Signaling for extended measurement gap configurations based on carrier component units

Abstract

To enable a network device to process or generate a measurement gap pattern to enable network measurements of carriers or bands during measurement gaps on a per component carrier (CC) basis.SOLUTION: The transmitting or receiving of the measurement objects (e.g., carriers or band) communicatively coupled on the network and the measurement gap pattern can be communicated via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals, and re-configured according to a supporting CC data set identifying one or more criteria related to each CC such as UE capabilities, associations of the UE capabilities to measurement gap configurations, types of measurement gap period / gap offsets, different measurement gap patterns, an absence of a measurement gap, or other criteria related to CCs, respectively. In response to the supporting CC data set, measurement gap patterns can be dynamically re-configured per CC.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 145,318, filed Apr. 9, 2015, entitled "Cell Spec MG (CELL SPEC MG)", the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application further claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 294,867, filed Feb. 12, 2016, entitled "Signalling for Per-CC Based Enhanced Measurement Gap Configuration", the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety

[0002] The present disclosure relates to measurement gaps, and more particularly, to measurement gap patterns for specific cell groups on a per carrier component basis.

Background Art

[0003] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between nodes (e.g., transmitting stations) and wireless devices (e.g., mobile devices) or user equipment (UE). Some wireless devices communicate using orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) for downlink (DL) transmission and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) for uplink (UL) transmission. Standards and protocols that use orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for signal transmission include the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the IEEE 802.16 standard (e.g., 802.16e, 802.16m), generally known to the industry as WiMAX (registered trademark) (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), and the IEEE 802.11 standard, generally known to the industry as WiFi.

[0004] In a 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) LTE system, a node can be a combination of an Evolutionary Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (commonly also referred to as Evolutionary Node B, Advanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB) and a Radio Network Controller (RNC) that communicates with the UE. Downlink (DL) transmissions can be communications from an access point / node or base station (e.g., a macrocell device, eNodeB, eNB, or other similar network device) to the UE, and uplink (UL) transmissions can be communications from a radio device to a node. In LTE, data can be transmitted from the eNodeB to the UE via a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). A physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) may be used to indicate that data has been received. Downlink and uplink channels can use either time-division duplexing (TDD) or frequency-division duplexing (FDD).

[0005] Future network developments will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of frequencies as a result of the growing demand for wireless communication and the evolution of new technologies in wireless communication. An increase in the number of cells and frequency demand is almost certain. Macrocell network devices, smallcell network devices, or other network devices with smaller coverage zones or lower power capabilities than macrocell devices (e.g., small eNBs, micro eNBs, pico eNBs, femto eNBs, home eNBs (HeNBs)) may also be deployed with dual connectivity capabilities as defined in 3GPP Release 12. User equipment (UEs) (e.g., network devices, mobile devices, wireless devices, etc.) may thus be able to connect two or more cells simultaneously.

[0006] To facilitate smooth network transitions with high quality of experience (QoE), such as cell handover, redirection, and reselection, the UE must have the capability to measure surrounding cells and provide relevant data to the network. In a network deployment, many frequencies may be present, and some frequency carriers may be microcells deployed consecutively in a dense network deployment. However, the UE may be unable to switch these cells, for example, as a result of increased load within macrocells. As a result of increasing network deployment density, the UE may not have access to these small cells depending on its location. If the UE misses the opportunity to measure the frequency carriers of small cells, the UE may not have an available backup network. Furthermore, if the UE misses measurements on the macro layer, the UE may not be able to handover quickly enough, potentially resulting in dropped calls. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A block diagram illustrating an exemplary wireless communication network environment for various forms of UE or eNB is shown.

[0008] [Figure 2] Examples of data slots showing multiple measurement objects are shown according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0009] [Figure 3] Exemplary measurement gap patterns are shown according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0010] [Figure 4] Exemplary UE devices having different radio frequency processing chains and their respective bandwidth coverages are shown according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0011] [Figure 5]According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, another exemplary measurement gap pattern is shown.

[0012] [Figure 6] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, an exemplary change regarding the information element of the measurement gap configuration after Release 13 is shown.

[0013] [Figure 7] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, an example of the information element of the measurement gap configuration after Release 13 is shown.

[0014] [Figure 8] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, another exemplary measurement gap pattern is shown.

[0015] [Figure 9] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, another exemplary measurement gap pattern is shown as a mini-gap pattern.

[0016] [Figure 10] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, an exemplary change regarding the information element of the measurement gap configuration after Release 13 is shown.

[0017] [Figure 11] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, an example of the information element of the measurement gap configuration after Release 13 is shown.

[0018] [Figure 12] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, a process flow of the measurement gap pattern for the network is shown.

[0019] [Figure 13] According to the various aspects or embodiments disclosed, another process flow of the measurement gap pattern for the network is shown.

[0020] [Figure 14] An alternative process flow for a different measurement gap pattern for a network is shown according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0021] [Figure 15] A different process flow for a different measurement gap pattern using a mini-gap in the network is shown according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0022] [Figure 16] An alternative process flow for configuring or reconfiguring a measurement gap pattern or configuration for a network is shown according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0023] [Figure 17] Exemplary CC datasets or support bandwidth lists are provided to illustrate one or more measurement gap configurations according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed. [Figure 18] Exemplary CC datasets or support bandwidth lists are provided to illustrate one or more measurement gap configurations according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed. [Figure 19] Exemplary CC datasets or support bandwidth lists are provided to illustrate one or more measurement gap configurations according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed. [Figure 20] Exemplary CC datasets or support bandwidth lists are provided to illustrate one or more measurement gap configurations according to various aspects or embodiments disclosed.

[0024] [Figure 21] In accordance with various aspects or embodiments disclosed, another process flow for configuring a measurement gap pattern with a CC dataset based on different CCs in the network is shown.

[0025] [Figure 22]This section illustrates various types of electronic (network) devices.

[0026] [Figure 23] This document presents exemplary systems for operating network measurement gap patterns according to various configurations.

[0027] [Figure 24] Examples of UEs for operating network measurement gap patterns are shown according to various embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Next, this disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and similar reference figures will be used throughout to refer to similar elements, and the illustrated structures and devices will not necessarily be drawn to scale. As used herein, terms such as “component,” “system,” and “interface” are intended to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, (e.g., running) software, and / or firmware. For example, a component may be a processor, a process running on a processor, a controller, a circuit or circuit element, an object, an executable file, a program, a storage device, a computer, a tablet PC, and / or a mobile phone having a processing device. For example, an application running on a server and that server may also be a component. One or more components may reside in a process, and components may be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. A set of elements or other sets of components may be described herein, in which the term “set” may be interpreted as “one or more.”

[0029] Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable storage media that store various data structures, such as modules. Components can communicate via local and / or remote processing, following signals, etc., which contain one or more data packets (for example, data from one component that interacts interactively with another component via signals, across a network such as within a local system, a distributed system, and / or the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a similar network having other systems).

[0030] As another example, a component may be a device having a specific function provided by mechanical parts operating in an electrical or electronic circuit, and the electrical or electronic circuit may operate in a software or firmware application run by one or more processors. One or more processors may be inside or outside the device and may run at least part of the software or firmware application. As yet another example, a component may be a device that provides a specific function through electronic components or electronic elements without using mechanical parts, and the electronic component may contain one or more processors that run software and / or firmware that gives at least part of the function of the electronic component.

[0031] The use of the word "exemplary" is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner. When used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or," not an exclusive "or." That is, unless otherwise specified or it is clear from the context, "X uses A or B" is intended to mean either of the natural inclusive substitutions. In other words, "X uses A or B" is satisfied under any of the above examples if X uses A, X uses B, or X uses both A and B. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an" used in this application and the attached claims should generally be interpreted as meaning "one or more" unless otherwise specified or it is clear from the context that they refer to a singular form. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” and “with,” or their variations thereof, are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to that of the term “comprising.”

[0032] As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to, be part of, or include, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) running one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the functions described. In some embodiments, the circuit may be implemented in one or more software or firmware modules, or the functions associated with the circuit may be implemented by one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, the circuit may include logic that is at least partially operable in hardware.

[0033] In consideration of the aforementioned shortcomings, the network devices described herein (e.g., macrocells, access points (APs), access controllers (ACs), eNBs, small cells, UEs, etc.) may enable one or more specific measurement gap patterns and associated resolution techniques to support LTE carrier aggregation (CA) of up to 32 carrier components (CCs) for DL ​​and UL. In the case of CA processing, only two measurement execution groups may not be sufficient for LTE CA to support up to 32 CCs or more. Various measurement gap patterns are proposed herein to more efficiently measure carriers in the measurement gap based on component carrier (CC) units or according to specific CCs being measured as part of the measurement gap pattern.

[0034] A measurement gap pattern can be referred to as a pattern of measurement gaps that allows the UE to facilitate frequency carrier (e.g., CC) measurements within a certain time period or duration. For example, the UE may operate to switch from the serving band to which it is connected to a different band (CC) during the measurement gap in order to perform (component) carrier measurements. As used herein, the term serving band means that the UE may be connected to that band as a serving band for receiving downlink data, in which case the measurement is not necessarily required in that band because the UE is already operating in or on that band.

[0035] In some aspects of this specification, a UE can receive RRC communications containing measurement gap configuration data for a specific measurement gap pattern implemented by the UE. The UE can respond to RRC communications from an eNB to provide the eNB with indications for modifying the measurement gap pattern on a CC basis. For example, the UE can respond to RRC communications containing a support CC dataset or bandwidth list that provides UE functions such as CC coverage functions related to a specific communication chain (transmitting circuit path or receiving circuit path) and various criteria specifying the parameters of the measurement gap pattern. The eNB can then, in response to the UE feedback, reconstruct a specific measurement gap pattern based on the UE functions or feedback regarding the parameters or variables of one or more measurement gap patterns discussed herein. The UE can then reconstruct how, when, and in what manner the measurement gap pattern is implemented with different reconstruction data provided by the eNB. Further aspects and details of this disclosure are described below with reference to the figures.

[0036] Figure 1 shows an example of a non-limited radio communication environment 100 in which one or more measurement gap configurations can be facilitated or enabled via communication between a base station network device (e.g., an eNB) and a UE for LTE CA that supports an increase in the number of frequency carriers or carrier components. The radio communication environment 100 may include a number of radio communication networks, each having its own coverage area. The coverage areas of some radio communication networks may overlap, and as a result, one of the network devices with overlapping coverage areas may correspond to one or more mobile devices.

[0037] The wireless communication environment 100 includes one or more cellular broadcast servers or macrocell network devices 102, 104 (e.g., base stations, eNBs, access points (APs), etc.) and one or more small cell network devices or APs (e.g., small eNBs, micro eNBs, pico eNBs, femto eNBs, home eNBs (HeNBs), or Wi-Fi® nodes) 106, 108 deployed within the wireless communication environment 100 and providing services to one or more UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118. Each wireless communication network (e.g., cellular broadcast servers 102, 104, and small cell network devices 106, 108) may include one or more network devices (e.g., a set of network devices (NDs)) that work together to handle the network traffic of one or more UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, or 118. For example, macrocells ND102 and 104 may comprise a set of network devices that are cellular-enabled network devices. In another example, small cell network devices 106 and 108 may include, for example, a set of network devices that operate in coverage zones smaller than those of macrocell network devices 102 and 104.

