UE behavior to tolerate interruptions when reporting gap needs

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) configured to operate in a 5G fifth-generation new radio (NR) network may cause an interruption on an indicated frequency layer to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. The UE may encode a radio-resource control (RRC) information element for transmission to a gNodeB (gNB) to indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. During the performance of gapless SSB-based measurements, the UE may interrupt scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmission. The UE may be configured to limit the interruption to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and a maximum interruption length (L) for the interruption opportunity.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 487,808 [Docket No. AF2233-Z], filed March 1, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD Embodiments relate to wireless communications. [Background technology]

[0003] One issue with communicating data over wireless networks is that mobile communications have evolved significantly from early voice systems to today's highly sophisticated and integrated communications platforms. The proliferation of different types of devices communicating with various network devices has led to increased adoption of 3GPP® 5G NR systems. The proliferation of mobile devices (user equipment, or UE) in modern society has continued to drive demand for a wide variety of network-connected devices in many diverse environments. 5G NR wireless systems are coming soon and are expected to offer faster speeds, greater connectivity, and ease of use, improving throughput, coverage, and robustness while reducing latency and operational and capital expenditures. 5G-NR networks will continue to evolve based on 3GPP® LTE-Advanced with additional and potentially new radio access technologies (RATs) to enrich people's lives with seamless wireless connectivity solutions that deliver high-speed, rich content and services. As current cellular network frequencies become saturated, higher frequencies, such as millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies, may be beneficial due to their higher bandwidth.

[0004] One issue with current 5G networks is that UEs may need to perform radio resource management (RRM) measurements using measurement gaps. Measurement gaps can reduce user throughput and introduce latency because the UE must temporarily stop receiving / transmitting data via the serving cell during the gap period. This can be particularly problematic in URLLC use cases. Another issue is that 5G may require more frequent measurement gaps compared to 4G due to the use of wider bandwidths and higher frequency bands. This further reduces the available transmission time for UEs. Beamforming at mmWave frequencies makes it more difficult to perform measurements. The UE may need to sweep its beam direction during the gap period to detect different base station beams, reducing measurement accuracy. In ultra-dense 5G networks, the number of cells a UE needs to scan during a gap may increase significantly. The UE may not be able to scan all frequencies and cells of interest within the gap duration. With dynamic TDD and flexible UE / base station cooperation for downlink and uplink transmissions in 5G, properly managing gaps to avoid conflicts with scheduled UL / DL transmissions becomes more complex. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1A] 1 illustrates an architecture of a network, according to some embodiments.

[0006] [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture, according to some aspects. [Figure 1C] 1 illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture, according to some aspects.

[0007] [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a wireless communication device, according to some embodiments.

[0008] [Figure 3] 1 illustrates the use of one or more measurement gap patterns, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following description and drawings sufficiently illustrate particular embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0010] Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to user equipment (UE) configured to operate in a 5G fifth-generation new radio (NR) network. In these embodiments, the UE may be configured to perform gap-less synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements, causing interruptions on an indicated frequency layer.

[0011] In some embodiments, the UE may encode a radio-resource control (RRC) information element for transmission to a gNodeB (gNB) to indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. In these embodiments, processing circuitry in the UE may configure the UE to cause an interruption on the indicated frequency layer to perform gapless SSB-based measurements. In these embodiments, the UE may interrupt scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmissions during the performance of gapless SSB-based measurements. In these embodiments, the UE may be configured to limit interruptions to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and a maximum interruption length (L) for the interruption opportunity. These and other embodiments are described in more detail below.

[0012] 1A illustrates an example network architecture according to some embodiments. Network 140A is shown to include user equipment (UE) 101 and UE 102. UE 101 and UE 102 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), a pager, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a wireless handset, a drone, or any other computing device that includes a wired and / or wireless communication interface. UE 101 and UE 102 may be collectively referred to herein as UE 101, which may be used to perform one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0013] Any of the wireless links described herein (e.g., as used in network 140A or any other illustrated network) may operate according to any example wireless communication technology and / or standard.

[0014] LTE and LTE-Advanced are standards for high-speed data wireless communications for UEs, such as mobile phones. In LTE-Advanced and various wireless systems, carrier aggregation is a technique according to which multiple carrier signals operating at different frequencies are used to carry communications for a single UE, thereby increasing the bandwidth available to a single device. In some embodiments, carrier aggregation may be used when one or more component carriers operate in unlicensed frequencies.

