Fast bwp switch based on ue feedback

TWI938391BActive Publication Date: 2026-09-11QUALCOMM INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
TW111138229
Authority / Receiving Office
TW · TW
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-10-21
Filing Date
2022-10-07
Publication Date
2026-09-11
Estimated Expiration
2042-10-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing wireless communication systems, particularly 5G NR, face delays in bandwidth part (BWP) handover processes due to reliance on network estimates based on multiple power saving report (PSR) reports, leading to inefficiencies in spectral efficiency and power consumption.

Method used

Implementing a method where user equipment (UE) provides direct feedback to the base station about preferred BWPs, allowing for immediate adjustments based on resource changes, thereby reducing the need for network estimation and enhancing BWP handover efficiency.

Benefits of technology

This approach reduces BWP handover delays, improves spectral efficiency, and optimizes power consumption by allowing the network to promptly switch to preferred BWPs based on UE feedback.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handing over a BWP based on UE feedback. The apparatus identifies potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station. Due to the potential changes in carrier resources, the apparatus provides a preferred delivery quantity or BWP to the base station. The apparatus switches to the preferred delivery quantity or BWP for the carrier. The apparatus receives a handover instruction from the base station, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred delivery quantity or BWP for the carrier. Due to the potential changes in resources, the apparatus selects the preferred delivery quantity or BWP.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 451,811, filed on October 21, 2021, entitled “FAST BWP SWITCH BASED ON UE FEEDBACK”, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] In general, this disclosure relates to communication systems, and more specifically, to the configuration for switching bandwidth portions (BWPs) based on user equipment (UE) feedback. Prior Technology

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunications services, such as telephone, video, data, messaging, and broadcasting. Typical wireless communication systems employ multiplexing access technologies that support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiplexing access technologies include Code Division Multiplexing (CDMA), Time Division Multiplexing (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiplexing (SC-FDMA), and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiplexing (TD-SCDMA).

[0004] These multiplexing access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the city, country, regional, and even global levels. An example telecommunications standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of the Continuous Mobile Broadband Evolution (CMBE) released by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with Internet of Things (IoT)), and other requirements. 5G NR includes services associated with Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC). Some forms of 5G NR can be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. There is a need for further improvements to 5G NR technology. These improvements can also be applied to other multiplexing access technologies and telecommunications standards that employ them. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following provides a brief overview of one or more states to offer a basic understanding of such states. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all anticipated states, nor is it intended to identify key or important elements of all states, nor to describe the scope of any or all states. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more states in a simple form as a prelude to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0006] In one embodiment of this disclosure, methods, computer-readable media, and apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a device at the UE. The device may be a processor and / or modem at the UE, or the UE itself. The apparatus identifies potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station. Due to this potential change in the resources used for the carrier, the apparatus provides the base station with a preferred throughput or bandwidth portion (BWP). The apparatus switches to the preferred throughput or BWP used for the carrier.

[0007] In one embodiment of this disclosure, methods, computer-readable media, and apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a device at a base station. The device may be a processor and / or modem at the base station, or the base station itself. The apparatus receives from a user equipment (UE) a preferred transport quantity or bandwidth portion (BWP) associated with a potential change in resources used for a carrier. The apparatus determines to send a handover instruction, which includes an instruction to switch to the preferred transport quantity or BWP for that carrier.

[0008] To achieve the foregoing and related purposes, one or more forms include the features fully described below and specifically pointed out in the claims. The following description and figures illustrate certain illustrative features of one or more forms in detail. However, these features only indicate a few of the various methods by which the basic principles of the various forms can be adopted, and this specification is intended to include all such forms and their equivalents. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system and access network.

[0010] Figure 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of a first frame of various states according to this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2B is a diagram illustrating an example of a DL channel within a subframe according to various states of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2C is a diagram illustrating an example of a second frame according to various states of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2D is a diagram illustrating an example of a UL channel within a subframe according to various states of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a base station and user equipment (UE) in an access network.

[0015] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a preferred indicator.

[0016] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the signal transmission between the UE and the base station.

[0017] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method.

[0018] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method.

[0019] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware implementation used for the example device.

[0020] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method.

[0021] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the wireless communication method.

[0022] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware implementation used for the example device. Implementation

[0023] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are intended as descriptions of various configurations and are not intended to represent the only configuration in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. Specific details are included in the embodiments for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without such specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are illustrated in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0024] Various apparatuses and methods will now be used to provide several embodiments of a telecommunications system. These apparatuses and methods will be described in the following embodiments and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by means of various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). Such elements can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such an element is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0025] For example, an element, any part of an element, or any combination of elements can be implemented as a "processing system" including one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, system-on-a-chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuitry, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functions described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in a processing system can execute software. Whether referred to as software, firmware, intermediary software, microcode, hardware description language, or other terms, software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code fragments, program code, program, subroutine, software component, application, software application, software suite, convention, subconvention, object, executable file, running thread, program, function, etc.

[0026] Therefore, in one or more example embodiments, the functionality described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, such functionality can be stored or encoded as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage media can be any available media accessible to a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of such types of computer-readable media, or any other media capable of storing computer-executable code having an instruction or data structure accessible to a computer.

[0027] Although various forms and implementations are described in this application by way of examples, those skilled in the art will understand that additional implementations and use cases may arise in many different arrangements and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and packaging arrangements. For example, implementations and / or uses may occur via integrated chip implementations and other non-modular component-based devices (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail / purchasing devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). While some examples may be specific to a particular use case or application, or may not be specific to a particular use case or application, a wide variety of applicability to the described innovations is possible. Implementations can vary from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations, and further to aggregated, distributed, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices or systems incorporating one or more forms of the described innovations. In some practical settings, devices incorporating the described forms and features may also include additional components and features for implementing and practicing the claimed and described forms. For example, the transmission and reception of wireless signals necessarily involve multiple components (e.g., hardware components including antennas, RF chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffers, processors, interleavers, adders / accumulators, etc.) for analog and digital purposes. It is intended that the innovations described herein can be implemented in a wide variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed arrangements, clustered or fragmented components, end-user devices, etc., with different sizes, shapes, and constructions.

[0028] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system and access network 100. The wireless communication system (also referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) includes base stations 102, UEs 104, an evolved packet core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (e.g., a 5G core (5GC)). Base station 102 may include macrocells (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cells (low-power cellular base stations). Macrocells include base stations. Small cells include femtocells, picocells, and microcells.

[0029] Base station 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as Evolutionary Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) can interface with EPC 160 via first backhaul link 132 (e.g., S1 interface). Base station 102 configured for 5G NR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) can interface with core network 190 via second backhaul link 184. Among other functions, base station 102 can perform one or more of the following functions: transmission of user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, distribution of Non-Access Layer (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, RAN sharing, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), user and device tracking, RAN Information Management (RIM), paging, location, and transmission of warning messages. Base stations 102 can communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via EPC 160 or core network 190) via a third backhaul link 134 (e.g., an X2 interface). The first backhaul link 132, the second backhaul link 184, and the third backhaul link 134 can be wired or wireless.

