Method and system for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a system for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system The present disclosure encompasses a transceiver unit[302] to receive, at a base station[502], from a user equipment (UE)[102], a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The present disclosure further encompasses a processing unit[304] configured to detect an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR) and, subsequently, determine a first event indicative of the instance falling within a first BWP switch delay period. In response to determination of the first event, the processing unit[304] also determines a time period for the BWP switching of the UE[102], based on completion of the first event.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING BANDWIDTH PARTS (BWP) SWITCHING IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system.BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure, and not as admissions of the prior art.

[0003] Wireless communication has revolutionized global connectivity, liberating the world from the confines of wired networks, and fostering a world of instantaneous information exchange and seamless communication. This transformation is the culmination of centuries of innovation and human ingenuity, relentlessly pushing the boundaries of technology to eliminate physical constraints. With the advent of technology and to meet the increasing demands, high bandwidth is provided by the telecommunication service providers to customers.

[0004] However, the wireless communication systems do not require wireless devices to operate within high bandwidth and therefore, the devices are adapted to operate in different bandwidth range of a channel or carrier according to the usage. For example, a wider bandwidth directly implies high power consumption from RF and baseband signal processing. Therefore, a UE may operate in one or more bandwidth parts (BWPs) of the channel. The BWP may refer to a contiguous set of physical resource blocks, which may be selected from a contiguous subset of the common resource blocks for a given numerology on the carrier. In order to conserve energy, the UE may be enabled to switch among different BWPs, for example, by tuning a radio to a smaller BWP. The BWP selection and switching can be done with different mechanisms such as a radioresource control (RRC) - based adaptation, Media Access Control - Control Element, downlink control information (DCI) - based adaptation, and timer - based implicit fallback to default BWP.

[0005] The RRC -based Adaptation is suitable for semi-static cases since the processing of RRC messages requires extra time. Due to longer switching latency and signalling overhead, an RRC -based method can be used for configuring a BWP set at any stage of the call, or for slow adaptation type services (e.g., voice) where the resource allocation is not changing rapidly within the same data session.

[0006] MAC-CE may be used upon initiation of Random- Access procedure. Also, DCI-based Adaptation is based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) channel where a specific BWP can be activated by BWP indicator in DCI Format. This requires additional considerations for error handling as UE may fail to decode the DCI with BWP activation / deactivation command. Further, the timer-based implicit fallback to default BWP may be a mechanism designed to mitigate possible DCI errors. If the UE is not explicitly scheduled with a BWP after the timer expires, it will automatically switch to the default BWP.

[0007] Although, BWP switching is beneficial in saving power of the UE, the UE is not able to perform any transmission / reception activity during the BWP switching as provided above. Therefore, the UE tends to miss important information and / or report received during the switching period. For example, if channel state information (CSI) report, scheduling Request (SR) occasion falls in this period of BWP switching, UE will miss the report. Loss of such information may further result into transmission errors and / or interruptions. Moreover, SR and CSI report have high periodicity, which in case of a miss during BWP switching, results into wastage of resource.

[0008] Therefore, there exists an urgent need for a solution that provides a proper BWP switch operation to avoid the loss of the important information received during switching, thereby preventing the transmission interruptions and / or errors and resource wastage.SUMMARY

[0009] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system. The method comprises receiving, by a transceiver unit, at a base station, from a user equipment (UE), a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The method further comprises detecting, by a processing unit connected to at least the transceiver unit, at the base station, an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR). The method further comprises determining, by the processing unit, at the base station, a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of the at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period. In response to the determination of the first event, the method further comprises determining, by the processing unit, at the base station, a time period for switching the BWP for the UE, based on completion of the first event.

[0011] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises executing, by the processing unit, at the base station, the trigger signal at least one of during the determined time period, and at the determined time period, to facilitate the BWP switching for the UE.

[0012] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the BWP switching comprises deactivation, by the processing unit

[0304] at the base station, of a currently active BWP, and a subsequent activation of a different BWP.

[0013] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the first BWP switch delay period is determined based on a predefined time interval required for transitioning between the currently active BWP, and the different BWP.

[0014] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method comprises assessing, by the processing unit, at least one of a periodicity of the CSI report, and a periodicity of the SR, to determine the instance of receipt of the CSI report, and the SR, relative to the first BWP switch delay period.

[0015] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the CSI report comprises at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI), and a Rank Indicator (RI).