[0015] The embodiments described herein may be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme, including, for example, dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (such as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) in 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and further frequencies, Spectrum Access System (SAS) in 3.55-3.7 GHz and further frequencies, etc.).

[0016] The embodiments described herein can also be applied to different single carrier or OFDM flavors (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.), in particular 3GPP New Radio (NR), by allocating OFDM carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources.

[0017] In some embodiments, both of the UEs 101 and 102 may comprise Internet-of-Things (IoT) UEs or Cellular IoT (CIoT) UEs, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications utilizing short-lived UE connections. In some embodiments, both of the UEs 101 and 102 may comprise narrowband (NB) IoT UEs (e.g., enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UEs and further enhanced NB-IoT (FeNB-IoT) UEs). The IoT UEs may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communication (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity-based service (ProSe), or device-to-device (D2D) communication, sensor network, or IoT network. The M2M or MTC data exchange may be a machine-initiated data exchange. An IoT network includes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include embedded computing devices that are uniquely identifiable (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connections. The IoT UEs may run background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate IoT network connectivity.

[0018] In some embodiments, both UE 101 and UE 102 may comprise enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs or further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UEs.

[0019] UE 101 and UE 102 may be configured to connect, e.g., communicatively couple, to, for example, a radio access network (RAN) 110. RAN 110 may be, for example, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN. UEs 101 and 102 utilize connections 103 and 104, respectively, each of which includes a physical communication interface or layer (discussed further below). In this example, connections 103 and 104 are illustrated as air interfaces that enable communication coupling and may be consistent with cellular communication protocols such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, a code-division multiple access (CDMA) network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular (POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, a 3GPP (registered trademark) Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a fifth-generation (5G) protocol, a New Radio (NR) protocol, etc.

[0020] In one aspect, the UE 101 and the UE 102 may also directly exchange communication data via a ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface that includes one or more logical channels, including, but not limited to, a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0021] UE 102 is shown configured to access access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. Connection 107 may include, for example, a local wireless connection such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, and accordingly, AP 106 may include a WiFi (wireless fidelity) router. In this example, AP 106 is shown connected to the Internet without connecting to a wireless system's core network (described in further detail below).

[0022] The RAN 110 may include one or more access nodes that enable the connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (ANs) may be referred to as base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), Next Generation NodeBs (gNBs), RAN nodes, etc., and may include earth stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). In some embodiments, the RAN nodes 111 and 112 may be transmission / reception points (TRPs). In cases where the RAN nodes 111 and 112 are NodeBs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs may function within the communication cell of the NodeB. The RAN 110 may also include one or more RAN nodes for providing a macrocell, e.g., a macro RAN node, and one or more RAN nodes for providing a femtocell or picocell (e.g., a cell with a smaller coverage area, lower user capacity, or higher bandwidth than a macrocell).

[0023] Both RAN node 111 and RAN node 112 may terminate air interface protocols and may be the first point of contact for UE 101 and UE 102. In some embodiments, both RAN node 111 and RAN node 112 may perform various logical functions for RAN 110, including, but not limited to, radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management, data packet scheduling, mobility management, and other radio network controller (RNC) functions. In one example, either RAN node 111 and / or 112 may be a new generation Node-B (gNB), an evolved Node-B (eNB), or another type of RAN node.

[0024] The RAN 110 is shown communicatively coupled to a core network (CN) 120 via an S1 interface 113. In an embodiment, the CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network, or some other type of CN (e.g., as illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1B-1C ). In this aspect, the S1 interface 113 is split into two parts: an S1-U interface 114 that carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and a serving gateway (S-GW) 122, and an S1-MME interface 115 that is a signaling interface between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and a mobility management entity (MME) 121.

[0025] In this aspect, the CN 120 includes an MME 121, an S-GW 122, a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) 123 (PDN), and a home subscriber server (HSS) 124. The MME 121 may be functionally similar to the control plane of a legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN). The MME 121 may manage access mobility embodiments such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 124 may include a database for network users, including subscription-related information to support network entity processing of communication sessions. The CN 120 may include one or more HSSs 124 depending on the number of mobile subscribers, equipment capabilities, network organization, etc. For example, the HSS 124 can provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / address resolution, location dependency, etc.