[0030] Base station 102 can communicate wirelessly with UE 104. Each base station in base station 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. Overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 may exist. For example, a small cell 102' may have a coverage area 110' that overlaps with the coverage areas 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network including both small cells and macro cells can be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include a Home Evolutionary Node B (eNB) (HeNB), which can provide services to a restricted group called a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG). The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (UL) (also referred to as reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 and / or downlink (DL) (also referred to as forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. Communication link 120 may use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. Such communication links may be via one or more carriers. Base station 102 / UE 104 may use a spectrum with a bandwidth of up to Y MHz (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400, etc. MHz) for each carrier allocated in carrier aggregation for transmission in each direction. These carriers may be adjacent to each other or may not be adjacent to each other. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to DL compared to UL). These component carriers may include a primary component carrier and one or more auxiliary component carriers. The primary component carrier may be referred to as the main cell (PCell), and the auxiliary component carriers may be referred to as auxiliary cells (SCells).

[0031] Some UEs 104 can communicate with each other using device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. D2D communication link 158 can use DL / UL WWAN spectrum. D2D communication link 158 can use one or more sideline channels, such as the physical sideline broadcast channel (PSBCH), physical sideline discovery channel (PSDCH), physical sideline shared channel (PSSCH), and physical sideline control channel (PSCCH). D2D communication can be performed via various wireless D2D communication systems, such as WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, LTE, or NR.

[0032] The wireless communication system may also include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150, which communicates with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 (e.g., in unlicensed spectrum at 5 GHz). When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a channel idle assessment (CCA) before communication to determine if a channel is available.

[0033] The small cell 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed spectrum. When operating in unlicensed spectrum, the small cell 102' can employ NR and use the same unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz, etc.) as used by the Wi-Fi AP 150. The small cell 102' employing NR in unlicensed spectrum can improve access network coverage and / or increase access network capacity.

[0034] The electromagnetic spectrum is typically subdivided into various categories, bands, channels, etc., based on frequency / wavelength. In 5G NR, two initial operating bands have been designated as frequency range names FR1 (410 MHz - 7.125 GHz) and FR2 (24.25 GHz - 52.6 GHz). Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, in various documents and articles, FR1 is generally (interchangeably) referred to as the "below 6 GHz" band. Similar naming issues sometimes arise with FR2; although different from the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz - 300 GHz) defined as a "millimeter wave" band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), FR2 is generally (interchangeably) referred to as the "millimeter wave" band in various documents and articles.

[0035] The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are generally referred to as mid-band frequencies. Recent 5G NR studies have designated the operating bands of these mid-band frequencies as the frequency range name FR3 (7.125 GHz – 24.25 GHz). Bands falling within FR3 can inherit FR1 and / or FR2 characteristics, and thus can effectively extend the features of FR1 and / or FR2 into the mid-band frequencies. Furthermore, higher bands are currently being explored to extend 5G NR operation above 52.6 GHz. For example, three higher operating bands have been designated as the frequency range names FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz – 71 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz – 114.25 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 MHz – 300 GHz). Each of these higher bands falls within the EHF band.

[0036] In light of the above, unless otherwise explicitly stated, it should be understood that the terms "below 6 GHz," etc. (if used herein), can broadly refer to frequencies that are less than 6 GHz, within FR1, or can include intermediate frequency bands. Furthermore, unless otherwise explicitly stated, it should be understood that the terms "millimeter wave," etc. (if used herein), can broadly refer to frequencies that include intermediate frequency bands, within FR2, FR4, FR4-a or FR4-1 and / or FR5, or within the EHF band.

[0037] Base station 102 (whether a small cell 102' or a large cell (e.g., a macro base station)) may include and / or may be referred to as an eNB, gNodeB (gNB), or another type of base station. Some base stations, such as gNB 180, may operate in conventional sub-6 GHz spectrum, millimeter wave frequencies, and / or near-millimeter wave frequencies to communicate with UE 104. When gNB 180 operates in millimeter wave or near-millimeter wave frequencies, gNB 180 may be referred to as a millimeter wave base station. Millimeter wave base station 180 may utilize beamforming 182 with UE 104 to compensate for path loss and short range. Both base station 180 and UE 104 may include multiple antennas (such as antenna elements, antenna panels, and / or antenna arrays) to facilitate beamforming.

[0038] Base station 180 may transmit beamformed signals to UE 104 in one or more transmit directions 182'. UE 104 may receive beamformed signals from base station 180 in one or more receive directions 182''. UE 104 may also transmit beamformed signals to base station 180 in one or more transmit directions. Base station 180 may receive beamformed signals from UE 104 in one or more receive directions. Base station 180 / UE 104 may perform beam training to determine the optimal receive and transmit directions for each of base station 180 / UE 104. The transmit and receive directions for base station 180 may be the same or different. The transmit and receive directions for UE 104 may be the same or different.

[0039] EPC 160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, a Serving Gateway 166, a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. MME 162 can communicate with the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. MME 162 is the control node that handles signal transfer between UE 104 and EPC 160. Typically, MME 162 provides bearer and connection management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are transmitted via Serving Gateway 166, which itself is connected to PDN Gateway 172. PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. PDN Gateway 172 and BM-SC 170 are connected to IP Service 176. IP service 176 may include the Internet, intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), and PS streaming services and / or other IP services. BM-SC 170 can provide functionality for MBMS user service provisioning and delivery. BM-SC 170 can act as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, can be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services in the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), and can be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. MBMS gateway 168 can be used to distribute MBMS transmissions to base stations 102 belonging to the Multicast-Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area belonging to a broadcast-specific service, and can be responsible for communication period management (start / stop) and collection of billing information related to eMBMS.

[0040] The core network 190 may include Access and Motion Management Functions (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, Session Management Functions (SMF) 194, and User Plane Functions (UPF) 195. AMF 192 can communicate with Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. AMF 192 is the control node that handles signal transmission between UE 104 and the core network 190. Typically, AMF 192 provides QoS flow and session management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are transmitted via UPF 195. UPF 195 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. UPF 195 connects to IP Service 197. IP Service 197 may include the Internet, intranet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Packet Switching (PS) Streaming (PSS) service, and / or other IP services.

[0041] A base station may include and / or be referred to as a gNB, Node B, eNB, access point, base station transceiver, radio base station, radio transceiver, transceiver function, Basic Services Set (BSS), Extended Services Set (ESS), Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP), or some other suitable term. Base station 102 provides UE 104 with access to EPC 160 or core network 190. Examples of UE 104 include cellular phones, smartphones, SIP phones, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite radio units, global positioning systems, multimedia devices, video devices, digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, tablet devices, smart devices, wearable devices, vehicles, electricity meters, air pumps, large or small kitchen appliances, medical devices, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other similar functional devices. Some devices in UE 104 may be referred to as IoT devices (e.g., parking meters, air pumps, toasters, vehicles, heart monitors, etc.). UE 104 may also be referred to as a station, mobile station, user station, mobile unit, user cell, radio unit, remote unit, mobile device, radio device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile user station, access terminal, mobile terminal, radio terminal, remote terminal, handheld device, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable term. In some scenarios, the term UE may also be used for one or more accompanying devices, such as in a device cluster deployment. One or more of these devices may jointly access the network and / or individually access the network.

[0042] Referring again to Figure 1, in some configurations, UE 104 can be configured to report the preferred data rate for communication with the base station. For example, UE 104 may include selection component 198, which is configured to report the preferred data rate for communication with the base station. UE 104 can identify potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the base station. Due to potential changes in carrier resources, UE 104 can provide a preferred throughput or BWP to base station 180. UE 104 can switch to the preferred throughput or BWP for the carrier.

[0043] Referring again to Figure 1, in some configurations, base station 180 can be configured to switch resources used for communication with the UE based on a report of a preferred data rate from the UE. For example, base station 180 may include a decision component 199 configured to switch resources used for communication with the UE 104 based on a report of a preferred data rate from the UE 104. Base station 180 may receive from the UE 104 a preferred transport quantity or BWP associated with a potential change in resources used for the carrier. Base station 180 may decide to send a handover instruction, which includes an instruction to switch to the preferred transport quantity or BWP for that carrier.

