Transmission Switching Enhancements

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method, an apparatus, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for transmission switching enhancements. In the method, a first device transmits at least one notification of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands to a second device, the at least one notification being related at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device. The first device receives a configuration for transmission switching from the second device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media relating to transmission switching enhancements. [Background technology]

[0002] Fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) systems support uplink (UL) transmission, or transmitter (Tx), switching. Release 16 (R16) supports switching between two carriers on two separate frequency bands, where one of the two carriers supports 1x Tx transmission and the other supports 2x Tx transmission, such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission in the uplink. Release 17 (R17) extends this capability to support switching between two bands, where both bands support 2x Tx uplink MIMO. Release 18 (R18) further extends UL Tx switching to three or four bands. However, UL Tx switching can cause downlink (DL) interruptions and reduced throughput performance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, the method including: transmitting, at a first device, to a second device at least one notification of a capability of transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device; and receiving, from the second device, a configuration for transmission switching.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided that includes receiving, at a second device, from a first device at least one indication of capabilities for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one indication related at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device, and transmitting, to the first device, a configuration for transmission switching based on the at least one indication of capabilities.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, the first device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to: send at least one notification to a second device of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification related at least to a frequency of transmission switching allowed by the first device; and receive a configuration for transmission switching from the second device.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided, the second device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to at least: receive from the first device at least one notification of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification related at least to a frequency of transmission switching allowed by the first device; and transmit to the first device a configuration for transmission switching based on the at least one notification of capabilities.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, the first device comprising: means for transmitting to a second device at least one notification of a capability of transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device; and means for receiving from the second device a configuration for transmission switching.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided, the second device comprising: means for receiving from the first device at least one notification of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device; and means for transmitting to the first device a configuration for transmission switching based on the at least one notification of the capability.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the third aspect.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the fourth aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the Abstract is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] Some embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communications environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a signaling diagram for configuring a transmission switch in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented in a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented in a second device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The principles of the present specification will be explained with reference to several examples. It should be understood that these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present specification, but are provided merely for illustrative purposes and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present specification. The examples described herein can be implemented in a variety of ways other than those described below.

[0014] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0015] References herein to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed to be within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect that feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly stated.

[0016] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish between elements. For example, calling a first element a second element, and similarly calling a second element a first element, does not depart from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" encompasses any and all combinations including one or more of the listed terms.

[0017] As used herein, "at least one of: " and "a list of at least one or more elements" and similar expressions, when a list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or", mean at least any one element, at least two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0018] In this specification, unless expressly stated otherwise, performing a step "in response to A" does not mean that the step is performed immediately after the occurrence of "A," but rather that there may be one or more steps in between.

[0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including" specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] In this application, the term "circuit" means (a) hardware-only circuit implementation (e.g., implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry); (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and (ii) A combination of a portion of a hardware processor and software (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory that work together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions; (c) hardware circuitry and / or processors (e.g., microprocessors or portions of microprocessors) that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent if not necessary for operation; It may refer to any one or more, or all of the above.

[0021] This definition of circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, i.e., in all claims. By way of further example, the term circuit as used herein also encompasses a simple hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its associated software and / or firmware implementation. The term circuit also encompasses, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, where applicable to particular claim elements.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to an appropriate communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), or Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communications between terminal devices and network devices within the communication network may be conducted using, but not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication technologies, future communication technologies and systems may also exist in which the present disclosure may be embodied. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the aforementioned systems.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network equipment" refers to a node on a communications network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. Network equipment may refer to, for example, a base station (BS) or access point (AP), Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNB or eNB), NR NB (also referred to as gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio header (RH), remote radio head (RRH), repeater, integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, low-power nodes such as femto and pico nodes, non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network equipment such as satellite network equipment, low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, airborne network equipment, etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) in an IAB donor node. The IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that acts like a UE with respect to a parent node and a DU portion that acts like a base station with respect to subsequent IAB nodes.