[0038] Although ND106 and 108 are described as small cell network devices, they may also be Wi-Fi® enabled devices or wireless local area network (WLAN) devices, as well as macrocell network devices, small cell network devices, or any other type of ND capable of operating as, for example, a base station, eNB, or secondary cell network device. Alternatively, one or more of the macrocells ND102 and 104 may be, for example, small cell network devices or other NDs of different radio access technologies (RATs) operating on different frequency carriers.

[0039] As shown in the figure, each of the one or more Wi-Fi® access points 106, 108 may have a corresponding service area 120, 122. Furthermore, each of the one or more cellular broadcast servers or macrocell NDs 102, 104 may have a corresponding service area 124, 126. However, it should be understood that the wireless communication environment 100 is not limited to this implementation. For example, any number of APs or NDs, each having its own service area, may be deployed within the wireless communication environment 100. Furthermore, any number of cellular broadcast servers and their respective service areas may be similarly deployed within the wireless communication environment 100.

[0040] Although only five UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 are illustrated, any number of UE devices may be similarly deployed within the wireless communication environment 100. UE devices may include, for example, some or all of the functions of a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile, wireless terminal, device, mobile device, remote station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, wireless communication equipment, user agent, user device, or other ND functions. A mobile device may be a cell phone, cordless phone, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, smartphone, feature phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop, handheld communication device, handheld computing device, netbook, tablet, satellite radio, data card, wireless modem card, and / or another processing device for communication over a wireless system. Furthermore, UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 may include features more fully described herein and may also be configured as dual-connection devices, where one or more of the UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 may be connected to one or more eNBs or NDs consisting of different RATs (e.g., LTE and WLAN, or other combinations).

[0041] In one embodiment, a cellular broadcast server, or macrocells ND102, 104 and small cells ND106, 108, can monitor the surrounding wireless conditions (for example, by using their respective measurement components). For example, each of the macrocells ND102, 104 and small cells ND106, 108 can determine the network traffic load in their respective networks by performing network diagnostic procedures. As an example, during a network listening procedure, the macrocells ND102, 104, small cells ND106, 108, or UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 can explore their wireless environment to determine network performance statistics or network parameters (e.g., frequency, SNR, signal quality, QoS, QoE, load, congestion, signal rate, etc.). Various parameters associated with macrocells ND102, 104 and smallcells ND106, 108 may be detected during network diagnostic procedures or measurements by the UE device, and these parameters may include, but are not limited to, frequency bandwidth, scrambling code, common channel pilot power, bandwidth across each network, received signal strength indicators for Universal Mobile Communications System terrestrial radio access, and frequency carrier priority for specific cell groups (e.g., standard group or reduced group).

[0042] In one illustrative scenario, UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 may be served by the network through one of the macrocells ND102, 104, or smallcells ND106, 108. As user equipment devices move within the wireless communication environment 100, each user equipment device may move in and out of the coverage area of ​​the associated serving network. For example, when a user is sending / receiving communications through their respective UE devices, the user may be walking, driving, riding on a train, or moving around in a densely populated urban area (e.g., a large city), and such movement may cause the mobile device to move between various wireless communication networks. In such cases, it is beneficial for the UE to route network traffic from the serving ND to the target ND (e.g., hand off) in order to maintain communication (e.g., avoid call disconnections) or to facilitate offloading for load balancing or other efficiency purposes. However, as the number of NDs and frequency carriers to be measured increases, UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 may have trouble measuring each carrier within the allocated time measurement gap. Since UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 must measure an increased number of carriers (e.g., 32 or more), these measurement gaps can introduce even more delays.

[0043] In one example, if two frequency carriers of different frequencies (e.g., carrier components (CCs) of LTE CA) exist in the network environment 100, the measurement gap could be, for example, 40 milliseconds (ms), or any other gap, such as 40ms, 80ms, or other gaps. Since there are two or more CCs, if carrier aggregation is supported, for example, UE devices 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 could operate on one carrier which is the serving frequency, and therefore only need to measure one additional carrier. Thus, every 40ms, a UE (e.g., UE110), for example, UE110, 112, 114, 116, and 118 can switch to another carrier and perform a measurement there. This means that every 40ms, UE110 can take one measurement, for example, as the Measurement Gap Receive Cycle (MGRP). In each measurement sample, the measurement may include a frequency band, network conditions related to network devices operating (communicating) in that frequency band, or any network measurements relating to channel conditions such as signal strength, channel quality, signal-to-noise interference ratio (SINR), and received signal strength indicator (RSSI), or other measurements such as reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ). The UE can then generate channel status information (CSI), one or more channel quality indicators (CQI), etc., for the transmission path to be transmitted, based on one or more of these measurements.

[0044] However, if two or more additional carriers exist on or within the communication range of the network that the UE device 110 measures (communically coupled to the UE device 110), there may be three CCs on the network that has serving frequency carriers that the UE device 110 can downlink and communicate data to. In the first measurement gap of a series of gaps, the UE device 110 can measure a second frequency (e.g., the serving frequency is the first), and in the second measurement gap or subsequent measurement gap, the UE device 110 can measure a third frequency of a different CC. This means that every 80 ms, the UE device may measure a CC only once, which can result in a longer delay than measuring only one frequency carrier, where the total delay is proportional to the number of carriers that the UE device 110 must measure. Therefore, for 32 or more carriers, obtaining one sample from a specific frequency or multiple frequencies (between different frequencies or within the same frequency) of one or more different NDs would mean a gap delay of approximately 32 × 40 ms (measurement gap repetition / reception period). This long delay can create problems for the UE, potentially preventing the measurement of frequencies within a sufficient or efficient time frame. This long delay can also lead to further problems, for example, with regard to network handover and determining, based on the status of the UE device 110, which cell or cell ND is optimal at a given time.

[0045] Therefore, in another embodiment, the purpose of the network is to extend the time measurement gap of carriers belonging to the standard performance group, so that the standard performance group can receive more measurements than the reduced performance group. The network can assign which carriers or NDs belong to which group. For example, the standard performance group may have macrocells ND102 and ND104, and the reduced performance group may have small cells ND106 and ND108. However, any combination of NDs and associated frequency carriers may be specified by the network or ND device (e.g., macrocell ND102). The NDs or UEs of the network may be extended in various embodiments to enable carrier aggregation of up to 32 component carriers in both DL and UL, and further to enable approximately 5 or more frequency carriers to be supported, for example, at one time. Thus, two measurement performance groups for CA and various specific cell measurement gap patterns for CA are disclosed, further or alternatively to CA, supporting up to 32 CCs in CA.

[0046] Referring to Figure 2, an example is shown of the identifiers (IDs) for several measurements of a carrier that are instructed from the eNB (e.g., ND102, 104) to the UE (e.g., UE device 110). In Radio Resource Measurement (RRM) in LTE, the frequency carrier or band on which the UE110 performs measurements may consist of measurement objects (e.g., measObject). The maximum number of measurement object IDs, maxObjectID202, may be defined, for example, in a 3GPP specification. In principle, a single measurement object consists of one radio frequency (RF) carrier. Considering the up to 32 CCs expected for CAs in Release 13, theoretically, the number of measurement object IDs that fit the object can increase to an even larger value (e.g., 64). On the other hand, the maximum value expressed by data field 202 may still be sufficient. When the UE110 consists of up to 32 CCs, there may be some cases in which the eNB can derive the information necessary for CC management purposes from a measurement report for one CC in the same frequency band. For example, such a solution may apply to the aggregation of carriers B and C, for example, when carriers B and C are in the same frequency band. Accordingly, the required measurement object IDs may decrease, and the current value may still be sufficient.

[0047] ID202 includes 32 CCs as a way of specifying the measurement of object IDs. If the network expands the measurement objects to accommodate more than 32 CCs (for example, as in the maxObject ID of data ID204 which specifies a maximum integer of 64), the network may also be configured to link more measurement objects to the measurement configuration (MeasGapConfig), in which case 32 may not be sufficient. Therefore, eNB's ND102 can offer a suggestion to increase to approximately 64 CCs or other quantities, for example, to accommodate the increased number of carrier frequencies. For example, E-UTRAN could utilize a processor with data ID202 or 204, or some other increase, to ensure that whenever UE110 receives a measConfig, it includes a measObject for each serving frequency with maxObjectID.

[0048] Referring to Figure 3, and also referring to Figure 1, examples of measurement gap patterns 300 are shown according to various embodiments. The measurement gap pattern 300 can operate with, for example, a measurement gap repeat / receive cycle of 40 ms or 80 ms. The measurement gap pattern 300 may be implemented using a single server (serving) bandwidth to operate on a single radio frequency (RF) chain (not shown) with a constant gap duration of approximately 6 ms for each gap, which may be provided to the UE device (e.g., 114) by an eNB (e.g., ND102). The RF chain (e.g., transmit circuit components / receive circuit components) may have, for example, one or more processing components (e.g., filters, digital signal processors, amplifiers, or other components for processing data signals) that can handle various ranges of RF spectrum. The UE 114 does not need to utilize all RF chains (e.g., RF chains 402, 404, or other communication components shown in Figure 4) to perform inter-frequency measurements of component carriers at specific frequencies via the measurement gap pattern 300.

[0049] As described above, the duration of each gap may be approximately 6 ms or other durations, which may be applied to or set by, for example, an eNB (e.g., ND102) on the UE device 114 in Figure 1. No data transmission occurs during this 6 ms gap. However, the UE device 114 can also have CA functionality, meaning that the UE device 114 can operate using more than one RF chain at once. Thus, by using more than one RF chain (e.g., 402 and 404), the UE device 114 can increase throughput gain by using a portion of the RF for measurement while simultaneously having data. In this way, gap-less radio resource management (RRM) measurement can result in throughput gains of up to 15% (e.g., MGRP of 40 ms), and thus, it is desirable to improve UE device performance, especially in the case of CA using a large number of CCs. To realize this advantage, the measurement gap can be applied more effectively to only the appropriate serving cell (i.e., a serving cell operating on an RF circuit that measures the relevant frequencies), or to only certain CCs, for example, which will be discussed further below.

[0050] The measurement gap pattern 300 (i.e., 40ms MGRP, 80ms MGRP, or other MGRP) may be set on the UE 114 by the network. The network device (e.g., eNB 102) may take into consideration that the UE 114 will perform measurements of one band / component carrier at a time to satisfy the measurement requirements, and that all bands / CCs between the measurement gaps will not have downlink transmissions. For example, the network may have five available frequencies, such that the serving band is band A (302), which may be a serving frequency that facilitates the relevant operation of the UE. Other bands may include, for example, band X (304), band Y (306), band Z (308), and band L (310), each of which may have a different component carrier. A black gap indicates that measurement cannot be performed (e.g., not shown in Figure 3), a darkly shaded gap (e.g., gap 312) indicates that bandwidth measurement can be performed, and a lightly shaded or hashed gap (e.g., 314) indicates that data transmission cannot be performed.