[0044] Although the following description may focus on 5G NR, the concepts described herein can be applied to other similar areas such as LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, GSM and other wireless technologies.

[0045] Figure 2A is Figure 200, showing an example of the first sub-frame within a 5G NR frame structure. Figure 2B is Figure 230, showing an example of the DL channel within a 5G NR sub-frame. Figure 2C is Figure 250, showing an example of the second sub-frame within a 5G NR frame structure. Figure 2D is Figure 280, showing an example of the UL channel within a 5G NR sub-frame. The 5G NR frame structure can be Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) or Time Division Duplex (TDD). In the FDD case, for a specific set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), the sub-frames within the subcarrier set are dedicated to either DL or UL. In the TDD case, for a specific set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), the sub-frames within the subcarrier set are dedicated to both DL and UL. In the examples provided by Figures 2A and 2C, it is assumed that the 5G NR frame structure is TDD, where subframe 4 is configured with slot format 28 (primarily DL), where D is DL, U is UL, and F is used flexibly between DL / UL, and subframe 3 is configured with slot format 1 (all UL). Although subframes 3 and 4 are shown with slot formats 1 and 28 respectively, any particular subframe can be configured with any of the various available slot formats 0-61. Slot formats 0 and 1 are all DL and all UL, respectively. Other slot formats 2-61 include a mixture of DL, UL, and flexible symbols. The UE is configured with a slot format via a received Slot Format Indicator (SFI) (dynamically configured via DL Control Information (DCI) or semi-statically / statically configured via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal transmission). Note that the following description also applies to TDD 5G NR frame structures.

[0046] Figures 2A to 2D illustrate the frame structure, and the various forms disclosed herein can be applied to other wireless communication technologies that may have different frame structures and / or different channels. A frame (10 ms) can be divided into 10 equal-sized sub-frames (1 ms). Each sub-frame may include one or more time slots. Sub-frames may also include micro-time slots, which may include 7, 4, or 2 symbols. Depending on whether the Cyclic Prefix (CP) is normal or extended, each time slot may include 14 or 12 symbols. For normal CP, each time slot may include 14 symbols, and for extended CP, each time slot may include 12 symbols. The symbols on the DL can be CP Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) (CP-OFDM) symbols. The symbols on the UL can be CP-OFDM symbols (for high-volume scenarios) or Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols (also known as Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols) (for power-constrained scenarios; limited to single-stream transmission). The number of time slots within a subframe is based on CP and the digital scheme (numerology). The digital scheme defines the subcarrier spacing (SCS) and effectively defines the symbol length / duration (which is equal to 1 / SCS). µ SCS Cyclic prefixes 0 15 ordinary 1 30 ordinary 2 60 Normal, Extended 3 120 ordinary 4 240 ordinary

[0047] For a standard CP (14 symbols / slot), different digital schemes µ0 to 4 allow 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 slots per subframe, respectively. For an extended CP, digital scheme 2 allows 4 slots per subframe. Therefore, for both the standard CP and digital scheme µ, there are 14 symbols / slots and 2 µ slots / subframe. The subcarrier spacing can be equal to... kHz, where These are digital schemes 0 through 4. Therefore, digital scheme µ=0 has a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz, and digital scheme µ=4 has a subcarrier spacing of 240 kHz. The symbol length / duration is inversely related to the subcarrier spacing. Figures 2A through 2D provide examples of a standard CP with 14 symbols per slot and a digital scheme µ=2 with 4 slots per subframe. The slot duration is 0.25 ms, the subcarrier spacing is 60 kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 16.67 μs. Within the frame set, one or more different bandwidth portions (BWPs) of frequency division multiplexing can exist (see Figure 2B). Each BWP can have a specific digital scheme and CP (standard or extended).

[0048] A resource grid can be used to represent the frame structure. Each time slot includes a resource block (RB) (also known as a physical RB (PRB)) that extends 12 consecutive subcarriers. The resource grid is divided into multiple resource elements (REs). The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2A, some REs in the REs carry reference (pilot) signals (RS) for the UE. RS may include demodulation RS (DM-RS) for channel estimation at the UE (indicated as R for a particular configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible) and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). RS may also include beam measurement RS (BRS), beam refinement RS (BRRS), and phase tracking RS (PT-RS).

[0050] Figure 2B illustrates examples of various DL channels within a sub-frame of a frame. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) carries the DCI within one or more Control Channel Elements (CCEs) (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 CCEs), each CCE comprising six RE groups (REGs), each REG comprising 12 consecutive REs in the OFDM symbol of the RB. The PDCCH within a BWP can be referred to as a Control Resource Set (CORESET). The UE is configured to monitor PDCCH candidates in a PDCCH search space (e.g., a common search space, a UE-specific search space) during PDCCH monitoring on the CORESET, where the PDCCH candidates have different DCI formats and different aggregation levels. Additional BWPs can be located at higher and / or lower frequencies spanning the channel bandwidth. The Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) can be within symbol 2 of a specific sub-frame of the frame. UE 104 uses the PSS to determine sub-frame / symbol timing and physical layer identification. The Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) can be within symbol 4 of a specific sub-frame of the frame. The UE uses the SSS to determine the physical layer cell identifier group number and radio frame timing. Based on the physical layer identifier and physical layer cell identifier group number, the UE can determine the physical cell identifier (PCI). Based on the PCI, the UE can determine the location of the DM-RS. The physical broadcast channel (PBCH) carrying the main information block (MIB) can be logically grouped with the PSS and SSS to form synchronization signal (SS) / PBCH blocks (also known as SS blocks (SSB)). The MIB provides the number of RBs in the system bandwidth and the system frame number (SFN). The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carries user information, broadcast system information not transmitted by the PBCH (e.g., system information block (SIB)), and paging messages.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2C, some REs in the REs carry DM-RS (indicated as R for a specific configuration, but other DMRS configurations are possible) for channel estimation at the base station. The UE can transmit DM-RS for the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) and DM-RS for the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). The PUSCH DM-RS can be transmitted in the first or second symbol of the PUSCH. Depending on whether a short or long PUCCH is transmitted and the specific PUCCH format used, the PUCCH DM-RS can be transmitted in different configurations. The UE can transmit a Sound Reference Signal (SRS). The SRS can be transmitted in the last symbol of a subframe. The SRS can have a comb structure, and the UE can transmit the SRS on one of the comb structures. The base station can use the SRS for channel quality estimation to implement frequency-related scheduling on the UL.

[0052] Figure 2D illustrates examples of various UL channels within sub-frames of a frame. The PUCCH can be positioned as indicated in one configuration. The PUCCH carries uplink control information (UCI), such as scheduling requests, channel quality indicators (CQI), precoding matrix indicators (PMI), rank indicators (RI), and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) feedback (i.e., one or more HARQ ACK bits indicating one or more ACKs and / or negative ACKs (NACKs)). The PUCCH carries data and can also be used to carry buffer status reports (BSRs), power headroom reports (PHRs), and / or UCIs.

[0053] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating communication between base station 310 and UE 350 in the access network. In the DL, IP packets from EPC 160 are provided to controller / processor 375. Controller / processor 375 implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions. Layer 3 includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and Layer 2 includes the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and Media Access Control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 375 provides: RRC layer functions associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., MIB, SIB), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and delivery support functions; RLC layer functions associated with transmission of upper-layer packet data units (PDUs), error correction via ARQ, connection, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing from MAC SDUs to transport blocks (TBs), demultiplexing from TBs to MAC SDUs, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel priority allocation.