[0024] The term "terminal" refers to any end device capable of wireless communication. By way of example only, a terminal may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), mobile subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices include mobile phones, mobile phone terminals, smartphones, VoIP phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminals, PDAs, portable computers, desktop computers, digital cameras and other imaging terminals, gaming terminals, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminals, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches and other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and the like. Terminal devices may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communications equipment," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0025] In this specification, the terms "resource," "transmission resource," "resource block," "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource," or "downlink resource" refer to any resource for performing communication. For example, a resource for communication between a terminal device and a network device, including a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a space domain resource, a code domain resource, or other resources that enable communication. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, some embodiments of this specification will be described using resources in both the frequency domain and the time domain as examples of transmission resources. It should be noted that the embodiments of this specification are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0026] As mentioned above, 5G NR systems support UL transmission, or transmitter (Tx), switching. R16 supports switching between two carriers on two separate frequency bands. This capability is extended in R17 to support switching between two bands. In this case, one of the two bands supports two consecutive uplink carriers, and switching occurs between bands, allowing both bands to support uplink MIMO. Multicarrier enhancements for NR may further extend UL Tx switching to three or four bands in R18.

[0027] In UL Tx switching across three or four bands, each transmitter still switches between two bands, but the band on which the user equipment (UE) transmits is dynamically selected from the three or four configured bands. This allows up to two uplink transmitters to transmit at any given time. This includes transitioning operation of one transmitter from band A to band B, where A and B are any two selected from the three or four bands. It may also include switching between two transmitters, where the two transmitters may switch independently of each other. For example, when switching from bands A and B to bands C and D, one transmitter switches from band A to C (or D) and the other transmitter switches from B to D (or C). For example, a UE may transmit uplink MIMO in one of the three or four configured bands, with all other bands unavailable for transmission. In this case, the UE switches to another band from the configured band set for uplink MIMO transmission. Alternatively, the UE may have one Tx transmission in one band and another Tx transmission in another band, with the other bands in the configuration not being used for uplink transmissions.

[0028] However, UL Tx switching can cause downlink (DL) disruption or UL outage because the extension of the UL Tx switch across two bands from one timing advance group (TAG) to two TAGs results in an additional UL disruption. UL outage may refer to the actual affected UL orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols on the serving carrier involved in the switch, the actual affected UL OFDM symbols on other victim serving carriers not involved in the switch, and / or the potential disruption window. DL disruption requirements may be defined as the radio resource management (RRM) impact of a Tx switch across three or four bands.

[0029] UL switching may interrupt the DL carrier, resulting in degradation of DL system performance. Furthermore, switching the uplink transmission band may improve UL system performance. However, the network is unlikely to schedule UEs during these interrupted symbol periods. Because the UE is expected to be unable to receive DL signals or transmit UL signals, scheduling data on these symbols may be lost or distorted, affecting link performance (increased block error rate) and reducing throughput performance.

[0030] In R18, UL switching is dynamically scheduled among three or four bands. This provides more flexibility in the selection of switching carriers, but frequent interruption losses due to frequent switching may affect both DL and UL throughput performance. The purpose of UL Tx switching is to improve UL throughput performance while using higher bandwidth, especially on time division duplex (TDD) or NR carriers. DL throughput is also considered an important aspect. However, it is clear that increased interruption frequency will reduce DL throughput, and UL throughput will also be affected to some extent. Therefore, to ensure the gains from UL switching, such frequent UL switching should be avoided or at least limited.

[0031] Furthermore, if UL switching is dynamically scheduled among three or four bands, switching diversity can increase; switching can occur between 1Tx and 2Tx, or between 2Tx, and can occur between carriers within a single TAG or between two TAGs. For example, in SwitchedUL operation, if a UE supports up to two UL transmission ports across all bands, two transmitters are mapped as 2Tx (or "2T") on one band. Switching can include 2T switching from one band to another. In the case of three bands, switching can occur among three transmitter configurations: {2T, 0T, 0T}, {0T, 2T, 0T}, and {0T, 0T, 2T}. In the case of four bands, switching may occur between four transmitter configurations ({2T,0T,0T,0T}, {0T,2T,0T,0T}, {0T,0T,2T,0T}, {0T,0T,0T,2T}). In dual UL operation, two transmitters may be mapped as 1Tx (or "1T") in one band and as 1T in the other band. Switching cases include 1T switching from one band to the other. For example, switching may occur between six additional transmitter configurations ({1T,1T,0T,0T}, {1T,0T,1T,0T}, {1T,0T,0T,1T}, {0T,1T,1T,0T}, {0T,1T,0T,1T}, {0T,0T,1T,1T}).

