Techniques for optimizing uplink performance in dual-carrier operation

Abstract

Improves overall performance, achievable throughput, and call sustainability related to the UE when operating in dual-carrier mode. [Solution] In a wireless network, a user device (UE) communicates on the primary carrier using a first antenna port and on the secondary carrier using a second antenna port. Based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, it decides whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, it switches the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

Description

Claim of Priority

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 705,900, filed Jul. 21, 2020, and U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 248,472, filed Jan. 26, 2021, both entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR UPLINK PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION IN DUAL CARRIER OPERATION", which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

[0002]

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication and pertain to techniques and apparatus for uplink performance optimization in dual - carrier operation.

Background Art

[0003]

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services, including telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcast. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies that enable communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). 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, time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, and Long-Term Evolution (LTE®). LTE / LTE Advanced is a set of extensions to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard published by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®).

[0004]

[0004] A wireless network may include several base stations (BS) that can support communication for several user devices (UEs). UEs may communicate with BS via downlink and uplink. Downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from BS to UE, and uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from UE to BS. As will be described in more detail herein, BS may be called node B, gNB, access point (AP), radio head, transmit / receive point (TRP), new radio (NR) BS, 5G node B, etc.

[0005]

[0005] The above multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol that enables different user devices to communicate at urban, national, regional, and even global levels. NR, sometimes called 5G, is a set of extensions to the LTE mobile standard published by 3GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving service, utilizing new spectra, and better integrating with other open standards by using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with cyclic prefixes (CP-OFDM) on the downlink (DL) and CP-OFDM and / or SC-FDM (also known as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), for example) on the uplink (UL), as well as by supporting beamforming, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to grow, further developments in LTE, NR, and other radio access technologies remain useful. [Overview of the project]

[0006]

[0006] In some embodiments, a method of wireless communication performed by the UE includes: communicating on a primary carrier using a first antenna port; communicating on a secondary carrier using a second antenna port; determining whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port; and switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0007]

[0007] In some embodiments, the method includes switching the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0008]

[0008] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port comprises determining that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0009]

[0009] In some embodiments, the threshold is related to at least one of the block error rate associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the second antenna port.

[0010]

[0010] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the UE benefit associated with switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0011]

[0011] In some embodiments, the UE benefit relates to at least one of the following: improving transmit power, increasing throughput, or improving call sustainability.

[0012]

[0012] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

[0013]

[0013] In some embodiments, the method includes, after switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, determining whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port, and switching the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0014]

[0014] In some embodiments, the method includes switching the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0015]

[0015] In some embodiments, the decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states comprises determining that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and deciding to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the determination that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0016]

[0016] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

[0017]

[0017] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event.

[0018]

[0018] In some embodiments, the UE operates in dual connectivity (DC) mode, where the primary carrier is an anchor carrier associated with DC mode, and the secondary carrier is a non-anchor carrier associated with DC mode.

[0019]

[0019] In some embodiments, the primary carrier is an LTE carrier and the secondary carrier is an NR carrier.

[0020]

[0020] In some embodiments, the UE operates in dual subscriber identification module (SIM) dual active mode, where the primary carrier is associated with the first SIM and the secondary carrier is associated with the second SIM.

[0021]

[0021] In some embodiments, the UE for wireless communication includes a memory and one or more processors operably coupled to the memory, the memory and one or more processors are configured to: communicate on a primary carrier using a first antenna port; communicate on a secondary carrier using a second antenna port; determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port; and switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0022]

[0022] In some embodiments, one or more processors are further configured to switch the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0023]

[0023] In some embodiments, when determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, one or more processors determine that the channel state associated with the second antenna port meets the threshold for communicating using the primary carrier, and based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port meets the threshold for communicating using the primary carrier, determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0024]

[0024] In some embodiments, the threshold is related to at least one of the block error rate associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the second antenna port.

[0025]

[0025] In some embodiments, the determination of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the UE benefit associated with the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0026]

[0026] In some embodiments, the UE benefit is related to at least one of improving the transmit power, increasing the throughput, or improving the call sustainability.

[0027]

[0027] In some embodiments, the determination of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the information related to the resource allocation for the primary carrier and the information related to the resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

[0028]

[0028] In some embodiments, one or more processors determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port after switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, and further configured to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the determination to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0029]

[0029] In some embodiments, one or more processors are further configured to switch the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the determination to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0030]

[0030] In some embodiments, when determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states, one or more processors determine that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot meet the threshold for communicating using the primary carrier, and based on the determination that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot meet the threshold for communicating using the primary carrier, determine to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0031]

[0031] In some embodiments, the determination of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

[0032]

[0032] In some embodiments, the determination of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event.

[0033]

[0033] In some embodiments, the UE operates in DC mode, the primary carrier is an anchor carrier associated with DC mode, and the secondary carrier is a non-anchor carrier associated with DC mode.

[0034]

[0034] In some embodiments, the primary carrier is an LTE carrier and the secondary carrier is an NR carrier.

[0035]

[0035] In some embodiments, the UE operates in dual SIM dual active mode, with the primary carrier associated with the first SIM and the secondary carrier associated with the second SIM.

[0036]

[0036] In some embodiments, a non-temporary computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions for wireless communication includes, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, one or more instructions causing one or more processors to communicate on the primary carrier using a first antenna port, to communicate on the secondary carrier using a second antenna port, to determine whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, and to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0037]

[0037] In some embodiments, when one or more instructions are executed by one or more processors, one or more processors further cause one or more processors to switch the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0038]

[0038] In some embodiments, when one or more instructions cause one or more processors to decide whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, to decide whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0039]

[0039] In some embodiments, the threshold is related to at least one of the block error rate associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the second antenna port.

[0040]

[0040] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the UE benefit associated with switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0041]

[0041] In some embodiments, the UE benefit relates to at least one of the following: improving transmit power, increasing throughput, or improving call sustainability.

[0042]

[0042] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

[0043]

[0043] In some embodiments, when one or more instructions are executed by one or more processors, one or more processors further cause one or more processors to determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port after the secondary carrier has been switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, and to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0044]

[0044] In some embodiments, when one or more instructions are executed by one or more processors, one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to switch the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0045]

[0045] In some embodiments, one or more instructions cause one or more processors to determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states, causing one or more processors to determine that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and to decide to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the determination that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0046]

[0046] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

[0047]

[0047] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event.

[0048]

[0048] In some embodiments, the UE operates in DC mode, the primary carrier is an anchor carrier associated with DC mode, and the secondary carrier is a non-anchor carrier associated with DC mode.

[0049]

[0049] In some embodiments, the primary carrier is an LTE carrier and the secondary carrier is an NR carrier.

[0050]

[0050] In some embodiments, the UE operates in dual SIM dual active mode, where the primary carrier is associated with the first SIM and the secondary carrier is associated with the second SIM.

[0051]

[0051] In some embodiments, the device for wireless communication includes means for communicating on a primary carrier using a first antenna port, means for communicating on a secondary carrier using a second antenna port, means for determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a channel state associated with the second antenna port, and means for switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0052]

[0052] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for switching the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0053]

[0053] In some embodiments, means for determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port include means for determining that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communicating using the primary carrier, and means for determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communicating using the primary carrier.

[0054]

[0054] In some embodiments, the threshold is related to at least one of the block error rate associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the second antenna port.

[0055]

[0055] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the UE benefit associated with switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0056]

[0056] In some embodiments, the UE benefit relates to at least one of the following: improving transmit power, increasing throughput, or improving call sustainability.