[0054] Transmit (TX) processor 316 and receive (RX) processor 370 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection of the transmission channel, forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding of the transmission channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. TX processor 316 processes the mapping to the signal cluster based on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), M-order quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The encoded and modulated symbols can then be segmented into parallel streams. Each stream can then be mapped to an OFDM subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot signal) in the time and / or frequency domains, and subsequently combined using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a stream of time-domain OFDM symbols. The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. The channel estimate from channel estimator 374 can be used to determine the coding and modulation scheme and to implement spatial processing. The channel estimate can be derived based on a reference signal transmitted by UE 350 and / or channel condition feedback. Subsequently, each spatial stream can be provided to a different antenna 320 via a separate transmitter 318 TX. Each transmitter 318 TX can modulate a radio frequency (RF) carrier using the corresponding spatial stream for transmission.

[0055] At UE 350, each receiver 354 RX receives signals via its corresponding antenna 352. Each receiver 354 RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to the receive (RX) processor 356. The TX processor 368 and RX processor 356 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. The RX processor 356 can perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for UE 350. If multiple spatial streams are destined for UE 350, they can be combined by the RX processor 356 into a single OFDM symbol stream. Subsequently, the RX processor 356 uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to transform the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal includes separate OFDM symbol streams for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, along with the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most probable signal clustering point transmitted by base station 310. These soft decisions can be based on channel estimates calculated by channel estimator 358. The soft decision is then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals originally transmitted by base station 310 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to controller / processor 359, which implements layer 3 and layer 2 functions.

[0056] The controller / processor 359 may be associated with memory 360, which stores code and data. Memory 360 may be referred to as computer-readable media. In UL, the controller / processor 359 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between transmission and logic channels to recover IP packets from EPC 160. The controller / processor 359 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0057] Similar to the functions described in conjunction with DL transmissions performed by base station 310, controller / processor 359 provides: RRC layer functions associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) acquisition, RRC connection, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions associated with upper-layer PDU transmission, error correction via ARQ, RLC SDU connection, segmentation and reassembly, RLC data PDU resegmentation, and RLC data PDU reordering; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transmission channels, multiplexing from MAC SDU to TB, demultiplexing from TB to MAC SDU, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel priority allocation.

[0058] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator 358 based on the reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 310 can be used by the TX processor 368 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme and facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 368 can be provided to different antennas 352 via corresponding transmitters 354TX. Each transmitter 354TX can use the corresponding spatial stream to modulate the RF carrier for transmission.

[0059] UL transmission at base station 310 is processed in a manner similar to that described for receiver functionality at UE 350. Each receiver 318RX receives signals via its corresponding antenna 320. Each receiver 318RX recovers the information modulated onto the RF carrier and provides the information to the RX processor 370.

[0060] The controller / processor 375 may be associated with memory 376 storing code and data. Memory 376 may be referred to as computer-readable media. In UL, the controller / processor 375 provides demultiplexing, packet reassembly, decryption, header decompression, and control signal processing between the transmission and logic channels to recover IP packets from the UE 350. IP packets from the controller / processor 375 can be provided to the EPC 160. The controller / processor 375 is also responsible for error detection using ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0061] At least one of the TX processor 368, the RX processor 356, and the controller / processor 359 can be configured to perform the state associated with 198 in Figure 1.

[0062] At least one of the TX processor 316, the RX processor 370, and the controller / processor 375 can be configured to perform the state associated with 199 of Figure 1.

[0063] In wireless communication, the network can control the handover of resources used for communication between the UE and the base station. For example, a given carrier may include different BWPs, and the network controls the handover between different BWPs used on the carrier. The size of the BWP can vary, which allows different BWPs to provide different throughput rates.

[0064] In some instances, such as when a call is initiated on the UE and no data is required, the network can trigger a BWP handover for the UE based on the uplink data rate. The uplink data rate can be included in the PSR report. However, to achieve a BWP handover, the network may need to wait to receive multiple PSR reports and estimate the preferred uplink data rate before proceeding with the BWP handover. This process may involve latency, which could delay the BWP handover process.

[0065] The various embodiments provided herein offer configurations for enhancing BWP handover based at least on UE feedback. For example, the UE can report a preferred BWP, allowing the network to consider the UE's preferred BWP when configuring BWP handover. For instance, in an instance where a call is initiated on the UE and no data is required, and the UE is in a larger bandwidth, the UE can maintain the call while switching to an available lower or lowest bandwidth. The UE can be configured to send an indication with preferred bandwidth to the base station before connecting to the network. The network can consider the indication with preferred bandwidth from the UE and can switch the UE to an available lower or lowest bandwidth based on a handover indication from the base station, wherein the handover indication is based at least on the preferred bandwidth sent by the UE to the base station. At least one advantage of this disclosure is that enhanced BWP handover can be provided to the UE based on feedback provided by the UE to the network. At least another advantage is that this disclosure can improve spectral efficiency and power consumption.

[0066] In instances where the UE knows the preferred uplink data rate for communicating with the base station, the UE can indicate the preferred uplink data rate to the network via the base station. This allows the network to adopt the preferred uplink data rate to minimize latency during BWP handover and enhance the handover process. The UE providing the preferred data rate for communicating with the base station results in a more reliable BWP handover via the base station, and it can be done without relying on network estimations based on multiple PSR reports.

[0067] In some instances, the UE can report the preferred downlink BWP or throughput for each initiated downlink carrier, and the preferred uplink BWP or throughput for each initiated uplink carrier. The UE can send a MAC-CE to the network to indicate preferred BWP information. The preferred BWP information can be included in the MAC-CE. In some instances, the UE can include the preferred downlink BWP and preferred uplink BWP in a BWP preference indicator. In some cases, the BWP preference indicator can be included in the MAC-CE. For example, referring to diagram 400 in Figure 4, the BWP preference indicator can include an octet and can be identified by a MAC packet data unit (PDU) subheader with a unique logical channel identifier (LCID). In some cases, the BWP preference indicator can include a fixed 8-bit size. The BWP preference indicator can include carrier ID 402, downlink (DL) / uplink (UL) BWP 404, and BWP ID 406. Carrier ID 402 may include a 5-bit field indicating the carrier ID, and the BWP preference is indicated for the carrier ID. DL / UL BWP 404 may include a 1-bit field indicating whether the preferred BWP is used for uplink or downlink. BWP ID 406 may include a 2-bit field identifying the preferred BWP.

[0068] The UE can be configured to periodically or based on events or conditions related to communication with the same base station to evaluate or identify whether a BWP change is preferred. In some instances, periodic evaluation can be similar to serving cell measurement. In some instances, events that can guarantee or justify the rationality of a BWP handover can include at least one of the following: uplink data becoming available or unavailable due to a higher priority logical channel, the configuration or reconfiguration of a BWP on any initiating carrier, the activation of a secondary cell (SCell), or the addition of a primary secondary cell (PSCell) (e.g., a newly added or changed PSCell). If a BWP change is preferred based on any of these events, the UE can prepare and send a MAC-CE to report the preferred BWP. In some instances, communication-related conditions with the same base station that can guarantee or justify the rationality of a BWP handover can include at least one of the following: outgoing calls, data transmission, or application operations. For example, the UE can determine whether an outgoing call can continue without a BWP handover, and if the outgoing call can continue without a BWP handover, then a BWP change is not required. However, if the UE decides that outgoing calls can continue during BWP handover, the UE can prepare and send a MAC-CE including the preferred BWP.