[0032] Even if a UE is transmitting using only a single transmitter in a single band (e.g., denoted as {1T,0T,0T}), or is not transmitting at all ({0T,0T,0T}), the unused UE transmitters remain configured to one of the bands within the band combination. How non-transmitting transmitters are mapped to bands depends on the UE configuration and past transmission history.

[0033] In each switching case, the set of carriers that are interrupted may be different because the source and destination carriers are different. Furthermore, the length of the interruption may depend on the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the carriers affected by the transmission switch. Therefore, the switching period (i.e., the length of the interruption) may also be different. In various switching cases, a switching gap may be required for all UL transmissions that change transmission band from the previous transmission. Therefore, each UL switching case may have a different impact on the interruption and result in different performance losses.

[0034] The embodiments herein propose a method for mitigating or controlling performance degradation that takes into account various UL switching cases, particularly various impacts on system performance. In this method, a first device, such as a UE, indicates its capability for transmission switching across multiple bands to a second device, such as a network device. This capability includes the frequency at which the device is capable of performing transmission switching. Based on this indication, the second device transmits a configuration for transmission switching to the first device, for example, to set the first device in a transmission switching mode.

[0035] In this way, the transmission switching of the first device is configured based on the first device's capabilities regarding how often it can perform Tx switching, which is more flexible and efficient.

[0036] 1 illustrates an example of a communication environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In the communication environment 100, multiple communication devices, including a first device 110 and a second device 120, may communicate with each other.

[0037] For ease of explanation, the following description will be given in an example where first device 110 operates as a terminal device such as a UE, and second device 120 operates as a network device such as a base station. However, in some exemplary embodiments, operations described with respect to a terminal device may be implemented in a network device or other device, and operations described with respect to a network device may be implemented in a terminal device or other device.

[0038] In some embodiments, when the first device 110 is a terminal device and the second device 120 is a network device, the link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 is referred to as a downlink (DL) and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In the DL, the second device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter) and the first device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the first device 110 is a TX device (transmitter) and the second device 120 is an RX device (receiver). In some embodiments, both the first second device 110 and the second device 120 may be terminal devices capable of communicating with each other on a sidelink (SL).

[0039] Communications in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communications protocol, including, but not limited to, cellular communications protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), and sixth generation (6G), wireless local network communications protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or other protocols now known or developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communications technology, including, but not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and other technologies now known or developed in the future.

[0040] The number of devices is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to imply any limitation. Communications environment 100 may include any number of devices suitable for implementing embodiments herein.

[0041] In the environment 100, the first device 110 may perform transmission switching. For example, in an embodiment in which the first device 110 operates as a 2Tx UE, in the case of multi-carrier UL operation, the first device 110 as a 2Tx UE is configured with at least two UL bands, which may be changed by radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration from the network. The first device 110 performs UL Tx switching between the two UL bands. For example, UL Tx switching may dynamically select a carrier based on data traffic, TDD DL / UL configuration, bandwidth of each band, and channel conditions, thereby improving UL data rates, spectrum utilization, and UL capacity.

[0042] When dynamically switching between two uplink carriers, the first device 110 is permitted to cause a DL interruption of X OFDM symbols on the NR downlink carrier. The DL interruption starts from the first OFDM symbol that fully or partially overlaps with the UL switching period located on either NR carrier 1 or carrier 2 indicated in the RRC signaling (e.g., UE capability message). The DL interruption length on the NR carrier in OFDM symbol units (X) when switching between two uplink carriers is as defined in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0043] In some embodiments, the first device 110 as a 2Tx UE supports Tx switching across up to three or four bands, limiting simultaneous transmission to a maximum of two Tx, with the two transmitters mapped as 2T in one band (e.g., SwitchedUL) or as 1T in one band and 1T in the other band (e.g., DualUL), thereby achieving configured UL bands in excess of simultaneous transmission capability, and supporting dynamic Tx carrier switching between configured bands in both single TAG and multiple TAG configurations.

[0044] The following restrictions may apply to UL Tx switching across three or four bands: The first device 110 may not expect to perform multiple uplink switches within a reference slot based on the SCS of the active UL bandwidth portions of the band combination. If two uplink switches are triggered and UL transmissions occur on more than one band within two consecutive reference slots, the time between the end of all transmissions before the first uplink switch and the start of all transmissions after the second uplink switch within the two reference slots is expected to be greater than or equal to the minimum separation time. The minimum separation time is the sum of Y μs and the switching gap required for the second uplink switch. Y μs depends on the UE capabilities and is set to a value in the set {0 μs, 500 μs}.