[0057]

[0057] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

[0058]

[0058] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port after the secondary carrier has been switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, and means for switching the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0059]

[0059] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for switching the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0060]

[0060] In some embodiments, means for determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states include means for determining that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy a threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and means for determining to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the determination that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy a threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0061]

[0061] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

[0062]

[0062] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event.

[0063]

[0063] In some embodiments, the UE operates in DC mode, the primary carrier is an anchor carrier associated with DC mode, and the secondary carrier is a non-anchor carrier associated with DC mode.

[0064]

[0064] In some embodiments, the primary carrier is an LTE carrier and the secondary carrier is an NR carrier.

[0065]

[0065] In some embodiments, the UE operates in dual SIM dual active mode, with the primary carrier associated with the first SIM and the secondary carrier associated with the second SIM.

[0066]

[0066] The embodiments are generally substantially described herein with reference to the drawings and specification and include methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products, non-temporary computer-readable media, user equipment, base stations, wireless communication devices, and / or processing systems, as shown by the drawings and specification.

[0067]

[0067] The above outlines fairly broadly the features and technical advantages of the examples provided in this disclosure so that the modes for carrying out the following inventions may be better understood. Additional features and advantages are described below. The concepts and examples disclosed may readily be used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures to accomplish the same objectives of this disclosure. Such equivalent configurations will not depart from the scope of the appended claims. The characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, both their organization and method of operation, along with the relevant advantages, will be better understood from the following description in relation to the appended figures. Each of the figures is provided for illustrative and explanatory purposes and is not provided as a definition of the limitation of the claims.

[0068]

[0068] More specific descriptions than those briefly summarized above can be obtained by referring to embodiments shown in part in the accompanying drawings, so that the features described above can be understood in detail. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings show only some typical embodiments of the disclosure and should not be considered to limit the scope of the disclosure, as such descriptions may apply to other equally valid embodiments. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0069] [Figure 1]

[0069] A diagram illustrating an example of a wireless network according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]

[0070] A diagram illustrating an example of a base station communicating with a UE in a wireless network, according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 3A]

[0071] A figure illustrating an example related to uplink performance optimization in dual-carrier operation according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 3B] A figure illustrating an example related to uplink performance optimization in dual-carrier operation according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 4]

[0072] A diagram illustrating exemplary processes related to uplink performance optimization in dual-carrier operation according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 5]

[0073] Block diagram of an exemplary device for wireless communication according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]

[0074] Block diagram of an exemplary device for wireless communication according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0070]

[0075] Various aspects of this disclosure are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to any particular structure or function presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure may be thorough and complete and so as to convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings of this specification, those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of this disclosure covers any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein, whether implemented independently of other aspects of the disclosure or in combination with other aspects of the disclosure. For example, an apparatus can be implemented or a method can be practiced using any number of the aspects described herein. Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure shall cover any other structure, function, or such apparatus or method practiced using other structures, functions, or structures and functions, in addition to or in addition to the various aspects of the disclosure described herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein can be embodied by one or more elements of the claims.

[0071]

[0076] Next, several embodiments of telecommunications systems are presented with reference to various devices and techniques. These devices and techniques are described in the following detailed explanation and are shown in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as “elements”). These elements can be implemented using hardware, software, or a 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.

[0072]

[0077] While embodiments may be described using terminology generally associated with 5G or NR radio access technology (RAT), it should be noted that embodiments of this disclosure may also apply to other RATs, such as 3G RAT, 4G RAT, and / or RATs following 5G (e.g., 6G).

[0073]

[0078] Figure 1 shows an example of a wireless network 100 according to various aspects of this disclosure. The wireless network 100 may be or may include elements such as a 5G (NR) network or an LTE network. The wireless network 100 may include several base stations 110 (shown as BS110a, BS110b, BS110c, and BS110d) and other network entities. A base station (BS) is an entity that communicates with user equipment (UE) and may also be called an NR BS, node B, gNB, 5G node B (NB), access point, transmit / receive point (TRP), etc. Each BS may provide communication coverage to a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term “cell” may refer to the coverage area of ​​a BS and / or the BS subsystem that services this coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0074]

[0079] A BS (Broadcasting System) can provide communication coverage to macrocells, picocells, femtocells, and / or other types of cells. Macrocells can cover relatively large geographical areas (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and can enable unrestricted access by UEs (Users) subscribing to the service. Picocells can cover relatively small geographical areas and can enable unrestricted access by UEs subscribing to the service. Femtocells can cover relatively small geographical areas (e.g., a home) and can enable limited access by UEs associated with a femtocell (e.g., UEs in a Limited Subscriber Group (CSG)). A BS for a macrocell is sometimes called a macroBS. A BS for a picocell is sometimes called a picoBS. A BS for a femtocell is sometimes called a femtoBS or homeBS. In the example shown in Figure 1, BS110a may be a macroBS for macrocell 102a, BS110b may be a picoBS for picocell 102b, and BS110c may be a femtoBS for femtocell 102c. A BS may support one or more (e.g., three) cells. The terms “eNB”, “base station”, “NR BS”, “gNB”, “TRP”, “AP”, “node B”, “5G NB”, and “cell” may be used interchangeably herein.

[0075]

[0080] In some embodiments, cells may not necessarily be fixed, and the geographical area of ​​a cell may move according to the location of the mobile BS. In some embodiments, BSs may be interconnected with each other and / or with one or more other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless network 100 through various types of backhaul interfaces, such as direct physical connections and virtual networks, using any suitable transport network.

[0076]

[0081] The wireless network 100 may also include relay stations. A relay station is an entity that can receive data transmissions from upstream stations (e.g., BS or UE) and send those data transmissions to downstream stations (e.g., UE or BS). A relay station may also be a UE that can relay transmissions for other UEs. In the example shown in Figure 1, relay BS110d may communicate with macro BS110a and UE120d to facilitate communication between BS110a and UE120d. Relay BS may also be called relay stations, relay base stations, or relays.

[0077]

[0082] The wireless network 100 may be a heterogeneous network including different types of BS, such as macro BS, pico BS, femto BS, and relay BS. These different types of BS may have different transmission power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in the wireless network 100. For example, macro BS may have high transmission power levels (e.g., 5-40 watts), while pico BS, femto BS, and relay BS may have lower transmission power levels (e.g., 0.1-2 watts).

[0078]

[0083] The network controller 130 can be coupled to a set of BSs and perform coordination and control for these BSs. The network controller 130 can communicate with BSs via backhaul. BSs can also communicate with each other directly or indirectly via wireless or wireline backhaul.

[0079]

[0084] UE120 (e.g., 120a, 120b, 120c) may be distributed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE may be stationary or mobile. UEs may also be called access terminals, terminals, mobile stations, subscriber units, stations, etc. UEs may be cellular phones (e.g., smartphones), personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless modems, wireless communication devices, handheld devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, tablets, cameras, gaming devices, netbooks, smartbooks, ultrabooks, medical devices or medical equipment, biosensors / biometric devices, wearable devices (smartwatches, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristbands, smart jewelry (e.g., smart rings, smart bracelets)), entertainment devices (e.g., music or video devices, or satellite radios), vehicle components or vehicle sensors, smart meters / smart sensors, industrial manufacturing equipment, global positioning system devices, or any other suitable devices configured to communicate via wireless or wired media.

