Method, device, and system for capacity adjustment in dual connections

By adjusting and communicating temporary capability restrictions, the UE optimizes resource allocation and reduces conflicts in dual-active states, improving network resource management efficiency.

JP2026505481APending Publication Date: 2026-02-13ZTE CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2025546895
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-02-16
Publication Date
2026-02-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

User equipment (UE) experiences temporary capability limitations when operating in dual-active states with multiple networks, leading to hardware conflicts and inefficient resource allocation.

Method used

The UE adjusts and communicates temporary capability restrictions to network nodes through assistance information, indicating allowed, affected, and prohibited band combinations and feature sets, along with specific parameter limits, to optimize resource usage.

Benefits of technology

Enhances efficient network resource management and reduces hardware conflicts by dynamically coordinating UE capabilities across multiple connections.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices for user equipment (UE) capability adjustment in dual connectivity (DC). One method includes transmitting, by a user equipment (UE), UE assistance information to a first network, the UE assistance information including a temporary capability restriction of the UE, where the UE capability restriction indicates one or more restriction dimensions for the first network. Another method includes receiving, by the first network, UE assistance information from the UE, the UE assistance information including a temporary capability restriction of the UE, where the UE capability restriction indicates one or more restriction dimensions for the first network.
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to a method, device, and system for user equipment (UE) capability adjustment in dual connectivity (DC). [Background technology]

[0002] background Wireless communication technologies are moving the world toward an increasingly connected and networked society. High-speed and low-latency wireless communications depend on efficient network resource management and allocation between user equipment and wireless access network nodes (including, but not limited to, base stations). New generation networks are expected to provide high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-reliable communication capabilities to meet requirements from various industries and users.

[0003] In fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology, user equipment (UE), such as a smartphone, may experience temporary limitations on its communication capabilities. For example, when a UE operates in a dual-active state with two networks, the UE may have temporary UE capability limitations for connections to the two networks. There are various issues / challenges related to this situation, such as how the UE indicates the temporary UE capability limitations to one or both of the two networks.

[0004] The present disclosure describes various embodiments for capacity adjustment in dual connections, addressing at least one of the problems / issues described in the present disclosure and improving performance of wireless communications. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] overview This document relates to methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications, and more particularly, for adjusting user equipment (UE) capabilities in dual connectivity (DC).

[0006] In one embodiment, this disclosure describes a method for wireless communication, the method including transmitting, by a user equipment (UE), to a first network, UE assistance information including temporary capability limitations of the UE, the UE capability limitations indicating one or more limitation dimensions with respect to the first network.

[0007] In another embodiment, this disclosure describes a method for wireless communication, the method including receiving, by a first network, from a user equipment (UE) assistance information including temporary capability limitations of the UE, the UE capability limitations indicating one or more restriction dimensions for the first network.

[0008] In some other embodiments, an apparatus for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and a processing circuit in communication with the memory that, when executed by the processing circuit, is configured to perform the above-described method.

[0009] In some other embodiments, a device for wireless communication may include a memory that stores instructions and a processing circuit in communication with the memory that, when executed by the processing circuit, is configured to perform the above-described method.

[0010] In some other embodiments, a computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the above-described method. The computer-readable medium may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM), which stores data for a long period of time, such as a flash drive or compact disc (CD), or which stores data for a short period of time in the presence of power, such as a memory device or random access memory (RAM).

[0011] These and other aspects and their implementations are described in more detail in the drawings, description, and claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system including more than one network node and one or more user equipments.

[0013] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows an example of a network node.

[0014] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a user equipment.

[0015] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary list of feature set entries for an exemplary embodiment for wireless communications.

[0016] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary general procedure for temporary capability reporting of an exemplary embodiment for wireless communications.

[0017] [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A shows a flow diagram of a method for wireless communication.

[0018] [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B illustrates a flow diagram of another method for wireless communication.

[0019] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0020] [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0021] [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0022] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0023] [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0024] [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0025] [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0026] [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0027] [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0028] [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0029] [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0030] [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0031] [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0032] [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0033] [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0034] [Figure 16] FIG. 16 shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0035] [Figure 17A] FIG. 17A shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0036] [Figure 17B] FIG. 17B shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0037] [Figure 17C] FIG. 17C shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0038] [Figure 17D] FIG. 17D shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0039] [Figure 17E] FIG. 17E shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0040] [Figure 17F] FIG. 17F shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0041] [Figure 17G] FIG. 17G shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication.

[0042] [Figure 17H] FIG. 17H shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] Detailed Description The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments. It should be noted, however, that the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms, and therefore, the subject matter embraced or claimed should not be construed as limited to any of the embodiments set forth below.

[0044] Throughout this specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond their explicitly stated meaning. Similarly, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in some embodiments" used herein do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and the phrases "in another embodiment" or "in other embodiments" used herein do not necessarily refer to different embodiments. The phrases "in one implementation" or "in some implementations" used herein do not necessarily refer to the same implementation, and the phrases "in another implementation" or "in other implementations" used herein do not necessarily refer to different implementations. For example, the claimed subject matter is intended to include, in whole or in part, combinations of exemplary embodiments or implementations.

[0045] Generally, terms may be understood, at least in part, from their use in context. For example, terms such as "and," "or," and "and / or," as used herein, may include a variety of meanings that may depend, at least in part, on the context in which such terms are used. Typically, "or," when used to relate a list such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, which are used herein in an inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C, which are used herein in an exclusive sense. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "one or more" or "at least one" may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense, or may be used to describe a combination of features, structures, or characteristics in a plural sense, depending, at least in part, on the context. Similarly, terms such as "a," "an," "the," and the like, may also be understood to convey singular usage or plural usage, depending, at least in part, on the context. Additionally, the terms "based on" or "determined by" may be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors, but instead may allow for the existence of additional factors not necessarily explicitly described, depending at least in part on the context.

[0046] The present disclosure describes methods and devices for user equipment (UE) capability adjustment in dual connectivity (DC).

[0047] New generation (NG) mobile communication systems are moving the world towards an increasingly connected and networked society. High-speed and low-latency wireless communications rely on efficient network resource management and allocation between user equipment and wireless access network nodes (including, but not limited to, wireless base stations). New generation networks are expected to deliver high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-reliable communication capabilities to meet requirements from various industries and users.

[0048] This disclosure describes various embodiments for user equipment (UE) capability coordination in dual connectivity (DC). Under one or more scenarios, a user equipment (UE) may simultaneously connect to more than one network node. The network nodes may include, for example, one or more radio access network (RAN) nodes and / or one or more core network (CN) nodes. In one implementation, a UE may simultaneously connect to two network nodes, which may be referred to as a "dual active state" in which the UE and / or one or more network nodes need to coordinate multiple connections to provide an efficient system for one or more scenarios.