[0045] In various embodiments, the transmission switching is configured with at least one notification that takes into account the capabilities of the first device 110 regarding at least the frequency of transmission switching across multiple bands. Some embodiments are described below with reference to FIG.

[0046] 2 shows a signaling diagram 200 for configuring transmission switching in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the signaling diagram 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0047] 2, the first device 110 transmits (205) to the second device 120 at least one notification of its capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, including how frequently the first device 110 can perform transmission switching. Thus, the at least one notification relates at least to the frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device 110.

[0048] The notification may be associated with any parameter related to the frequency of transmission switches. For example, the notification may include a notification regarding the number of transmission switches between multiple bands within a predetermined time period, such as a notification regarding the maximum number of switches between configured bands within a certain time period. Alternatively, or additionally, the notification may include a notification regarding the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches, such as a minimum number of symbols or slots between two successive switches. For example, if more frequent switches are permitted in the first device 110, the first device 110 may indicate an increase in the number of transmission switches within a predetermined time period or a decrease in the time intervals (e.g., symbols or slots) between successive switches. For example, the notification may include a notification regarding whether a particular transmission switch case is permitted. This may be achieved, for example, by setting the number of transmission switches between multiple bands within a predetermined time period to zero or by setting the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches to infinity.

[0049] In some embodiments, these parameters are configured on a per-device (e.g., per-UE) basis, such as signaling to first device 110 the number of transmission switchovers within a given period of time or the number of time intervals between successive transmission switchovers.

[0050] In some embodiments, a frequency of transmission switching may be signaled for a combination of bands (or "band combination") among multiple bands for which transmission switching occurs. For example, relevant parameters may be signaled for each band combination. As an example, a transmission switch from the combination of Band 1 and Band 2 to the combination of Band 3 and Band 4 may occur less frequently than a switch from the combination of Band 1 and Band 2 to the combination of Band 1 and Band 3, because the former may cause more interruptions.

[0051] In some embodiments, the frequency of a transmission switch is indicated based on its impact level (e.g., whether the switch will have a severe impact). The more severe the impact, the less the switch is permitted. Therefore, when defining restrictions, it is necessary to distinguish between these switch cases. As an example, a frequency of a transmission switch may be announced for each set of switch cases that result in different impact levels.

[0052] Such impact level is related to the number of switched transmitters in a transmission switch. The number of switched Tx chains includes the following cases: Case 1 is when 1 Tx on one band switches to 2 Tx on that band, and Case 2 is when 2 Tx on one band switches to 2 Tx on another band. Case 2 may have a higher impact level compared to Case 1. Therefore, stricter requirements, e.g., stricter parameters, may be signaled. This may include an increase in the number of symbols / slots until the next switch (corresponding to a longer silence period between two switches).

[0053] Alternatively or additionally, the impact level may be related to the interrupted bands in the transmission switchover, e.g., the more bands that are interrupted, the more severe the impact may be, and therefore, stricter requirements may be placed on the frequency of the switchover.

[0054] In some embodiments, the impact level of a switch may be related to the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch and / or the aggregated bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers. As an example, if a long interruption, such as 14 symbols, is expected, the first device 110 may need more time to prepare for the switch. Therefore, different parameter values ​​may be set for a switch without interruption and a switch with a long interruption. For example, a switch with a long interruption may suggest setting a longer period of no transmission.

[0055] In some embodiments, the impact level of a switch may be related to the number of TAGs involved in the transmission switch. Switching within one TAG and switching across two TAGs may result in different outage times for the first device 110 and different disruptions. As an example, a switch across two TAGs (hereinafter also referred to as the "2 TAG case") may signal more stringent requirements.

[0056] In some embodiments, the impact level is related to the duration of the disruption caused by the transmission switch. For example, a switch between band combinations, e.g., from Band A to Band B, may result in a different disruption than a switch between other band combinations, e.g., from Band B to Band C. Therefore, different requirements for the frequency of the switch may be signaled.

[0057] In addition to the switching frequency, in some exemplary embodiments, at least one indication of the first device 110's transmission switching capabilities may be related to the number of switched transmitters (switched transmitters) allowed by the first device. As an example, the first device 110 may indicate that it will not allow consecutive UL switching between 2 Tx on band 1 and 2 Tx on bands 3 and 4 to further reduce interruptions.