[0080]

[0085] Some UEs may be considered machine-type communications (MTC) UEs or advanced or enhanced machine-type communications (eMTC) UEs. MTC UEs and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc., that can communicate with base stations, other devices (e.g., remote devices), or any other entities. Wireless nodes may provide connectivity to or for a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via wired or wireless communication links. Some UEs may be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices and / or implemented as NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) devices. Some UEs may be considered customer premises equipment (CPE). UE120 may be contained within a housing that houses the components of UE120, such as processor components and memory components. In some embodiments, the processor components and memory components may be combined together. For example, processor components (e.g., one or more processors) and memory components (e.g., memory) can be operably coupled, communicatively coupled, electronically coupled, electrically coupled, and so on.

[0081]

[0086] Generally, any number of wireless networks can be deployed within a given geographical area. Each wireless network may support a specific RAT and may operate on one or more frequencies. RATs are sometimes called wireless technologies or air interfaces. Frequencies are sometimes called carriers or frequency channels. Each frequency may support a single RAT within a given geographical area to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks may be deployed.

[0082]

[0087] In some embodiments, two or more UE120s (for example, shown as UE120a and UE120e) may communicate directly using one or more sidelink channels (for example, without using base station 110 as an intermediary for communication with each other). For example, UE120s may communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communication, device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-anything (V2X) protocols (which may include vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocols, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocols, etc.), mesh networks, etc. In this case, UE120s may perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and / or other operations described elsewhere in this specification as being performed by base station 110.

[0083]

[0088] Devices in wireless network 100 may communicate using the electromagnetic spectrum, which can be subdivided into various classes, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, devices in wireless network 100 may communicate using an operating band having a first frequency range (FR1) that may span from 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz, and / or using an operating band having a second frequency range (FR2) that may span from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. Frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are sometimes called midband frequencies. Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to as the “sub-6 GHz” band. Similarly, FR2 is often referred to as “millimeter wave” even though it 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. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, terms such as “sub-6GHz” can broadly refer to frequencies below 6GHz, frequencies within FR1, and / or mid-band frequencies (e.g., greater than 7.125GHz) when used herein. Similarly, unless otherwise specified, terms such as “millimeter wave” can broadly refer to frequencies within the EHF band, frequencies within FR2, and / or mid-band frequencies (e.g., less than 24.25GHz) when used herein. Frequencies included in FR1 and FR2 may be modified, and the techniques described herein are intended to be applicable to those modified frequency ranges.

[0084]

[0089] As stated above, Figure 1 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those described with respect to Figure 1.

[0085]

[0090] Figure 2 shows an example 200 of a base station 110 communicating with a UE 120 in a wireless network 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The base station 110 may be equipped with T antennas 234a to 234t, and the UE 120 may be equipped with R antennas 252a to 252r, where generally T≧1 and R≧1.

[0086]

[0091] At base station 110, the transmit processor 220 may receive data from data source 212 for one or more UEs, select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for each UE at least in part based on the channel quality indicator (CQI) received from the UE, process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for each UE at least in part based on the (one or more) MCS selected for that UE, and provide data symbols for all UEs. The transmit processor 220 may also process system information and control information (e.g., CQI requests, authorizations, upper-layer signaling, etc.) (e.g., semi-static resource partitioning information (SRPI), etc.) and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. The transmit processor 220 may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS), demodulated reference signals (DMRS), etc.) and synchronization signals (e.g., primary synchronization signals (PSS) and secondary synchronization signals (SSS)). The transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 230 may, where applicable, perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​data symbols, control symbols, overhead symbols, and / or reference symbols, and may provide T output symbol streams to T modulators (MODs) 232a-232t. Each modulator 232 may process its respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to acquire an output sample stream. Each modulator 232 may further process its output sample stream (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) to acquire a downlink signal. The T downlink signals from modulators 232a-232t may each be transmitted via T antennas 234a-234t.

[0087]

[0092] In UE120, antennas 252a-252r may receive downlink signals from base station 110 and / or other base stations and provide the received signals to demodulators (DEMOD) 254a-254r, respectively. Each demodulator 254 may adjust the received signal (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) to acquire an input sample. Each demodulator 254 may further process the input sample (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to acquire a received symbol. A MIMO detector 256 may acquire received symbols from all R demodulators 254a-254r and, where applicable, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols and provide the detected symbols. A receiving processor 258 may process the detected symbols (e.g., demodulate and decode) and provide the decoded data for UE120 to the data sink 260 and the decoded control and system information to the controller / processor 280. The term "controller / processor" may refer to one or more controllers, one or more processors, or a combination thereof. The channel processor may determine the reference signal received power (RSRP), the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), the reference signal received quality (RSRQ), the channel quality indicator (CQI), and so on. In some embodiments, one or more components of the UE120 may be contained within the housing 284.

[0088]

[0093] The network controller 130 may include a communication unit 294, a controller / processor 290, and memory 292. The network controller 130 may include, for example, one or more devices in the core network. The network controller 130 may communicate with the base station 110 via the communication unit 294.

[0089]

[0094] On the uplink, in UE120, the transmit processor 264 may receive and process data from data source 262 and control information (for reporting, including RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, CQI, etc.) from controller / processor 280. The transmit processor 264 may also generate reference symbols for one or more reference signals. Symbols from the transmit processor 264 may be precoded by the TX MIMO processor 266 where applicable, further processed by modulators 254a-254r (for DFT-s-OFDM, CP-OFDM, etc.), and transmitted to base station 110. In some embodiments, UE120 includes a transceiver. The transceiver may include (one or more) antennas 252, modulators and / or demodulators 254, MIMO detectors 256, a receive processor 258, a transmit processor 264, and / or any combination of the TX MIMO processor 266. The transceiver may be used by a processor (e.g., controller / processor 280) and memory 282 to carry out any embodiment of the methods described herein.

[0090]

[0095] At base station 110, uplink signals from UE 120 and other UEs are received by antenna 234, processed by demodulator 232, detected by MIMO detector 236 where applicable, and may be further processed by receiving processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by UE 120. The receiving processor 238 may provide the decoded data to data sink 239 and the decoded control information to controller / processor 240. Base station 110 includes a communication unit 244, which may communicate with network controller 130 via the communication unit 244. Base station 110 may include a scheduler 246 for scheduling UE 120 for downlink and / or uplink communication. In some embodiments, base station 110 includes transceivers. The transceiver may include any combination of (one or more) antennas 234, a modulator and / or demodulator 232, a MIMO detector 236, a receiving processor 238, a transmitting processor 220, and / or a TX MIMO processor 230. The transceiver may be used by a processor (e.g., a controller / processor 240) and memory 242 to carry out any aspect of the methods described herein.

[0091]

[0096] The controller / processor 240 of base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of UE 120, and / or any other components of Figure 2 or any other components may implement one or more techniques related to optimizing uplink performance in dual-carrier operation, as will be described in more detail elsewhere in this specification. For example, the controller / processor 240 of base station 110, the controller / processor 280 of UE 120, and / or any (one or more) other components of Figure 2 may implement or direct the operation of, for example, process 400 of Figure 4 and / or other processes described herein. Memories 242 and 282 may store data and program code for base station 110 and UE 120, respectively. In some embodiments, memory 242 and / or memory 282 may include a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing one or more instructions for wireless communication. For example, when one or more instructions are executed by one or more processors in the base station 110 and / or UE 120 (for example, directly or after compilation, translation, interpretation, etc.), one or more processors, UE 120, and / or base station 110 may be instructed to perform or direct the operation of, for example, process 400 in Figure 4 and / or other processes described herein. In some embodiments, executing an instruction may include running the instruction, translating the instruction, compiling the instruction, interpreting the instruction, etc.