[0049] One scenario may include, for a UE with a multi-subscriber identity module (Multi-SIM) (or multi-universal subscriber identity module (Multi-USIM)), the UE may connect to multiple networks simultaneously. In another scenario, a UE with a single SIM may connect to multiple networks simultaneously. Another scenario may include a roaming UE may connect multiple networks with different slices. In another scenario, as an extension of slices, a wireless communication system may need to enable a roaming UE to simultaneously access network slices from more than one visited public land mobile network (VPLMN), which means that the UE can connect to two networks simultaneously, which is similar to Multi-SIM. In another scenario, video, imaging, and audio for professional applications (VIAPA) may require a method to enable a UE to receive data services from one network (e.g., a non-public network (NPN)) and simultaneously receive paging and data services from another network (e.g., a public land mobile network (PLMN)), which is similar to Multi-SIM.

[0050] When a UE is configured to connect to multiple networks simultaneously, the UE capabilities may need to be coordinated. In some implementations involving radio access capability signaling (RACS), the UE radio access capabilities may be packaged as a predefined or network-defined UE capability ID.

[0051] In various embodiments, in the case of Multi-SIM (or Multi-USIM), the UE may simultaneously connect to multiple networks for different cases.

[0052] In some implementations where paging is received on a second subscriber identity module (SIM2) when a first subscriber identity module (SIM1) is in a connected state, this may be resolved by time division multiplexing (TDM), thereby reserving a scheduling gap for SIM2, for example. There may be no adjustment if there is no simultaneous connection to two networks. However, for a dual receive / transmit (RX) UE, this scheme may affect the performance of SIM1 by reserving a scheduling gap with the paging period. Another solution for dual RX UEs is to reserve a portion of radio frequency or physical (RF / PHY) resources for paging reception. In some implementations involving a short dual connected state, SIM1 may be in a connected state, and SIM2 must perform some mobility update, such as periodic registration, moving to a new registration area, or responding to paging. The UE may require capability adjustment during a short dual connected state. In some implementations with a long dual connection state, the UE may be making a voice call on SIM 1 while having some other data services on SIM 2. The UE may need to adjust its capabilities.

[0053] There may be several problems / challenges that need to be solved. For example, the hardware capabilities of a multi-SIM (or multi-USIM) UE may be shared by more than one SIM. To use the hardware efficiently and economically, the associated capabilities need to be dynamically divided among more than one SIM. This may lead to temporary hardware conflicts. For example, a UE may be connected to one network (network A) and have some capability limitations on another network (network B). Therefore, the UE needs to indicate the capability limitations to network B when the UE enters a connected state with network B.

[0054] The present disclosure describes various embodiments for UE capability adjustment in a dual-active state to address at least one of the aforementioned problems / challenges, provide a solution, and improve performance of wireless communications.

[0055] 1 shows a wireless communication system 100 that includes more than one network node (118 and 119) and one or more user equipments (UEs) (110, 111, 112). In some implementations, the two network nodes (118 and 119) may be from two different networks or may be from the same network.

[0056] For fifth-generation mobile communication technology, the UE 110, e.g., a smartphone, may have a single subscriber identity module (SIM) or a multi-subscriber identity module (Multi-SIM). If the UE has a single SIM, the UE may connect to one network node 118, e.g., a radio access network (RAN) node and / or a core network (CN) node, or may connect to more than one network node (118 and 119), e.g., two RAN nodes and / or two CN nodes. If the UE has Multi-SIM, the UE may connect to more than one network node (118 and 119), e.g., two RAN nodes, two CN nodes, and / or one RAN node and one CN node.

[0057] The wireless network nodes (118 and 119) may include network base stations, which may be nodeBs (NBs, e.g., eNBs or gNBs) in a mobile communication context. Each of the UEs (110, 111, and / or 112) may wirelessly communicate with the wireless network nodes (118 and / or 119) via one or more radio channels 115. For example, a first UE 110 may wirelessly communicate with a first network node 118 via one channel including multiple radio channels during a certain period of time, and during another period of time or simultaneously at the same time, the first UE 110 may wirelessly communicate with a second network node 119 via one channel including multiple radio channels.

[0058] This disclosure describes various embodiments for user equipment (UE) capability adjustment in dual connectivity (DC) for one, some, or all of the scenarios described in this disclosure. This disclosure describes methods, systems, and storage media for how a UE adjusts temporary UE capability restrictions (e.g., UE capability restriction information) to one or more networks (or network nodes) and / or how one or more network nodes adjust temporary UE capability restrictions (e.g., UE capability restriction information) to other network nodes and / or UEs.

[0059] 2 illustrates an example of an electronic device 200 for implementing a network node or network base station. The example electronic device 200 may include radio transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) circuitry 208 for transmitting / receiving communications with UEs and / or other base stations. The electronic device 200 may also include network interface circuitry 209 for allowing the base station to communicate with other base stations and / or a core network, e.g., optical or wired interconnects, Ethernet, and / or other data transmission media / protocols. The electronic device 200 may include an input / output (I / O) interface 206 for communicating with an operator or the like, as needed.

[0060] The electronic device 200 may also include system circuitry 204. The system circuitry 204 may include processor(s) 221 and / or memory 222. The memory 222 may include an operating system 224, instructions 226, and parameters 228. The instructions 226 may configure one or more of the processors 221 to perform the functions of a network node. The parameters 228 may include parameters to support the execution of the instructions 226. For example, the parameters may include network protocol settings, bandwidth parameters, radio frequency mapping assignments, and / or other parameters.

[0061] 3 illustrates an example of an electronic device for implementing a terminal device 300 (e.g., user equipment (UE)). The UE 300 may be a mobile device, such as a smartphone or a mobile communication module installed in a vehicle. The UE 300 may include a communication interface 302, a system circuit 304, an input / output interface (I / O) 306, a display circuit 308, and storage 309. The display circuit may include a user interface 310.

[0062] The system circuitry 304 may include any combination of hardware, software, firmware, or other logic / circuitry. The system circuitry 304 may be implemented using, for example, one or more systems on a chip (SoC), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), discrete analog and digital circuits, and other circuits. The system circuitry 304 may be part of the implementation of any desired functionality in the UE 300. In this regard, the system circuitry 304 may include, by way of example, logic to facilitate decoding and playing music and video, e.g., MP3, MP4, MPEG, AVI, FLAC, AC3, or WAV, executing applications, accepting user input, storing and retrieving application data, establishing, maintaining, and terminating data connections for cellular phone calls or, by way of example, Internet connections, establishing, maintaining, and terminating wireless network connections, Bluetooth® connections, or other connections, and displaying related information on the user interface 310. The user interface 310 and input / output (I / O) interface 306 may include a graphical user interface, a touch-sensitive display, haptic feedback or other tactile output, voice or facial recognition input, buttons, switches, speakers, and other user interface elements. Further examples of the I / O interface 306 may include a microphone, a video and still image camera, a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor, a rotation and orientation sensor, a headset and microphone input / output jack, a universal serial bus (USB) connector, a memory card slot, a radiation sensor (e.g., an IR sensor), and other types of input.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, the communication interface 302 may include radio frequency (RF) transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) circuitry 316 that handles the transmission and reception of signals via one or more antennas 314. The communication interface 302 may include one or more transceivers. A transceiver may be a wireless transceiver that includes modulation / demodulation circuitry, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), shaping tables, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), filters, waveform shapers, filters, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and / or other logic for transmitting and receiving via one or more antennas or (in the case of some devices) via a physical (e.g., wired) medium. The transmitted and received signals may conform to any of a diverse array of formats, protocols, modulations (e.g., QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, or 256-QAM), frequency channels, bit rates, and coding. As one specific example, communication interface 302 may include a transceiver supporting transmission and reception in 2G, 3G, BT, WiFi, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA)+, 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G standards, and / or further developed standards. However, the techniques described below are applicable to other wireless communication technologies, whether they originate from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), GSM Association, 3GPP2, IEEE, or other partnerships or standards bodies.