[0051] Based on the measurement gap pattern 300, the UE device 114 can perform a measurement on CC X(304) in the first 40-millisecond gap 316, but no data transmission occurs in the serving CC A(302). Each CC can represent, for example, a frequency CC or frequency range of DL or UL. In the next 40-millisecond measurement gap 318, the UE device 114 can measure CC Y(306). In the third measurement gap 320, the UE device 114 can measure CC Z(308), and then in the fourth measurement gap 322, it can measure CC L(310). The UE device 114 can repeat this process to measure CC X(304) again, and here the series of measurement gaps may be repeated continuously.

[0052] Referring to Figure 4, an example of CA scenario 400 is shown with an illustrative UE 114, where in RF chain 1(402), the UE device 114 can handle different frequency CCs, for example, as band X and band Y (e.g., CC X(304) and CC Y(306)). Each of RF chains 1(402) and 2(404) can include one or more components for a signal processing chain, which may include, for example, a filter and hardware to increment the filter and further process the RF signal for data. Not all RF chains can handle all frequency CCs at once, as frequencies can be high. For example, RF chain 1(402) can only handle CC X(304) (e.g., any frequency range of DL or UL as defined by 3GPP) and CC Y(306). Furthermore, RF chain 2(404) can handle only different CCs, namely band Z(308) and band L(310), where each of RF chain 1(402) and RF chain 2(404) can handle a specific frequency CC (e.g., component carrier) or bandwidth of the frequency spectrum, where a component carrier can refer to, for example, a specific bandwidth of the frequency band or frequency spectrum.

[0053] Next, referring to Figure 5, an example of another measurement gap pattern 500 for the information elements of the measurement gap configuration is shown, suitable for Release 14 and other future releases, in order to reduce measurement delay via one or more network devices on the network. Similar to the measurement gap pattern 300 in Figure 3, the measurement delay in the measurement gap pattern 500 occurs in a pattern of four measurements, acquiring measurement samples for each band (e.g., CC X, Y, Z, and L). Thus, every 160 ms, the UE device 114 can acquire one sample for each CC, which is considered the measurement delay. In the measurement gap pattern 300, the UE device 114 can measure CC X(304) and CC Y(306) using, for example, one serving frequency, and measure CC Z and CC L using a second serving frequency.

[0054] In the first measurement gap 504, the UE device 114 can measure CC X(304) using RF chain 1(402) and CC Z(308) using RF chain 2(404), and can do so simultaneously. Similarly, in the second measurement gap 506, the UE device 114 can measure CC Y using RF chain 1(402) and CC L(310) using RF chain 2(404). This pattern is then repeated for measurement gaps 508 and 510. Next, in each measurement gap, the UE device 114 can measure two CCs instead of one, and therefore the measurement delay is halved as the UE device 114 can utilize both RF chains simultaneously. Instead of requiring four measurement gaps to obtain measurement samples of all bandwidths or CCs, in this scenario, for example, only two may be used.

[0055] Additionally or alternatively, the network can be assumed to be unable to leverage network devices or UE functions unless UE device 114 has only one RF chain instead of two, and the measurement requirements are also based on only one RF chain, and proper communication is guaranteed between network devices (e.g., between UE 114 and eNB 102). Therefore, to further facilitate communication based on CA-specific measurement patterns, gap configurations may be added to the 3GPP standard (TS36.331). Instead of using only the existing 0s and 1s, which are 40ms and 80ms, further provisions may be added as CA-gap0(602), as shown in Figure 6, which is part of the MeasGapConfig for information element (IE) 600.

[0056] Figure 6 shows an example of a MeasGapConfig that allows a measurement gap pattern, such as those shown in Figures 5 and 8, to be transmitted between NDs (e.g., between an eNB and a UE) or implemented between them. The data slot or item CA-gap0(602) indicates the gap repetition period 604, which may be 40ms and 80ms and may have one or more spares for optional or future expansion. Furthermore, the CA-gap0(602) data item of the MeasGapConfig IE may further include a measurement gap offset 606, which indicates when the gap started further measurement. CA-gap0602 further indicates a bandMeasurementList (or supporting CC dataset) 608, which contains which measurement bandwidths the UE should measure using this measurement gap. For example, reduced performance groups or standard performance groups may be divided and specified by indicating, more frequently or in any case, specific bandwidths that require measurement using the bandMeasurementList 608.

[0057] The gap offset (gpOffset) explains that, for example, the value of gp0 may correspond to the gap offset of gap pattern ID "0" where the measured gap repetition / reception period (MGRP) = 40 ms. The gap offset of gp1 may correspond to the gap offset of gap pattern "1" where MGRP = 80 ms. For example, these gap offset pattern IDs may be used to specify the applicable measured gap pattern, as defined in the provisions from Release 13 onwards, thereby providing information for determining a selection from among the IDs (e.g., via UE114 or eNB102). For example, CA-gap0(602) includes gapReptitionPeriod(604) as defined in TS36.133, for example, and gapOffset-r13(606) as a gapOffset value based on the selected gap pattern repetition period (or MGRP) (gapRepetitionPeriod), or the measured gap pattern repetition period as defined in TS36.133 of the 3GPP provision, for example. Ultimately, bandMeasurementList(608) specifies or indicates the bandwidth / CC that can be measured using the same gap period or MGRP.

[0058] Alternatively, Figure 7 shows a MeasGapConfig IE for a carrier aggregation (e.g., ID CA-MeasGapConfig-r13) 700 that uses a CC-based measurement gap pattern as an alternative to 3GPP Release 14 and later. The first option may be to add another measurement gap to an existing IE as described above in Figure 6, but a new measurement gap configuration for CA700, CA-MeasGapConfig-r13 IE, may be shown using content at least partially similar to IE600 in Figure 6. For example, the gap repetition period 702 may be 40ms and 80ms, and may have one or more spares for optional or future expansion. Furthermore, the MeasGapConfig-r13 IE may further include a measurement gap offset 704, which can indicate when the gap started further measurement and is based on the selected gap pattern repetition period (e.g., by eNB102, or reconfigured by eNB102 based on selection by UE114). The BandMeasurementList 706 further includes which measurement band (or CC) the UE114 should measure using this measurement gap or measurement gap pattern.

[0059] Figure 8 shows another measurement gap pattern 800 that may enable improved downlink data efficiency between network devices (e.g., eNB and UE). The serving CCs of the UE are CC A(302) and CC B(502), as described above. RF chain 1(402)(RF_1) also supports serving CC A(302) in addition to X(304) and Y(306). RF chain 2(404)(RF_2) also supports serving CC B(502) in addition to Z(308) and L(310). Therefore, the UE device 114 can, for example, use both RF chain 1(402) and RF chain 2(404) to simultaneously perform measurements of CC X(304) and CC Z(308) in the first measurement gap slot 504. Similarly, the UE device 114 can simultaneously perform measurements of CC Y(306) and CC L(310) in the third measurement gap time slot 508. Using the same measurement capabilities, the UE device 114 can then facilitate or enable the downlink of data in CC A(302) and CC B(502) in the second measurement gap slot 506 and the fourth measurement gap slot 510. Here, the downlink gap in the data is not required for these particular CCs or serving bands A(302) and B(502).

[0060] Thus, network devices can utilize the measurement gap pattern 800 as a CA-specific gap pattern to improve downlink data efficiency compared to other measurement gap patterns (e.g., those shown above). Therefore, the network or ND can configure similar data patterns for the UE device 114, as shown in the figure above. However, instead of allowing the UE device 114 to utilize RF chains (e.g., 402, 404, etc.) to bring in more measurements, the network can transmit data to the UE device 114 as a compromise (RF chains 402, 404, and their respective CC spectral coverages) configured between several gap patterns based on UE capabilities. For example, the decision of the eNB 102 or other network device or entity, based on network conditions, network requests, or network status reports (e.g., supporting CC datasets from the UE 114), may dictate that the CC measurement gap pattern should be accompanied by the most desired UE capabilities based on, for example, specific CCs or combinations of CCs, reduced delay or gap, no gap, longer gap, increased data efficiency / transmission, or combinations.

[0061] Figure 9 shows another example of the measurement gap pattern 900, which can leverage both of the advantages discussed above—increased data efficiency / transmission and reduced latency—through one or more network devices (e.g., eNB102, ND114, or other NDs). The measurement gap pattern 800 discussed earlier in Figure 8 increases data transmission to allow data to pass through the downlink between several data measurement gaps, such as every other measurement gap or measurement gap time slot. The measurement gap pattern 900 enables data transmission using a mini-gap or small-gap pattern scheme, while allowing downlink data and bandwidth measurements to continue in the meantime.

[0062] In the measurement gap pattern 900, the UE device 114 can, for example, indicate the bandwidth / CC that the UE device 114 or each RF / communication chain can support, and at the same time, it can allow different RF chains to have downlink data using a compromise with interruptions 802 and 804. The network, network device 102, or other network devices can transmit on alternative RF chain 1 or RF chain 2 (e.g., RF chains 402 and 404) within the measurement gaps 504, 506, 508, and 510 having mini-gap patterns and interruption times, for example. The UE device 114 may be configured to operate on a serving band, or on CC A(302) and CC B(502). For example, if the UE device 114 uses RF chain 1(402) to measure band X(304), serving band A(302) will not transmit data. However, the UE device 114 can still receive downlink data using RF chain 2(404) on band B, which has interruptions 802 and 804 during RF tuning.

[0063] In each measurement gap 504, 506, 508, and 510, UE device 114 can measure one band (e.g., X, Y, Z, or L) at a time, meaning that UE device 114 still has one unused RF chain that also receives data. Thus, when UE device 114 is performing CA, all the network can do is transmit data in the band corresponding to the available or unused RF chain that UE device 114 has, or in the band that can be handled by that RF chain. Since the measurement occurs simultaneously with the data transmission, there is an interruption of about 1 ms, which is shown as a square in the cross pattern in Figure 9, where the network cannot downlink the data. Therefore, the measurement gap pattern 900 is called a mini-gap pattern because when UE device 114 is tuning to an RF chain, if the network eNB or other ND is transmitting or downlinking data, UE device 114 creates an interruption to other frequency bands that prevents data from being transmitted. With a delay time of 6 ms, the network can actually only transmit 4 ms of data. The same applies to the other diagrams in each message gap. The network transmits data using the unused RF of UE device 114.

