Terminal capability reporting method, user terminal, and communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a terminal capability reporting method, a user terminal, and a communication system, the terminal capability reporting method reporting terminal capability information to a base station, the terminal capability information including each frequency band pair of a combination of frequency bands supporting switching of uplink transmission and a switching time of each frequency band pair, each frequency band pair including a first frequency band and a second frequency band, and the first frequency band and the second frequency band including one or two carriers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. CN202110466312.1, filed on April 28, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, particularly to a terminal capability reporting method, a user terminal, and a communication system.

Background Art

[0003] The uplink Tx switching technology of 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) R16 (Release 16) can be applied to transmitter switching between two carriers. One of these two carriers is used for uplink transmission by one antenna, and the other carrier is used for uplink transmission by two antennas.

[0004] Currently , and among different operators in the same development User Equipment (UE) In a shared project, in the 3.5 GHz band, there is a frequency spectrum of 200 - 300 MHz, that is, one component carrier in two component carriers and another FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) frequency band (such as 2.1 GHz band or 1.8 GHz band). The dual - carrier frequency band (such as 3.5 GHz band) has the uplink 2Tx capability, while the single - carrier frequency band (such as 2.1 / 1.8 GHz) has the uplink 1Tx or uplink 2Tx capability.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of this disclosure, a terminal capability reporting method executed by a user terminal, comprising UE reporting capability information to a base station, wherein the UEThe capability information includes a band pair of a band combination that supports uplink transmitter (Tx) switching and the switching time of each of the band pairs, and each of the band pairs includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band each including one or two carriers, and reporting to a base station, and a terminal capability reporting method is provided.

[0006] In some embodiments, UE The capability information further includes a number of carriers in each frequency band of each of the band pairs and a future set of each of the carriers.

[0007] In some embodiments, UE The capability information further includes indication information as to whether a downlink interruption occurs in the frequency band within the band combination during the uplink Tx switching of each of the band pairs.

[0008] In some embodiments, in the first frequency band, uplink 1Tx transmission is supported, and in the second frequency band, uplink 2Tx transmission is supported.

[0009] In some embodiments, UE The capability information further includes a first switching option supported by the band combination in the case of switching for carrier aggregation, and the first switching option includes using one of the 2Tx used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band or using both of the 2Tx used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band.

[0010] In some embodiments, UE The capability information further includes a second switching option supported by the band combination in the case of switching for carrier aggregation, and the second switching option includes using one of the 2Tx used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band or using both of the 2Tx used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band.

[0011] In some embodiments, uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

[0012] In some embodiments, UE the capability information further includes a 3 th 3 switching option supported by the band combination for carrier aggregation, and the

[0013] In some embodiments, UE the capability information further includes a 4 th 4 switching option supported by the band combination for carrier aggregation, and the

[0014] In some embodiments, the switching time is 35 μs, 140 μs, or 210 μs.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a user terminal including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute any of the terminal capability reporting methods of the above-described embodiments.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided any user terminal of the above-described embodiments and UEA base station used to transmit a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to a user equipment based on capability information, wherein the RRC message includes configuration information regarding whether a Tx switching period is set in one or more specific carriers, and a communication system comprising the base station is provided.

[0017] In some embodiments, the Tx switching period is set in the same manner for carriers in the same frequency band.

[0018] In some embodiments, for each band combination, in the first frequency band and the second frequency band, if the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the first frequency band is true, the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the second frequency band is false; or if the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the first frequency band is false, the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the second frequency band is true.

[0019] In some embodiments, in the case of switching for carrier aggregation, when the user equipment operates in a multi-carrier Tx switching mode, the RRC message further includes configuration information for setting the user equipment to a first switching option or a second switching option.

[0020] In some embodiments, for each of the band pairs, when uplink 1Tx transmission is supported in the first frequency band of the band pair and uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in the second frequency band of the band pair, the RRC message includes configuration information of a first carrier in the first frequency band, and configuration information of a second carrier and a third carrier in the second frequency band, where uplink 1Tx transmission is used by the first carrier, and uplink 2Tx transmission is used by the second carrier and the third carrier.

[0021] In some embodiments, in each of the band pairs, when uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band of the band pair, the RRC message does not include configuration information for the first carrier in the first frequency band, configuration information for the second carrier in the second frequency band, or configuration information for the third carrier on the second frequency band.