[0064] 3 , the system circuitry 304 may include one or more processors 321 and memory 322. The memory 322 stores, for example, an operating system 324, instructions 326, and parameters 328. The processor 321 is configured to execute the instructions 326 to perform desired functions for the UE 300. The parameters 328 may provide and specify configuration and operation options for the instructions 326. The memory 322 may also store any BT, WiFi, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or other data that the UE 300 transmits or receives via the communication interface 302. In various implementations, system power for the UE 300 may be provided by a power storage device, such as a battery or a transformer.

[0065] The present disclosure describes several embodiments below that may be implemented in part or in whole in the network base stations and / or user equipment described above in FIGS.

[0066] In some implementations, due to MUSIM enhancements, the hardware capabilities of a MUSIM UE are shared by the SIMs, and the associated capabilities need to be dynamically divided between the two SIMs to use the hardware efficiently and economically. This may lead to temporary hardware conflicts. For example, a UE is connected to network A, and when the UE needs to enter a connected state with network B, it has some capability limitations for network A. Therefore, the UE needs to indicate the capability limitations to network A.

[0067] In some implementations, in master node-secondary node (MN-SN) coordination, the capability coordination may be performed by the MN indicating available band combination (BC) information to the SN as follows (MN->SN): [ka]

[0068] In the above, the MN may indicate to the SN about the available BCs, the selected band entries and feature set entries for each BC. For example, referring to Figure 4, for BC1, there are three bands (e.g., Band 1, Band 2, and Band 3), and there are also three feature set entries (e.g., FeatureSetEntry 1, FeatureSetEntry 2, and FeatureSetEntry 3) in the corresponding FeatureSetCombination.

[0069] In some implementations, if only FeatureSetEntry 1 and FeatureSetEntry 3 can be used by the SN for BC1, the MN may set allowedFeatureSetsList=[0][2] for BC1, which represents FeatureSetEntry 1 and FeatureSetEntry 3.

[0070] In some implementations, when the MN selects band 1 and band 2 for BC1, the MN sets SelectedBandEntriesMN=[0][1], which represents band 1 and band 2 for BC1.

[0071] In some implementations, from the perspective of the MUSIM UE RF, when an MN operates in a dual-connected state with two USIMs, it is similar to MR-DC, and therefore a similar capability adjustment scheme may be considered. For example, the UE may indicate allowed BCs and corresponding Feature Set entries, and the UE may also indicate prohibited BCs or prohibited Feature Sets. In these implementations, the UE can provide comprehensive capability restriction information to the network.

[0072] In some implementations, referring to FIG. 5, a UE (580) may report capacity restriction assistance information to a network using a procedure. The UE may include a SIM1 access stratum (AS) 582 and a SIM2 AS 584 configured to connect to SIM1 e / gNB A 692. The procedure may include some or all of the following steps: In step 1, the UE (SIM1 AS) is in a connected state with SIM1 e / gNB A over band A. In step 2, the UE must enter an active state on band B. In step 3, the UE determines a temporary capacity restriction. In step 4, the UE sends UE assistance information with the temporary capacity restriction to SIM1 e / gNB A. In step 5, SIM1 e / gNB A sends a reconfiguration message to the UE. In step 6, the UE sends a reconfiguration complete to SIM1 e / gNB A.

[0073] In some implementations, the UE may indicate temporary capability restrictions in the UE Assistant Information (UAI), including one or more of allowed / prohibited BC or feature sets, or maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, maximum CC number as power saving / overheating, or SCell / SCG release. Temporary capability restrictions include capability updates, cell releases, and / or (de)activations of configured resources, etc. The UE may indicate such restrictions in the band combination information.

[0074] In some implementations, a band combination list is reported in the UE capability structure, and for each BC, there is a FeaturesetCombination. For each FeaturesetCombination, there may be one or more feature set combinations. For example, for BC1 below (e.g., Figure 4), there are three feature set combination entries: BC1->FeaturesetCombinationIDindex (or number (No.)).

[0075] In some implementations, to report temporary capability restrictions, the UE may indicate at least one of the following BC lists: allowed BC list: i.e., a list of BCs where BCs with corresponding feature set capabilities can be used without restrictions; affected BC list: a list of BCs where there are some restrictions on these BCs; and / or prohibited BC list: a list of BCs where these BCs are prohibited.

[0076] In some implementations, with respect to the affected BC list, the UE may further indicate affected feature set combination entries. The feature set combination entries may include at least one of the following: an allowed feature set combination entry list, where feature set combination entries with corresponding feature set capabilities can be used without restrictions; an affected feature set combination entry list, where these feature set combination entries have some restrictions; and / or a prohibited feature set combination entry list, where these feature set combination entries are prohibited.

[0077] As a non-limiting example, if a UE can only support feature set combination entries 1 and 3 for BC1, the UE may indicate prohibited feature set combination entry 2 in the prohibited feature set entry list for BC1, or the UE may indicate feature set combination entries 1 and 3 in the allowed feature set entry list to the network.

[0078] In various embodiments, methods are described to address at least one of the following problems: One problem includes how to indicate the associated feature set entries for each BC, especially for situations where only fallback capabilities are supported; Another problem includes how to indicate the selected band entries, how to indicate the band entries of a second network (Network B), or how to indicate the allowed band entries of a first network (Network A); Another problem includes how to indicate capability restrictions in an Inter-Node Message (INM).

[0079] 6A, the present disclosure describes an embodiment of a method 600 for wireless communication. The method 600 may include transmitting 610, by a user equipment (UE), UE assistance information to a first network, the UE assistance information including temporary capability limitations of the UE, the UE capability limitations indicating one or more restriction dimensions for the first network.

[0080] Although not limiting to the present disclosure, various embodiments described below may use a UE with multiple SIMs. These embodiments are examples and are not limiting of the present disclosure, which may also apply to other scenarios in which a UE needs to connect to two networks simultaneously or in which a UE should be configured to connect to two networks simultaneously.

[0081] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the capability restriction dimensions of one or more UEs include restrictions on each other.

[0082] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the UE comprises multiple universal subscriber identity modules (Multi-USIMs) corresponding to a first subscription to a first network and a second subscription to a second network.

[0083] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes restriction information at a granularity level, and / or the granularity level includes at least one of a per UE level, a per band level, a per band combination (BC) level, a per band per BC level, a per feature set entry per band level, or a per carrier component per BC level.

[0084] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension, where the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to the affected BC list, and / or the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits at a granularity level, and / or the set of parameter limits includes at least one of a maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer, a maximum modulation order, or a maximum supported bandwidth.