[0069] To select a preferred BWP or throughput, the UE can choose the downlink BWP by comparing the estimated throughput with the maximum possible throughput. In some cases, the maximum possible throughput can be the theoretical maximum throughput on a given BWP. In other cases, the maximum possible throughput can be the learned throughput. The UE can select a BWP with the maximum possible throughput that best satisfies the estimated throughput. In some cases, to select a preferred BWP or throughput, the UE can select the uplink BWP based at least on the uplink buffer size or the estimated throughput. If a higher-priority logical channel has data and is using the preferred bit rate, the UE can select a BWP whose maximum possible throughput best satisfies the preferred bit rate.

[0070] In some configurations, for example, the UE can initiate an outgoing call or application, enabling the UE to communicate with the network via the base station. The UE can evaluate whether a BWP is preferred based at least on conditions or events related to communication with the same base station. If the UE decides that the call or application can continue without BWP handover, the UE maintains communication with the base station using the existing BWP. However, if the UE decides that a BWP change is preferred, the UE can identify potential BWP changes for the carrier. Therefore, the UE can trigger the transmission of a MAC-CE including the preferred BWP. The base station can receive the MAC-CE and can decide to send a handover indication based on the MAC-CE having a preferred BWP. In some configurations, the base station can decide not to send a BWP handover indication based at least on scheduling, or the base station can ignore the MAC-CE and choose not to send a BWP handover indication. However, if the base station decides to send a BWP handover indication, the base station can send the BWP handover indication. In some configurations, the BWP handover indication can be included within the DCI. The UE can receive the BWP handover indication and can switch to the preferred BWP for the carrier.

[0071] Figure 5 is a dialing flowchart 500 of signal transmission between UE 502 and base station 504. Base station 504 may be configured to provide at least one cell. UE 502 may be configured to communicate with base station 504. For example, in the context of Figure 1, base station 504 may correspond to base station 102 / 180, and therefore, the cell may include a geographic coverage area 110 in which communication coverage is provided and / or a small cell 102' having coverage area 110'. Furthermore, UE 502 may correspond to at least UE 104. In another example, in the context of Figure 3, base station 504 may correspond to base station 310, and UE 502 may correspond to UE 350.

[0072] At 506, UE 502 can identify potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station 504. In some cases, conditions associated with communication with the same base station may include at least one of the following: outgoing call, data transmission, or application operation. In some cases, events associated with communication with the same base station may include at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of the BWP on the initiating carrier, activation of a secondary cell (SCell), or addition of a primary secondary cell (PSCell).

[0073] At point 508, due to potential changes in resources, UE 502 can select either the preferred throughput or the BWP. In some cases, the selection of the preferred throughput or BWP may be based at least on a comparison of the estimated throughput and the maximum possible throughput. In some cases, the selection of the preferred throughput or BWP may be based at least on the uplink buffer size and the estimated throughput.

[0074] At 510, due to potential changes in resources used for the carrier, UE 502 may provide preferred delivery quantity or BWP to base station 504. Due to potential changes in resources used for the carrier, base station 504 may receive preferred delivery quantity or BWP from UE 502. In some configurations, preferred delivery quantity or BWP may correspond to at least one of the following: an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier. In some configurations, preferred delivery quantity or BWP may be provided to the base station within a preferred indicator within the MAC-CE. The preferred indicator may include a carrier ID, a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

[0075] At 512, base station 504 may decide to send a handover indication. The handover indication may include instructions to switch to a preferred delivery amount or BWP for the carrier. In some cases, the decision to send the handover indication may be based at least on preferred delivery amounts or BWPs received from the UE that are associated with potential changes in resources used for the carrier.

[0076] At point 514, base station 504 can send a handover instruction to UE 502. UE 504 can receive this handover instruction from base station 504. The transmission of the handover instruction can be based at least on the receipt of a preferred transmission or BWP from UE 502.

[0077] At point 516, base station 504 can avoid sending a handover instruction to UE 502. In this instance, UE 504 does not receive a handover instruction from base station 504. Base station 504 can avoid sending a handover instruction to UE 502, at least based on scheduling. In this instance, the base station can ignore preferred payloads or BWPs received from the UE and not send a handover instruction, thus maintaining communication between UE 502 and base station 504 on current resources.

[0078] Figure 6 is a flowchart 600 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a UE or a component of the UE (e.g., UE 104; device 802; cellular baseband processor 804, which may include memory 360 and may be the entire UE 350 or a component of the UE 350, such as TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and / or controller / processor 359). One or more of the operations shown can be omitted, interchanged, or performed simultaneously. The method can allow the UE to report a preferred data rate for communication with the base station.

[0079] At 602, the UE can identify potential changes in carrier resources. For example, 602 can be performed by the identification component 840 of device 802. The UE can identify potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station. In some cases, conditions associated with communication with the same base station may include at least one of the following: outgoing call, data transmission, or application operation. In some cases, events associated with communication with the same base station may include at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of a BWP on the initiating carrier, activation of a SCell, or addition of a PSCell.

[0080] At 604, due to potential changes in resources used for the carrier, the UE can provide a preferred delivery amount or bandwidth portion (BWP). For example, 604 can be performed by the selection component 842 of device 802. Due to potential changes in resources used for the carrier, the UE can provide a preferred delivery amount of the BWP to the base station. In some configurations, the preferred delivery amount or BWP can correspond to at least one of the following: an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier. In some configurations, the preferred delivery amount or BWP can be provided to the base station within a preferred indicator within a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) (MAC-CE). The preferred indicator may include a carrier identifier (ID), a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

[0081] At 606, the UE can switch to the preferred transmission quantity or the BWP. For example, 606 can be performed by the switching component 846 of the device 802. The UE can switch to the preferred transmission quantity or the BWP for the carrier to communicate with the base station.

[0082] Figure 7 is a flowchart 700 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a UE or a component of the UE (e.g., UE 104; device 802; cellular baseband processor 804, which may include memory 360 and may be the entire UE 350 or a component of the UE 350, such as TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and / or controller / processor 359). One or more of the operations shown can be omitted, interchanged, or performed simultaneously. The method can allow the UE to report a preferred data rate for communication with the base station.

[0083] At 702, the UE can identify potential changes in carrier resources. For example, 702 can be performed by the identification component 840 of device 802. The UE can identify potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station. In some cases, conditions associated with communication with the same base station may include at least one of the following: outgoing call, data transmission, or application operation. In some cases, events associated with communication with the same base station may include at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of BWP on the initiating carrier, activation of SCell, or addition of PSCell.

[0084] At 704, due to potential changes in resources, the UE can select either the preferred throughput or the BWP. For example, 704 can be performed by the selection component 842 of device 802. In some cases, the selection of the preferred throughput or BWP can be based at least on a comparison of the estimated throughput and the maximum possible throughput. In some cases, the selection of the preferred throughput or BWP can be based at least on the uplink buffer size and the estimated throughput.

[0085] At 706, due to potential changes in resources used for the carrier, the UE can provide a preferred delivery amount or BWP. For example, 706 can be performed by the selection component 842 of device 802. Due to potential changes in resources used for the carrier, the UE can provide a preferred delivery amount of the BWP to the base station. In some configurations, the preferred delivery amount or BWP can correspond to at least one of the following: an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier. In some configurations, the preferred delivery amount or BWP can be provided to the base station within a preferred indicator within the MAC-CE. The preferred indicator may include a carrier ID, a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

[0086] At point 708, the UE can receive a handover instruction. For example, point 708 can be executed by the instruction component 844 of device 802. The handover instruction may include a command to switch to a preferred transmission amount or BWP for the carrier. The UE can receive this handover instruction from the base station.