[0016] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the detection of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR is based on a timing information configuration, wherein the timing information configuration comprises a periodicity of receipt of the corresponding CSI report, and SR.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system. The system comprises a transceiver unit and a processing unit connected with each other. The transceiver unit is configured to receive, at a base station, from a user equipment (UE), a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The processing unit is configured to detect, at the base station, an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR). The processing unit is further configured to determine, at the base station, a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period. In response to the determination of the first event, the processing unit is further configured to determine, at the base station, a time period for switching the BWP for the UE, based on completion of the first event.

[0018] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more instructions for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system, the one or more instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes the one or more units to perform certain functions. The one or more instructions when executed causes a transceiver unit of the system to receive, at a base station, from a user equipment (UE), a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The one or more instructions when executed further causes a processing unit of the system to detect, at the base station, an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR). The one or more instructions when executed further causes the processing unit of the system to determine, at the base station, a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period. In response to the determination of the first event, the one or more instructions when executed further causes the processing unit of the system to determine, at the base station, a time period for switching the BWP for the UE, based on completion of the first event.OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0019] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.

[0020] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system.

[0021] It is an object of the present disclosure to optimize resource utilization and avoid the wastage by delaying the bandwidth switching, especially when UE has to receive important information such as CSI, SR.

[0022] It is another object of the present disclosure to timely receive the CSI, SR information, thereby preventing the transmission error and / or interruption caused due to loss of the information.

[0023] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide proper BWP switch operations, promoting fair resource distribution and network efficiency.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5thgeneration core (5GC) network architecture.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary signalling flow diagram for a method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates another exemplary signalling flow diagram for another method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure.

[0031] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0033] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0034] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail.

[0035] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", "primary", "secondary", "target" and the like, herein do not denote any order, ranking, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.

[0036] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure.

[0037] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0038] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor” includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing, input / output processing, and / or any other functionality that enables the working of the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or processing unit is a hardware processor.

[0039] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”, “a smartdevice”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”, “a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and / or computing device or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The user equipment / device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.

[0040] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or computer- readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0041] As used herein “interface” or “user interface” refers to a shared boundary across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information or data. The interface may also refer to a set of rules or protocols that define communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be called.

[0042] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0043] As used herein the transceiver unit include at least one receiver and at least one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals, information or a combination thereof between units / components within the system and / or connected with the system.

[0044] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have several shortcomings. The present disclosure aims to overcome the above-mentioned and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing method and system of managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system.

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block diagram representation of 5thgeneration core (5GC) network architecture, in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1, the 5GC network architecture

[0100] includes a user equipment (UE)

[0102] , a radio access network (RAN)

[0104] , an access and mobility management function (AMF)

[0106] , a Session Management Function (SMF)

[0108] , a Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[0110] , an Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] , a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)

[0114] , a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] , a Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] , a Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] , a Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] , a Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] , an application function (AF)

[0126] , a User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] , a data network (DN)

[0130] , wherein all the components are assumed to be connected to each other in a manner as obvious to the person skilled in the art for implementing features of the present disclosure.

[0046] Radio Access Network (RAN)

[0104] is the part of a mobile telecommunications system that connects user equipment (UE)

[0102] to the core network (CN) and provides access to differenttypes of networks (e.g., 5G network). It consists of radio base stations and the radio access technologies that enable wireless communication.

[0047] Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)

[0106] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing access and mobility aspects, such as UE registration, connection, and reachability. It also handles mobility management procedures like handovers and paging.

[0048] Session Management Function (SMF)

[0108] is a 5G core network function responsible for managing session-related aspects, such as establishing, modifying, and releasing sessions. It coordinates with the User Plane Function (UPF) for data forwarding and handles IP address allocation and QoS enforcement.

[0049] Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

[0110] is a network function in the 5G core network that facilitates communication between other network functions by providing a secure and efficient messaging service. It acts as a mediator for service-based interfaces.

[0050] Authentication Server Function (AUSF)

[0112] is a network function in the 5G core responsible for authenticating UEs during registration and providing security services. It generates and verifies authentication vectors and tokens.

[0051] Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF)

[0114] is a network function that provides authentication and authorization services specific to network slices. It ensures that UEs can access only the slices for which they are authorized.

[0052] Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

[0116] is a network function responsible for selecting the appropriate network slice for a UE based on factors such as subscription, requested services, and network policies.

[0053] Network Exposure Function (NEF)

[0118] is a network function that exposes capabilities and services of the 5G network to external applications, enabling integration with third-party services and applications.

[0054] Network Repository Function (NRF)

[0120] is a network function that acts as a central repository for information about available network functions and services. It facilitates the discovery and dynamic registration of network functions.

[0055] Policy Control Function (PCF)

[0122] is a network function responsible for policy control decisions, such as QoS, charging, and access control, based on subscriber information and network policies.