[0064] Referring next to Figures 10 and 11, additional standard modifications or datasets for IE1000 and 1100 are shown, for example, enabling the mini-gap configuration or measurement gap pattern IE900 in Figure 9. For example, modifications may be submitted to TS36.331 to enable the measurement gap configuration. The data slot or indication CA-gap0(1002) includes gapRepititionPeriod(1004), gapOffset-r13(1006), servingBand(1008), and the Boolean mini-gap 1010. When the mini-gap is set to true or active, the network transmits data to the RF chain of UE114, for example, over these unused RFs, and during these data link transmissions, if it is not set to true or active, the network does not transmit data, and the UE performs more measurements to reduce measurement delay.

[0065] Figure 11 provides an alternative example of a completely different IE for the mini-gap measurement pattern, rather than modifying the existing IE in the 3GPP standard TS36.331.

[0066] The methods described herein are illustrated and described herein as a series of actions or events, but it will be understood that the illustrated order of such actions or events should not be construed as limiting. For example, some actions may be performed in a different order and / or simultaneously with other actions or events not illustrated and / or described herein. Furthermore, not all illustrated actions are required to implement one or more aspects or embodiments of the description herein. Furthermore, one or more of the actions shown herein may be performed in one or more separate actions and / or stages.

[0067] Referring to Figure 12, an illustrative process flow of Method 1200, or a computer-readable medium containing executable instructions that cause a network device or system having one or more processors to perform the operation of the Method in response to execution, is illustrated.

[0068] In 1202, the process flow includes a step of identifying a measurement object identifier (ID) (measObject) and a measurement gap pattern via one or more processors of the network device. The measurement gap pattern may be determined, for example, by identifying an indication of a UE function associated with radio frequency (RF) band function (e.g., a single RF chain or multiple RF chains and their respective band coverages), or by identifying such indication via one or more processors of the network device. The identification process may be further performed via a control circuit component of the network device that identifies a MeasGapConfig IE, a gap offset containing information for choice / selection of gap repetition periods that support the measurement gap pattern of carrier aggregation among different gap repetition periods, a gap repetition period, and a support band list indicating a first set of frequency bands to be measured in preference to a second set of frequency bands.

[0069] In step 1204, the process flow continues by transmitting or receiving the measObject and measurement gap pattern via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals through one or more processors of the network device. Based on the indication, the measurement gap configuration (MeasGapConfig) of the information element (IE) is transmitted or received via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals through the transmitting circuit component of the network device.

[0070] In other embodiments, the process flow may also include steps to identify whether the MeasGapConfig IE, gap offset, gap repetition period, servingBand, and full gap of a minigap or larger measured gap are based on one or more downlink data via the control circuit components of the network device.

[0071] Based on indications or reports regarding UE capabilities, desired implementations, or resource requirements, the process flow may operate along path A or path B as an example of a measurement gap configuration of different measurement gap patterns comprised of the network or eNB. Path A may be continued to reduce interruptions, while path B may be continued to provide both less interruption time and increased data flow. Optional path A may be further facilitated along path C, as shown below, based on the need to balance latency reduction with data requirements by one or more network devices. All optional paths may be selected according to UE capabilities, such as having one or more RF chains, each with corresponding bandwidth frequencies that can be handled during operation.

[0072] Referring to Figure 13, an exemplary process flow 1300 of a measurement gap pattern is shown, continuing from process flow 1200 in Figure 12, according to the selection of process flow A of the measurement gap pattern (for example, by MeasGapConfig IE600 or 700 of pattern 500).

[0073] In step 1302, process flow 1300 continues the step of facilitating a first bandwidth measurement in a first measurement gap and a second bandwidth measurement in a second measurement gap via a first radio circuit (e.g., RF chain 1(420)) component in the selection of process flow A.

[0074] In step 1304, the process flow 1300 continues with steps to facilitate a third bandwidth measurement in the first measurement gap and a fourth bandwidth measurement in the second measurement gap via a second wireless circuit component.

[0075] Process flow 1300 can then terminate or further enable an additional process step C in Figure 14. In 1402, process flow 1400 may further include a step of providing an indication (e.g., MeasGapConfig IE600 or 700 of pattern 800) to enable data downlink between the first and second measurement gaps on the first and second radio circuit components. In this case, RF chain 1 (402) (RF_1 or RF_Y) also supports serving CC A (302) in addition to X (304) and Y (306) in Figure 8. RF chain 2 (404) (RF_2 or RF_Z) also supports serving CC B (502) in addition to Z (308) and L (310). Therefore, the UE device 114 can simultaneously perform measurements of CC X(304) and CC Z(308) in the first measurement gap slot 504, for example, using both RF chain 1(402) and RF chain 2(404). Similarly, the UE device 114 can also simultaneously perform measurements of CC Y(306) and CC L(310) in the third measurement gap time slot 508. Using the same measurement capabilities, the UE device 114 can then facilitate or enable downlinking of data at CC A(302) and CC B(502) in the second measurement gap slot 506 and the fourth measurement gap slot 510. Here, the downlink gap in the data is not required for these particular CCs or serving bands A(302) and B(502). Figure 15 shows a method 1500 according to the selection of path A in Figure 12, with respect to measurement gap patterns including minigaps according to various aspects or embodiments of this specification. Method 1500 can represent a measurement gap pattern having a mini-gap, for example, which may be shown by the MeasGapConfig IE1000 or 1100 of pattern 900.

[0076] In 1502, Method 1500 includes the step of facilitating a first bandwidth measurement in a first measurement gap, a second bandwidth measurement in a second measurement gap, and downlinking the data through a first serving band in the second and fourth measurement gaps via a first radio circuit component (e.g., RF chain 1(402)).

[0077] In step 1504, method 1500 continues the steps of facilitating the downlink of data of the second serving band in the first measurement gap, the third bandwidth measurement in the third measurement gap, and the fourth bandwidth measurement in the fourth measurement gap via a second radio circuit component (e.g., RF chain 2(404)).

[0078] In one embodiment, the data downlink may include a mini-gap pattern of interruption times. As a mini-gap pattern, one or more gaps may be allowed during the data downlink to allow the data flow to continue and keep the bandwidth measurement in progress. Each mini-gap may sequentially include interruptions in the downlink data, for example, to transition to an RF serving band or chain. In this case, RF chain 1 (402) (first radio circuit component) can operate with no data link and measurement interruptions at a third measurement gap, and RF chain 2 (404) (second radio circuit component) can operate with the same interruptions for DL ​​data and measurement at a second measurement gap. The sequence between the two RF chains may be repeated.

[0079] Referring to Figure 16, a further example of a signaling flow for configuring and reconfiguring a measurement gap configuration for a measurement gap pattern to be configured in the UE (the measurement gap patterns disclosed above or other measurement gap patterns) by a network device (e.g., eNB, macrocell, smallcell, etc.). The process of configuring the measurement gap and various measurement gap patterns may be based on different CC or UE functions and may include feedback from the UE. For example, flow diagram 1600 shows a measurement gap configuration signaling from eNB 1601 to UE 1603 (e.g., from eNB 102 to UE 114 in Figure 1). The measurement gap configuration signaling to UE 1603 (1602) may include one or more indications or parameters of the measurement gap pattern, as will be described in detail herein.

[0080] In this example, if the eNB1601 is not aware of the UE function (e.g., the quantity or number of RF circuits (RF communication chains), a specific coverage bandwidth function, a combination of CCs handled by the UE1603, or a combination of CCs within a frequency range or a bandwidth wider than one CC, or other communication-related parameters / functions), the eNB1601 can provide a single bandwidth measurement gap configuration with the measurement gap pattern 300 of Figure 3, or other measurement gap patterns described with reference to other figures discussed herein, such as mini-gap (network-controlled small gap (NCSG)), longer gap, no gap, or measurement gap patterns 500, 800, 900, etc., having other relevant parameters (e.g., field descriptions discussed herein).

[0081] UE1603 may further communicate in 1604 in response to eNB1601 in response to the reception of a measurement gap configuration having parameters of the measurement gap pattern (e.g., gap offset (gapOffset / gapOffset-r13) or thereafter, offset amount, duration / measurement gap repetition period (gapRepetitionPeriod), bandMeasurementList / CC list, servingBand / CC, minigap / standard or smaller gap from larger gap (e.g., network-controlled small gap), or parameters of other measurement gap patterns discussed herein). The communication signaling 1604 may be referred to as the support CC dataset or support measurement band list, where any of the parameters discussed herein may be selected, indicated or modified by request in the support CC dataset in the signaling response 1604 or in other feedback responses to eNB1601 before, after, or both before and after the reception of the measurement gap configuration of the measurement gap pattern in 1602.

[0082] For example, in one example, UE1603 can provide UE functionality to eNB1601 as part of a supporting CC dataset in 1604, for eNB1601, which corresponds to UE1603, to determine the configuration / reconfiguration of the measurement gap pattern for measuring component carriers as adjacent band, DL data band, and serving band, or to generate one or more measurement reports for other applications. The parameter and configuration data may then be transmitted in 1602, or retransmitted in 1606 with different data to modify the measurement gap pattern.

[0083] In some cases, UE1603 may determine a trade-off between efficiency and the received continuous data, and this trade-off may vary depending on the UE's capabilities and how the UE uses its resources in a given time. Thus, a larger data downlink may be desirable based on a threshold resource value for a given application or resource processed by UE1603, in which case one type of measurement gap pattern may be preferred over another, different CCs may be used, and different parameters may be based on the UE's capabilities or other modifications or preferences to the original measurement gap pattern or related parameters discussed herein. For example, a mini-gap measurement gap pattern may be required of the eNB to ensure a larger downlink and based on CCs that can be handled according to the UE's RF chain and the respective coverage capabilities through different CCs. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement gap may not be indicated or required by UE1603 in response to a request for a continuous downlink of data in a particular CC, or for one or more RF chains handling a particular combination of CCs. Any other combination of measurement gap patterns may be implemented, facilitated, and reconfigured according to the UE functions and architectures discussed herein.

[0084] In other embodiments, several UEs (e.g., 1603) may have one or more RF chains, such as dual RF chains (e.g., 402, 404) supporting simultaneous downlink reception, one RF chain 402, or different CC coverage between individual chains between different UEs (e.g., 112 and 1603), which may be indicated in the CC dataset by the UE function at 1604. Thus, the UE function may also be reported to eNB 1603 or other ND at the communication signaling 1604 having the CC dataset to receive the measured gap pattern and the reconstruction of the corresponding parameters or indications associated with the measured gap pattern for each RF chain. As a result, UE 1603 may not have to request a measured gap for a specific measured gap pattern for a particular RF chain (e.g., 402 or 404) of UE 1603, and may not have to use less frequent measured gap patterns.

[0085] In another embodiment, for example, eNB1606 can operate to dynamically reconfigure measurement group patterns or measurement gaps for some CCs in preference to others, and can also operate to dynamically reconfigure measurement gaps differently based on a corresponding specific CC, a function of UE1603, or other feedback from the UE. Thus, the reconfiguration or generation of measurement gap patterns and associated parameters via measurement gap configuration data is shown and described herein to minimize disruption to the service or serving cell.