[0085] In some implementations, in addition to any or a combination of implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the affected BC report further includes a feature set entry list corresponding to at least one BC or a portion of at least one BC in the affected BC list, and / or the feature set entry list includes at least one of allowed feature set entries, affected feature set entries, or prohibited feature set entries.

[0086] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list of the UE, and / or the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for the UE, and / or the UE determines the set of supported parameters by using the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for the UE for each parameter of the supported parameters.

[0087] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list having a feature set entry list, and / or the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for each band, and / or the UE determines the set of supported parameters by using the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for the band for each parameter of the supported parameters.

[0088] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension, where the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list having a feature set entry list, and / or the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for each BC or portion of each BC in the affected BC list, and / or the UE determines the set of supported parameters by using the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for each BC or portion of each BC for each parameter of the supported parameters.

[0089] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in the present disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension, where the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list having a feature set entry list, and / or the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for each band of each BC or portion of each BC in the affected BC list, and / or the UE determines the set of supported parameters by using the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for each band of each BC or portion of each BC for each parameter of the supported parameters.

[0090] In some implementations, in addition to any or a combination of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the affected BC list includes at least one of allowed BCs or prohibited BCs, and / or each band in the affected BC list is represented by at least one of a band number, an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) value, or an index indicating the position of the band in the band list in the UE capability request message.

[0091] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the UE indicates to the first network at least one of an indication for at least one selected band entry of the second network and / or an indication for at least one allowed band entry of the first network.

[0092] 6B, the present disclosure describes an embodiment of a method 650 for wireless communication. The method 650 may include receiving 660, by a first network, from a user equipment (UE) assistance information including temporary capability restrictions of the UE, where the capability restrictions of the UE indicate one or more restriction dimensions for the first network.

[0093] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the capability restriction dimensions of one or more UEs include restrictions on each other.

[0094] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the UE comprises multiple universal subscriber identity modules (Multi-USIMs) corresponding to a first subscription to a first network and a second subscription to a second network.

[0095] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes restriction information at a granularity level, and / or the granularity level includes at least one of a per UE level, a per band level, a per band combination (BC) level, a per band per BC level, a per feature set entry per band level, or a per carrier component per BC level.

[0096] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to the affected BC list, and the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits at a granularity level, the set of parameter limits including at least one of a maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer, a maximum modulation order, or a maximum supported bandwidth.

[0097] In some implementations, in addition to any or a combination of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the affected BC report further includes a feature set entry list corresponding to at least one BC or a dimension of at least one BC in the affected BC list, and the feature set entry list includes at least one of allowed feature set entries, affected feature set entries, or prohibited feature set entries.

[0098] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the first network receives from the UE at least one of an indication about at least one selected band entry of the second network and / or an indication about at least one allowed band entry of the first network.

[0099] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the first network includes a master node and a secondary node, and / or the master node transmits capability adjustment information to the secondary node, the capability adjustment information including a list of selected band entries, the list of selected band entries including a list of band entries selected by the master node and the second network.

[0100] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the capability adjustment information further includes a set of parameter limits corresponding to the list of affected band combinations, and / or the parameter limits include at least one of a maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, a maximum modulation order, or a maximum supported bandwidth.

[0101] In some implementations, in addition to some or combinations of the implementations or embodiments described in this disclosure, the capability adjustment information further includes a set of parameter limits at a granularity level, and / or the granularity level includes at least one of a per UE level, a per band level, a per band combination (BC) level, a per band per BC level, a per feature set entry per band level, or a per carrier component per BC level.

[0102] This disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments for user equipment (UE) capability adjustment in dual connectivity (DC), which serve as examples and do not impose any limitations on this disclosure.

[0103] Embodiment Set I This disclosure describes various embodiments in which, for each BC, various ways can indicate allowed feature set entries, including but not limited to situations in which only fallback capabilities are supported.

[0104] Various embodiments can address the problem as described below. On the first network (network A) side, during a registration procedure, the network asks the UE to report its UE capabilities. During this procedure, the network can include a frequency list in a UE capability request message, and the UE can then report supported band combinations according to this frequency list. Depending on whether a band of a second network (network B) is included in this list, there can be two cases / situations: case 1, network B's band (e.g., band Z) is included in network A's required frequency list; case 2: network B's band (e.g., band Z) is not included in network A's required frequency list. The two cases can be expressed as follows:

[0105] Case 1: Network A requires bandwidth Z

[0106] Network A: Band List Filter: Band X / Y / Z / O / P

[0107] The UE reports the associated BC, and in this case, reports the band combination with band Z as BC1 to BC4 as follows: BC1:X+Y+Z BC2:X+O+Z BC3:P+Y+Z BC4:O+P+Z

[0108] Case 2: Network A does not require bandwidth Z

[0109] Network A: Band List Filter: Band X / Y / O / P

[0110] The UE reports the associated BC as follows: BC1:X+Y BC2:X+O BC3:P+Y BC4:O+P

[0111] For Case 1, a BC with band Z and the corresponding feature set combination may also be reported in the UE capability information. Taking BC1 as an example, BC1 includes X+Y+Z, and the UE reports featuresetCombination for BC1 as shown in Figure 7. Then, for BC1, if the UE has some temporary capability restrictions in network A (e.g., due to the operation of network B), the UE may point to BC1 with a feature set entry (e.g., allowed feature set entry 1 / 3, or forbidden feature set entry 2).

[0112] For case 2, if band Z is not included in the required frequency list, the UE may not report a BC with band Z. In some implementations, the following subcases may exist:

[0113] Subcase 1: The UE can support the original feature set entry of the FeatureSetCombination of BC without band Z. As a non-limiting example, referring to Figure 8A, if the UE reports BC1 with featureSetCombination (including both FeatureSetEntry 1a / 2a) to network A and the UE connects to network B with band Z, the UE can support FeatureSetEntry 1a in band X+Y, and then the UE can indicate BC1 with feature set entry 1a to network A as a temporary capability restriction.

[0114] Subcase 2: The UE can only support the fallback Feature Set. In some implementations, this subcase may occur when the band of network B is not included in the network required band list. As a non-limiting example, referring to FIG. 8B , if a UE reports BC1 with a featureSetCombination (including both FeatureSetEntry 1a / 2a) to network A and the UE connects to network B with band Z, the UE can only support a lower capability (or its fallback capability) than the original reported featureSetCombinationEntry. For example, for featureSetEntry 1a, a 100 MHz bandwidth can be supported in band X using MIMO Layer 4, but when the UE simultaneously operates in band Z, the UE can only support a 50 MHz bandwidth in MIMO Layer 2. Various implementations may be used to indicate the supported temporary capability limit for band X+Y.

[0115] In various embodiments, the UE may indicate some other significant limitations (e.g., maximum MIMO layers, maximum modulation order, supported bandwidth, etc.) for these affected BC lists or for each BC or for some of the BCs included in the affected BC lists. The temporary capacity restrictions may include some or all of the allowed, affected, and / or prohibited BC information, the allowed, affected, and / or prohibited feature set combination entry lists, and / or dedicated capacity parameter limits (e.g., maximum MIMO layers, maximum modulation order, supported bandwidth, etc.). The dedicated capacity parameter limits may be set at various levels of granularity, for example, but not limited to, for all BCs, for each BC, for some of the BCs, for each feature set combination entry of each BC, for the UE, and for the band. These dedicated parameters may also be reported separately for the UL and DL at the above granularity.