[0022] According to a further aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable Non-transitory storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a processor to execute any of the methods of the above-described embodiments.

[0023] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] The accompanying drawings are configured to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, are incorporated herein, form a part of this specification, show embodiments of the present invention, and together with the exemplary embodiments of the present application serve to explain the present disclosure, but are not limited thereto.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [[Figure 1]] It is a flowchart of a terminal capability reporting method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [[Figure 2]] It is a schematic structural diagram of a user terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [[Figure 3]] It is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the exemplary embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or use. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein and can be implemented in many different forms. These embodiments are complete throughout the present disclosure and are provided to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the relative arrangements of the components and steps, material compositions, numerical formulas, and numerical values described in these embodiments are to be construed merely as exemplary and not limiting.

[0027] As used in the present disclosure, words such as "comprising" or "having" mean that the element before that word includes the elements listed after that word without excluding the possibility of including other elements.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belonging to the inventive concept pertain. Also, terms defined in such general dictionaries shall be construed to have a meaning consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, unless explicitly defined herein, and should not be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0029] Technologies, methods, and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, these technologies, methods, and devices should be considered as part of the specification.

[0030] As a result of research, the inventors have found that the Tx switching method currently used in the uplink Tx switching technology of 3GPP-R16 is applicable only to Tx switching between carriers within a single frequency band and cannot be applied to Tx switching between frequency bands, and thus cannot effectively improve the utilization rate of the uplink bandwidth.

[0031] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a terminal capability reporting method that can effectively improve the utilization rate of the uplink bandwidth.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a terminal capability reporting method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the steps of the following terminal capability reporting method are executed by a user terminal.

[0033] In step 101, UE Capability information is obtained.

[0034] In some embodiments, UE The capability information includes various band pairs of band combinations that support uplink Tx switching and the switching time of each band pair. Each of the band pairs includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band each including one or two carriers. For example, the first frequency band includes one carrier used for uplink 1Tx transmission or uplink 2Tx transmission, and the second frequency band includes two carriers used for uplink 2Tx transmission.

[0035] In some embodiments, the switching time of each of the band pairs is 35 μs, 140 μs, or 210 μs. The switching time of each of the band pairs indicates the time required for Tx switching from one frequency band to another frequency band in each of the band pairs. By setting different switching times, the switching times for different numbers of carriers can be made the same or different, providing flexibility in implementation.

[0036] In some embodiments, UE The capability information further includes the number of carriers (ca-Bandwidth Class UL parameter) within each frequency band of each band pair, and the feature set (for each cc feature set) of each carrier.

[0037] Note that a user terminal supporting Tx switching among N (N>3) carriers supports Tx switching among N-1 carriers.

[0038] In some embodiments, UE The capability information further includes indication information regarding whether downlink interruption on the frequency band in the band pair of the band combination is caused by uplink Tx switching for each band pair. The indication information includes, for each band pair, indication information regarding whether downlink interruption is necessary on each frequency band in the band combination.

[0039] For example, in the case of FDD+TDD (Time Division Duplex) CA (Carrier Aggregation), for each band pair where Tx switching is performed, it is reported whether downlink interruption has occurred in one or more frequency bands of the band combination including the band pair.

[0040] Note that in a certain frequency band, if the user terminal does not report the above indication information, it is considered that there is no need to interrupt downlink transmission in that frequency band.

[0041] In some embodiments, uplink 1Tx transmission is supported in the first frequency band, and uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in the second frequency band, which corresponds to the 1Tx-2Tx scenario.

[0042] In the 1Tx-2Tx scenario, UE The capability information further includes the first switching option supported by the band combination in the case of switching for carrier aggregation.

[0043] For example, the first switching option is shown in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0044] As shown in Table 1, in Case 1, either one of the 2Tx is used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band. In Case 2, both of the 2Tx are used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band.

[0045] In the 1Tx-2Tx scenario, UE the capability information further includes a second switching option supported by the band combination in the case of switching for carrier aggregation.

[0046] For example, the second switching option is shown in Table 2. [Table 2]

[0047] As shown in Table 2, in Case 1, one of the 2Tx is used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band, and the other of the 2Tx is used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band. In Case 2, both of the 2Tx are used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band.

[0048] It should be noted that the power boost in the existing technology is only applicable to the 1Tx-2Tx scenario.