[0056] Unified Data Management (UDM)

[0124] is a network function that centralizes the management of subscriber data, including authentication, authorization, and subscription information.

[0057] Application Function (AF)

[0126] is a network function that represents external applications interfacing with the 5G core network to access network capabilities and services.

[0058] User Plane Function (UPF)

[0128] is a network function responsible for handling user data traffic, including packet routing, forwarding, and QoS enforcement.

[0059] Data Network (DN)

[0130] refers to a network that provides data services to user equipment (UE) in a telecommunications system. The data services may include but are not limited to Internet services, private data network related services.

[0060] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device

[0200] upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the computing device

[0200] (herein, also referred to as a computing system

[0200] ) may also implement a method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system utilising the system

[0300] , In another implementation, the computing device

[0200] itself implements the method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system using one or more units configured within the computing device

[0200] , wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as disclosed in the present disclosure.

[0061] The computing device

[0200] may include a bus

[0202] or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware processor

[0204] coupled with bus

[0202] for processing information. The hardware processor

[0204] may be, for example, a general- purpose microprocessor. The computing device

[0200] may also include a main memory

[0206] , such as a random-access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor

[0204] , The main memory

[0206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the processor

[0204] , Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to the processor

[0204] , render the computing device

[0200] into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions. The computing device

[0200] further includes a read only memory (ROM)

[0208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing static information and instructions for the processor

[0204] ,

[0062] A storage device

[0210] , such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to the bus

[0202] for storing information and instructions. The computing device

[0200] may be coupled via the bus

[0202] to a display

[0212] , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for displaying information to a computer user. An input device

[0214] , including alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the bus

[0202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor

[0204] , Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller

[0216] , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor

[0204] , and for controlling cursor movement on the display

[0212] , The input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow the device to specify positions in a plane.

[0063] The computing device

[0200] may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and / or program logic which in combination with the computing device

[0200] causes or programs the computing device

[0200] to be a special-purpose machine. According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the computing device

[0200] in response to the processor

[0204] executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory

[0206] , Such instructions may be read into the main memory

[0206] from another storage medium, such as the storage device

[0210] , Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory

[0206] causes the processor

[0204] to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative implementations ofthe present disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.

[0064] The computing device

[0200] also may include a communication interface

[0218] coupled to the bus

[0202] , The communication interface

[0218] provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link

[0220] that is connected to a local network

[0222] , For example, the communication interface

[0218] may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface

[0218] may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface

[0218] sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

[0065] The computing device

[0200] can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link

[0220] and the communication interface

[0218] , In the Internet example, a server

[0230] might transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet

[0228] , the ISP

[0226] , the local network

[0222] , a host

[0224] and the communication interface

[0218] , The received code may be executed by the processor

[0204] as it is received, and / or stored in the storage device

[0210] , or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system

[0300] for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, is shown, in accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] comprises at least one transceiver unit

[0302] and at least one processing unit

[0304] , Also, all of the components / units of the system

[0300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated below. As shown in the figures all units shown within the system

[0300] should also be assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown, however, the system

[0300] may comprise multiple such units or the system

[0300] may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a user device / user equipment

[0102] to implement the features of the present disclosure. The system

[0300] may be a part of the user device

[0102] / or may be independent of but in communication with the user device

[0102] (may also referred herein as a UE). In another implementation, the system

[0300] may reside in a server or anetwork entity. In yet another implementation, the system

[0300] may reside partly in the server / network entity and partly in the user device.

[0067] The system

[0300] is configured for managing BWP switching in the wireless communication system, with the help of the interconnection between the components / units of the system

[0300] ,

[0068] As would be understood, the BWP may be a designated portion extracted from the overall carrier bandwidth which represents a subset of the total available spectrum in the telecommunication network. The BWP switching may refer to switching between an active and an inactive BWP to prevent the deactivation of all BWPs and / or for activating more than one BWPs simultaneously.

[0069] For managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, the transceiver unit

[0302] receives, at a base station

[0502] , from a user equipment (UE)

[0102] , a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The trigger signal may for example, be a message or a request for triggering the switching of the BWP. In an example, the trigger signal may be a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) in an uplink bandwidth part (UL BWP) according to the configured length.

[0070] After receiving the trigger signal for switching the BWP, the processing unit

[0304] detects, at the base station

[0502] , an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR). The instance may refer to a case which indicates an occurrence or an upcoming occurrence of a receipt of either the CSI report or the SR. Further, the CSI may refer to an information essential for effective radio resource scheduling and allocation among the UEs in wireless communication systems. Further, the SR may refer to a request message or a command which may be used for requesting uplink shared channel (UL- SCH) resources for new transmission.