[0087] At 710, the UE can switch to the preferred transmission quantity or the BWP. For example, 710 can be performed by the switching component 846 of the device 802. The UE can switch to the preferred transmission quantity or the BWP for the carrier to communicate with the base station.

[0088] Figure 8 is a diagram 800 illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for device 802. Device 802 may be a UE, a component of a UE, or may implement UE functionality. In some embodiments, device 802 may include a cellular baseband processor 804 (also referred to as a modem) coupled to a cellular RF transceiver 822. In some embodiments, device 802 may also include one or more Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards 820, an application processor 806 coupled to a Secure SD card 808 and a screen 810, a Bluetooth module 812, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) module 814, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 816, or a power supply 818. The cellular baseband processor 804 communicates with UE 104 and / or BS 102 / 180 via the cellular RF transceiver 822. The cellular baseband processor 804 may include computer-readable media / memory. The computer-readable media / memory may be non-transitory. The cellular baseband processor 804 is responsible for general processing, including executing software stored on computer-readable media / memory. When executed by the cellular baseband processor 804, the software causes the cellular baseband processor 804 to perform the various functions described above. The computer-readable media / memory can also be used to store data manipulated by the cellular baseband processor 804 during software execution. The cellular baseband processor 804 also includes a receiving component 830, a communication manager 832, and a transmitting component 834. The communication manager 832 includes one or more components shown. The components within the communication manager 832 can be stored in computer-readable media / memory and / or configured as hardware within the cellular baseband processor 804. The cellular baseband processor 804 can be a component of the UE 350 and can include at least one of a TX processor 368, an RX processor 356, and a controller / processor 359 and / or memory 360. In one configuration, device 802 may be a modem chip and include only baseband processor 804, and in another configuration, device 802 may be the entire UE (e.g., see 350 in FIG3) and include additional modules of device 802.

[0089] Communication manager 832 includes an identification component 840 configured to identify potential changes in carrier resources, for example, as described in conjunction with 602 of FIG. 6 or 702 of FIG. 7. Communication manager 832 also includes a selection component 842 configured to select a preferred delivery amount or BWP due to potential changes in resources, for example, as described in conjunction with 704 of FIG. 7. Selection component 842 can also be configured to provide a preferred delivery amount or BWP due to potential changes in resources for the carrier, for example, as described in conjunction with 604 of FIG. 6 or 706 of FIG. 7. Communication manager 832 also includes an indication component 844 configured to receive a handover indication, for example, as described in conjunction with 708 of FIG. 7. Communication manager 832 also includes a switching component 846 configured to switch to a preferred delivery amount or BWP, for example, as described in conjunction with 710 of FIG. 7.

[0090] The apparatus may include additional components for executing each block of the algorithms in the flowcharts of Figures 6 and 7. Therefore, each block in the flowcharts of Figures 6 and 7 can be executed by components, and the apparatus may include one or more of these components. These components may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to execute the stated procedures / algorithms, may be implemented by a processor configured to execute the stated procedures / algorithms, may be stored in a computer-readable medium for implementation by a processor, or some combination thereof.

[0091] As shown, device 802 may include various components configured for various functions. In one configuration, device 802 (and particularly cellular baseband processor 804) includes: components for identifying potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station. The device includes: components for providing a preferred transmission quantity or BWP to the base station due to potential changes in carrier resources. The device includes: components for switching to the preferred transmission quantity or BWP for the carrier. The device also includes: components for receiving a handover instruction from the base station, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred transmission quantity or BWP for the carrier. The device also includes: components for selecting a preferred transmission quantity or BWP due to potential changes in resources. These components may be one or more components of device 802 configured to perform the functions described by these components. As previously mentioned, device 802 may include TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and controller / processor 359. Therefore, in one configuration, these components may be a TX processor 368, an RX processor 356, and a controller / processor 359 configured to perform the functions described therein.

[0092] Figure 9 is a flowchart 900 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a base station or a component of a base station (e.g., base station 102 / 180; device 1102; baseband unit 1104, which may include memory 376 and may be the entire base station 310 or a component of base station 310, such as TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and / or controller / processor 375). One or more of the operations shown can be omitted, interchanged, or performed simultaneously. The method can allow the base station to switch resources used for communicating with the UE based on a report of a preferred data rate from the UE.

[0093] At 902, the base station can receive a preferred delivery quantity or BWP associated with a potential change in resources used for the carrier. For example, 902 can be performed by a preferred component 1140 of device 1102. The base station can receive the preferred delivery quantity or BWP from the UE. In some states, the preferred delivery quantity or BWP can correspond to at least one of the following: an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier. In some states, the preferred delivery quantity or BWP can be received within a preferred indicator within the MAC-CE. The preferred indicator may include a carrier ID, a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID. In some states, the potential change in resources can be based on a condition associated with communication between the UE and the base station. In some states, the condition associated with communication between the UE and the base station can include at least one of the following: outgoing call, data transfer, or application operation. In some states, the potential change in resources can be based on an event associated with communication between the UE and the base station. In some cases, events associated with communication between the UE and the base station may include at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of the BWP on the initiating carrier, initiation of the SCell, or addition of the PSCell.

[0094] At 904, the base station may decide to send a handover instruction. For example, 904 may be performed by the decision component 1142 of device 1102. The handover instruction may include an instruction to switch to a preferred transport quantity or BWP for the carrier. In some cases, the decision to send the handover instruction may be based at least on the preferred transport quantity or BWP received from the UE that is associated with a potential change in the resources used for the carrier.

[0095] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a wireless communication method 1000. The method can be performed by a base station or a component of a base station (e.g., base station 102 / 180; device 1102; baseband unit 1104, which may include memory 376 and may be the entire base station 310 or a component of base station 310, such as TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and / or controller / processor 375). One or more of the operations shown can be omitted, interchanged, or performed simultaneously. The method can allow the base station to switch resources used for communicating with the UE based on a report of a preferred data rate from the UE.

[0096] At 1002, the base station can receive a preferred delivery amount or BWP associated with a potential change in resources used for the carrier. For example, 1002 can be performed by a preferred component 1140 of device 1102. The base station can receive the preferred delivery amount or BWP from the UE. In some states, the preferred delivery amount or BWP can correspond to at least one of the following: an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier. In some states, the preferred delivery amount or BWP can be received within a preferred indicator within the MAC-CE. The preferred indicator may include a carrier ID, a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID. In some states, the potential change in resources can be based on conditions associated with communication between the UE and the base station. In some states, conditions associated with communication between the UE and the base station can include at least one of the following: outgoing call, data transfer, or application operation. In some states, the potential change in resources can be based on events associated with communication between the UE and the base station. In some cases, events associated with communication between the UE and the base station may include at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of the BWP on the initiating carrier, initiation of the SCell, or addition of the PSCell.

[0097] At 1004, the base station may decide to send a handover instruction. For example, 1004 may be executed by the decision component 1142 of device 1102. The handover instruction may include an instruction to switch to a preferred transport quantity or BWP for the carrier. In some cases, the decision to send the handover instruction may be based at least on the preferred transport quantity or BWP received from the UE that is associated with a potential change in the resources used for the carrier.

[0098] At point 1006, the base station can send a handover instruction. For example, 1006 can be performed by the handover component 1144 of device 1102. The base station can send a handover instruction to the UE. The transmission of the handover instruction can be based at least on the reception of a preferred transmission or BWP from the UE.