[0092]

[0097] In some embodiments, the UE120 may include means for communicating on the primary carrier using a first antenna port, means for communicating on the secondary carrier using a second antenna port, means for determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, and means for switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. In some embodiments, such means may include one or more components of the UE120 described in relation to Figure 2, such as a controller / processor 280, a transmit processor 264, a TX MIMO processor 266, a MOD 254, an antenna 252, a DEMOD 254, a MIMO detector 256, and a receive processor 258.

[0093]

[0098] As described above, Figure 2 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those described with respect to Figure 2.

[0094]

[0099] A UE (for example, UE120) may be capable of operating in a mode that allows the UE to communicate using two frequency carriers simultaneously. Such an operating mode is referred to herein as a dual-carrier operating mode or dual-connectivity operating mode. Such a UE may, for example, communicate with a first base station (for example, a first base station 110 associated with a first radio access technology (RAT)) using a first carrier, and communicate with a second base station (for example, a second base station 110 associated with a first RAT or a second RAT) using a second carrier.

[0095]

[0100] A specific example of a dual-carrier operating mode is the so-called non-standalone (NSA) operating mode, in which the UE communicates using an anchor carrier and a non-anchor carrier. Generally, the anchor carrier supports control plane functions (e.g., call initiation, call termination, location registration, etc.) and possibly some user plane functions (e.g., data traffic exchange), while the non-anchor carrier primarily supports user plane functions. In one specific example of an NSA operating mode, the anchor carrier is an LTE carrier and the non-anchor carrier is an NR carrier (e.g., a millimeter-wave (mmW) carrier, a sub-6GHz carrier, etc.). This LTE+NR NSA operating mode is called the Advanced Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA)-NR Dual Connectivity (ENDC) operating mode. In another example of an NSA operating mode, the anchor carrier may be an NR carrier and the non-anchor carrier may be an LTE carrier. In yet another example of an NSA operating mode, the anchor carrier may be a first LTE carrier and the non-anchor carrier may be a second LTE carrier. In yet another example of an NSA operating mode, the anchor carrier may be the first NR carrier, and the non-anchor carrier may be the second NR carrier. In particular, the above examples are provided for illustrative purposes only, and in practice, the UE may be configured for other types of NSA operating modes (e.g., NSA operating modes related to RATs other than LTE and NR).

[0096]

[0101] Another specific example of a dual-carrier operating mode is the so-called dual subscriber identification module dual-active (DSDA) operating mode. For example, some UEs may be equipped with dual subscriber identification module (SIM) cards, each storing its own International Mobile Subscriber Identification (IMSI) number and key related to providing the UE's identification and authentication. In DSDA operating mode, such a UE may be able to communicate using both SIMs simultaneously on two different carriers, where the two carriers may be associated with the same RAT or different RATs.

[0097]

[0102] Generally, in dual-carrier operation mode, one carrier has priority over the other (for example, with respect to access to UE resources). For example, in NSA operation mode, the anchor carrier has priority over the non-anchor carrier with respect to receive chain selection, transmit antenna selection, antenna switching decisions, uplink power sharing, etc. As a specific example, a UE may have multiple antennas (e.g., two, four, eight, etc.) and may be configured to operate in ENDC operation mode (i.e., NSA operation mode where the anchor carrier is an LTE carrier and the non-anchor carrier is an NR carrier such as a sub-6GHz carrier). In ENDC operation mode, the UE may be able to use all of its antennas to receive communications on the anchor carrier and on the non-anchor carrier. However, the UE may be able to use only one specific antenna among the multiple antennas to transmit communications on a given carrier. To identify which antenna should be used by the anchor carrier (before a link related to the non-anchor carrier is established), the UE may observe the channel state associated with the antenna. The UE then identifies the best available antenna (e.g., the antenna with the most favorable channel state) and assigns the antenna port associated with the best available antenna to the anchor carrier (where a given antenna port corresponds to a specific transmitting antenna, as the UE can receive communications on all antennas). When a link is established (for example, later) with respect to a non-anchor carrier, the UE may identify which antenna should be used by the non-anchor carrier. Here, the UE may observe the channel state associated with the available antennas or use previously observed channel states. The UE then identifies the best remaining available antenna (e.g., the available antenna with the most favorable channel state) and assigns the antenna port associated with the best remaining available antenna to the non-anchor carrier.In this shared multi-antenna scenario, the anchor carrier is allocated the antenna port associated with the best available antenna, and the non-anchor NR carrier is allocated the antenna port associated with the next best available antenna. In particular, the number of antennas available for receiving or transmitting on a given carrier may be limited in some cases based on whether the carrier is a low-band, mid-band, or high-band carrier.

[0098]

[0103] The Maximum Transmit Power Limit (MTPL) can vary among the UE's antennas due to losses related to the UE's hardware design, such as insertion loss and trace loss. This variation in MTPL can affect performance in dual-carrier operating mode. For example, in a scenario where an ENDC UE has antennas 1, 2, 3, and 4, the UE may observe channel conditions indicating that antenna 1 (corresponding to antenna port A) is the best available antenna and antenna 2 (corresponding to antenna port B) is the second-best available antenna. Following the example described above, since the LTE carrier effectively has higher priority than the NR carrier with respect to antenna port selection, antenna port A will be allocated to the LTE carrier (i.e., the anchor carrier) and antenna port B will be allocated to the NR carrier (i.e., the non-anchor carrier). In this scenario, assume that antenna 1 has a higher MTPL (e.g., 25 dBm) than antenna 2 (e.g., 22 decibel milliwatts (dBm)).

[0099]

[0104] In such situations, giving priority to LTE carriers over NR can hinder performance. For example, since a significant portion of data traffic may use NR carriers, there may be many permissions on NR carriers, while there may be no or very few permissions on LTE carriers. Furthermore, due to the nature of NR frequencies, NR carriers may experience relatively higher path loss than LTE carriers. One option to overcome path loss on NR carriers is to increase the transmit power on them. However, since LTE carriers have a higher priority in antenna port selection (for example, because LTE carriers are allocated antenna port A), NR carriers are forced to use the second-best transmit antenna (corresponding to antenna port B), which means that the transmit power on NR carriers is limited (compared to the allowable transmit power on LTE carriers), which suppresses performance on NR carriers. Moreover, since there may be no or very few permissions on LTE carriers and path loss on LTE carriers is relatively low, LTE carriers may be able to use the second-best antenna port without impacting service. In other words, the best transmit antenna (corresponding to antenna port A) is not necessarily required to support communications on LTE carriers. Rather, the best transmitting antennas may be better utilized by NR carriers.

[0100]

[0105] Several embodiments described herein provide techniques and apparatus for optimizing uplink performance in dual-carrier operation. In some embodiments, a UE may communicate on a primary carrier (e.g., an anchor carrier) using a first antenna port (e.g., corresponding to the best available transmitting antenna) and on a secondary carrier (e.g., a non-anchor carrier) using a second antenna port (e.g., corresponding to the second-best available transmitting antenna). In some embodiments, the UE may determine, based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, and accordingly switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. As will be described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the UE may determine that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold (e.g., a threshold related to determining whether the primary carrier can maintain a link on the second antenna port), and accordingly trigger an antenna switch.

[0101]

[0106] In this way, the secondary carrier (for example, a carrier with relatively high allocation or transit power requirements) is allowed to use the best available antenna, thereby allowing the secondary carrier to be allocated to an antenna port that enables transmission at higher transmit power while avoiding performance impacts on the primary carrier. This improves the overall performance, achievable throughput, and call sustainability associated with the UE when operating in dual-carrier mode.