[0026] The S-GW 122 may terminate the S1 interface 113 towards the RAN 110 and route data packets between the RAN 110 and the CN 120. Additionally, the S-GW 122 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN node handovers and may also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities of the S-GW 122 may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0027] The P-GW 123 may terminate the SGi interface toward the PDN. The P-GW 123 may route data packets between the CN 120 and an external network (alternatively referred to as an application function (AF)), such as a network including an application server 184, via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. The P-GW 123 may also communicate data with other external networks 131A, which may include the Internet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IPS) network, and other networks. In general, the application server 184 may be an element that provides applications that use IP bearer resources (e.g., a UMTS Packet Services (PS) domain, an LTE PS data service, etc.) in conjunction with a core network. In this aspect, the P-GW 123 is shown communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the IP interface 125. The application server 184 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., a Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) session, a PTT session, a group communication session, a social networking service, etc.) for the UEs 101 and 102 via the CN 120.

[0028] The P-GW 123 may also be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. A Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 126 is the policy and charging control element of the CN 120. In a non-roaming scenario, in some embodiments, there may be a single PCRF in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with local breakout of traffic, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) in the HPLMN and a Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF 126 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the P-GW 123.

[0029] In some embodiments, the communication network 140A may be an IoT network or a 5G network, including 5G New Radio Networks that use communication in licensed (5G NR) and unlicensed (5G NR-U) spectrum. One of the current enablers of IoT is narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT).

[0030] The NG system architecture may include a RAN 110 and a 5G network core (5GC) 120. In these embodiments, the NG-RAN 110 may include multiple nodes, such as a gNB and an NG-eNB. The CN 120 (e.g., a 5G core network or 5GC) may include an access and mobility function (AMF) and / or a user plane function (UPF). The AMF and UPF may be communicatively coupled to the gNB and NG-eNB via an NG interface. More specifically, in some embodiments, the gNB and NG-eNB may be connected to the AMF by an NG-C interface and to the UPF by an NG-U interface. The gNB and NG-eNB may be coupled to each other via an Xn interface.

[0031] In some embodiments, the NG system architecture may use reference points between various nodes as provided by 3GPP® Technical Specification (TS) 23.501 (e.g., V15.4.0, 2018-12). In some embodiments, each of the gNB and NG-eNB may be implemented as a base station, a mobile edge server, a small cell, a home eNB, etc. In some embodiments, in a 5G architecture, the gNB may be a master node (MN) and the NG-eNB may be a secondary node (SN).

[0032] FIG. 1B illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture according to some embodiments. Referring to FIG. 1B, a 5G system architecture 140B in a reference point representation is illustrated. More specifically, a UE 102 can communicate with a RAN 110 and one or more other 5G core (5GC) network entities. The 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple network functions (NFs), such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) 132, a session management function (SMF) 136, a policy control function (PCF) 148, an application function (AF) 150, a user plane function (UPF) 134, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 142, an authentication server function (AUSF) 144, and a unified data management (UDM) / home subscriber server (HSS) 146. The UPF 134 can provide connectivity to a data network (DN) 152, which may include, for example, operator services, internet access, or third-party services. The AMF 132 can be used to manage access control and mobility and can also include network slice selection functionality. The SMF 136 can be configured to set up and manage various sessions according to network policies. The UPF 134 can be deployed in one or more configurations according to the desired service type. The PCF 148 can be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to a PCRF in a 4G communication system). The UDM can be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to an HSS in a 4G communication system).

[0033] In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple IP multimedia core network subsystem entities, such as an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 168B and a call session control function (CSCF). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes a CSCF that can act as a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162B, a serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, an emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) (not illustrated in FIG. 1B), or an interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 166B. The P-CSCF 162B can be configured to be the first point of contact for the UE 102 within the IM subsystem (IMS) 168B. The S-CSCF 164B can be configured to handle session state within the network, and the E-CSCF can be configured to handle certain embodiments of emergency sessions, such as routing emergency requests to the correct emergency center or PSAP. The I-CSCF 166B may be configured to act as a contact point within the network of the network operator for all IMS connections directed to subscribers of that network operator or roaming subscribers currently located within the network operator's service area. In some aspects, the I-CSCF 166B may be connected to another IP multimedia network 170E, e.g., an IMS operated by another network operator.