[0116] In some embodiments, the UE may perform BC reporting with some capability restrictions. In other words, these dedicated capability parameters may be used to indicate fallback capabilities, and one or more of the following parameters may be reported at various levels of granularity:

[0117] In a non-limiting example, referring to FIG. 9 , the dedicated capability reporting levels include at least one of per BC (910), per band per BC (920), per FeaturesetEntry per band (930), or per carrier component (cc) per BC (940).

[0118] In some implementations, dedicated capabilities may be reported at a per-UE level so that all BCs adhere to these UE-level restrictions.

[0119] In some implementations, dedicated capabilities may be reported at a per-band level, such that all associated bands within each BC adhere to these band-level restrictions.

[0120] Some non-limiting examples of per-UE level reporting are described below. In the case of per-UE level reporting, the temporary capacity restriction may include two parts (or two dimensions), and each part / dimension may apply restrictions to the other part / dimension. The first part / dimension (Part 1 or Dimension 1) may include an affected BC list (including an allowed and / or prohibited BC list) and / or one or more associated FeatureSetEntry. The second part / dimension (Part 2 or Dimension 2) may include dedicated parameters per UE (e.g., maximum MIMO layers, maximum modulation order, supported bandwidth, etc.). The supported MIMO layers / modulation orders / bandwidths may be determined by the lower capability between Part 1 and Part 2. For example, in the case of MIMO layers, if Part 1 includes four MIMO layers and Part 2 includes two maximum MIMO layers, the supported MIMO layers are determined as two because two MIMO layers is the lower capability between four MIMO layers and two MIMO layers.

[0121] For an example of per-UE level reporting, see FIG. 10A, where Part 1 contains the affected BC report and Part 2 contains the maximum MIMO layers=2 and the maximum bandwidth per band=80 MHz. In some implementations, the maximum bandwidth may be reported as per CC=80 MHz. In figures in this disclosure, the "M" in bandwidth refers to "MHz."

[0122] FIG. 10B shows the final support capacity determined by the lower capacity between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0123] Some non-limiting examples of per-band level reporting are described below. In the case of per-band level reporting, the temporary capacity restriction includes two parts (or two dimensions), and each part / dimension can apply restrictions to the other parts / dimensions. The first part / dimension (Part 1 or Dimension 1) may include an affected BC list (including allowed or prohibited BCs), which may also include one or more associated FeatureSetEntry. The second part / dimension (Part 2 or Dimension 2) may include dedicated parameters per band (e.g., maximum MIMO layers, maximum modulation order, supported bandwidth, etc.). The supported MIMO layers / modulation orders / bandwidths may be determined by the lower capacity between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0124] For an example of level reporting per band, referring to FIG. 11A, part 1 includes the affected BC report, part 2 includes, for band X, maximum MIMO layers = 4, bandwidth per band (or per CC) = 80 MHz, for band Y, maximum MIMO layers = 2; no limit for band O.

[0125] FIG. 11B shows the final support capacity determined by the lower capacity between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0126] Some non-limiting examples of per-BC level reporting are described below. In per-BC level reporting, temporary capability restrictions can include two parts (or two dimensions), and each part / dimension can apply restrictions to the other parts / dimensions. The first part / dimension (part 1 or dimension 1) may include the affected BC list (including allowed or prohibited BCs) and may also include the reported UE capability information, e.g., one or more associated FeatureSetEntry(s), which may be reported by index according to index 1 corresponding to the first BC reported in the UE capability's supported BC list.

[0127] The second part / dimension (Part 2 or Dimension 2) may include dedicated parameters (e.g., maximum MIMO layers, maximum modulation order, supported bandwidth, etc.) for each affected BC (or portion of a BC). The supported MIMO layers / modulation order / bandwidth may be determined by the lower capability between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0128] For an example of a level report per BC, see FIG. 12A, where part 1 contains the affected BC report and part 2 contains some dedicated parameters.

[0129] FIG. 12B shows the final support capacity determined by the lower capacity between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0130] Some non-limiting examples of per-band per-BC level reporting are described below. In per-BC level reporting, the temporary capacity restriction may include two parts (or two dimensions), and each part / dimension may apply restrictions to the other parts / dimensions. The first part / dimension (Part 1 or Dimension 1) may include an affected BC list (including allowed BCs and / or prohibited BCs) and one or more associated FeatureSetEntry entries, which may be reported by index (e.g., Index 1 corresponding to the first BC reported in the UE capability's supported BC list) according to the reported UE capability information. The second part / dimension (Part 2 or Dimension 2) may include dedicated parameters (e.g., maximum MIMO layers, maximum modulation order, supported bandwidth, etc.) for each band of each affected BC (or part of BC). The supported MIMO layers / modulation order / bandwidth may be determined by the lower capability between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0131] For an example of a level report per band per BC, see FIG. 13A, where part 1 contains the affected BC report and part 2 contains some dedicated parameters.

[0132] FIG. 13B shows the final support capacity determined by the lower capacity between Part 1 and Part 2.

[0133] Various embodiments / implementations of the present disclosure may be similarly applicable to capacity limit reporting at other levels, including but not limited to per FeaturesetEntry per band and / or per cc per BC, and a similar logic flow may be used with one difference being that dedicated parameters are reported at a greater granularity.

[0134] In various embodiments / implementations described in this disclosure, each BC in the affected BC list may be indicated by an index indicating the position of the band combination in the supported band combination list included in the UE capability report. As an extension, if the network configures the UE to report MUSIM support information, it may also include one or more frequency band information (e.g., band number or absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) value).

[0135] As a non-limiting example, in a MUSIM support information reporting configuration, Reconfiguration->OtherConfig->MusimConfig->Bandlist may include Bandlist[0]=Nx, Bandlist[2]=Ny, and / or Bandlist[2]=Nz, where Nx, Ny, and / or Nz are non-negative integers.

[0136] In some implementations, besides using a band number or an ARFCN value, it may also be indicated by an index indicating the position of the band included in the band list of the UE capability request message. When the UE reports affected BCs, the UE may indicate only BCs that include bands configured by the network (e.g., when the network configures the UE to report MUSIM support information).

[0137] As a non-limiting example, and with reference to FIG. 14, a method may include some or all of the following steps:

[0138] Step 1410: The network (1490) configures the UE (1480) to report UE capabilities using a band list (eg, including band x, band y, band z, band o, and band p).

[0139] Step 1420: The UE reports its UE capabilities using a supported BC list, where a supported band combination is a BC configured with one or more of the bands (x, y, z, o, and / or p).

[0140] Step 1430: The network configures the UE to report MUSIM support information, which may include a band list for MUSIM reporting (e.g., band x, band y, band z, band o, and / or band p).

