chains to a base station based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports.

[0093]

[0104] Embodiment 13 may be combined with any of Embodiments 1 to 2 or Embodiment 12 and includes the fact that at least one UE capability is based on a default capability associated with a single UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains or a separate UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains when at least one UE capability is not transmitted to the base station.

[0094]

[0105] Embodiment 14 is a method for wireless communication at a base station, comprising: receiving at least one instruction of at least one UE capability from a UE; each UE capability instructed by the UE determining a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain to a second UL Tx chain of a plurality of UL Tx chains based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band including one or more CCs, based on at least one instruction of at least one UE capability corresponding to a respective frequency band; transmitting to the UE the configuration for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain; and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain being related to at least one of one or more CCs or frequency bands.

[0095]

[0106] Embodiment 15 may be combined with Embodiment 14 and further includes receiving multiple UL Tx chains from the UE based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports.

[0096]

[0107] Embodiment 16 may be combined with any of embodiments 14 to 15, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the maximum number of antenna ports of an individual CC among one or more CCs, wherein one or more CCs are included in one or more frequency bands configured for UL Tx switching.

[0097]

[0108] Embodiment 17 may be combined with any of embodiments 14 to 16 and includes the fact that at least one instruction of at least one UE capability is based on a single UL Tx chain among a plurality of UL Tx chains.

[0098]

[0109] Embodiment 18 may be combined with any of Embodiments 14 to 17 and includes the first UL Tx chain corresponding to a frequency band, the second UL Tx chain corresponding to a different frequency band, and at least one of the frequency band or the different frequency band being configured for UL Tx switching.

[0099]

[0110] Embodiment 19 may be combined with any of Embodiments 14 to 15 and includes the fact that the number of antenna ports corresponds to the sum of the antenna ports of one or more CCs, and that the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the sum of the antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

[0100]

[0111] Embodiment 20 may be combined with any of Embodiments 14 to 15 or Embodiment 19 and includes at least one instruction of at least one UE capability being based on a separate UL Tx chain among a plurality of UL Tx chains.

[0101]

[0112] Embodiment 21 may be combined with any of Embodiments 14 to 15 or Embodiments 19 to 20 and includes the first UL Tx chain and the second UL Tx chain corresponding to a frequency band, the frequency band being configured for UL Tx switching.

[0102]

[0113] Embodiment 22 may be combined with any of Embodiments 14 to 21 and includes indicating whether at least one UE capability is capable of using a single UL Tx chain for a frequency band.

[0103]

[0114] Embodiment 23 may be combined with any of Embodiments 14 to 15 and includes the fact that at least one UE capability is based on a default capability associated with a single UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains or a separate UL Tx chain among multiple UL Tx chains when at least one UE capability is not received from the UE.

[0104]

[0115] Embodiment 24 is a device for wireless communication, comprising at least one processor coupled to memory and configured to implement the method described in any of Embodiments 1 to 23.

[0105]

[0116] Embodiment 25 is an apparatus for wireless communication, which includes means for implementing the method described in any of Embodiments 1 to 23.

[0106]

[0117] Embodiment 26 is a computer-readable medium for storing computer executable code, wherein when the code is executed by at least one processor, the medium causes at least one processor to implement the method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 23.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication in user equipment (UE), Determining the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band including one or more component carriers (CCs), and determining that the number of antenna ports is based on multiple uplink (UL) transmit (Tx) chains for at least one of the one or more CCs or the frequency bands. Switching from a first UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains to a second UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains, and at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain being associated with one or more CCs or at least one of the frequency bands, A method that includes [a certain feature].