[0086] Furthermore, the number of subframes monitored by the UE1603 via DL signals, or the number of subframes communicated via UL signals, can also be reduced. For example, the mini-gap (NCSG) or measurement gap duration, and other parameters for implementing the measurement gap pattern in the UE1603, may be dynamically configured or reconfigured, for example, via mutual communication between the eNB1601 and the UE1603.

[0087] In another embodiment, a network or network component (e.g., via eNB102) may configure existing measurement gaps for the UE. If UE1603 has more than one RF chain capable of supporting simultaneous downlink reception and having coverage for one or more different bandwidths or CCs, UE1604 may thus provide support responses or support CC / bandwidth datasets (e.g., lists, tables, or other sets of data) in communications. As part of its architecture, UE1603 can communicate specific measurement gap patterns or corresponding parameters or functions for each RF chain / communication chain to eNB102. As a result, UE1603, for example, does not necessarily require one measurement gap pattern or configuration to take precedence over another, nor does it use a measurement gap pattern less frequently or more frequently for a particular RF chain 402 compared to 404, or use different ones for different chains or sets of RF chains. UE1603 may still satisfy specific CC measurement requirements, for example, on a per-CC basis, for further network operations.

[0088] Referring to Figures 17-20, different embodiments of the support response or support CC dataset are shown. In some examples, it may be beneficial and feasible to introduce measurement gap extension using a single Rx chain. This includes, but is not limited to, increased UE scheduling opportunities or reduced UE power consumption. In synchronous-only operation, measurement gap configurations corresponding to one or more measurement gap patterns with reduced measurement gap length (MGL) may be feasible and beneficial. Furthermore, various advantages are provided by enabling measurement gap pattern configuration / reconfiguration on a component carrier basis for various measurement gaps or specific measurement gap patterns.

[0089] In a CC-based measurement gap configuration (MGRP), the MGRP may be configured independently for each CC. This includes cases where a measurement gap is configured for some CCs but not for others. For example, if the measurement gap configuration for each CC is configured to reduce the Ack / Nack loss rate due to PCell / SCell / PSCell interruptions, a minigap or NCSG may be introduced or selected in the MGRP.

[0090] For example, Figure 17 shows a CC dataset 1700 that may be transmitted to eNB 114 as part of communication 1604 in Figure 16. The CC dataset represents various bandwidths or CCs, which can reach or increase in number up to 32, as discussed herein. Each CC may be indicated with UE functionality (e.g., whether a given bandwidth is supported and to what extent it is supported by a particular RF (communication) chain of the UE, or selection of descriptive fields related to other functions, parameters, measurement gap patterns, or other UE feedback). Each CC may correspond to an indication of whether a measurement gap is truly needed or required. In some examples, continuous download or downlink of data may be desired or possible without the need to activate a gap duration or gap period. In other examples, certain CCs may not be supported or may not be adequately handled by one or more RF chains working together.

[0091] In response to receiving a CC dataset, the eNB (e.g., 1601) may respond by signaling the reconstruction of the measurement gap pattern configuration or parameters associated with a particular measurement gap program, such as whether a particular CC is configured with a measurement gap. For example, the gap may be CC1, CC3, or another CC. i It may be generated or provided to a specific CC such as (i is a positive integer), but CC2, CC 32Or, other CCs, such as another CC for a particular index, may indicate that a measurement gap is not required, desired, or selected. Accordingly, eNB1601 may allow continuous data downloads in CCs that do not require a measurement gap, because UE1603 can appropriately measure these channels or CCs using UE functions or communication chains, and it is understood that there is no need for a measurement gap or a specific duration until another reconfiguration 1604 communicates that these CCs do not utilize a measurement gap.

[0092] Referring now to Figure 18, another example of the CC dataset 1800 in various aspects or embodiments described is shown. Specifically, if the UE 1603 is configured using carrier aggregation functionality as part of its UE functionality, or includes one or more RF chains capable of simultaneous downlink reception, then different measurement gap configurations may be implemented in each RF communication chain, or no measurement gaps may be implemented at all. This may include, for example, different types of gaps, gap periods, gap offsets, or gap durations for each CC corresponding to each RF chain.

[0093] CC dataset 1800 may include specific CC bands corresponding to UE functions and indications of specific types of gaps or measured gap durations. For example, long gaps, short gaps, or no gaps may be indicated to correspond to different CCs. For example, a longer gap may be a gap with a longer duration than a mini-gap, or a gap with a longer duration than the 3GPP standard or other specified gap duration or gap length. For example, CC dataset 1800 may include CC1 or another CC i This shows that CC2 and CC can have a long gap. 32Other CCs, such as CC3, may indicate that no measurement gap is required, while CC3 may require a short (mini) gap for measurement, for example, for this particular CC. Accordingly, eNB1601 may allow different measurement gap configurations in reconfiguration 1606 for different measurement gap patterns for each CC and corresponding RF chain as part of the UE function.

[0094] Referring to Figure 19, another example of the CC dataset 1900 in various aspects or embodiments described herein is shown. If the UE 1603 is configured using carrier aggregation functionality as part of its UE functionality, or includes one or more RF chains capable of simultaneous downlink reception, then in each RF communication chain (e.g., 402 or 404), different measurement gap configurations may be implemented, or no measurement gaps may be implemented, depending on one or more specific CCs in each RF communication chain. This may include, for example, different types of gaps, gap periods, gap offsets or gap durations per CC corresponding to each RF chain, and different measurement gap patterns associated with each RF chain or corresponding operating band. The CC dataset 1900 may include specific CC bands corresponding to indications of specific types of measurement gap patterns, such as UE functionality and measurement gap patterns associated with measurement gap patterns 300, 500, 800, 900, or other similar patterns discussed herein with their respective measurement gap configurations, corresponding information elements, or related parameters.

[0095] Furthermore, various combinations of CC may also be shown in preference to others for a particular measurement gap pattern. For example, CC1 and CC iVarious CCs such as these may be specified using the same measurement gap pattern and may be used in conjunction with specific UE functions, such as a specific RF chain (e.g., 402 or other equipment) that handles bandwidths or CCs within the same frequency range. For example, other CCs may be specified using other measurement gap patterns, such as CC2 having a specific measurement gap pattern Y, and CC3 having another different measurement gap pattern Z, and these may or may not correspond to various UE functions of RF chains 402, 404, or other chains, or processing components of UE1603 or other UEs. Furthermore, CC 32 It is not necessary to show the measurement gap or pattern.

[0096] Referring to Figure 20, another example of the CC dataset 2000 in various aspects or embodiments described is shown. In this example, similar to the other CC datasets described, CCs may be shown in eNB1601 by UE1603 to configure or reconfigure the configuration parameters of the measurement gap pattern, or the entire measurement gap pattern, for each UE corresponding to a particular RF chain. Furthermore, a particular group of CCs may be further shown in the CC dataset 2000, or none at all, to associate a particular group of CCs with a particular measurement gap pattern / configuration. For example, CC group 1 may be selected as optimal or suitable for a particular measurement gap configuration of a particular measurement gap pattern, or may include CCs such as CC1, CC2, and CC3 shown in eNB1601, and other groups of CCs (e.g., CC group M) may include CCs i It may be associated with other CCs such as the following. 32Other CCs, such as those mentioned above, may be configured to accommodate the provided gapless configuration. Therefore, if UE1603 or another UE is configured with carrier aggregation capabilities, UE1603 can transmit or create CC datasets or indications corresponding to the network's CC groups in terms of the requested gap configuration or reconfiguration. Each CC group may be represented as a bandwidth-based unit, where no other criteria or rules for defining a particular CC group are excluded.

[0097] Referring to Figure 21, methods for signaling the measurement gap configuration of a measurement gap pattern for each CC or per CC are shown according to various aspects or embodiments described herein. For example, method 2100 or any method herein may be implemented as an executable instruction that, in response to execution, causes a processor in a network device (e.g., an eNB or UE) to perform an operation. The operation may be initiated in 2102, which generates indications of measurement gap patterns corresponding to one or more different communication chains having different UE functions based on different component carriers (CCs) via one or more processors in the network device.

[0098] In 2104, the operation may further include a step of transmitting indication of the measurement gap pattern for configuration or reconfiguration, etc.

[0099] The method may further include a step of identifying at least one of the following: a gap offset containing information for selecting different gap repetition periods corresponding to different CCs; and a support CC dataset containing a first set of CCs to be measured by a first communication chain of one or more different communication chains, and a second set of CCs to be measured by a second communication chain of one or more different communication chains. The indication may include either the CC dataset or the support measurement bandwidth list, which has an indication, for example, whether a minigap or a full gap larger than a minigap is used for downlink transmission by the first and second communication chains of the UE.

[0100] This method may include a step of processing or generating a response for reconstructing a measurement gap pattern based on a support CC dataset, the support CC dataset may include a first correlation between different CCs and one or more different communication chains based on UE functionality, and a second correlation between different measurement gap patterns and different CCs.

[0101] In response to CC datasets or UE feedback, configuration data or other signaling may be provided to perform changes or modifications to the measurement gap pattern based on the UE capabilities and supporting CC datasets in the communications from the UE, in response to the transmission of the measurement gap pattern via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals.

[0102] Figure 22 shows electronic devices 2200 in various embodiments disclosed herein. Electronic (network) devices 2200 may be incorporated into, or otherwise part of, an eNB (e.g., 102), a UE (e.g., 114), or any other type of electronic or network device in various embodiments. Specifically, electronic devices 2200 may be logic or circuits that can be at least partially implemented in one or more of the hardware, software, or firmware. In embodiments, the logic of electronic devices 2200 may include a radio transmit logic component 2202 and a receive logic component 2206 coupled to a control logic component 2204. In embodiments, the transmit logic component and the receive logic component may be elements or modules of a transceiver, transmitter, or receiver chain, as shown. Electronic devices 2202 may be coupled to, or include, one or more of the antenna elements 2208 of one or more antennas. Electronic devices and / or components of electronic devices may be configured to perform operations similar to those described elsewhere in this disclosure.

[0103] In embodiments, the electronic device circuit is a network entity, or is incorporated into a network entity, or is otherwise part of a network entity, and the control circuit component 2204 may be configured to identify a measurement object identifier (ID) (measObject) and a measurement gap pattern. The transmitting circuit component 2202 may be configured to transmit indications of the measObject and measurement gap pattern to the user equipment (UE) via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals. Furthermore, the receiving circuit component 2206 (e.g., RF chain 1 (402) and RF chain 2 (404)) may be configured to receive a measurement gap configuration (MeasGapConfig) of a MeasGapConfig information element (IE) that controls measurements between multiple measurement gaps using carrier aggregation via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals.

[0104] As used herein, the term “logic” may refer to, be part of, or include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that run one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuits, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the functions described. Specifically, logic may be implemented at least partially in hardware, software, and / or firmware, or as elements thereof. In some embodiments, electronic device logic may be implemented in logic, or as functions associated with logic, or by one or more software or firmware modules.