[0034] In some embodiments, UDM / HSS 146 may be coupled to an application server 160E, which may include a telephony application server (TAS) or another application server (AS). AS 160B may be coupled to IMS 168B via S-CSCF 164B or I-CSCF 166B.

[0035] The reference point representation indicates that there may be interactions between corresponding NF services. For example, Figure 1B shows reference points N1 (between the UE 102 and the AMF 132), N2 (between the RAN 110 and the AMF 132), N3 (between the RAN 110 and the UPF 134), N4 (between the SMF 136 and the UPF 134), N5 (between the PCF 148 and the AF 150, not shown), N6 (between the UPF 134 and the DN 152), and N7 (between the SMF 136 and the PCF 148, not shown). 1B , N10 (between the UDM 146 and the SMF 136, not shown), N11 (between the AMF 132 and the SMF 136), N12 (between the AUSF 144 and the AMF 132, not shown), N13 (between the AUSF 144 and the UDM 146, not shown), N14 (between two AMFs, not shown), N15 (between the PCF 148 and the AMF 132 in a non-roaming scenario, or between the PCF 148 and the visited network and the AMF 132 in a roaming scenario, not shown), N16 (between two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between the AMF 132 and the NSSF 142, not shown). Other reference point representations not shown in FIG. 1B may also be used.

[0036] 1C illustrates a 5G system architecture 140C and a service-based representation. In addition to the network entities illustrated in FIG. 1B, the system architecture 140C may also include a network exposure function (NEF) 154 and a network repository function (NRF) 156. In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture may be service-based, and interactions between network functions may be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points N or as service-based interfaces.

[0037] 1C , a service-based representation may be used to represent network functions in the control plane that allow other authorized network functions to access those services. In this regard, the 5G system architecture 140C may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf 158H (a service-based interface provided by the AMF 132), Nsmf 158I (a service-based interface provided by the SMF 136), Nnef 158B (a service-based interface provided by the NEF 154), Npcf 158D (a service-based interface provided by the PCF 148), Nudm 158E (a service-based interface provided by the UDM / HSS 146), Naf 158f (a service-based interface provided by the AF 150), Nnrf 158C (a service-based interface provided by the NRF 156), Nnssf 158A (a service-based interface provided by the NSSF 142), Nausf 158G (a service-based interface provided by the AUSF 144). Other service-based interfaces not shown in FIG. 1C (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, and Nudsf) may also be used.

[0038] In some embodiments, any of the UEs or base stations described in connection with FIGS. 1A-1C may be configured to perform the functions described herein.

[0039] Mobile communications have evolved significantly from early voice systems to today's highly sophisticated, integrated communications platforms. The next-generation wireless communications system, 5G, or new radio (NR), will provide access to information and data sharing by various users and applications anywhere, anytime. NR is expected to be a unified network / system that aims to meet very different, and sometimes conflicting, performance dimensions and services. Such diverse multidimensional requirements are driven by different services and applications. In general, it will continue to evolve based on 3GPP LTE-Advanced with additional, potentially new, radio access technologies (RATs) to enrich people's lives with better, simpler, and seamless wireless connectivity solutions. NR will enable everything to be connected by radio, delivering high-speed, rich content and services.

[0040] Rel-15 NR systems are designed to operate in licensed spectrum. NR Unlicensed (NR-U) is shorthand for NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum, a technology that enables NR systems to operate in unlicensed spectrum.

[0041] 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of a wireless communication device according to some embodiments. The wireless communication device 200 may be suitable for use as a UE or gNB configured for operation in a 5G NR or 6G network. Some embodiments are directed to a UE or gNB apparatus including processing circuitry and memory configured for operation in a 5G NR or 6G network.

[0042] The wireless communication device 200 may include communications circuitry 202 and a transceiver 210 for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from other communication devices using one or more antennas 201. The communications circuitry 202 may include circuitry capable of operating physical layer (PHY) communications and / or medium access control (MAC) communications for controlling access to a wireless medium, and / or any other communications layer for transmitting and receiving signals. The wireless communication device 200 may also include processing circuitry 206 and memory 208 configured to perform the operations described herein. In some embodiments, the communications circuitry 202 and the processing circuitry 206 may be configured to perform the operations detailed in the figures, diagrams, and flows above.