[0049] In some embodiments, the uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band, which corresponds to the 2Tx-2Tx scenario.

[0050] In the 2Tx-2Tx scenario, UE the capability information is, in the case of switching for carrier aggregation, the second supported by the band combination3 further includes the switching option of

[0051] For example, the switching option of 3 is shown in Table 3. JPEG0007706569000003.jpg23153

[0052] As shown in Table 3, in Case 1, both 2Tx are used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band. In Case 2, both 2Tx are used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band.

[0053] In some embodiments, in the 2Tx-2Tx scenario, UE the capability information further includes the switching option of 4 supported by the band combination for carrier aggregation.

[0054] For example, the switching option of 4 is shown in Table 4. JPEG0007706569000004.jpg25142

[0055] As shown in Table 4, in Case 1, one of the 2Tx is used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band, and the other of the 2Tx is used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band. In Case 2, both 2Tx are used for uplink transmission in the second frequency band. In Case 3, both 2Tx are used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band.

[0056] In some embodiments, for a user terminal that supports all of the above options, the switching frequency band and the power class of the band combination may be different. For example, the newly reported power class can be used for Options 1 and 2, while the original power class can be used for Option 3.

[0057] In some embodiments,UE The capability information is processed using a UE capability filter.

[0058] In step 102, UE the capability information is reported to the base station.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment of the present disclosure UE in the capability reporting method, by reporting to the base station each of the band pairs that support uplink Tx switching in the band combination and the switching time of each of the band pairs, the base station can set a user terminal that switches the frequency band based on the received UE capability information, and can effectively improve the utilization rate of the uplink band.

[0060] FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a user terminal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal includes a memory 21 and a processor 22.

[0061] The memory 21 is used to store instructions. The processor 22 is coupled to the memory 21. The processor 22 is configured to execute a method for implementing the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 based on the instructions stored in the memory.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal also includes a communication interface 23 for exchanging information with other devices. Further, the user terminal further includes a bus 24. The processor 22, the communication interface 23, and the memory 21 communicate via the bus 24.

[0063] The memory 21 can include a high-speed RAM (Random Access Memory) or NVM (Non-Volatile Memory). For example, it may be at least one disk storage device. The memory 21 may also be a memory array. The memory 21 may also be divided into blocks, and the blocks may be combined into virtual volumes according to a certain rule.

[0064] Furthermore, the processor 22 may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] The present disclosure further provides a computer-readable medium stored with computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the methods included in the embodiments of FIG. 1. Non-transitory

[0066] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the communication system includes a user terminal 31 and a base station 32. The user terminal 31 is a user terminal included in any of the embodiments of FIG. 2.

[0067] The base station 32 is configured to send an RRC (Radio Resource Control) message to the user terminal based on the UE capability information reported by the user terminal, and the RRC message includes configuration information regarding whether the Tx switching period is configured with one or more specific carriers.

[0068] In some embodiments, the Tx switching period is set to the same configuration for carriers on the same frequency band.

[0069] In some embodiments, for the first frequency band and the second frequency band included in each of the band pairs, the Tx switching period is set on one or more specific carriers in one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

[0070] For example, when the first frequency band is set to TRUE (true), the second frequency band is set to FALSE (false).

[0071] It should be noted that the user terminal cannot send uplink signals during the Tx switching period.

[0072] ​ In some embodiments, in the case of switching for carrier aggregation, when the user equipment operates in the multi-carrier Tx switching mode, the RRC message further includes configuration information for setting the user equipment to the first switching option or the second switching option.

[0073] In some embodiments, for each band pair, when uplink 1Tx transmission is supported in the first frequency band of the band pair and uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in the second frequency band of the band pair, the RRC message further includes configuration information of a first carrier on the first frequency band, configuration information of a second carrier on the second frequency band, and configuration information of a third carrier on the second frequency band, where the uplink 1Tx transmission is used on the first carrier, and the uplink 2Tx transmission is used on the second carrier and the third carrier.

[0074] For example, in a band pair, one carrier on the first frequency band used for uplink 1Tx transmission is configured as the first carrier, and two carriers on the second frequency band used for uplink 2Tx transmission are configured as the second carrier and the third carrier.

[0075] In some embodiments, for each band pair, when uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band of the band pair, the RRC message does not include the configuration information of the first carrier on the first frequency band, the configuration information of the second carrier on the second frequency band, or the configuration information of the third carrier on the second frequency band.