[0105] The embodiments described herein may be implemented in a system using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. Figure 23 shows an exemplary system relating to one embodiment, comprising radio frequency (RF) logic 2302, baseband logic 2304, application logic 2306, memory / storage 2308, display 2310, camera 2312, sensor 2314, and input / output (I / O) interface 2316, which are coupled to each other as shown at least.

[0106] The application logic 2306 may include one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled to memory / storage and may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory / storage that enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system.

[0107] The baseband logic 2304 may include one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processors may include the baseband processor 2318 and / or additional or alternative processors 2320, the additional or alternative processors 2320 which may be designed to implement functions or operations of control logic, transmit logic, and / or receive logic as described elsewhere in this specification. The baseband logic 2304 may utilize various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF logic. Radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation, encoding, decoding, and radio frequency shifting. In some embodiments, the baseband logic can provide communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband logic 2304 can support communication with Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Networks (EUTRAN) and / or other Radio Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Radio Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Radio Personal Area Networks (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband logic 2304 is configured to support wireless communication of more than one radio protocol are sometimes referred to as multimode baseband logic.

[0108] In various embodiments, the baseband logic 2304 may include logic that operates with signals that are not strictly considered to be at baseband frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband logic 2304 may include logic that operates with signals that have an intermediate frequency between the baseband frequency and the radio frequency.

[0109] RF logic 2302 can enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation from a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, RF logic 2302 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, and the like to facilitate communication with wireless networks.

[0110] In various embodiments, the RF logic 2302 may include logic that operates with signals that are not strictly considered to be at radio frequencies. For example, in some embodiments, the RF logic may include logic that operates with signals that have an intermediate frequency between the baseband frequency and the radio frequency.

[0111] In various embodiments, the transmit logic, control logic, and / or receive logic discussed or described herein may be embodied in whole or in part in one or more of the RF logic 2302, baseband logic 2304, and / or application logic 2306. As used herein, the term “logic” may refer to, be part of, or include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electronic circuits, processors (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) running one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuits, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functions. Specifically, logic may be implemented at least in part in hardware, software, and / or firmware, or as elements thereof. In some embodiments, electronic device logic may be implemented in logic, or as functions associated with logic, or by one or more software or firmware modules.

[0112] In some embodiments, some or all of the baseband logic, application logic, and / or memory / storage components may be implemented together on a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0113] The memory / storage 2308 may be used, for example, to read and store data and / or instructions for the system. In one embodiment, the memory / storage 2308 may include any combination of suitable volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). Furthermore, the memory 2308 may include one or more machine-readable media containing instructions that, when executed by a machine (e.g., a computer) or component herein, cause the machine to perform operations relating to a method or apparatus or system for simultaneous communication using one of the communication techniques described herein, using one of the communication techniques described herein. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, the functionality may be implemented by computer-readable media (e.g., the memory or other storage media described herein). Instructions or code may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes in a computer. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, which include any media that facilitate the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. Storage media or computer-readable storage devices may be any available media that can be accessed by a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer. For example, but not limited to, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or other tangible media and / or non-temporary media, which may be used to store or store desired information or executable instructions. Naturally, any connection is also called computer-readable media.

[0114] In various embodiments, the I / O interface 2316 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable interaction between the system and a user, and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable interaction between the system and peripheral components. User interfaces may include, but are not limited to, a physical keyboard or keypad, a touchpad, a speaker, a microphone, and the like. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, a non-volatile memory port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, an audio jack, and a power supply interface.

[0115] In various embodiments, the sensor 2314 may include one or more detection devices that determine the relevant environmental conditions and / or location information of the system. In some embodiments, the sensor may include, but is not limited to, a gyro sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a positioning unit. The positioning unit may be part of the baseband logic and / or RF logic that communicates with components of a positioning network, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, or may interact with these logics in an interactive manner.

[0116] In various embodiments, the display 2310 may include a display (e.g., a liquid crystal display, a touchscreen display, etc.).

[0117] In various embodiments, the system may be a mobile computing device such as a laptop computing device, tablet computing device, netbook, ultrabook, or smartphone, but is not limited to these. In various embodiments, the system may have more or fewer components and / or a different architecture.

[0118] The embodiments described herein may be implemented in a system using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software. Figure 24 shows, with respect to one embodiment, exemplary components of a cell network device 2400, such as a base station, a macrocell network device, a secondary cell network device, a small cell network device, an evolved / advanced NodeB (eNB), or any other network device (e.g., user equipment, picocell, femtocell, etc.). In some embodiments, the cell network device 2400 may include an application circuit 2402, a baseband circuit 2404, a radio frequency (RF) circuit 2406, a front-end module (FEM) circuit 2408, and one or more antennas 2410, which are coupled together as shown at least.

[0119] The application circuit 2402 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuit 2402 may include, but is not limited to, one or more single-core processors or multi-core processors. The processors may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupled to and / or include memory / storage, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in memory / storage that enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system.

[0120] The baseband circuit 2404 may include, but is not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuit 2404 may include one or more baseband processors and / or control logic that process baseband signals received from the signal receiving path of the RF circuit 2406 to generate baseband signals for the signal transmission path of the RF circuit 2406. The baseband processing circuit 2404 may interface with the application circuit 2402 for generating and processing baseband signals and for controlling the operation of the RF circuit 2406. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit 2404 may include a second-generation (2G) baseband processor 2404a, a third-generation (3G) baseband processor 2404b, a fourth-generation (4G) baseband processor 2404c, and / or other baseband processors 2404d for other existing generations, generations under development or planned for future development (e.g., fifth-generation (5G), 6G, etc.). The baseband circuit 2404 (for example, one or more of the baseband processors 2404a-d) can utilize various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuit 2406. These radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, and radio frequency shifting. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuit of the baseband circuit 2404 may include fast Fourier transform (FFT), precoding, and / or constellation mapping / demapping functions. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuit of the baseband circuit 2404 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, and / or low-density parity check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functions. Embodiments of the modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions are not limited to these examples, and other functions suitable for other embodiments may be included.

[0121] In some embodiments, the baseband circuit 2404 may include elements of a protocol stack, such as elements of the Evolutionary Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) protocol, including, for example, elements of the Physical Layer (PHY) protocol, the Media Access Control (MAC) protocol, the Radio Link Control (RLC) protocol, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and / or Radio Resource Control (RRC) elements. The central processing unit (CPU) 2404e of the baseband circuit 2404 may be configured to operate the elements of the protocol stack for signaling of the PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, and / or RRC layer. In some embodiments, the baseband circuit may include one or more audio digital signal processors (DSPs) 2404f. The audio DSPs 2404f may include compression / decompression and echo rejection elements, and in other embodiments may include other suitable processing elements. The components of the baseband circuit may be appropriately combined on a single chip, a single chipset, or, in some embodiments, arranged on the same circuit board. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuit 2404 and the application circuit 2402 may be mounted together, for example, on a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0122] In some embodiments, the baseband circuit 2404 can provide communication compatible with one or more wireless technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit 2404 can support communication with Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Networks (EUTRAN) and / or other Radio Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Radio Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Radio Personal Area Networks (WPAN). Embodiments in which the baseband circuit 2404 is configured to support wireless communication of more than one radio protocol are sometimes referred to as multimode baseband circuits.

[0123] The RF circuit 2406 can enable communication with a wireless network using modulated electromagnetic radiation from a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuit 2406 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with the wireless network. The RF circuit 2406, which may include a signal receiving path, may include a circuit that down-converts the RF signal received from the FEM circuit 2408 and provides the baseband signal to the baseband circuit 2404. The RF circuit 2406, which may also include a signal transmission path, may include a circuit that up-converts the baseband signal provided by the baseband circuit 2404 and provides the RF output signal to the FEM circuit 2408 for transmission.

[0124] In some embodiments, the RF circuit 2406 may include a signal receiving path and a signal transmitting path. The signal receiving path of the RF circuit 2406 may include a mixer circuit 2406a, an amplifier circuit 2406b, and a filter circuit 2406c. The signal transmitting path of the RF circuit 2406 may include a filter circuit 2406c and a mixer circuit 2406a. The RF circuit 2406 may also include a synthesizer circuit 2406d for combining frequencies for use by the mixer circuit 2406a of the signal receiving and transmitting paths. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a of the signal receiving path may be configured to down-convert the RF signal received from the FEM circuit 2408 based on the combined frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 2406d. The amplification circuit 2406b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and the filter circuit 2406c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal may be provided to a baseband circuit 2404 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signal may be a zero-frequency baseband signal, but this is not a requirement. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal receiving path may include a passive mixer, but the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0125] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a of the signal transmission path may be configured to upconvert the input baseband signal based on the combined frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 2406d to generate an RF output signal for the FEM circuit 2408. The baseband signal may be provided by the baseband circuit 2404 and may also be filtered by the filter circuit 2406c. The filter circuit 2406c may include a low-pass filter (LPF), but the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0126] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal receiving path and the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal transmitting path may include two or more mixers, which may be arranged for quadrature down-conversion or quadrature up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal receiving path and the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal transmitting path may include two or more mixers, which may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal receiving path and the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal transmitting path may be arranged for direct down-conversion or direct up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal receiving path and the mixer circuit 2406a in the signal transmitting path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0127] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, but the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the RF circuit 2406 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit, and the baseband circuit 2404 may include a digital baseband interface that communicates with the RF circuit 2406.

[0128] In some dual-mode embodiments, separate wireless IC circuits may be provided to process the signals of each spectrum, but the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0129] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 2406d may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional-N / N+24 synthesizer, but other types of frequency synthesizers may be preferred, so the scope of embodiments is not limited in this respect. For example, the synthesizer circuit 2406d may be a synthesizer comprising a delta-sigma synthesizer, a phase-locked loop having a frequency multiplier, or a frequency divider.

[0130] The synthesizer circuit 2406d may be configured to synthesize output frequencies for use by the mixer circuit 2406a of the RF circuit 2406, based on the frequency input and the frequency divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 2406d may be a fractional N / N+24 synthesizer.

[0131] In some embodiments, the frequency input may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), but this is not a requirement. The frequency divider control input may be provided by the baseband circuit 2404 or the application processor 2402, depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, the frequency divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on the channel indicated by the application processor 2402.

[0132] The synthesizer circuit 2406d of the RF circuit 2406 may include a frequency divider, a delay-synchronous loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-modulus frequency divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by N or N+24, which provides a fractional frequency ratio (e.g., based on carry-out). In some exemplary embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded tunable delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to divide the VCO period into Nd, which is the phase of the same packet, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. Thus, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay by the delay line is one period of the VCO.

[0133] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 2406d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as an output frequency, and in other embodiments, the output frequency may be multiple carrier frequencies (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency), and may be used in conjunction with quadrature generators and frequency divider circuits to generate multiple signals having multiple different phases relative to each other at the carrier frequencies. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be the LO frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuit 2406 may include an IQ / polar coordinate converter.

[0134] A FEM circuit 2408 that can include a signal receiving path may include a circuit configured to process RF signals received from one or more antennas 2410, amplify the received signals, and provide the amplified version of the received signals to an RF circuit 2406 for further processing. A FEM circuit 2408 that can also include a signal transmitting path may include a circuit configured to amplify the signals for transmission provided by the RF circuit 2406 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 2410.