[0141] Step 1440: The UE may report a MUSIM affected BC list including only BCs that include bands in their band list in step 1430. The affected BC list may be indicated by one or more indexes, each index indicating the position of a band combination in the supported band combination list included in the UE capability report in step 1420.

[0142] Although the present disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments for UE capability adjustment in a dual-active state, they serve as examples and do not impose any limitations on the present disclosure.

[0143] Embodiment Set II This disclosure describes various embodiments, and for each BC, various methods may indicate one or more selected band entries, for example, but not limited to, one or more band entries of network B, or one or more allowed band entries of network A.

[0144] Various embodiments can address the problem as described below: Case 1: Network B's band (e.g., band Z) is included in Network A's required frequency list; and Case 2: Band Z is not included in Network A's required frequency list. The two cases can be expressed as follows:

[0145] Case 1: Network A requires bandwidth Z

[0146] Network A: Band List Filter: Band X / Y / Z / O / P

[0147] The UE reports the associated BC, and in this case, reports the band combination with band Z as BC1 to BC4 as follows: BC1:X+Y+Z BC2:X+O+Z BC3:P+Y+Z BC4:O+P+Z

[0148] Case 2: Network A does not require bandwidth Z

[0149] Network A: Band List Filter: Band X / Y / O / P

[0150] The UE reports the associated BC as follows: BC1:X+Y BC2:X+O BC3:P+Y BC4:O+P

[0151] In some implementations, in addition to the affected band list, Network A also needs to know which bands are allowed on its side. In Case 2 above, only Network A bands are included, while in Case 1, bands from both networks are included in each BC.

[0152] Various embodiments provide a method for determining which bands are allowed in network A, which may include at least one of the following two options: For option A, the UE indicates a selected band entry for network B, and for option B, the UE indicates an allowed band entry for network A.

[0153] In a non-limiting example, a UE operates in band Z in network B and in band X+Y in network A.

[0154] For Option A, for Case 1, the UE indicates band Z as the selected band entry, or for Case 2, the UE does not indicate any band since BC does not include band entry Z.

[0155] For Option B, as for Case 1, the UE can indicate band X+Y (or other band entries that can cooperate with band Z), for example, the allowed band entries can include BC1:X+Y, BC2:X+O, BC3:P+Y, and / or BC4:O+P. For Case 2, the allowed band entries can include BC1:X+Y, BC2:X+O, BC3:P+Y, and / or BC4:O+P, and in some implementations, some BCs may be reported as fallbacks for other BCs. For example, the UE may not report BC1 but instead report BC5:X+Y+O, and then the UE may indicate BC5 in the allowed band entries X and Y.

[0156] Embodiment Set III This disclosure describes various embodiments that can address the issues as described below. With reference to FIG. 15A, in a Multi-Radio Access Technology (Multi-RAT) (MR) Dual Connectivity (DC) (MR-DC) architecture, a master node (MN) can indicate MN-side selected band entries to a secondary node (SN), which can then further select an SN-side band. As described in this disclosure, when a UE reports a BC that includes both network A and network B sides, and when network A is operating in an MR-DC architecture, there are problems / challenges related to how the MN indicates band entry information to the SN and / or how the MN indicates feature set-related restrictions to the SN. With reference to FIG. 15B, step 1: the UE indicates temporary capability restrictions (e.g., affected BC list, affected feature set entries per BC, dedicated capability parameters, etc.), step 2: the MN determines the allowed BC list and selected BandEntriesMNList, step 3: the SN provides a response to the MN, and / or step 4: the MN sends a reconfiguration to the UE.

[0157] Various embodiments describe a method for band entry indication that can address the issue / challenge of how to configure the band entry selected by the MN and / or how to indicate temporary capacity limitations to the SN in step 2 of Figure 15B. In this method, both the band entry selected by the MN and other networks (e.g., network B) may be included in SelectedBandEntriesMN (MN->SN), as shown below. [ka]

[0158] In the above, it is assumed that SelectedBandEntriesMN includes both band entries selected by the MN and bands of other networks (for example, network B).

[0159] In one non-limiting example, one case can be expressed as follows:

[0160] Case 1: Network A requires bandwidth Z

[0161] Network A: Band List Filter: Band X / Y / Z / O / P

[0162] The UE reports the associated BC, and in this case, reports the band combination with band Z as BC1 to BC4 as follows: BC1:X+Y+Z BC2:X+O+Z BC3:P+Y+Z BC4:O+P+Z

[0163] For case 1, taking BC1 as an example, network A selects band X in the master cell group (MCG), and then the MCG may include band X and band Z as selected band entries on the MN side. Also, the MCG may only select featuresetEntry allowed in the MUSIM UAI.

[0164] Various embodiments describe a method for feature set entry restriction indication. In the case of MN->SN, the MN needs to indicate dedicated parameter limits for the SN. The dedicated capability restrictions may also be forwarded to the SCG. Taking the reporting of per-BC level dedicated capability restrictions as an example, the UE reports the allowed BC1 / BC2 to the MN using the per-BC level dedicated capability restrictions. In step 2 of Figure 15B, the MN can also forward these dedicated capability restrictions to the SN, for example, the restriction information as shown in Figure 12A.

[0165] In all of the above solutions, the dedicated parameters can also be reported separately for UL / DL (or only for UL or only for DL) with the above granularity. The parameters of the second dimension (e.g., dedicated parameters) can be any parameters included in the first dimension (e.g., affected band combinations).

[0166] Embodiment Set IV This disclosure describes various embodiments for addressing issues related to scheduling gaps. For a MUSIM UE, the UE can request multiple scheduling gaps per UE (e.g., three periodic gaps and one aperiodic gap). The network can configure the gaps per UE according to the UE's request. When the UE is operating in an MR-DC structure in network A, the MN needs to coordinate with the SN about this per UE gap, and per UE gap means that it can be applied on both the MN side and the SN side. Referring to Figure 16, a general procedure can include some or all of the following steps:

[0167] In step 1610, the UE sends a UAI to the MN, where the UAI may include a gap configuration, as follows: [ka]

[0168] In step 1620, the MN determines the accepted gap request and sends it to the SN.

[0169] There are two options for CG-ConfigInfo: The first option may involve reusing the MUSIM-GapConfig-r17 structure, which may support delta configuration, as follows: [ka]

[0170] The second option does not involve delta configuration: [ka]

[0171] In step 1630, the SN determines the accepted gap request and sends it to the MN in CG-Configure as follows: [ka]

[0172] Step 1640, for MUSIM GAP Configuration, the MN sends the configuration to the UE as follows: [ka]

[0173] Embodiment Set V In some implementations, for network energy savings in NR, the objective for SSB-less cells is to specify SSB-less SCell operation for FR1 and inter-band CA for co-located cells, if found feasible through some studies, and the UE measures L1 / L3 measurements including SSB transmitted on the PCell or another SCell for SCell time / frequency synchronization (including downlink AGC) and potential enhancements to the SCell activation procedure if needed.