[0076] Note that since the uplink 2Tx transmission can be used on all carriers in the first frequency band and the second frequency band, it is not necessary to configure which carrier is used as the first carrier, which carrier is used as the second carrier, and which carrier is used as the third carrier.

[0077] In some embodiments, the above functional modules can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component, or a suitable combination thereof to perform the functions described in this application.

[0078] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment including both hardware and software elements. Furthermore, the present disclosure can take the form of a computer program product incorporated on one or more computer-usable non-transitory storage media (including but not limited to disk storage devices, CD-ROMs, and optical storage devices, etc.) with computer-usable program code incorporated therein.

[0079] The present disclosure is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and / or block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of processes and / or blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams can be implemented by computer program instructions. The computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device, and the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device can generate a machine that realizes the means for implementing the functions specified in one or more flows of the flowchart and / or one or more blocks of the block diagram.

[0080] Computer program instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage device that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to operate in a specific manner to produce a manufacture including instruction means for implementing the functions specified in one or more flows of a flowchart and / or one or more blocks of a block diagram, where the instructions are stored in the computer-readable storage device.

[0081] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, and to provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flows of a flowchart and / or one or more blocks of a block diagram by instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus. The above is merely a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not limited to the present disclosure. Any modifications, exchanges, improvements, etc. within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

【Claim 1】 A terminal capability reporting method executed by a user terminal, reporting user equipment (UE) capability information to a base station, wherein the UE capability information includes a frequency band pair of a bandwidth combination supporting uplink transmitter (Tx) switching and a switching time of each of the frequency band pairs, each of the frequency band pairs includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band each including one or two carriers, the UE capability information further includes the number of carriers in each frequency band of each of the frequency band pairs and a feature set of each of the carriers, the first frequency band and the second frequency band support uplink 2Tx transmission, the UE capability information further includes at least one of a first switching option supported by the bandwidth combination and a second switching option supported by the bandwidth combination in the case of switching for carrier aggregation, the first switching option uses both 2Tx used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band or the second frequency band, and the second switching option includes using both 2Tx used for uplink transmission in the first frequency band or the second frequency band, or using one of 2Tx for uplink transmission in the first frequency band and using the other of 2Tx for uplink transmission in the second frequency band, reporting to the base station, Receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message transmitted from the base station, wherein the RRC message includes setting information regarding whether a Tx switching period is set in one or more specific carriers, the Tx switching period is set in the same manner for carriers in the same frequency band, and in the first frequency band and the second frequency band included in each band combination, when the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the first frequency band is true, the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the second frequency band is false, or when the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the first frequency band is false, the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the second frequency band is true, receiving the RRC message, A terminal capability reporting method including the above. Claim 2 The terminal capability reporting method according to claim 1, wherein the UE capability information further includes indication information regarding whether a downlink interruption occurs in the frequency band within the band combination during uplink Tx switching for each of the band pairs. Claim 3 The terminal capability reporting method according to claim 1, wherein the switching time is 35 μs, 140 μs, or 210 μs. Claim 4 A processor, A memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the terminal capability reporting method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A user terminal comprising the above. Claim 5 A user terminal according to claim 4, A base station used to transmit a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message to the user terminal based on the terminal capability information reported by the user terminal, wherein the RRC message includes setting information regarding whether a Tx switching period is set in one or more specific carriers, The Tx switching period is set in the same manner for carriers in the same frequency band, and in the first frequency band and the second frequency band included in each band combination, when the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the first frequency band is true, the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the second frequency band is false, or when the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the first frequency band is false, the Tx switching period set for one or more specific carriers in the second frequency band is true. A base station used for transmitting the RRC message, A communication system comprising. **Claim 6** In the case of switching for carrier aggregation, when the user terminal operates in a multi-carrier Tx switching mode, the RRC message further includes configuration information for setting the user terminal in a first switching option or a second switching option. The system according to claim 5. **Claim 7** In each of the band pairs, when uplink 2Tx transmission is supported in both the first frequency band and the second frequency band of the band pair, the RRC message does not include configuration information for a first carrier in the first frequency band, configuration information for a second carrier in the second frequency band, or configuration information for a third carrier on the second frequency band. The system according to claim 5. **Claim 8** A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that cause a processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images