[0043] According to some embodiments, the communications circuitry 202 may be configured to contend for a wireless medium and construct frames or packets for communication over the wireless medium. The communications circuitry 202 may be configured to transmit and receive signals. The communications circuitry 202 may also include circuitry for modulation / demodulation, upconversion / downconversion, filtering, amplification, etc. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 206 of the wireless communication device 200 may include one or more processors. In other embodiments, two or more antennas 201 may be coupled to the communications circuitry 202 configured to transmit and receive signals. The memory 208 may store information for configuring the processing circuitry 206 to perform operations for constructing and transmitting message frames, as well as information for performing various operations described herein. The memory 208 may include any type of memory, including non-transitory memory, for storing information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, the memory 208 may include a computer-readable storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, and other storage devices and media.

[0044] In some embodiments, wireless communication device 200 may be part of a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or portable computer with wireless communication capabilities, a web tablet, a wireless telephone, a smartphone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television, a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), a wearable computing device, or another device that may receive and / or transmit information wirelessly.

[0045] In some embodiments, wireless communication device 200 may include one or more antennas 201. Antenna 201 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna, a patch antenna, a loop antenna, a microstrip antenna, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals. In some embodiments, a single antenna with multiple apertures may be used instead of two or more antennas. In these embodiments, each aperture may be considered a separate antenna. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, antennas may be effectively separated due to spatial diversity and the different channel characteristics that may occur between each antenna and the antenna of the transmitting device.

[0046] In some embodiments, wireless communication device 200 may include one or more of a keyboard, a display, a non-volatile memory port, multiple antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, a speaker, and other mobile device elements. The display may be an LCD screen, including a touch screen.

[0047] Although wireless communication device 200 is illustrated as having several distinct functional elements, two or more functional elements may be combined or implemented by a combination of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs) and / or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may include one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and various combinations of hardware and logic circuits to perform at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, the functional elements of wireless communication device 200 may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates the use of one or more measurement gap patterns according to some embodiments. In these embodiments, a user equipment (UE) configured to operate in a fifth-generation (5G) network may be configured with an initial measurement gap (MG) configuration for measurements of radio-resource management (RRM) signals. In these embodiments, the UE may request a new MG configuration from a generation node B (gNB) for measurements of positioning reference signals (PRS) in response to a positioning procedure initiated by a location measurement function (LMF) in the network (see FIG. 3). In these embodiments, the UE may decode a measurement gap configuration (MeasGapConfig) information element (IE) from the gNB (see FIG. 3). The MeasGapConfig IE may configure (i.e., grant) the new MG configuration to the UE. In these embodiments, the UE may be configured to perform at least PRS measurements in accordance with the new MG configuration (see FIG. 3).

[0049] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured to cause an interruption on the indicated frequency layer to perform synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements without the use of gaps as illustrated in Figure 3. In these embodiments, the SSB-based measurements performed without gaps may occur outside of any configured measurement gaps (Figure 3). These embodiments are discussed in more detail below. A new WID for further enhancements to NR measurement gaps [1] has been approved in 3GPP RP#89e as follows:

[0050] This WI considers the following objectives: Enhancements to pre-configured MGs, multiple concurrent MGs, and NCSGs Definition of RRM requirements for UEs configured with a combination of pre-configured MGs, multiple concurrent MGs, and / or NCSGs [RAN4]

[0051] Prioritize the combined requirements for a UE consisting of at least: Case 1: Pre-configured MG and multiple concurrent MGs (i.e. concurrent MGs where at least one gap is a pre-configured gap). Case 2: NCSG and multiple concurrent MGs (i.e. concurrent MGs with at least one gap being an NCSG)

[0052] NOTE: Prioritization among other possible combinations of pre-configured MGs, concurrent MGs, and NCSGs may be considered in the WI phase.

[0053] Defines RRM requirements for gapless measurements for the following cases: Gapless NR SSB-based intra- and inter-frequency measurements when the UE reports the NeedForGapsInfoNR IE [RAN4] When the UE reports "NeedForGapsInfoNR", it will consider whether additional gaps are allowed. If gaps are allowed, the gap length, opportunity and rate will be further defined. Define relevant requirements such as CSSF, measurement period, scheduling constraints, etc.

[0054] Embodiments herein may relate to Objective 2 in work item [1]. For example, embodiments herein may define UE capabilities related to UE measurements using preconfigured gaps. Embodiments may be used in wireless cellular networks, such as NR networks.