[0058] In some embodiments, this functionality may need to be defined to indicate a no-transmission period for each switching case or category. For example, this notification may relate to no-transmission periods for transmission switching depending on the number of switched transmitters, no-transmission periods for transmission switching between TAGs, no-transmission periods for transmission switching within TAGs, and / or no-transmission periods for transmission switching for band combinations (or band combinations). As mentioned above, different numbers of switched transmitters have different impact levels. Switching between TAGs and within TAGs may have different impact levels. Switching between different band combinations may also have different impact levels. Therefore, different no-transmission periods may be notified as required for these different cases.

[0059] Alternatively or additionally, this notification may relate to feature updates, for example, updated requirements such as parameters due to adverse effects of Tx switching.

[0060] At least one notification is sent in at least one field of the capability message of the first device 110. For example, if the first device 110 acts as a UE, a new field such as "UL TxSwitchingSilencePeriod" can be added to the capability message, such as the UE capability message. For example, a field such as "NumberOfTxChainsSwitched" can be used to indicate that consecutive UL switching is not allowed between 2 Tx on bands 1 and 2 and 2 Tx on bands 3 and 4. A field such as "SilencePeriodforSingleTAG" can be used to indicate the silence period for UL Tx switching in the 1TAG case. A field such as "SilencePeriodforMultiTAGs" can be used to indicate the silence period for UL Tx switching in the multiple TAG case, such as the 2TAG scenario. A field such as "SilencePeriodsPerBand" can be used to indicate different silence periods for different bands, which can depend on the different impact of UL Tx switching on different bands. UE capability updates may include updated no transmission periods due to adverse effects of UL Tx switching.

[0061] In some embodiments, to achieve backward compatibility and reduced signaling overhead, the switching capability (or "switching capability") may be implicitly signaled based on a predefined association between the switching period and the switching capability in the UE capability message.

[0062] 2, based on at least one indication of a capability for transmission switching from the first device 110, the second device 120 sends 220 a configuration for transmission switching to the first device 110. This configuration may be a semi-static (RRC-provided) configuration that sets the first device 110 to a Tx switching mode. This configuration may include multiple bands in which UL transmission switching may occur. Alternatively, the first device 110, which may act as a UE, may send or update UE capabilities after a configuration message indicating no transmission periods associated with multiple bands.

[0063] In some embodiments, the second device 120 transmits an instruction to the first device 110 to switch transmissions from a first set of bands to a second set of bands within a plurality of bands, where a band set may include one or more bands. Such an instruction may be transmitted, for example, in a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message used to schedule UL transmissions.

[0064] As an example, in a configuration-based switching scenario between three or four bands, the first device 110 acting as a UE may not perform a UL Tx switch if it performs the UL Tx switch within T seconds of receiving an instruction or DCI scheduling informing of a carrier change between three or four bands.

[0065] Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 may not perform a UL Tx switch if it performed a UL Tx switch between carriers of a single TAG within SilencePeriodforSingleTAG before receiving a command or DCI scheduling informing of a carrier change between three or four bands, and may not perform a UL Tx switch if it performed a UL Tx switch between carriers across two TAGs within SilencePeriodforMultiTAGs. In other words, during these periods of silence after each switch, the first device 110 is not expected to receive DCI to dynamically change carriers for UL transmission switching.

[0066] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first device 110, which may act as a UE, may inform the network, for example via the second device 120, how frequently the first device 110 is capable of performing successive UL Tx switches. This information may be transmitted in a newly introduced field in the UE capability parameters. The number of symbols between switches may not be fixed but may be selected depending on the switching case. The switching case may relate to the number of Tx chains to be switched, switching within one TAG or between two TAGs, different bands or combinations of bands, etc. The length of the no-transmission period may vary depending on the situation. Such a switching configuration may be more flexible and efficient.

[0067] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 300 implemented in a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the method 300 will be described from the perspective of the first device 110 of FIG.

[0068] In block 310, the first device 110 transmits at least one notification of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands to the second device 120. The at least one notification is related at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device. In block 320, the first device 110 receives a configuration for transmission switching from the second device 120.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive an instruction from the second device 120 to switch transmissions from a first set of bands to a second set of bands within the plurality of bands.