[0135] In some embodiments, the FEM circuit 2408 may include a TX / RX switch for switching between transmit mode operation and receive mode operation. The FEM circuit may include a signal receiving path and a signal transmitting path. The signal receiving path of the FEM circuit may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) that amplifies the received RF signal and provides the amplified received RF signal as an output (e.g., to the RF circuit 2406). The signal transmitting path of the FEM circuit 2408 may include a power amplifier (PA) that amplifies the input RF signal (e.g., provided by the RF circuit 2406) and one or more filters that generate an RF signal for the next transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 2410).

[0136] In some embodiments, the cell network device 2400 may include additional elements such as memory / storage, displays, cameras, sensors, and / or input / output (I / O) interfaces. In some embodiments, the electronic device of Figure 24 may be configured to perform one or more processes, techniques, and / or methods, or parts thereof, as described herein.

[0137] In various embodiments of this specification, the system may be a mobile computing device, such as a laptop computing device, a tablet computing device, a netbook, an ultrabook, or a smartphone, but is not limited to these. In various embodiments, the system may have more or fewer components and / or a different architecture. For example, in some embodiments, the RF logic and / or baseband logic may be embodied in communication logic (not shown). The communication logic may include one or more single-core or multi-core processors and logic circuits that provide signal processing techniques, such as encoding, modulation, filtering, conversion, and amplification, suitable for a suitable communication interface to initiate communication. The communication logic may communicate via wire, optical, or wireless communication medium. In embodiments where the system is configured for wireless communication, the communication logic may include RF logic and / or baseband logic that provide communication compatible with one or more wireless technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the communication logic may support communication with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and / or other Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN).

[0138] Embodiments of this specification may be described as relating to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard or the LTE Advanced (LTE-A) standard. For example, terms or entities such as eNodeB (eNB), Mobility Management Entity (MME), and User Equipment (UE) may be used, and these may be considered LTE-related terms or entities. However, in other embodiments, the technology may be used in or related to other wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.16 wireless technology (WiMAX®), IEEE 802.11 wireless technology (WiFi), various other wireless technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM®), GSM® Advanced High Speed ​​Data Rate (EDGE), GSM® EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), Universal Mobile Communications System (UMTS), UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), or other 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc. technologies that have already been developed or are planned for development. In such embodiments, when LTE-related terms such as eNB, MME, and UE are used, one or more entities or components that can be considered equivalent or nearly equivalent to one or more LTE-based terms or entities may be used.

[0139] As used in this specification, the term “processor” can refer to substantially any computing processing unit or device, including, but not limited to, single-core processors, single processors with software multithreading capabilities, multi-core processors, multi-core processors with software multithreading capabilities, multi-core processors with hardware multithreading technology, parallel platforms, and parallel platforms with distributed shared memory. Furthermore, a processor can refer to an integrated circuit, application-specific integrated circuit, digital signal processor, field-programmable gate array, programmable logic controller, composite programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions and / or processes described herein. A processor can leverage nanoscale architectures such as molecular dot-based and quantum dot-based transistors, switches, and gates, but not limited to, to optimize area utilization or to enhance the performance of a mobile device. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing processing units.

[0140] In this specification, terms such as “storage,” “datastore,” “data storage,” and “database,” as well as other information storage components substantially related to the operation and functionality of components and / or processes, refer to “memory” or “memory components” or entities embodied in memory components. Note that the memory components described herein may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory.

[0141] For illustrative purposes, but not limited to, non-volatile memory may include, for example, memory, non-volatile memory, disk storage, and memory storage. Furthermore, non-volatile memory may include read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory, which operates as external cache memory. For illustrative purposes, but not limited to, random access memory is available in many forms, such as synchronous random access memory, dynamic random access memory, synchronous dynamic random access memory, double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory, high-speed synchronous dynamic random access memory, sync-link dynamic random access memory, and direct Rambus random access memory. Furthermore, memory components disclosed in relation to the systems or methods herein are intended to include, without limitation, these memories and other suitable types of memory.

[0142] Examples may include subject matter such as a method, means for performing an operation or block of a method, an operation of a method for simultaneous communication using multiple communication techniques as described herein, or at least one machine-readable medium containing instructions causing a machine to perform an operation of an apparatus or system.

[0143] Example 1 is an evolving NodeB (eNB) device for or used by the eNB, comprising: a processing component configured to identify a measurement gap pattern that facilitates the measurement of a measurement gap based on one or more different component carriers (CCs) for carrier aggregation; and a communication component communicatively coupled to the processing component and configured to transmit the measurement gap pattern via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals.

[0144] Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1, and the processing component is further configured to identify user equipment (UE) functions associated with one or more different CCs and to generate measurement gap patterns based on their association with the UE functions of one or more different CCs.

[0145] Example 3 includes any one of the themes from Examples 1 or 2, and includes or omits any element, and the processing component is further configured to identify at least one of the following: a gap offset containing information for selecting a gap repetition period, or a supporting CC dataset showing a first set of CCs to be measured using a different gap repetition period than another gap repetition period associated with a second set of CCs.

[0146] Example 4 includes the subject of any one of Examples 1 to 3, and includes or omits any element, wherein the communication component is further configured to receive a support CC dataset containing UE functions associated with one or more CCs and to transmit the reconstruction of the measurement gap pattern, and the processing component is configured to bring about the reconstruction of the measurement gap pattern as different measurement gap patterns based on the support CC dataset.

[0147] Example 5 includes any one of the themes from Examples 1 through 4, and includes or omits any element, and the supporting CC dataset includes multiple different CCs supported by the UE function, and an indication that is associated with the different CCs of the multiple different CCs and indicates a request for at least one of the following: a measurement gap in a measurement gap pattern, or a continuous downlink of data without a measurement gap.

[0148] Example 6 includes any one of the themes from Examples 1 through 5, and includes or omits any element, and the supporting CC dataset includes multiple different CCs supported by the UE function, and an indication associated with the multiple different CCs that indicates a request for at least one of the following: selection between different gap repetition periods, or continuous downlink of data without measurement gaps.

[0149] Example 7 includes any one subject from Examples 1 through 6, and includes or omits any element, and the supporting CC dataset includes multiple different CCs supported by the UE function, and an indication that is associated with the multiple different CCs and represents a request for at least one of the following: different measurement gap patterns associated with different sets of CCs of the multiple different CCs, or continuous downlinks of data without measurement gaps.

[0150] Example 8 includes any one subject from Examples 1 through 7, and includes or omits any element, and the supporting CC dataset includes one or more different CCs as elements of multiple different CC groups supported by the UE function, and multiple different CC groups including different measurement gap patterns associated with different sets of CC groups of multiple different CC groups, or indications indicating a request for continuous downlink of data without measurement gaps.

[0151] Example 9 includes the subject of any one of Examples 1 through 8, including or omitting any element, wherein the processing component is further configured to identify a gap offset, gap repetition period, mini-gap indicator, and at least one serving band that specifies a UE serving band based on one or more UE functions, the UE function including at least one of several component carriers handled by one or more radio frequency (RF) chains of the UE.

[0152] Example 10 is a device of, for, or used by a user device (UE), comprising: a communication component configured to process one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals to a receiving or transmitting path, and including one or more communication chains corresponding to one or more component carriers (CCs); and a processor component communicatively coupled to the communication component, and configured to process one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals to determine a measurement gap configuration of a measurement gap pattern that controls a measurement during a measurement gap, based on a set of UE functions including one or more component carriers (CCs) and one or more communication chains.

[0153] Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 10, wherein the processor component is further configured to result in a selection of different measurement gap patterns from a set of measurement gap patterns based on a set of UE functions, and the communication component is further configured to respond to one or more RRC signals by resulting in a selection for a receive path or a transmit path, and to receive a downlink transmission having one or more data to reconstruct the measurement gap pattern based on the selection.

[0154] Example 12 includes the subject of any one of Examples 10 to 11, and includes or omits any element, the processor component is further configured to generate indications of gap offsets of gap repetition periods associated with different communication chains and one or more CCs.

[0155] Example 13 includes the subject of any one of Examples 10 to 12, and includes or omits any element, wherein in response to an RRC signal, the communication component is further configured to transmit an indication to the receiving or transmitting path, and in response to the transmission of the indication, to receive a downlink transmission that enables the reconstruction of the measurement gap pattern.

[0156] Example 14 includes any one subject from Examples 10 through 13, and includes or omits any element, and the processor component is further configured to generate a support CC dataset that includes UE functions associated with different CCs and indications associated with different CCs, respectively, according to different communication chains of the communication component, indicating whether a measurement gap is requested.

[0157] Example 15 includes any one of the themes from Examples 10 to 14, and includes or omits any element, and the processor component is further configured to generate a support CC dataset which includes UE functions associated with different CCs, indications showing CC combinations associated with different CCs and related to the communication chain of the communication component, and with respect to the CC combinations, a choice of at least one of mini-gap, long-gap, or no-gap.

[0158] Example 16 includes any one of the themes from Examples 10 to 15, and includes or omits any element, and the processor component is further configured to generate a support CC dataset that includes different CC combinations corresponding to both UE functions and selections of different measurement gap patterns for measurement gap configurations based on said UE functions.

[0159] Example 17 includes any one subject from Examples 10 through 16, and may include or omit any element, and the processor component is further configured to generate a support CC dataset having different CC groups, each containing different CCs and corresponding different measurement gap patterns.

[0160] Example 18 includes the subject of any one of Examples 10 through 17, and includes or omits any element, wherein the communication component is further configured to communicate to the evolved NodeB which of one or more communication chains is configured to receive a continuous data downlink without using a measurement gap.

[0161] Example 19 is a computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause one or more processors of network devices, including an evolved NodeB or user equipment, to perform an operation, the operation including, via one or more processors of the network devices, generating indications of measurement gap patterns corresponding to one or more different communication chains having different UE functions based on different component carriers (CCs), and transmitting indications of measurement gap patterns via the communication components of the network devices.

[0162] Example 20 includes the subject matter of Example 19, and the operation further includes identifying at least one of the following: a gap offset including information for selecting different gap repetition periods corresponding to different CCs; a supporting CC dataset including a first set of CCs to be measured by a first communication chain of one or more different communication chains, and a second set of CCs to be measured by a second communication chain of one or more different communication chains; and an indication of whether a minigap or a full gap larger than a minigap should be used for downlink transmission by the first and second communication chains.

[0163] Example 21 includes any one subject from Examples 19 to 20, including or omitting any element, and the operation further comprises processing or generating a response for reconstructing the measurement gap pattern based on a supporting CC dataset, the supporting CC dataset including a first correlation between different CCs and one or more different communication chains, and a second correlation between different measurement gap patterns and different CCs, based on UE capabilities.