[0102]

[0107] Figures 3A and 3B illustrate Example 300 relating to uplink performance optimization in dual-carrier operation, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, Example 300 includes communication between a UE (e.g., UE120), a first base station (e.g., a first BS110 identified as BS1), and a second base station (e.g., a second BS110 identified as BS2). In some aspects, the first and second base stations may be associated with the same RAT (e.g., LTE, NR, etc.) or different RATs. In some aspects, the UE, the first base station, and the second base station may be contained within a wireless network, such as wireless network 100. The first and second base stations and the UE may communicate over a first wireless access link and a second wireless access link, respectively, each of which may include uplinks and downlinks.

[0103]

[0108] As shown in reference 302, the UE may communicate over the primary carrier (for example, with a first base station) using a first antenna port, where the first antenna port corresponds to the UE's first transmitting antenna. The first antenna port is identified as port A in Example 300. Similarly, as shown in reference 304, the UE may communicate over the secondary carrier (for example, with a second base station) using a second antenna port, where the second antenna port corresponds to the UE's second transmitting antenna. The second antenna port is identified as port B in Example 300.

[0104]

[0109] In some embodiments, the UE may operate in NSA mode. For example, the UE may operate in ENDC mode. When the UE operates in NSA mode, the primary carrier is the anchor carrier and the secondary carrier is the non-anchor carrier. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the UE may be a dual-SIM UE operating in DSDA mode, which allows the UE to communicate using two different carriers.

[0105]

[0110] In some embodiments, the primary and secondary carriers are associated with different RATs. For example, (for example, when the UE is operating in ENDC operating mode) the primary carrier may be an LTE carrier and the secondary carrier may be an NR carrier. Another example is when the primary carrier is an NR carrier and the secondary carrier is an LTE carrier. In some embodiments, the primary and secondary carriers are associated with the same RAT. For example, the primary carrier may be a first LTE carrier and the secondary carrier may be a second LTE carrier. Another example is when the primary carrier is a first NR carrier and the secondary carrier is a second NR carrier.

[0106]

[0111] In some embodiments, the UE begins communicating on the secondary carrier after it has begun communicating on the primary carrier. For example, a link using the primary carrier may be established between the UE and a first base station. In connection with establishing a link using the primary carrier, the UE may identify a first transmitting antenna as the best available antenna and allocate a first antenna port (port A, corresponding to the first transmitting antenna) to the primary carrier. Thus, the antenna port associated with the best available antenna is allocated to the primary carrier. Continuing this example, a link using the secondary carrier is established between the UE and a second base station after the establishment of a link using the primary carrier. In connection with establishing a link using the secondary carrier, the UE may identify a second transmitting antenna as the best remaining available antenna and allocate a second antenna port (port B, corresponding to the second transmitting antenna) to the secondary carrier.

[0107]

[0112] In some embodiments, a link using a secondary carrier may be established when the UE begins operating in NSA mode. For example, when the UE is an ENDC UE, the UE may first establish a link associated with an LTE carrier. Now, upon detecting a trigger to begin operating in ENDC mode, the UE may establish a link using an NR carrier.

[0108]

[0113] In particular, in the scenarios shown by references 302 and 304, the primary carrier (e.g., the anchor carrier) is allocated the antenna port associated with the best available antenna, and the secondary carrier (e.g., the non-anchor carrier) is allocated the antenna port associated with the best remaining available antenna.

[0109]

[0114] In some embodiments, as shown in reference 306, the UE may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port (port B) to a first antenna port (port A). In some embodiments, the UE may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port. For example, in NSA operating mode, the UE may determine whether to switch the non-anchor carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port.

[0110]

[0115] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier to the first antenna port is at least in part based on the decision of whether the primary carrier can maintain a link on the second antenna port. Thus, in some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier is at least in part based on whether the channel state on the second antenna port indicates that the second antenna port will provide sufficient support for communication on the primary carrier. That is, in some embodiments, the UE may determine whether the primary carrier can maintain a link on the second antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port. In some embodiments, the channel state associated with the second antenna port may be based on one or more metrics associated with the second antenna port. One or more metrics may include, for example, the block error rate (BLER) associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the second antenna port, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) associated with the second antenna port, and / or another metric indicating the channel state at the second antenna port. In some embodiments, the channel state may be the result of applying a function to one or more metrics.

[0111]

[0116] In some embodiments, the UE may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port by determining whether the channel state associated with the second antenna port meets a threshold for communication on the primary carrier. The threshold for communication on the primary carrier may be a threshold related to determining whether the primary carrier can maintain a link on the second antenna port. In some embodiments, the threshold is related to one or more metrics associated with the second antenna port. For example, the threshold may include a BLER threshold (e.g., 5%BLER), an RSSI threshold (e.g., -80dBm RSSI), an SNR threshold (e.g., 5dBm SNR), and / or thresholds for functions that operate based on BLER, RSSI, SNR, and / or one or more other metrics.

[0112]

[0117] In some embodiments, the UE may determine one or more metrics associated with a second antenna port (for example, by performing one or more measurements related to the UE's antenna), and may determine a channel state associated with the second antenna port based at least in part on one or more metrics. The UE may then determine whether the channel state associated with the second antenna port meets a threshold. If the UE determines that the channel state associated with the second antenna port meets a threshold (for example, the channel state indicates that the second antenna port can support a link on the primary carrier), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Conversely, if the UE determines that the channel state associated with the second antenna port does not meet a threshold (for example, the channel state indicates that the second antenna port cannot support a link on the primary carrier), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should not be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0113]

[0118] In some embodiments, the UE may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the UE benefits associated with the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. That is, in some embodiments, the UE may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on whether the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port will provide the UE with benefits. These UE benefits may relate to, for example, improved transmit power, increased throughput, or improved call sustainability.

[0114]

[0119] In some embodiments, the UE may determine the degree of UE benefit (e.g., improvement to transmit power, increase to throughput, improvement to call sustainability, etc.) based on parameters of the second antenna port (e.g., MTPL, power headroom, etc.), parameters of the first antenna port, channel conditions associated with the second antenna port, and / or channel conditions associated with the first antenna port.

[0115]

[0120] For example, a UE may determine an improvement to the transmit power associated with the secondary carrier based on the MTPL associated with the second antenna port and the MTPL associated with the first antenna port. If the UE determines that the degree of UE benefit (i.e., improvement to transmit power) satisfies a transmit power improvement threshold (e.g., a threshold indicating the minimum improvement to the MTPL required to enable the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Conversely, if the UE determines that the degree of UE benefit does not satisfy the transmit power improvement threshold, the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should not be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0116]

[0121] As another example, the UE may determine the difference between the channel state associated with the first antenna port and the channel state associated with the second antenna port, and may derive the degree of UE benefit (e.g., channel state improvement) based at least in part on that difference. If the UE determines that the degree of UE benefit satisfies a channel state improvement threshold (e.g., a threshold indicating the minimum improvement to the channel state required to enable the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Conversely, if the UE determines that the degree of UE benefit does not satisfy the channel state improvement threshold, the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should not be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0117]

[0122] In some embodiments, the UE may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based at least in part on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier. That is, in some embodiments, the UE may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on information relating to data traffic on the primary and secondary carriers. Information relating to data traffic may include, for example, information indicating the number or regularity of resource block (RB) allocations on the primary and secondary carriers (e.g., on the uplink and / or downlink).