[0174] In some implementations, an SSB-less SCell for in-band CA may be supported. The timing and frequency synchronization of the SSB-less SCell may depend on the same-site SpCell. For TA maintenance, the SSB-less SCell and the same-site SpCell are in the same TAG and can be guaranteed by the NW implementation. For UL and DL relationships, the path loss criterion for power control of the SRS, PUCCH, and PUSCH in the SCell may be derived from the CSI-RS or SSB in the SpCell via RRC configuration, and the spatial relationship between the PUCCH and SRS in the SCell may be derived from the CSI-RS or SSB in the SpCell via RRC configuration. For cross-carrier scheduling, the PUSCH in the SCell may be scheduled by the PDCCH in the SpCell. For RRM, in a same-site scenario, the addition / modification / release of the SSB-less SCell may be based on the measurement results of the same-site SpCell, which can be left to the NW implementation. Therefore, the measurement target for the SSB-less SCell cannot be configured. The UE can acquire timing and frequency synchronization of the SSB-less SCell from the SpCell.

[0175] Regarding the definition of SSB_less ScellType and SSB_less BCType, for SSB-less SCell for inter-band CA, one difference between SSB-less SCell for inter-band CA and SSB-less SCell for intra-band CA concerns UE capability reporting, e.g., introducing a new UE capability to indicate support for inter-band SCell without SSB.

[0176] SSB-less SCells include the following types: Type 1: SSB-less SCell with DL resources with DL PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS; Type 2: SSB-less SCell with PDSCH but without TRS / CSI-RS (PDSCH is configured but TRS / CSI-RS is not configured); and Type 3: SSB-less SCell with no DL resources (i.e., no DL resources are configured in RRC).

[0177] From a UE capability perspective, this means that the UE can implicitly or explicitly indicate band combinations with SSB-less band entries (abbreviated as SSB-less BCs), including three SSB-less band entry types, which include at least: Type 1: one or more SSB-less band entries supporting DL resources with DL PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS; Type 2: one or more SSB-less band entries with PDSCH but without TRS / CSI-RS; and / or Type 3: one or more SSB-less band entries not supporting DL resources.

[0178] Regarding the reporting of the implicit method (per band pair), the implicit method means that the UE does not immediately indicate the BC with SSB-less band entries, but instead indicates level information per band pair, in which case the SSB-less BC can be further determined by the regular band combination and this level information per band pair. For example, the UE indicates a potential "reference band list" for each SSB-less SCell-capable band, which means that the "reference band list for each inter-band SSB-less SCell-capable band" is configured independently (independently from the band combination) and is applicable to all band combinations.

[0179] On the network side, an inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured only if the serving cell with SSB on the corresponding potential "reference" band is configured for CA operation.

[0180] FIG. 17A shows an example of a reference band list report for each band pair.

[0181] The UE can indicate a reference band list in parallel with the supported band combinations, and the reference band list indicates a feasible reference band list for each SSB-less SCell-capable band.

[0182] FIG. 17B shows an example of a reference band list structure.

[0183] In a non-limiting example, the UE reports 2BCs as BC1: Band A+Band B+Band C, and BC2: Band A+Band B+Band D. In addition, the UE also reports the reference band list (Band C, Band D) for Band B, which then means the UE can support the following SSB-less BCs (referred to as BC1a / BC2a): BC1a: Band A+Band B+Band C (SSB-less), and BC2a: Band A+Band B+Band D (SSB-less).

[0184] On the network side, if band B is configured for CA operation, the network may configure an SSB-less SCell in band C or band D.

[0185] In some implementations, the following alternatives for the reference band list may be considered:

[0186] (1) For each band in which an SSB-less inter-band SCell is supported, a band list is reported to indicate bands that can be used as reference bands for the SSB-less inter-band SCell. The inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured only if at least one serving cell on the reference band is configured for CA operation.

[0187] (2) For each band that can serve as a reference band for an inter-band SSB-less SCell, an SSB-less SCell-compatible band list is reported to indicate the applicable bands for the SSB-less SCell. When one serving cell with SSB is configured in the reference band, it can configure an inter-band SSB-less SCell on the applicable band list.

[0188] (3) One or more band lists or band groups are configured. Bands in the same list / group can be used as reference bands for each other. When one serving cell with SSB is configured for CA operation, an inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured with another band in the same list / group.

[0189] In some implementations, in addition to the band information, the SSB-less SCell type may also be included in the band list / band group to indicate the type of SSB-less SCell supported.

[0190] Regarding the explicit method reporting (per-band combination), the explicit method means that the UE can explicitly indicate the supported SSB-less BCs, for example, with per-BC granularity. The "reference band list for each inter-band SSB-less SCell-capable band" is reported per BC. In general, there are five solutions for the explicit method:

[0191] Solution 1 involves adding a new BC list for SSB-less BCs. Figure 17C shows an example of the new BC list for SSB-less BCs. In this solution, the UE can indicate supported SSB-less BCs in a separate list, and for each SSB-less BC, the UE further indicates a reference band list to indicate which bands can be considered as reference bands. On the network side, an inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured only if a serving cell with an SSB on the corresponding potential "reference" band is configured for CA operation. Furthermore, the UE can also indicate a featuresetCombination ID and / or other parameters that are different from the basic BC.

[0192] Solution 2 involves adding one or more new band entries to the basic BC.

[0193] One or more new band entries may be used to indicate SSB-less SCell-capable bands. For new band entries, the UE may also indicate a reference band list to indicate which bands can be adopted as reference bands. On the network side, an inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured only if a serving cell with SSB on the corresponding potential "reference" band is configured for CA operation. Furthermore, the UE may also indicate a featuresetCombination ID and / or other parameters that are different from the basic BC.

[0194] FIG. 17D shows an example of a new SSB-less band entry into a basic BC.

[0195] In a non-limiting example, a UE supports a basic BC1 that includes A+B and an SSB-less BC2 that includes A+B+C (SSB-less band entry), and the reference band for band C is band B. The UE can include BC1 that includes A+B in the above bandCombination, then add band C to the newly added BandParametersSSBLess, and set band B as the reference band for band C. The UE can additionally report a featureSetCombination ID or report one or more feature sets for SSB-less band C in the newly added "featureSetCombinationIDSSBLess" field.

[0196] Solution 3 includes a legacy BC structure with featuresetDownlinkID=0 to indicate SSB-less in the case of no DL resources (or only UL), e.g., Type 3. In some implementations, this solution can be applied to Type 3, which includes one or more SSB-less band entries that do not support any DL resources.

[0197] In some implementations, setting the downlink feature set of an SSB-less band entry to 0 can indicate that there are no DL resources in this band entry.

[0198] FIG. 17E shows an example of an SSB-less band entry without DL.

[0199] For example, referring to FIG. 4 , if a UE reports BC Band 1+Band 2+Band 3 with feature set Entry 1 / 2 and SSB-less BC Band 1+Band 2+Band 3 (SSB-less) with feature set entry 3, where Band 3 is an SSB-less band with no DL resources, the UE can set the FeatureSetDownlinkId of FeatureSet3.3 to 0.

[0200] In some implementations, for a legacy gNB that may not support the SSB-less feature, it can only take featureSetEntry 1 / 2 into account and ignore FeatureSetEntry 3, while a newer gNB (supporting SSB-less feature) can read FeatureSetEntry 3 and populate it with SSB-less BC Band 1 + Band 2 + Band 3 (SSB-less).