[0164] Example 22 includes the subject of any one of Examples 19 through 21, including or omitting any element, and the operation further includes an operation that facilitates modification of the measurement gap pattern based on the UE function and a supporting CC dataset in the communication from the UE, in response to the transmission of the measurement gap pattern via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals.

[0165] Example 23 includes one subject from Examples 19 through 22, and may include or omit any element, with the supporting CC dataset including CC groups containing different sets of CCs and which measurement gap patterns correspond to which CCs in the CC groups.

[0166] Example 24 includes any one of the themes from Examples 19 to 23, including or omitting any element, and the supporting CC dataset further includes a first set of indications regarding whether a gap is requested according to one or more different communication chains, and a second set of indications regarding gap offsets, including information on the gap repetition period.

[0167] Example 25 is a device used by an evolved NodeB or user equipment (UE) and comprises means for generating indications of measurement gap patterns corresponding to one or more different communication chains having different UE functions based on different component carriers (CCs), and means for transmitting indications of measurement gap patterns.

[0168] Example 26 includes the subject matter of Example 25, with or without any elements, and further includes means for identifying at least one of the following: a gap offset including information for selecting different gap repetition periods corresponding to different CCs; a supporting CC dataset including a first set of CCs to be measured by a first communication chain of one or more different communication chains, and a second set of CCs to be measured by a second communication chain of one or more different communication chains; and an indication of whether a minigap or a full gap larger than a minigap should be used for downlink transmission by the first and second communication chains.

[0169] Example 27 includes any one of the themes from Examples 25 to 26, including or omitting any element, and the operation further comprises processing or generating a response for reconstructing the measurement gap pattern based on a supporting CC dataset, the supporting CC dataset including a first correlation between different CCs and one or more different communication chains, and a second correlation between different measurement gap patterns and different CCs, based on UE capabilities.

[0170] Example 28 includes the subject of any one of Examples 25 through 27, including or omitting any element, and the operation further includes facilitating modification of the measurement gap pattern based on the UE function and a supporting CC dataset in the communication from the UE, in response to the transmission of the measurement gap pattern via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals.

[0171] Example 29 includes one of the themes from Examples 25 through 28, and may include or omit any element, with the supporting CC dataset including CC groups containing different sets of CCs and which measurement gap patterns correspond to which CCs in the CC groups.

[0172] Example 30 includes any one of the themes from Examples 25 to 29, including or omitting any element, and the supporting CC dataset further includes a first set of indications regarding whether a gap is requested according to one or more different communication chains, and a second set of indications regarding gap offsets, including information on the gap repetition period.

[0173] Example 31 is an evolved NodeB device comprising a processor configured to identify a measurement gap pattern that facilitates measurement of the measurement gap based on one or more different component carriers (CCs) for carrier aggregation, and to transmit the measurement gap pattern via one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals.

[0174] Example 32 is a user device comprising a processor configured to process one or more radio resource control (RRC) signals to a receiving path or a transmitting path, and to process said radio resource control (RRC) signals to determine a measurement gap configuration of a measurement gap pattern that controls a measurement during the measurement gap, based on a set of UE functions including one or more component carriers (CCs) and one or more communication chains.

[0175] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, and these media include any medium that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one location to another. Storage media or computer-readable storage devices may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer. Examples, but not limited to, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or other tangible and / or non-temporary media that can be used to store or store desired information or executable instructions. Naturally, any connection is also referred to as computer-readable medium. For example, when software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, these are included in the definition of a medium. As used herein, a disk (disk / disc) includes compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multipurpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks (registered trademarks), and Blu-ray discs, where a disk typically reproduces data magnetically and a disk optically reproduces data using a laser. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0176] Various exemplary logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors with DSP cores, or other such configurations. Furthermore, at least one processor may include one or more modules capable of performing one or more of the steps and / or operations described herein.

[0177] In software implementations, the techniques described herein may be implemented in modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. The software code may be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit may be implemented within or outside the processor, and if implemented externally, the memory unit may be coupled to the processor in a communicative manner through various means known in the art. Furthermore, at least one processor may include one or more modules that are operable to perform the functions described herein.

[0178] The techniques described herein can be used in a variety of wireless communication systems, including CDMA systems, TDMA systems, FDMA systems, OFDMA systems, SC-FDMA systems, and other systems. The terms “system” and “network” are often used interchangeably. CDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) and CDMA1800. UTRA includes wideband CDMA (W-CDMA) and other variations of CDMA. Furthermore, CDMA1800 covers the IS-1800, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. TDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM®). OFDMA systems can implement wireless technologies such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra-Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi®), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX®), IEEE 802.18, and Flash-OFDM. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of the Universal Mobile Communications System (UMTS). 3GPP Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a release of UMTS that uses E-UTRA, with OFDMA for the downlink and SC-FDMA for the uplink. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, and GSM® are described in the specifications of an organization called the "Third Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP). Furthermore, CDMA1800 and UMB are described in the specifications of an organization called the "Third Generation Partnership Project II" (3GPP2). In addition, such wireless communication systems may additionally include peer-to-peer (e.g., mobile-to-mobile) ad-hoc network systems that often use unpaired, unlicensed spectrum, 802.xx wireless LAN, Bluetooth®, and other short-range or long-range wireless communication techniques.

[0179] Single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) is a technique that utilizes single-carrier modulation and frequency domain equalization and can be used in the disclosed embodiments. SC-FDMA has performance and essentially similar overall complexity to that of OFDMA systems. Due to its inherent single-carrier structure, SC-FDMA signals have a low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). SC-FDMA can be used in uplink communications where a low PAPR can be beneficial for mobile terminals in terms of transmit power efficiency.

[0180] Furthermore, various embodiments or features described herein may be implemented as methods, apparatus, or products using standard programming and / or engineering techniques. The term “product” as used herein is intended to encompass computer programs accessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or medium. For example, computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, etc.), optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital-purpose discs (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., EPROMs, cards, sticks, key drives, etc.). Furthermore, the various storage media described herein may represent one or more devices and / or other machine-readable media for storing information. The term “machine-readable media” may include, but are not limited to, wireless channels and various other media that can store, contain, and / or store instructions and / or data. Furthermore, a computer program product may include computer-readable media having one or more instructions or codes operable to cause a computer to perform the functions described herein.

[0181] Communication media include any information transmission or information transport medium, which are modulated data signals, such as carrier waves or other transport mechanisms, that embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other structured or unstructured data. The term “modulated data signal” or “signal” means a signal having one or more of its characteristic sets, or a signal that has been modified in such a way as to encode information within one or more signals. Examples, but not limited to, include wired media such as wired networks or direct wired connections, and wireless media such as sound waves, RF, infrared, and other wireless media.

[0182] Furthermore, the operation of methods or algorithms described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, software modules executed by a processor, or a combination thereof. Software modules may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or other forms of storage media known in the art. The exemplary storage media may be coupled to a processor, thereby enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the storage media. Alternatively, the storage media may be integrated into the processor. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the processor and storage media may reside within an ASIC. Furthermore, the ASIC may reside within a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and storage media may reside as discrete components within a user terminal. Furthermore, in some embodiments, stages and / or operations of a method or algorithm may be provided as one or any combination or set of code and / or instructions on machine-readable and / or computer-readable media, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0183] The above description relating to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure includes what is described in the abstract and is not intended to be comprehensive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the exact forms disclosed. While certain embodiments and examples are described herein for illustrative purposes only, various modifications are possible that are considered to fall within the scope of such embodiments and examples, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0184] In this regard, although the disclosed subject matter has been described in relation to various embodiments and corresponding figures, it should be understood that, where applicable, other similar embodiments may be used, or that modifications or additions may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the disclosed subject matter in order to perform the same, similar, different, or alternative functions of the disclosed subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to the single embodiment described herein, but rather should be interpreted as being within the scope of the claims appended below.

[0185] In particular with respect to the various functions performed by the aforementioned components (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), the terminology used to describe such components (including references to “means”) is intended to correspond to any component or structure that performs a specified function (e.g., functionally equivalent) of the described component, unless otherwise indicated, to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the exemplary implementation of this disclosure shown herein, even if it is not structurally equivalent. Furthermore, while certain features may be disclosed for only one of several implementations, such features may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations so as to be desirable and advantageous for any given or particular application.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user device (UE), A step of transmitting UE information, which includes a parameter indicating a UE preference for a measurement gap associated with each component carrier of a plurality of component carriers, wherein the parameter can be set to indicate one of a full measurement gap, a small gap, and no gap. A step of receiving a measured gap configuration including information for determining the gap length, gap offset, and gap repetition period, At least the step of performing a measurement based on the information in the measurement gap configuration including, method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement gap configuration is received via at least one radio resource control (RRC) signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information in the measurement gap configuration includes indication of the gap offset.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of determining the gap repetition period, the gap length, or both, based on the gap offset.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information in the measurement gap configuration further includes indication of the gap repetition period and the gap length.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement gap configuration is a reconstruction of the previous measurement gap configuration.

7. The step of performing the measurement includes using a specific measurement gap in the at least one component carrier to perform the measurement, wherein the specific measurement gap is based on at least the gap length, the measurement gap, and the gap repetition period. The method according to claim 1.

8. User equipment (UE), It comprises one or more processors, and said one or more processors Transmitting UE information including a parameter that indicates a UE preference for the measurement gap associated with each component carrier of multiple component carriers, which can be set to indicate one of full measurement gap, small gap, and no gap, Receive a measured gap configuration including information for determining the gap length, gap offset, and gap repetition period. The measurement is performed based on at least the information in the measurement gap configuration. User equipment.

9. The measurement gap configuration is received via at least one radio resource control (RRC) signal, according to claim 8.

10. The UE according to claim 8, wherein the information in the measurement gap configuration includes indication of the gap offset.

11. The UE according to claim 10, wherein the one or more processors further determine the gap repetition period, the gap length, or both, based on the gap offset.

12. The UE according to claim 10, wherein the information in the measurement gap configuration further includes indication of the gap repetition period and the gap length.

13. The UE according to claim 8, wherein the measurement gap configuration is a reconstruction of the previous measurement gap configuration.

14. Performing the measurement comprises using a specific measurement gap in the at least one component carrier to perform the measurement, wherein the specific measurement gap is based on at least the gap length, the gap offset, and the gap repetition period, according to claim 8.

15. A processor for a base station, UE information is received, which includes parameters indicating UE preferences for the measurement gap associated with each component carrier of a plurality of component carriers, and which can be set to indicate one of full measurement gap, small gap, and no gap. It transmits a measurement gap configuration that includes information for determining the gap length, gap offset, and gap repetition period. A processor configured in such a way.

16. The processor according to claim 15, wherein the measurement gap configuration is transmitted via at least one radio resource control (RRC) signal.

17. The processor according to claim 15, wherein the information in the measurement gap configuration includes indication of the gap offset.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the small gap includes a network configuration small gap.

19. The UE according to claim 8, wherein the small gap includes a network configuration small gap.

20. The processor according to claim 15, wherein the small gap includes a network configuration small gap.

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