[0070] In some embodiments, the at least one notification may include at least one of a notification of the number of transmission switches across multiple bands within a predetermined period of time, or a notification indicating the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches.

[0071] In some embodiments, a frequency of transmission switching is signaled for a selected combination of bands from among a plurality of bands, and transmission switching is performed between the combination of bands.

[0072] In some embodiments, the frequency of transmission switching may be signaled based on the impact level of the transmission switching.

[0073] In some embodiments, the impact level is related to at least one of the number of switched transmitters in the transmission switch, the combination of bands in the transmission switch, the interrupted bands in the transmission switch, the number of switched bands in the transmission switch, the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch, the total bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers, the number of timing advance groups associated with the transmission switch, or the duration of the interruption caused by the transmission switch.

[0074] In some embodiments, the at least one notification may further relate to at least one of: a number of switching transmitters allowed by the first device; a transmission switching no-transmission period depending on the number of switching transmitters; a transmission switching no-transmission period between timing advance groups; a transmission switching no-transmission period within a timing advance group; a transmission switching no-transmission period for a band combination; or a capability update.

[0075] In some embodiments, the at least one notification may be sent in at least one field of the capabilities message of the first device 110 .

[0076] 4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 implemented in a second device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, the method 400 will be described from the perspective of the second device 120 of FIG.

[0077] In block 410, the second device 120 receives at least one notification of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands from the first device 110. The at least one notification is related at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device. In block 420, the second device 120 transmits to the first device 110 a configuration for transmission switching based on the at least one notification of capabilities.

[0078] In some embodiments, the second device 120 may send an instruction to the first device 110 informing it to switch transmissions from a first set of bands to a second set of bands within the plurality of bands.

[0079] In some embodiments, the at least one notification may include at least one of a notification regarding the number of transmission switches across multiple bands within a predetermined period of time, or a notification indicating the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches.

[0080] In some embodiments, the frequency of transmission switching is signaled for a selected combination of bands from among a plurality of bands, and transmission switching occurs between the bands in the combination.

[0081] In some embodiments, the frequency of transmission switching is signaled based on the impact level of the transmission switching.

[0082] In some embodiments, the impact level is associated with at least one of the number of switched transmitters in the transmission switch, the combination of bands in the transmission switch, the interrupted bands in the transmission switch, the number of switched bands in the transmission switch, the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch, the total bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers, the number of timing advance groups associated with the transmission switch, or the duration of the interruption caused by the transmission switch.

[0083] In some embodiments, the at least one notification may further relate to at least one of: a number of switching transmitters allowed by the first device; a transmission switching no-transmission period depending on the number of switching transmitters; a transmission switching no-transmission period between timing advance groups; a transmission switching no-transmission period within a timing advance group; a transmission switching no-transmission period for a band combination; or a capability update.

[0084] In some embodiments, the at least one notification may be received in at least one field of the capabilities message of the first device 110 .

[0085] All operations and functions relating to the first device 110 and the second device 120 described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 are equally applicable to the methods 300 and 400 with similar effect, and details are omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0086] In some embodiments, a first device capable of performing any of the methods 300 (e.g., first device 110 of FIG. 1 ) may comprise means for performing each operation of method 300. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented as circuitry or a software module. The first device may be implemented as or included in first device 110 of FIG. 1 .

[0087] In some embodiments, the first device comprises means for transmitting to the second device at least one notification of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device, and means for receiving from the second device a configuration for transmission switching.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first device further comprises means for receiving, from the second device, a transmission switch instruction from a first set of bands to a second set of bands within the plurality of bands.

[0089] In some embodiments, the at least one notification includes at least one of a notification of the number of transmission switches across multiple bands within a predetermined period of time, or a notification indicating the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches.

[0090] In some embodiments, a frequency of transmission switching is signaled for a selected combination of bands from among a plurality of bands, and transmission switching is performed between the combination of bands.

[0091] In some embodiments, the frequency of transmission switching is signaled based on the impact level of the transmission switching.

[0092] In some embodiments, the impact level is related to at least one of the number of switched transmitters in the transmission switch, the band combination in the transmission switch, the interrupted bands in the transmission switch, the number of switched bands in the transmission switch, the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch, the total bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers, the number of timing advance groups associated with the transmission switch, or the interruption time caused by the transmission switch.