[0099] At point 1008, the base station can avoid sending a handover instruction. For example, 1008 can be performed by the handover unit 1144 of device 1102. The base station can avoid sending a handover instruction to the UE. The base station can avoid sending a handover instruction to the UE at least based on scheduling. In this example, the base station can ignore the preferred delivery quantity or BWP received from the UE and not send a handover instruction.

[0100] Figure 11 is a diagram 1100 illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for device 1102. Device 1102 may be a base station, a component of a base station, or may implement base station functions. In some embodiments, device 1102 may include a baseband unit 1104. Baseband unit 1104 may communicate with UE 104 via cellular RF transceiver 1122. Baseband unit 1104 may include computer-readable media / memory. Baseband unit 1104 is responsible for general processing, including executing software stored on computer-readable media / memory. When executed by baseband unit 1104, the software causes baseband unit 1104 to perform the various functions described above. Computer-readable media / memory may also be used to store data manipulated by baseband unit 1104 when executing software. Baseband unit 1104 also includes a receiving component 1130, a communication manager 1132, and a transmitting component 1134. Communication manager 1132 includes one or more of the components shown. The components within the communication manager 1132 may be stored in computer-readable media / memory and / or configured as hardware within the baseband unit 1104. The baseband unit 1104 may be a component of the base station 310 and may include at least one of the TX processor 316, the RX processor 370, and the controller / processor 375 and / or memory 376.

[0101] Communication manager 1132 includes a preferred component 1140 that can receive a preferred transport amount or BWP associated with potential changes in resources used for the carrier, for example, as described in conjunction with 902 of FIG. 9 or 1002 of FIG. 10. Communication manager 1132 also includes a decision component 1132 that can decide to send a handover indication, for example, as described in conjunction with 904 of FIG. 9 or 1004 of FIG. 10. Communication manager 1132 also includes a switching component 1144 that can send a handover indication, for example, as described in conjunction with 1006 of FIG. 10. Switching component 1144 can also be configured to avoid sending a handover indication, for example, as described in conjunction with 1008 of FIG. 10.

[0102] The apparatus may include additional components for executing each block of the algorithms in the flowcharts of Figures 9 and 10. Therefore, each block in the flowcharts of Figures 9 and 10 can be executed by components, and the apparatus may include one or more of these components. These components may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to execute the stated procedures / algorithms, may be implemented by a processor configured to execute the stated procedures / algorithms, may be stored in a computer-readable medium for implementation by a processor, or some combination thereof.

[0103] As shown, apparatus 1102 may include various components configured for various functions. In one configuration, apparatus 1102 (and particularly baseband unit 1104) includes: a component for receiving from the UE a preferred delivery amount or BWP associated with a potential change in resources for a carrier. The apparatus includes: a component for determining to send a handover indication, the handover indication including an instruction to switch to the preferred delivery amount or BWP for the carrier. The apparatus also includes: a component for sending a handover indication to the UE at least based on receiving the preferred delivery amount or BWP. The apparatus also includes: a component for avoiding sending a handover indication to the UE at least based on scheduling. These components may be one or more components of apparatus 1102 configured to perform the functions described by these components. As previously mentioned, apparatus 1102 may include TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375. Therefore, in one configuration, these components may be TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375 configured to perform the functions described by these components.

[0104] It is important to understand that the specific order or hierarchy of the blocks in the disclosed process / flowchart is an illustration of the example method. It is also important to understand that the specific order or hierarchy of the blocks in the process / flowchart can be rearranged based on design preferences. Furthermore, some blocks can be combined or omitted. The attached method request provides the elements of each block in the sampling order and is not intended to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy provided.

[0105] The preceding description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various forms described herein. Various modifications to these forms will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the overall principles defined herein may also be applied to other forms. Therefore, the request is not intended to be limited to the forms illustrated herein, but is to be given the full scope consistent with the language of the request, wherein, unless specifically stated otherwise, references to singular elements are not intended to mean "one and only one," but may mean "one or more." Terms such as "if," "when," and "at" should be interpreted as meaning "under the condition of," rather than implying a direct temporal relationship or reaction. That is, such phrases (e.g., "when") do not imply a response to the occurrence of an action or an immediate action during the occurrence of an action, but simply mean that an action will occur if a condition is met, without requiring a specific or immediate temporal constraint on the occurrence of the action. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any configuration described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other configurations. Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" means one or more. Combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" may be only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, wherein any such combination may contain one or more members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements throughout the various forms described herein that are known or will be known to those skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. Furthermore, the content disclosed herein is not intended to be offered to the public, whether or not such disclosure is expressly stated within the scope of the claims. Terms such as “module,” “mechanism,” “element,” and “device” may not be substitutes for the term “component.” Therefore, no element of a claim should be interpreted as a component plus a function unless the element is expressly stated using the phrase “component for…”.

[0106] The following examples are illustrative only and may be combined with, but not limited to, other examples or teachings described herein.

[0107] State Sample 1 is a device for wireless communication at a UE, the device including at least one processor coupled to memory and configured to: identify potential changes in carrier resources based on events or conditions associated with communication with the same base station; provide a preferred transmission quantity or BWP to the base station due to the potential changes in carrier resources; and switch to the preferred transmission quantity or BWP for the carrier.

[0108] State 2 is the apparatus as described in State 1, further comprising a transceiver coupled to at least one processor.

[0109] State 3 is the apparatus as described in any of State 1 and 2, further comprising at least one processor further configured to: receive a handover instruction from a base station, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to a preferred transmission amount or BWP for a carrier.

[0110] State 4 is the device as described in any of States 1-3, further comprising: a state associated with communication with the base station including at least one of outgoing call, data transmission, or application operation.

[0111] State 5 is the apparatus as described in any of states 1-4, further comprising: preferably, the transmission amount or BWP corresponds to at least one of the initiated downlink carrier or the uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier.

[0112] Version 6 is the apparatus as described in any of versions 1-5, further comprising: providing a preferred delivery amount or BWP within a preferred indicator in the MAC-CE.

[0113] State 7 is the apparatus as described in any of states 1-6, further comprising: preferably, an indicator including a carrier ID, a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

[0114] State 8 is the apparatus described in any of States 1-7, further comprising: events associated with communication with the base station including at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of BWP on the initiation carrier, initiation of SCell, or addition of PSCell.

[0115] State 9 is the apparatus as described in any of States 1-8, further comprising: at least one processor further configured to: select a preferred delivery rate or BWP due to potential changes in resources.

[0116] Sample 10 is the apparatus as described in any of Samples 1-9, further comprising: the selection of the preferred conveying capacity or BWP is based at least on a comparison of the estimated conveying capacity and the maximum possible conveying capacity.

[0117] State 11 is the apparatus as described in any of states 1-10, further comprising: the selection of preferred throughput or BWP is based at least on the uplink buffer size and the estimated throughput.

[0118] State 12 is a wireless communication method used to implement any of the states in states 1-11.

[0119] State 13 is a device for wireless communication, which includes components for implementing any of the states in states 1-11.

[0120] Sample 14 is a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, wherein the code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement any of samples 1-11.

[0121] State Sample 15 is a device for wireless communication at a base station, the device including at least one processor coupled to memory and configured to: receive from a UE a preferred transport quantity or BWP associated with a potential change in resources for a carrier; and determine to send a handover instruction, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred transport quantity or BWP for the carrier.

[0122] Version 16 is the apparatus as described in Version 15, further comprising: a transceiver coupled to at least one processor.