[0055] The last RAN4 meeting addressed several options for the open issue of whether there should be an interruption requirement when the UE reports NeedforGapInfoNR. Introduces additional Rel-18 UE signaling to differentiate UE support for gapless with interruptions Signaling details are in FFS

[0056] From a RAN4 perspective, more clarity and detail is needed regarding UE behavior when interruptions are permitted. For example, embodiments may relate to one or more of the following: Interruption length Interruption location Interruption ratio In some embodiments, the suspension requirement may be based on: Length and location of the interruption, and / or ·Interruption length ratio

[0057] When using the interruption ratio as a requirement, for shorter measurement cycles (e.g., 80 ms), the UE must shorten the RF retuning time as much as possible to shorten the total interruption duration. Therefore, the UE may need to remain powered on outside of the SMTC. This will increase the total power consumption.

[0058] To avoid such problems, embodiments herein may provide the following.

[0059] According to the measurement cycle, the interruption ratio can be defined. Also, the interruption duration per cycle can be less than a predefined value [e.g., 1 ms]. For example, when the measurement cycle (P) is greater than m1, the ratio can be less than k1%, when m1 < P < P2, the ratio < k2%.

[0060] Implementation example in 3GPP (registered trademark) TS 38.133 In TS38.133, the UE performs "nogap" measurement reporting. When interruption is allowed, the following interruption requirements shall apply to the UE. Interruption during measurement for a UE reporting NeedForGap in an allowed interruption state "NeedForGap with nogap - interuption" is allowed for the PCell or the activated SCell due to the measurement when the UE reports supporting it. · The probability of ACK / NACK omission over a cycle of m1 ms or more (e.g., measCycle1) is at most [k1%] · The probability of ACK / NACK omission over a cycle of m2 ms or more (e.g., measCycle1) is at most [k2%] · k1 > k2, m1 < m2

[0061] In some embodiments, the UE may encode a radio-resource control (RRC) information element for transmission to a gNodeB (gNB) to indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. In these embodiments, processing circuitry in the UE may configure the UE to cause an interruption on the indicated frequency layer to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. In these embodiments, the UE may interrupt scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmissions during the performance of gapless SSB-based measurements. In these embodiments, the UE may be configured to limit interruptions to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and a maximum interruption length (L) for an interruption opportunity. These and other embodiments are described in more detail below.

[0062] In some embodiments, when the UE supports performing gapless SSB-based measurements with interruptions, the RRC IE may include a NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE.

[0063] In some embodiments, the UE may encode the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE to include per-band capabilities for performing gapless SSB-based measurements with interruptions. In some embodiments, the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE may include an indicated frequency layer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0064] In some embodiments, the UE may decode an RRC reconfiguration message from the gNB. In these embodiments, the RRC reconfiguration message may include a needForInterruptionConfigNR IE. In these embodiments, when the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the needForInterruptionConfigNR IE indicates valid, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes a second NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE indicating that information previously provided by the UE in the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE has changed.

[0065] In some embodiments, the maximum interruption ratio (D) for a frequency layer (i) that the UE is allowed to cause is equal to two times the maximum interruption length (L) divided by the interruption cycle (Tcycle). In some embodiments, the maximum interruption ratio (D) is based on the interruption cycle (Tcycle) for the indicated frequency layer to limit ACK / NACK drops at the gNB.

[0066] In some embodiments, when a UE suspends reception of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) during a suspension opportunity, the UE fails to receive the suspended PDSCH and does not send an ACK / NACK for the suspended PDSCH.

[0067] In some embodiments, the maximum interruption ratio (D) for each of the active serving cells resulting from gapless UE measurements being applied is:

number

[0068] In some embodiments, the interruption length (L) is based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration and a frequency range. In some embodiments, the maximum interruption ratio (D) and the maximum interruption length (L) for an interruption opportunity are stored in a memory of the UE.

[0069] In some embodiments, the SSB-based measurements performed without gaps include one of same-frequency SSB-based measurements and different-frequency SSB-based measurements. In these embodiments, the SSB-based measurements performed without gaps may occur outside of any configured measurement gaps.

[0070] In some embodiments, when the UE does not indicate that an interruption is required to perform SSB-based measurements without a gap, the UE may decode a measurement gap configuration IE received from the gNB that configures the UE with a measurement gap to perform SSB-based measurements, and the UE may perform the SSB-based measurements during the configured measurement gap.