[0093] In some embodiments, the at least one notification further relates to at least one of: a number of switching transmitters allowed by the first device; a transmission switching no-transmission period depending on the number of switching transmitters; a transmission switching no-transmission period between timing advance groups; a transmission switching no-transmission period within a timing advance group; a transmission switching no-transmission period for a band combination; or a capability update.

[0094] In some embodiments, the at least one notification is sent in at least one field of the first device's capabilities message.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first device further includes means for performing other operations of method 300 or some embodiments of first device 110. In some embodiments, the means includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to perform the operations.

[0096] In some embodiments, a second device capable of performing any of the methods 400 (e.g., second device 120 of FIG. 1 ) may comprise means for performing each operation of method 400. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented as circuitry or a software module. The second device may be implemented as or included in second device 120 of FIG. 1 .

[0097] In some embodiments, the second device comprises means for receiving from the first device at least one notification of capabilities for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of transmission switching permitted by the first device, and means for transmitting to the first device a configuration for transmission switching based on the at least one notification of capabilities.

[0098] In some embodiments, the second device further comprises means for transmitting to the first device a transmission switch instruction from a first set of bands to a second set of bands within the plurality of bands.

[0099] In some embodiments, the at least one notification includes at least one of a notification of the number of transmission switches across multiple bands within a predetermined period of time, or a notification of the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches.

[0100] In some embodiments, a frequency of transmission switching is signaled for a selected combination of bands from among a plurality of bands, and transmission switching is performed between the combination of bands.

[0101] In some embodiments, the frequency of transmission switching is signaled based on the impact level of the transmission switching.

[0102] In some embodiments, the impact level is related to at least one of the number of switched transmitters in the transmission switch, the band combination in the transmission switch, the interrupted bands in the transmission switch, the number of switched bands in the transmission switch, the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch, the total bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers, the number of timing advance groups associated with the transmission switch, or the interruption time caused by the transmission switch.

[0103] In some embodiments, the at least one notification further relates to at least one of: a number of switching transmitters allowed by the first device; a transmission switching no-transmission period depending on the number of switching transmitters; a transmission switching no-transmission period between timing advance groups; a transmission switching no-transmission period within a timing advance group; a transmission switching no-transmission period for a band combination; or a capability update.

[0104] In some embodiments, the at least one notification is received in at least one field of a capabilities message of the first device.

[0105] In some embodiments, the second device further comprises means for performing other operations in method 400 or some embodiments of second device 120. In some embodiments, the means includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to perform the operations.

[0106] 5 is a simplified block diagram of an apparatus 500 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 500 may be provided to implement a communications apparatus such as the first device 110 or the second device 120 shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the apparatus 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to the processors 510, and one or more communications modules 540 coupled to the processors 510.

[0107] The communication module 540 is for two-way communication. The communication module 540 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with other modules or devices. The communication interfaces may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some embodiments, the communication module 540 may include at least one antenna.

[0108] Processor 510 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network, including, by way of non-limiting example, a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, etc. Device 500 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0109] The memory 520 may include one or more nonvolatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of nonvolatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), optical disks, laser disks, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memories that cannot retain data during power-off periods.

[0110] The computer program 530 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 510. The instructions in the program 530 may include instructions for performing operations / acts in some embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 530 may be stored in a memory, such as the ROM 524. The processor 510 may load the program 530 into the RAM 522 to perform any suitable operations and processes.

[0111] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 530, which enables the device 500 to perform any of the processes of the present disclosure described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0112] In some embodiments, the program 530 may be tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium internal to the device 500 (e.g., in memory 520) or on another storage device accessible by the device 500. The device 500 may load the program 530 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 522 for execution. In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" here does not limit the permanence of the data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM), but rather the medium itself (i.e., a tangible medium rather than a signal).

[0113] 6 shows an example of a computer readable medium 600, which may take the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc. The computer readable medium 600 has the program 530 stored thereon.

[0114] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some features may be implemented in hardware, while other features may be implemented in firmware or software executable by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other graphical representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented by, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or any combination thereof.