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the number of antenna ports is determined when the UE is configured for UL Tx switching mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting to a base station an instruction for at least one UE capability, wherein each UE capability instructed to the base station corresponds to a respective frequency band.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the maximum number of antenna ports of an individual CC among the one or more CCs, and the one or more CCs are included in one or more frequency bands configured for UL Tx switching.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability is based on a single UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first UL Tx chain corresponds to the frequency band, the second UL Tx chain corresponds to a different frequency band, and at least one of the frequency band or the different frequency band is configured for UL Tx switching.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the total number of antenna ports of one or more CCs, and the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the total number of antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability is based on a separate UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first UL Tx chain and the second UL Tx chain correspond to the frequency band, and the frequency band is configured for UL Tx switching.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the at least one UE capability indicates whether the UE is capable of using a single UL Tx chain for the frequency band.

11. The method according to claim 3, further comprising receiving a configuration from the base station for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain based on the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting the plurality of UL Tx chains to a base station based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one UE capability is based on a default capability associated with a single UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains or a separate UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains when the at least one UE capability is not transmitted to the base station.

14. A method of wireless communication at a base station, Receiving at least one instruction for at least one UE capability from a user device (UE), and each UE capability indicated by the UE corresponds to its respective frequency band. Based on the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability, a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain among a plurality of uplink (UL) transmit (Tx) chains to a second UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains is determined based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band including one or more component carriers (CCs), Transmitting the configuration for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain to the UE, and that at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with at least one of the one or more CCs or the frequency bands, A method that includes [a certain feature].

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising receiving the plurality of UL Tx chains from the UE based on a schedule for the number of antenna ports.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the maximum number of antenna ports of an individual CC among the one or more CCs, and the one or more CCs are included in one or more frequency bands configured for UL Tx switching.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability is based on a single UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first UL Tx chain corresponds to the frequency band, the second UL Tx chain corresponds to a different frequency band, and at least one of the frequency band or the different frequency band is configured for UL Tx switching.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the total number of antenna ports of one or more CCs, and the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the total number of antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability is based on a separate UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first UL Tx chain and the second UL Tx chain correspond to the frequency band, and the frequency band is configured for UL Tx switching.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one UE capability indicates whether the UE is capable of using a single UL Tx chain for the frequency band.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one UE capability is based on a default capability associated with a single UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains or a separate UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains when the at least one UE capability is not received from the UE.

24. A device for wireless communication in user equipment (UE), Memory and At least one processor coupled to the memory and The at least one processor is equipped with Determining the number of antenna ports associated with a frequency band including one or more component carriers (CCs), and determining that the number of antenna ports is based on multiple uplink (UL) transmit (Tx) chains for at least one of the one or more CCs or the frequency bands. An apparatus configured to switch from a first UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains to a second UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains, and to ensure that at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with one or more CCs or at least one of the frequency bands.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit at least one instruction of at least one UE capability to a base station.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the maximum number of antenna ports of an individual CC among the one or more CCs, and the one or more CCs are included in one or more frequency bands configured for UL Tx switching.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the total number of antenna ports of one or more CCs, and the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the total number of antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

28. A device for wireless communication at a base station, Memory and At least one processor coupled to the memory and The at least one processor is equipped with Receiving at least one instruction for at least one UE capability from a user device (UE), and each UE capability indicated by the UE corresponds to its respective frequency band. Based on the at least one instruction of the at least one UE capability, a configuration for switching from a first UL Tx chain among a plurality of uplink (UL) transmit (Tx) chains to a second UL Tx chain among the plurality of UL Tx chains is determined based on the number of antenna ports determined in relation to a frequency band including one or more component carriers (CCs), Transmitting the configuration for switching from the first UL Tx chain to the second UL Tx chain to the UE, and that at least one of the first UL Tx chain or the second UL Tx chain is associated with at least one of the one or more CCs or the frequency bands, A device configured to perform the following actions.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the maximum number of antenna ports of an individual CC among the one or more CCs, and the one or more CCs are included in one or more frequency bands configured for UL Tx switching.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the number of antenna ports corresponds to the total number of antenna ports of one or more CCs, and the number of antenna ports is limited to the number of available UE antenna ports when the total number of antenna ports is greater than the number of available UE antenna ports.

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