[0071] Some embodiments are directed to a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executed by a processing circuit of a user equipment (UE) configured to operate in a 5G fifth-generation new radio (NR) network. In some embodiments, the processing circuit may encode a radio-resource control (RRC) information element for transmission to a gNodeB (gNB) to indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. The processing circuit may configure the UE to cause an interruption on the indicated frequency layer to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. In these embodiments, during the performance of gapless SSB-based measurements, the UE interrupts scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmission. In these embodiments, the interruption may be limited to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and less than a maximum interruption length (L) for the interruption opportunity.

[0072] Some embodiments are directed to a gNodeB (gNB) configured to operate in a 5G fifth-generation new radio (NR) network. In these embodiments, the gNB may decode a radio-resource control (RRC) information element received from a user equipment (UE) indicating that an interruption is required by the UE to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements. In these embodiments, the gNB may also encode an RRC reconfiguration message for transmission to the UE, the RRC reconfiguration message including a needForInterruptionConfigNR IE. In these embodiments, when the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the needForInterruptionConfigNR IE indicates valid, the RRC reconfiguration message may further include a second NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE indicating that information previously provided by the UE in the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE has changed.

[0073] example

[0074] Example 1 may include a method for defining UE behavior when the UE performs gap-free measurements but allows interruptions.

[0075] Example 2 may include the method of Example 1, or some other example herein, provided that the interruption length is specified.

[0076] Example 3 may include the method of Example 1 or some other example herein, where the total interruption ratio over the configured cycle is to be followed by the UE.

[0077] Example 4 may include the method of Example 3, or some other example herein, and the total interruption rate may depend on the extent of the cycle.

[0078] Example 5 may include the method of Example 4, or any other example herein, where the interruption rate for the smaller cycles may be less than the interruption rate for the larger cycles.

[0079] Example 6 may include a method in a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

[0080] identifying interruption requirements in a cell for measurement;

[0081] and performing disruptive measurements based on requirements.

[0082] Example 7 may include the method of Example 6, or some other example herein, where the requirement includes the interruption length.

[0083] Example 8 may include the method of Examples 6-7 or some other example herein, where the requirement includes the location of the interruption (eg, in time and / or frequency resources).

[0084] Example 8 may include the method of Examples 6-8, or some other examples herein, where the requirement includes a maximum ratio of the duration of the interruption compared to the measurement cycle length.

[0085] Example 10 may include the method of Example 9, or some other example herein, where the ratio value is based on the measurement cycle length.

[0086] Example 11 may include the method of Example 10 or some other example herein, wherein the ratio is a first predefined value when the measurement cycle length is greater than a threshold value, and is a second predefined value when the measurement cycle length is less than the threshold value.

[0087] Example 12 may include the methods of Examples 6-11 or some other examples herein, where the requirement corresponds to the probability of missing an ACK / NACK over a measurement cycle.

[0088] Example 13 may include the method of Examples 6-12 or some other example herein, including reporting an indication of the need for a measurement gap in a manner tolerant of interruptions, where the requirement is based on the indication.

[0089] Example 14 may include the method of Examples 6-13 or any other example herein, wherein the cell is a primary cell or an activated secondary cell.

[0090] Example 15 may include the method of Examples 6-14, or any other example herein, where the measurement includes a different frequency measurement or a same frequency measurement.

[0091] The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 CFR § 1.72(b), requiring an Abstract, for the purpose of allowing the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE) configured to operate in a 5G fifth-generation new radio (NR) network, comprising: a processing circuit; and a memory; wherein the processing circuit: Encoding a radio-resource control (RRC) information element (IE) for transmission to a gNodeB (gNB) to indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements; and configuring the UE to perform the SSB-based measurements without gaps, causing an interruption for an indicated frequency layer; During the performance of the SSB-based measurements without gaps, the UE suspends any scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmission; The apparatus, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to limit the interruptions to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and, for interruption opportunities, to less than a maximum interruption length (L).

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the UE supports performing the SSB-based measurements without interruptive gaps, the RRC IE includes a NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE to include per-band capabilities for performing gapless SSB-based measurements with interruptions, and the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE includes the indicated frequency layer.