[0118]

[0123] As a specific example, a UE may identify the number of RB allocations on a secondary carrier within a given time window. If the UE determines that the number of RB allocations on the secondary carrier meets a threshold number of RB allocations for the secondary carrier (for example, the number of RB allocations on the secondary carrier is greater than a certain number of RB allocations), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Conversely, if the UE determines that the number of RB allocations on the secondary carrier does not meet a threshold related to the secondary carrier, the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should not be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0119]

[0124] As another specific example, a UE may identify the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier within a given time window. If the UE determines that the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier satisfies a threshold number of RB allocations for the primary carrier (for example, the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier is less than or equal to a certain number of RB allocations), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Conversely, if the UE determines that the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier does not satisfy a threshold related to the primary carrier, the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should not be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0120]

[0125] As yet another specific example, the UE may identify the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier within a given time window, and may also identify the number of RB allocations on the secondary carrier within a given time window. Here, if the UE determines that the number of RB allocations on the secondary carrier is greater than the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier (for example, by a certain number of RB allocations), the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Conversely, if the UE determines that the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier is less than or equal to the number of RB allocations on the primary carrier, the UE may determine that the secondary carrier should not be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0121]

[0126] In Example 300, the UE decides that the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. Thus, as shown in Figure 3B by reference 308, the UE may switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. In some embodiments, the UE switches the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. For example, as shown in Figure 3B, the UE switches the secondary carrier from port B to port A and the primary carrier from port A to port B.

[0122]

[0127] As shown in reference 310, after switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the UE may use the first antenna port to communicate over the secondary carrier (for example, with the second base station). Similarly, as shown in reference 312, after switching the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, the UE may use the second antenna port to communicate over the primary carrier (for example, with the first base station).

[0123]

[0128] In this way, the secondary carrier is made able to use the best available antenna (in example 300, this is the first transmitting antenna associated with port A), thereby allowing the secondary carrier to be allocated to an antenna port that enables transmission at higher transmit power while avoiding performance impacts on the primary carrier. As a result, the overall performance associated with the UE, the achievable throughput, and the call persistence of the UE may be improved when the UE is operating in dual-carrier mode (e.g., NSA mode such as ENDC, DSDA mode, etc.).

[0124]

[0129] In some embodiments, the UE may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier back from the first antenna port to the second antenna port after the secondary carrier has been switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. In some embodiments, the UE may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier back from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port. For example, the UE may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier back from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on channel states associated with the second antenna port observed by the UE after the UE has switched the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0125]

[0130] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier back to the second antenna port is at least in part based on the decision of whether the primary carrier can continue to maintain a link on the second antenna port. Thus, in some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier back is at least in part based on whether other channel conditions on the second antenna port indicate that the second antenna port will continue to provide sufficient support for communication on the primary carrier. In some embodiments, other channel conditions associated with the second antenna port may be based on one or more metrics associated with the second antenna port, as described above. In some embodiments, the UE may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier back from the first antenna port to the second antenna port by determining whether other channel conditions associated with the second antenna port, as described above, meet the threshold for communication on the primary carrier. In some embodiments, based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier back from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, the UE may switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port and the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0126]

[0131] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from a first antenna port to a second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer. For example, when the UE switches the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port, it may start a timer (e.g., a 100-millisecond timer), and upon the expiration of the timer, it may decide whether to switch the secondary carrier back from the first antenna port to the second antenna port. If the UE decides that it should not switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, the UE may restart the timer. In this way, the UE may be configured to periodically re-evaluate the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0127]

[0132] In some embodiments, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from a first antenna port to a second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event. For example, a UE may detect an event and, upon detection of the event, decide whether to switch the secondary carrier from a first antenna port to a second antenna port. The event may include, for example, the UE moving from a cell where the primary carrier is associated with a first RAT (e.g., LTE) to a cell where the primary carrier is associated with a second RAT (e.g., NR), a change in the UE's operating mode (e.g., from ENDC to standalone mode on NR), a handover of the primary carrier to another cell, or another type of event.

[0128]

[0133] As described above, Figures 3A and 3B are provided as examples. Other examples may differ from those described with respect to Figures 3A and 3B.

[0129]

[0134] Figure 4 shows an exemplary process 400 performed, for example, by a user UE, according to various aspects of this disclosure. The exemplary process 400 is an example in which a UE (e.g., UE120) performs operations related to uplink performance optimization in dual-carrier operation.

[0130]

[0135] As shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, process 400 may include communicating over the primary carrier using a first antenna port (block 410). For example, a UE (using, for example, antenna 252, demodulator 254, MIMO detector 256, receiving processor 258, transmitting processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, modulator 254, controller / processor 280, and / or memory 282) may communicate over the primary carrier using the first antenna port as described above. In some embodiments, the operation of block 410 may be carried out by the communication component 508 in Figure 5.

[0131]

[0136] As further shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, process 400 may include communicating over the secondary carrier using a second antenna port (block 420). For example, a UE (using, for example, antenna 252, demodulator 254, MIMO detector 256, receiving processor 258, transmitting processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, modulator 254, controller / processor 280, and / or memory 282) may communicate over the secondary carrier using the second antenna port as described above. In some embodiments, the operation of block 420 may be carried out by the communication component 508 in Figure 5.

[0132]

[0137] As further shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, process 400 may include determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port (block 430). For example, a UE (using, for example, antenna 252, demodulator 254, MIMO detector 256, receiving processor 258, transmitting processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, modulator 254, controller / processor 280, and / or memory 282) may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, as described above. In some embodiments, the operation of block 430 may be carried out by the decision component 510 in Figure 5.

[0133]

[0138] As further shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, process 400 may include switching the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port (block 440). For example, a UE (using, for example, antenna 252, demodulator 254, MIMO detector 256, receiving processor 258, transmitting processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, modulator 254, controller / processor 280, and / or memory 282) may switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port, as described above. In some embodiments, the operation of block 440 may be carried out by the switching component 512 in Figure 5.

[0134]

[0139] Process 400 may include additional embodiments, such as any single embodiment or any combination of embodiments relating to one or more other processes described below and / or elsewhere in this specification.

[0135]

[0140] In a first embodiment, process 400 includes switching the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0136]

[0141] In a second embodiment, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from a second antenna port to a first antenna port, either alone or in combination with the first embodiment, comprises determining that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0137]

[0142] In a third embodiment, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second embodiments, the threshold is associated with at least one of the block error rate associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the second antenna port.

[0138]

[0143] In the fourth aspect, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, is further based on the UE benefit associated with switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0139]

[0144] In the fifth aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the UE benefit relates to at least one of improving transmit power, increasing throughput, or improving call sustainability.

[0140]

[0145] In the sixth aspect, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, is further based on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

[0141]

[0146] In the seventh aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the process 400 includes determining, after the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel conditions associated with the second antenna port, and switching the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0142]

[0147] In the eighth aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, the process 400 includes switching the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0143]

[0148] In the ninth aspect, a decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from a first antenna port to a second antenna port, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first to eighth aspects, based on other channel states, comprises: determining that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier; and deciding to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the determination that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0144]

[0149] In the tenth embodiment, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth embodiments, is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

[0145]

[0150] In the eleventh embodiment, the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth embodiments, is triggered based on the detection of an event.

[0146]

[0151] In the twelfth aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, the UE operates in DC mode, with the primary carrier being an anchor carrier associated with DC mode and the secondary carrier being a non-anchor carrier associated with DC mode.