[0201] Solution 4 involves indicating the SSB-less type in the FeatureSet. In some implementations, referring to Figure 17F, the UE can indicate the supported SSB-less types (at least the three types defined above) in the FeatureSet or FeatureSetDownlink.

[0202] Solution 5 involves indicating the SSBless type within the BC. In this solution, the SSBless type of the SSBless-capable band is indicated by the BC level.

[0203] In the SSB-less support indication, referring to Figures 17G and / or 17H, an SSB-less type and / or reference band list for each SSB-less capable band may be indicated.

[0204] In some implementation forms, in the case of the above solutions 3 / 4 / 5, the "reference band list of each inter-band SSB-less SCell-capable band" may be reported for each BC.

[0205] In some implementations, the following alternatives may be considered for the reference band list structure with the explicit solution above.

[0206] (1) For each band in which an SSB-less inter-band SCell is supported, a band list is reported to indicate bands that can be used as reference bands for the SSB-less inter-band SCell. The inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured only when at least one serving cell on the reference band is configured for CA operation.

[0207] (2) For each band that can serve as a reference band for an inter-band SSB-less SCell, an SSB-less SCell-compatible band list is reported to indicate the bands applicable to the SSB-less inter-band SCell. If one serving cell with SSB is configured on the reference band, it can configure an inter-band SSB-less SCell on the applicable band list.

[0208] (3) One or more band lists or band groups are configured. Bands in the same list / group can use each other as reference bands. If one serving cell with SSB is configured for CA operation, an inter-band SSB-less SCell can be configured with another band in the same list / group.

[0209] In addition to the band information, the SSB-less SCell type may also be included in the band list / band group to indicate the type of SSB-less SCell supported.

[0210] In some implementations, the method may include any combination of the above solutions. The above UE capability structure is not limited to indicating SSB-less features, but may also be extended to any other features that have some special attributes on one or more bands of the band combination.

[0211] The present disclosure describes a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for wireless communications. The present disclosure addresses problems / challenges related to user equipment (UE) capability adjustment in dual connectivity (DC). The method, device, and computer-readable medium described in the present disclosure may facilitate performance of wireless transmissions between user equipment and multiple network nodes, thereby improving efficiency and overall performance. The method, device, and computer-readable medium described in the present disclosure may improve the overall efficiency of a wireless communication system.

[0212] References to features, advantages, or similar language throughout this specification do not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized by the solution should or are included in any single implementation thereof. Rather, language referring to features and advantages is understood to mean that the particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the solution. Thus, descriptions of features and advantages, and similar language throughout this specification, may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0213] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the solution may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the description herein, the solution may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the solution.

Claims

1. 1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: A user equipment (UE) transmits UE assistance information to a first network, the UE assistance information including temporary capability limitations of the UE, the UE capability limitations indicating one or more restriction dimensions for the first network. A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capability restriction dimensions of the one or more UEs include restrictions on each other.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE comprises a plurality of Universal Subscriber Identity Modules (Multi-USIMs) corresponding to a first subscription of the first network and a second subscription of a second network.

4. The temporary capability restriction of the UE includes restriction information at a granular level; 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the granularity level comprises at least one of a per UE level, a per band level, a per band combination (BC) level, a per band per BC level, a per feature set entry per band level, or a per carrier component per BC level.

5. the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension; the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list; the second dimension comprises a set of parameter limits at the granularity level; The method of claim 4 , wherein the set of parameter limits includes at least one of a maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer, a maximum modulation order, or a maximum supported bandwidth.

6. the affected BC report further includes a list of Feature Set entries corresponding to at least one BC or at least a portion of one BC in the affected BC list; The method of claim 5 , wherein the feature set entry list includes at least one of allowed feature set entries, affected feature set entries, or prohibited feature set entries.

7. the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension; the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list for the UE; the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for the UE; The UE may define a set of supported parameters as: For each parameter in the supported parameters, use the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for the UE. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature is determined by:

8. the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension; the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list with a feature set entry list; the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for each band; The UE may define a set of supported parameters as: For each parameter in the supported parameters, use the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for the band. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature is determined by:

9. the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension; the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list having a list of feature set entries; the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for each BC or portion of each BC in the affected BC list; The UE may define a set of supported parameters as: For each parameter in the supported parameters, use the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for each BC or part of each BC. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature is determined by:

10. the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension; the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list with a feature set entry list; the second dimension includes a set of parameter limits for each band of each BC or portion of each BC in the affected BC list; The UE may define a set of supported parameters as: For each parameter in the supported parameters, use the lower UE capability between the affected BC report and the set of parameter limits for each band of each BC or part of each BC. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature is determined by:

11. the affected BC list includes at least one of an allowed BC or a prohibited BC; 11. The method of claim 4, wherein each band in the affected BC list is represented by at least one of a band number, an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) value, or an index indicating the position of the band in a band list in a UE capability request message.

12. The UE notifies the first network: an indication regarding at least one selected band entry of the second network; or an indication regarding at least one allowed band entry of the first network; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the method exhibits at least one of the following:

13. 1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: receiving, by a first network, from a user equipment (UE), UE assistance information including a temporary capability restriction of the UE, the UE capability restriction indicating one or more restriction dimensions for the first network; A method comprising:

14. The temporary capability restriction of the UE includes restriction information at a granular level; the granularity level includes at least one of a per UE level, a per band level, a per band combination (BC) level, a per band per BC level, a per feature set entry per band level, or a per carrier component per BC level; The method of claim 13.

15. the temporary capability restriction of the UE includes a first dimension and a second dimension; the first dimension includes an affected BC report corresponding to an affected BC list; the second dimension comprises a set of parameter limits at the granularity level; 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of parameter limits includes at least one of a maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer, a maximum modulation order, or a maximum supported bandwidth.

16. the affected BC report further includes a list of Feature Set entries corresponding to at least one BC or at least one dimension of a BC in the affected BC list; The method of claim 14 , wherein the feature set entry list includes at least one of allowed feature set entries, affected feature set entries, or prohibited feature set entries.

17. The first network receives from the UE: an indication regarding at least one selected band entry of the second network; or an indication regarding at least one authorized band entry of the first network; The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving at least one of:

18. the first network comprises a master node and a secondary node; 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the master node sends capacity adjustment information to the secondary node, the capacity adjustment information including a list of selected band entries, the list of selected band entries including a list of band entries selected by the master node and by the second network.

19. the capacity adjustment information further includes a set of parameter limits corresponding to the list of affected band combinations; 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the parameter limits include at least one of a maximum multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layer, a maximum modulation order, or a maximum supported bandwidth.

20. the capacity adjustment information further includes a set of parameter limits at a granular level; 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the granularity level comprises at least one of a per UE level, a per band level, a per band combination (BC) level, a per band per BC level, a per feature set entry per band level, or a per carrier component per BC level.

21. 21. A wireless communications device comprising a processor and a memory, the processor configured to read code from the memory and to implement a method according to any of claims 1 to 20.

22. 21. A computer program product having stored thereon a computer readable program medium code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.