4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is configured to decode an RRC reconfiguration message from the gNB, the RRC reconfiguration message including a needForInterruptionConfigNR IE, and when the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the needForInterruptionConfigNR IE indicates valid, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes a second NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE indicating that information previously provided by the UE in the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE has been changed.

5. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the maximum interruption ratio (D) for the frequency layer (i) that the UE is allowed to cause is equal to twice the maximum interruption length (L) divided by an interruption cycle (Tcycle).

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the maximum interruption ratio (D) is based on the interruption cycle (Tcycle) for the indicated frequency layer to limit ACK / NACK drops at the gNB.

7. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein when the UE suspends reception of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) during the suspension opportunity, the UE fails to receive the suspended PDSCH and does not send an ACK / NACK for the suspended PDSCH.

8. The maximum interruption ratio (D) for each active serving cell due to gapless UE measurements being applied is: [Equation 1] 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein N is the total number of configured SSB-based frequency layers measured outside the gap, including intra-frequency and inter-frequency target carriers for which the UE indicates that interruption is required through no-gap-with-interruption, and L is the maximum interruption length in slots for each interruption opportunity.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the maximum interruption length (L) is based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration and a frequency range.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the maximum interruption ratio (D) and the maximum interruption length (L) for an interruption opportunity are stored in the memory of the UE.

11. the SSB-based measurements performed without gaps include one of an in-frequency SSB-based measurement and an inter-frequency SSB-based measurement; The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the SSB-based measurements performed gap-free are performed outside of any configured measurement gaps.

12. If the UE does not indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless SSB-based measurements, the processing circuitry: Decoding a measurement gap configuration IE received from the gNB, which configures the UE with a measurement gap for performing the SSB-based measurements; and and performing the SSB-based measurements during the configured measurement gap.

13. 1. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executed by a processing circuit of a user equipment (UE) configured to operate in a fifth-generation new radio (5G NR) network, the processing circuit comprising: Encoding a radio-resource control (RRC) information element (IE) for transmission to a gNodeB (gNB) to indicate that an interruption is required to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements; and configuring the UE to perform the SSB-based measurements without gaps, causing an interruption for a designated frequency layer; While performing the SSB-based measurements without gaps, the UE suspends any scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmission; The processing circuitry is configured to limit the interruptions to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and, for interruption opportunities, limit the interruptions to less than a maximum interruption length (L).

14. 14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein when the UE supports performing the SSB-based measurements without interruptive gaps, the RRC IE includes a NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE.

15. 15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE to include per-band capabilities for performing gapless SSB-based measurements with interruptions, and the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE includes the indicated frequency layer.

16. 16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processing circuit is configured to decode an RRC reconfiguration message from the gNB, the RRC reconfiguration message including a needForInterruptionConfigNR IE, and when the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the needForInterruptionConfigNR IE indicates valid, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes a second NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE indicating that information previously provided by the UE in the NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE has been changed.

17. 16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the maximum interruption ratio (D) for the frequency tier (i) that the UE is allowed to cause is equal to two times the maximum interruption length (L) divided by an interruption cycle (Tcycle).

18. 18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the maximum interruption ratio (D) is based on the interruption cycle (Tcycle) for the indicated frequency layer to limit ACK / NACK drops at the gNB.

19. 1. An apparatus for a gNodeB (gNB) configured to operate in a 5G fifth-generation new radio (NR) network, comprising: a processing circuit; and a memory; wherein the processing circuit: decoding a radio-resource control (RRC) information element received from a user equipment (UE), the RRC information element indicating that an interruption is required by the UE to perform gapless synchronization signal block (SSB)-based measurements; refraining from configuring the UE in a measurement gap to perform the SSB-based measurements in response to the RRC information element; the UE is configured to perform the SSB-based measurements without gaps, causing interruptions for designated frequency layers; During the SSB-based measurements without gaps, the UE suspends scheduled downlink reception and / or uplink transmission; The apparatus wherein the interruptions are limited to less than a maximum interruption ratio (D) and a maximum interruption length (L) for an interruption opportunity.

20. The processing circuitry is further configured to encode an RRC reconfiguration message for transmission to the UE, the RRC reconfiguration message including a needForInterruptionConfigNR IE; and 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein when the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the needForInterruptionConfigNR IE indicates valid, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes a second NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE indicating that information previously provided by the UE in a NeedForInterruptionInfoNR IE has changed.

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