[0147]

[0152] In the 13th embodiment, either alone or in combination with one or more of the first through 12 embodiments, the primary carrier is an LTE carrier and the secondary carrier is an NR carrier.

[0148]

[0153] In the 14th aspect, either alone or in combination with one or more of the 1st to 13th aspects, the UE operates in dual-SIM dual-active mode, with the primary carrier associated with the first SIM and the secondary carrier associated with the second SIM.

[0149]

[0154] Figure 4 shows an exemplary block of process 400, but in some embodiments, process 400 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks configured differently, in addition to those shown in Figure 4. Additionally or alternatively, two or more blocks of process 400 may be executed in parallel.

[0150]

[0155] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary device 500 for wireless communication. Device 500 may be a UE (e.g., UE120), or a UE may include device 500. In some embodiments, device 500 includes a receiving component 502 and a transmitting component 504, which may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses and / or one or more other components). As shown, device 500 may communicate with another device 506 (such as a UE, a base station, or another wireless communication device) using the receiving component 502 and the transmitting component 504. As further shown, device 500 may include one or more of the following, among other examples: a communication component 508, a decision component 510, or a switching component 512.

[0151]

[0156] In some embodiments, the apparatus 500 may be configured to perform one or more operations described herein with respect to Figures 3A to 3B. Additionally or alternatively, the apparatus 500 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein, such as process 400 in Figure 4. In some embodiments, the apparatus 500 and / or one or more components shown in Figure 5 may include one or more components of the UE described above with respect to Figure 2. Additionally or alternatively, one or more components shown in Figure 5 may be implemented within one or more components described above with respect to Figure 2. Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of a set of components may be implemented at least partially as software stored in memory. For example, a component (or a portion of a component) may be implemented as instructions or code that can be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium and executed by a controller or processor to perform the function or operation of the component.

[0152]

[0157] The receiving component 502 may receive communications from the device 506, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof. The receiving component 502 may provide the received communications to one or more other components of the device 500. In some embodiments, the receiving component 502 may perform signal processing on the received communications (among examples being filtering, amplification, demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, demultiplexing, deinterleaving, demapping, equalization, interference cancellation, or decoding) and provide the processed signals to one or more other components of the device 506. In some embodiments, the receiving component 502 may include one or more antennas, demodulators, MIMO detectors, receiving processors, controllers / processors, memory, or a combination thereof of the UE described above with respect to Figure 2.

[0153]

[0158] The transmitting component 504 may transmit communications such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or combinations thereof to the device 506. In some embodiments, one or more other components of the device 506 may generate communications and provide the transmitted component 504 with the generated communications for transmission to the device 506. In some embodiments, the transmitting component 504 may perform signal processing on the generated communications (among examples being filtering, amplification, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, multiplexing, interleaving, mapping, or coding) and transmit the processed signals to the device 506. In some embodiments, the transmitting component 504 may include one or more antennas, modulators, transmitting MIMO processors, transmitting processors, controllers / processors, memory, or combinations thereof of the UE described above with respect to Figure 2. In some embodiments, the transmitting component 504 may be collated with the receiving component 502 in the transceiver.

[0154]

[0159] The communication component 508 can communicate over the primary carrier using the first antenna port. The communication component 508 can communicate over the secondary carrier using the second antenna port.

[0155]

[0160] The decision component 510 may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port. The decision component 510 may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies the threshold for communication using the primary carrier. After the secondary carrier has been switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the decision component 510 may determine whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port. The decision component 510 may determine that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot meet the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and based on this determination, it may decide to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0156]

[0161] The switching component 512 may switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. The switching component 512 may switch the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. The switching component 512 may switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port. The switching component 512 may switch the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0157]

[0162] The number and configuration of components shown in Figure 5 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional components, fewer components, different components, or components configured differently than those shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, two or more components shown in Figure 5 may be implemented within a single component, or a single component shown in Figure 5 may be implemented as multiple distributed components. Additionally or alternatively, a set of (one or more) components shown in Figure 5 may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by another set of components shown in Figure 5.

[0158]

[0163] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus 600 for wireless communication. Apparatus 600 may be a base station (e.g., base station 110), or a base station may include apparatus 600. In some embodiments, apparatus 600 includes a receiving component 602 and a transmitting component 604, which may communicate with each other (e.g., via one or more buses and / or one or more other components). As shown, apparatus 600 may use the receiving component 602 and the transmitting component 604 to communicate with another apparatus 606 (such as a UE, base station, or another wireless communication device).

[0159]

[0164] In some embodiments, the device 600 may be configured to perform one or more operations described herein with respect to Figures 3A and 3B. Alternatively, the device 600 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein. In some embodiments, the device 600 and / or one or more components shown in Figure 6 may include one or more components of the base station described above with respect to Figure 2. Alternatively, one or more components shown in Figure 6 may be implemented within one or more components described above with respect to Figure 2. Alternatively, one or more components of a set of components may be implemented at least partially as software stored in memory. For example, a component (or a portion of a component) may be implemented as instructions or code that can be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium and executed by a controller or processor to perform the function or operation of the component.

[0160]

[0165] The receiving component 602 may receive communications from the device 606, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof. The receiving component 602 may provide the received communications to one or more other components of the device 600. In some embodiments, the receiving component 602 may perform signal processing on the received communications (among examples being filtering, amplification, demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, demultiplexing, deinterleaving, demapping, equalization, interference cancellation, or decoding) and provide the processed signals to one or more other components of the device 606. In some embodiments, the receiving component 602 may include one or more antennas, demodulators, MIMO detectors, receiving processors, controllers / processors, memory, or a combination thereof, of the base station described above with respect to Figure 2.

[0161]

[0166] The transmitting component 604 may transmit communications such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or combinations thereof to the device 606. In some embodiments, one or more other components of the device 606 may generate communications and provide the transmitted component 604 with the generated communications for transmission to the device 606. In some embodiments, the transmitting component 604 may perform signal processing on the generated communications (among examples being filtering, amplification, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, multiplexing, interleaving, mapping, or coding) and transmit the processed signals to the device 606. In some embodiments, the transmitting component 604 may include one or more antennas, modulators, transmitting MIMO processors, transmitting processors, controllers / processors, memory, or combinations thereof of the base station described above with respect to Figure 2. In some embodiments, the transmitting component 604 may be collated with the receiving component 602 in the transceiver.

[0162]

[0167] The number and configuration of components shown in Figure 6 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional components, fewer components, different components, or components configured differently than those shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, two or more components shown in Figure 6 may be implemented within a single component, or a single component shown in Figure 6 may be implemented as multiple distributed components. Additionally or alternatively, a set of (one or more) components shown in Figure 6 may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by another set of components shown in Figure 6.

[0163]

[0168] The following provides an overview of some aspects of this disclosure.

[0164]

[0169] Embodiment 1: A method of wireless communication performed by a user device (UE), comprising: communicating on a primary carrier using a first antenna port; communicating on a secondary carrier using a second antenna port; determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port; and switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0165]

[0170] Embodiment 2: The method according to Embodiment 1, further comprising switching the primary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0166]

[0171] Embodiment 3: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 2, wherein the determination of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port comprises determining that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies a threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0167]

[0172] Embodiment 4: The method according to Embodiment 3, wherein the threshold is related to at least one of the block error rate associated with the second antenna port, the received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or the signal-to-noise ratio associated with the second antenna port.