[0123] State 17 is an apparatus as described in any of states 15 and 16, further comprising: at least one processor further configured to: send a handover instruction to the UE based at least on the reception of a preferred delivery amount or BWP.

[0124] State 18 is an apparatus as described in any of states 15-17, further comprising: at least one processor further configured to: avoid sending a handover instruction to the UE, at least based on scheduling.

[0125] State 19 is an apparatus as described in any of states 15-18, further comprising: preferably, a transmission quantity or BWP corresponding to at least one of an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier.

[0126] Version 20 is the apparatus as described in any of versions 15-19, further comprising: receiving a preferred delivery amount or BWP within a preferred indicator in the MAC-CE.

[0127] State 21 is an apparatus as described in any of states 15-20, further comprising: a preferred indicator including a carrier ID, a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

[0128] State 22 is a method for implementing wireless communication of any of the states in states 15-21.

[0129] State 23 is a device for wireless communication, which includes components for implementing any of the states in states 15-21.

[0130] Sample 24 is a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable code, wherein the code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement any of samples 1-11.

[0131] 0: Time slot format 1: Time slot format 2: Time slot format 3: Time slot format 4: Time slot format 5: Time slot format 6: Time slot format 7: Time slot format 8: Time slot format 9: Time slot format 10: Time Slot Format 11: Time Slot Format 12: Time Slot Format 13: Time Slot Format 100: Wireless communication systems and access networks 102:Base station 102': Small cells 102 / 180:UE / gNB 104:UE 110: Geographical coverage area 110': Coverage area 120: Communication Link 132: First reload link 134: Third reload link 150: Wi-Fi Access Point (AP) 152: Wi-Fi Station (STA) 154: Communication Link 158: Device-to-device (D2D) communication link 160: Evolution Packet Core (EPC) 162: Management Entity (MME) 164: Other MMEs 166: Service Gateway 168: Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 170: Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 172: Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 174: Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 176: IP Service 182: Beamforming 182': Launch direction 182'': Receiving direction 184: Second reload link 190: Core Network 192: Access and Action Management Functions (AMF) 193: Other AMF 194: Communication Management Function (SMF) 195: User Plane Function (UPF) 196: Unified Data Management (UDM) 197: IP Service 198: Select Component 199: Determine the component 200: Figure 230: Figure 250: Figure 280: Figure 310:Base station 316: Launch (TX) processor 318: Launcher 320: Antenna 350:UE 352: Antenna 354: Receiver 356:RX processor 358: Channel Estimator 359: Controller / Processor 360: Memory 368:TX processor 370: Receiver (RX) Processor 374: Channel Estimator 375: Controller / Processor 376: Memory 400: Chart 402: Carrier ID 404: Downlink (DL) / Uplink (UL) BWP 406:BWP ID 500: Call Flowchart 502:UE 504:Base station 600: Flowchart 700: Flowchart 800: Figure 802: Apparatus 804: Honeycomb Baseband Processor 806: Application Processor 808: Secure Digital (SD) Card 810: Screen 812: Bluetooth Module 814: Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Module 816: Global Positioning System (GPS) Module 818: Power Supply 820: Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card 822: Honeycomb RF Transceiver 830: Receiver component 832: Communication Manager 834: Sending component 840: Identification Components 842: Select Component 844: Indicator component 846: Switching Components 900: Flowchart 1000: Flowchart 1100: Image 1102: Device 1104: Fundamental Frequency Unit 1122: Honeycomb RF transceiver 1130: Receiving component 1132: Communication Manager 1134: Sending Component 1140: Preferred Components 1142: Determine the component 1144: Switching Components BWP: Bandwidth section CSI-RS: Channel Status Information Reference Signal PBCH: Physical Broadcast Channel PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH: Entity Downlink Shared Channel PSS: Packet Switching (PS) Streaming PUCCH: Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH: Entity Uplink Shared Channel RB: Resource Block SSS: Auxiliary Synchronization Signal

[0132] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: One memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to: identify a potential change in the resources of a carrier based on an event or condition associated with communication with the same base station; provide a preferred throughput or bandwidth portion (BWP) to the base station due to the potential change in the resources for the carrier; and switch to the preferred throughput or BWP for the carrier.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: A transceiver coupled to at least one processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive a handover instruction from the base station, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred transmission quantity or BWP for the carrier.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition associated with the communication with the base station includes at least one of an outgoing call, a data transmission, or an application operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preferred transmission quantity or BWP corresponds to at least one of an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preferred delivery amount or BWP is provided within a preferred indicator within a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) (MAC-CE).

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the preferred indicator includes a carrier identifier (ID), a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the event associated with the communication with the base station includes at least one of the following: availability of uplink data, configuration of a BWP on a launch carrier, activation of a secondary cell (SCell), or addition of a primary secondary cell (PSCell).

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: select the preferred delivery rate or BWP due to the potential change in resources.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the selection of the preferred conveying capacity or BWP is based at least on a comparison between an estimated conveying capacity and a maximum possible conveying capacity.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the selection of the preferred throughput or BWP is based at least on an uplink buffer size and an estimated throughput.

12. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising the steps of: identifying a potential change in the resources of a carrier based on an event or condition associated with communication with the same base station; providing a preferred transmission capacity or bandwidth portion (BWP) to the base station due to the potential change in the resources for the carrier; and switching to the preferred transmission capacity or BWP for the carrier.

13. The method of claim 12 further includes the step of: receiving a handover instruction from the base station, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred transmission amount or BWP for the carrier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition associated with the communication with the base station includes at least one of an outgoing call, a data transmission, or an application operation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the preferred delivery amount or BWP corresponds to at least one of an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the preferred delivery amount or BWP is provided within a preferred indicator within a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) (MAC-CE).

17. The method as described in claim 16, wherein the preferred indicator includes a carrier identifier (ID), a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the event associated with the communication with the base station includes at least one of the following: uplink data availability, configuration of a BWP on a launch carrier, activation of a secondary cell (SCell), or addition of a primary secondary cell (PSCell).

19. The method as described in claim 12 further includes the step of: selecting the preferred delivery volume or BWP due to the potential change in resources.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selection of the preferred throughput or BWP is based at least on a comparison between an estimated throughput and a maximum possible throughput, or at least on an uplink buffer size and the estimated throughput.

21. An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station, comprising: One memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to: receive from a user equipment (UE) a preferred delivery quantity or bandwidth portion (BWP) associated with a potential change in resources for a carrier; and determine to send a handover instruction, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred delivery quantity or BWP for the carrier.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising: A transceiver coupled to at least one processor.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: send the handover instruction to the UE at least based on the reception of the preferred delivery amount or BWP.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: avoid sending the handover instruction to the UE based at least on a schedule.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the preferred transmission quantity or BWP corresponds to at least one of an initiated downlink carrier or an uplink BWP for each initiated uplink carrier.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the preferred delivery amount or BWP is received within a preferred indicator within a Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) (MAC-CE).

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the preferred indicator comprises a carrier identifier (ID), a downlink / uplink BWP, or a BWP ID.

28. A method of wireless communication at a base station, comprising the steps of: receiving from a user equipment (UE) a preferred delivery quantity or bandwidth portion (BWP) associated with a potential change in resources for a carrier; and deciding to send a handover instruction, the handover instruction including an instruction to switch to the preferred delivery quantity or BWP for the carrier.

29. The method as described in request item 28 further includes the step of: sending the handover indication to the UE at least based on the reception of the preferred delivery or BWP.

30. The method of request item 28 further includes the step of: avoiding sending the handover indication to the UE based at least on a schedule.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Efficient BWP switching

    WO2020064941A1