[0115] Some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product physically embodied on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute on a target real or virtual processor device to perform any of the methods described above. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0116] Program code for implementing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, and executed by the processor or controller to implement the functions / acts specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0117] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or associated data may be transmitted by any suitable medium to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above, examples of which include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0118] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0119] Furthermore, although operations are shown in a particular order, this does not imply that the operations must be performed in the particular order or sequential order shown, or that all of the operations shown must be performed, to achieve desirable results. Multitasking or parallel processing may be advantageous in certain situations. Similarly, while the above description includes some specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of functionality specific to particular embodiments. Unless expressly stated otherwise, certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless expressly stated otherwise, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0120] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specifying structural features and / or method acts, the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features and acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. In the first device, transmitting to a second device at least one notification of a capability of transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of the transmission switching permitted by the first device; receiving a configuration for the transmission switch from the second device; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from the second device, a transmission switch command from a first set of bands to a second set of bands within the plurality of bands.

3. The at least one notification: Notification of the number of transmission switches across the multiple bands within a predetermined period of time; or a notification indicating the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches; The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising at least one of:

4. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency of the transmission switching is signaled for a combination of bands selected from the plurality of bands, and the transmission switching is performed between the combination of bands.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the transmission switch is signaled based on an impact level of the transmission switch.

6. The impact level is: the number of switching transmitters in the transmission switching; A combination of bands in the transmission switching; the interrupted bandwidth in the transmission switch; the number of switching bands in the transmission switching; the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch; the total bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers; the number of timing advance groups associated with the transmission switch; or the interruption period caused by said transmission switch; The method of claim 5 , wherein the method is associated with at least one of:

7. The at least one notification may further include: the number of switch transmitters permitted by the first device; a non-transmission period of the transmission switching according to the number of the switching transmitters; a non-transmission period of the transmission switching between timing advance groups; Non-transmission period of the transmission switching within the timing advance group A non-transmission period of the transmission switching for the combination of bands, or updating said capabilities; 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is associated with at least one of the following:

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one notification is transmitted in at least one field of a capability message of the first device.

9. In the second device, receiving, from a first device, at least one indication of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one indication relating at least to a frequency of the transmission switching permitted by the first device; sending, to the first device, a configuration for the transmission switch based on the at least one notification of the capabilities; A method comprising:

10. transmitting to the first device a transmission switch command from a first band set to a second band set within the plurality of bands; 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

11. The at least one notification: or notifying the number of transmission switches across the plurality of bands within a predetermined period of time; or Notification of the number of time intervals between successive transmission switches; 11. The method of claim 9 or 10, comprising at least one of:

12. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the frequency of the transmission switching is signaled for a combination of bands selected from the plurality of bands, and the transmission switching is performed between the combination of bands.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the frequency of the transmission switch is signaled based on an impact level of the transmission switch.

14. The impact level is: the number of switching transmitters in the transmission switching; A combination of bands in the transmission switching; the interrupted bandwidth in the transmission switch; the number of switching bands in the transmission switching; the number of downlink and / or uplink carriers affected by the transmission switch; the total bandwidth of the affected downlink and / or uplink carriers; the number of timing advance groups associated with the transmission switch; or the interruption period caused by said transmission switch; The method of claim 13, wherein the method is associated with at least one of:

15. The at least one notification may further include: the number of switch transmitters permitted by the first device; a non-transmission period of the transmission switching according to the number of the switching transmitters; a non-transmission period of the transmission switching between timing advance groups; Non-transmission period of the transmission switching within the timing advance group A non-transmission period of the transmission switching for the combination of bands, or updating said capabilities; 15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method is associated with at least one of the following:

16. 16. The method of any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the at least one notification is received in at least one field of a capabilities message of the first device.

17. 1. A first device, comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by said at least one processor, cause said first device to perform at least the method of any one of claims 1 to 8; A first device comprising:

18. a second device, at least one processor; at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by said at least one processor, cause said second device to perform at least the method of any of claims 9 to 16; A second device comprising:

19. 1. A first device, comprising: means for transmitting to a second device at least one notification of a capability of transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one notification relating at least to a frequency of the transmission switching permitted by the first device; means for receiving a configuration for the transmission switch from the second device; A first device comprising:

20. a second device, means for receiving, from a first device, at least one indication of a capability for transmission switching across multiple bands, the at least one indication relating at least to a frequency of the transmission switching permitted by the first device; means for transmitting to the first device a configuration for the transmission switch based on the at least one notification of the capabilities; A second device comprising:

21. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of any one of claims 1 to 8 or the method of any one of claims 9 to 16.

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