[0168]

[0173] Embodiment 5: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the UE benefit associated with switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0169]

[0174] Embodiment 6: The method according to Embodiment 5, wherein the UE benefit relates to at least one of improving transmit power, increasing throughput, or improving call sustainability.

[0170]

[0175] Embodiment 7: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

[0171]

[0176] Embodiment 8: The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, further comprising: determining whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel conditions associated with the second antenna port after the secondary carrier has been switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port; and switching the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port.

[0172]

[0177] Embodiment 9: The method according to Embodiment 8, further comprising switching the primary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port based on a decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port.

[0173]

[0178] Embodiment 10: The method according to any one of Embodiments 8 to 9, wherein the determination of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states comprises determining that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, and determining to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on the determination that other channel states associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier.

[0174]

[0179] Embodiment 11: The method according to any one of Embodiments 8 to 10, wherein the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

[0175]

[0180] Embodiment 12: The method according to any one of Embodiments 8 to 11, wherein the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event.

[0176]

[0181] Embodiment 13: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the UE operates in dual connectivity (DC) mode, the primary carrier is an anchor carrier associated with DC mode, and the secondary carrier is a non-anchor carrier associated with DC mode.

[0177]

[0182] Embodiment 14: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the primary carrier is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) carrier and the secondary carrier is a New Radio (NR) carrier.

[0178]

[0183] Embodiment 15: The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the UE operates in dual subscriber identification module (SIM) dual active mode, with the primary carrier associated with the first SIM and the secondary carrier associated with the second SIM.

[0179]

[0184] Embodiment 16: An apparatus for wireless communication in a device, comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the method described in one or more embodiments of Embodiments 1 to 15.

[0180]

[0185] Embodiment 17: A device for wireless communication, comprising a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the memory and one or more processors are configured to carry out the method according to one or more embodiments of Embodiments 1 to 15.

[0181]

[0186] Embodiment 18: An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising at least one means for carrying out a method described in one or more embodiments of embodiments 1 to 15.

[0182]

[0187] Embodiment 19: A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing a code for wireless communication, wherein the code comprises instructions executable by a processor to carry out the method described in one or more embodiments of Embodiments 1 to 15.

[0183]

[0188] Embodiment 20: A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, wherein the set of instructions comprises one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the device, cause the device to perform a method described in one or more embodiments of embodiments 1 to 15.

[0184]

[0189] The foregoing disclosures are illustrative and explanatory, and are not exhaustive, nor do they limit the embodiments to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications and variations may be made in light of the foregoing disclosures or derived from the practice of the embodiments.

[0185]

[0190] As used herein, the term “components” shall be broadly interpreted as hardware, firmware, and / or combinations of hardware and software. Processors as used herein are implemented as hardware, firmware, and / or combinations of hardware and software. It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, and / or combinations of hardware and software. Actual specific control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limited to their embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the operation and behavior of systems and / or methods are described herein independently of specific software code, and that software and hardware may be designed to implement systems and / or methods based at least in part on the descriptions herein.

[0186]

[0191] As used herein, meeting a threshold can mean, depending on the context, that a value is greater than the threshold, greater than or equal to the threshold, less than the threshold, less than or equal to the threshold, equal to the threshold, or not equal to the threshold.

[0187]

[0192] Certain combinations of features are expressed in the claims and / or disclosed herein, but these combinations do not limit the disclosure of various embodiments. In fact, many of these features can be combined in ways that are not expressed in the claims and / or disclosed herein in detail. Each dependent claim described below may depend directly on only one claim, but the disclosure of various embodiments includes each dependent claim combined with any other claims in the claims. The phrase “at least one of” the list of items refers to any combination of those items that includes a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” shall include a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination having multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other order of a, b, and c).

[0188]

[0193] No element, action, or command used herein should be construed as important or essential unless expressly described as such. Furthermore, the articles “a” and “an” as used herein include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Additionally, the article “the” as used herein includes one or more items being referred to in relation to the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Furthermore, the terms “set” and “group” as used herein include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, combinations of related and unrelated items) and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” When only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or a similar expression is used. Also, terms such as “has,” “have,” and “having” as used herein are open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase “based on” means “at least partially based on” unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the term “or” as used herein is inclusive when used consecutively and may be used interchangeably with “and / or” unless otherwise specified (for example, when used in combination with “either” or “only one of”).

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication performed by user equipment (UE), To communicate over the primary carrier using the first antenna port, Using the second antenna port to communicate over the secondary carrier, Based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, it is determined whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the secondary carrier is switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, A method that includes [a certain feature].

2. Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the primary carrier is switched from the first antenna port to the second antenna port. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The decision on whether or not to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is as follows: The channel state associated with the second antenna port is determined to satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, Based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, a decision is made as to whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, The method according to claim 1, comprising:

4. The aforementioned threshold is, The block error rate associated with the second antenna port, A received signal strength indicator associated with the second antenna port, or Signal-to-noise ratio related to the second antenna port The method according to claim 3, relating to at least one of the following.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on the UE benefit associated with switching the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the UE benefit relates to at least one of improving transmit power, increasing throughput, or improving call sustainability.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is further based on information relating to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information relating to resource allocation for the secondary carrier.

8. After the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, it is determined whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the first antenna port to the second antenna port based on other channel states associated with the second antenna port, Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the first antenna port, the secondary carrier is switched from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

9. Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, the primary carrier is switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

10. The decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, based on the other channel states, It is determined that the other channel state associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, Based on the determination that the other channel state associated with the second antenna port cannot satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, it is decided to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port, The method according to claim 8, comprising:

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the decision on whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the expiration of a timer.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the decision of whether to switch the secondary carrier from the first antenna port to the second antenna port is triggered based on the detection of an event.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UE operates in dual connectivity (DC) mode, the primary carrier is an anchor carrier associated with the DC mode, and the secondary carrier is a non-anchor carrier associated with the DC mode.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary carrier is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE®) carrier and the secondary carrier is a New Radio (NR) carrier.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UE operates in dual subscriber identification module (SIM) dual active mode, the primary carrier is associated with a first SIM, and the secondary carrier is associated with a second SIM.

16. User equipment (UE) for wireless communication, Memory and One or more processors operably coupled to the memory, The memory and the one or more processors are provided, To communicate over the primary carrier using the first antenna port, Using the second antenna port to communicate over the secondary carrier, Based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, it is determined whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the secondary carrier is switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, User equipment (UE) configured to perform the following actions.

17. The one or more processors described above are Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the primary carrier is switched from the first antenna port to the second antenna port. The UE according to claim 16, further configured to perform the following.

18. When one or more processors decide whether to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, The channel state associated with the second antenna port is determined to satisfy the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, Based on the determination that the channel state associated with the second antenna port satisfies the threshold for communication using the primary carrier, a decision is made as to whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, The UE according to claim 16, which performs the following.

19. The decision on whether or not to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port is as follows: UE benefits related to the switching of the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, Information related to resource allocation for the primary carrier and information related to resource allocation for the secondary carrier, The UE according to claim 16, further based on at least one of the following.

20. A non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing one or more instructions for wireless communication, wherein the one or more instructions are When executed by one or more processors of a user device (UE), the one or more processors: To communicate over the primary carrier using the first antenna port, Using the second antenna port to communicate over the secondary carrier, Based on the channel state associated with the second antenna port, it is determined whether the secondary carrier should be switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, Based on the decision to switch the secondary carrier from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, the secondary carrier is switched from the second antenna port to the first antenna port, A non-temporary computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions for performing the following actions.

Images