[0071] In certain implementations of the present disclosure, the CSI report may comprise at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI), and a Rank Indicator (RI). The CQI may be a measure of the downlink channel quality reported by the UE

[0102] to the base station

[0502] (such as gNodeB). The PMI may refer to an index that indicates the preferred precoding matrix to be used by the base station

[0502] for spatial multiplexing in amultiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. The RI may refer to an indicator used to indicate the number of spatial layers or data streams that can be effectively supported by the MIMO channel.

[0072] In certain implementations of the present disclosure, for detecting the first event, the processing unit

[0304] may assess at least one of a periodicity of the CSI report, and a periodicity of the SR, to determine the instance of receipt of the CSI report, and the SR relative to a first BWP switch delay period. The periodicity of the CSI and the periodicity of the SR may refer to a time period or time interval within which a former and a latter instance of the CSI or the SR may be received at the base stations

[0502] , Also, the periodicity allows for better determination of the occurrence or the upcoming occurrence of the CSI report or the SR report.

[0073] In certain implementations of the present disclosure, the detection of the instance is based on a timing information configuration, wherein the timing information configuration comprises a periodicity of receipt of the corresponding CSI report, and SR. The timing information configuration may refer to a set of parameters which provides timing instants set by the base station

[0502] provided to the UE

[0102] , The timing instants indicates the timing information within which the UE

[0102] is permitted to transmit a Scheduling Request. This timing information configuration may include the set of parameters such as the SR-periodicity and a SR-offset. Similarly, the timing information configuration may refer to a set of parameters which provides certain time intervals which may be set by a higher layer (RRC message). The UE

[0102] is required to send the CSI report within the time interval that is configured by higher layer (RRC Message) along with information associated with the CQI, the PMI, and the RI with reporting periods configured by the higher layer using the PUCCH.

[0074] On detection of the instance, the processing unit

[0304] determines, at the base station

[0502] , a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within the first BWP switch delay period. As used herein, ‘BWP switch delay period’ may refer to a specific time interval between the initiation of a BWP switch request and the actual execution of the BWP switch. For example, the BWP switch delay period may refer to a specific duration of time during which the UE

[0102] transitions from one BWP to another BWP within the network. During the BWP switch period, the UE

[0102] may experience minimal or no data transmission activity to ensure a smooth and efficient BWP switch. The BWP switch delay periodis crucial for managing the timing of the BWP switch to minimize disruption to ongoing communications and to optimize the overall network performance and resource utilization.

[0075] In other words, during the first BWP switch delay period, any CSI report and / or SR that is transmitted may not be received due to lack of communication. As provided above, in case receipt of either the CSI report or the SR may fall within the first BWP switch delay period, then there will be a period of no transmission and reception activity between the base station

[0502] and the UE

[0102] during the BWP switching. Further, due to existence of such period, UE

[0102] will miss the CSI report or the SR. In order to avoid such a scenario, we need to determine such first events to be handled.

[0076] In response to determination of the first event, the processing unit

[0304] determines, at the base station

[0502] , a time period for switching the BWP for the UE

[0102] based on the completion of the first event. The time period may be such that it occurs after completion of the receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR. In an embodiment, the time period may be an instance when the BWP switching may be performed. Also, the BWP switch delay period may be determined based on a receipt of either the CSI report and / or the SR. In other words, the BWP switching of the UE

[0102] may be delayed by a time duration. The time duration of delay may depend on the completion of receipt of the CSI report and / or the SR. The time duration of delay helps in mitigating the potential loss in receipt of the CSI report or the SR. For example, when it is detected that there is a first event, then for handling the first events, the time duration of delay is added to determine the time period for BWP switching, such that the BWP switching is initiated after completion of the receipt of the CSI report and / or the SR.

[0077] In certain exemplary implementations of the present disclosure the BWP switch delay period is determined based on a predefined time interval required for transitioning between a currently active BWP, and a different BWP. The predefined time interval may refer to a time period which may be allocated for the BWP switching. The predefined time interval may be determined based on a time taken during the BWP switching. As may be understood, the currently active BWP may refer to a BWP which is actively performing its respective network functions in normal conditions, and the different BWP may refer to the BWP which may be kept as spare or backup to be activated in case of BWP switching. Accordingly, the predefined time interval may be determined based on the time taken during the BWP switching.

[0078] It may be noted that when BWP switching happens, there is a switching delay at the UE

[0102] due to certain reasons such as radio frequency (RF) retuning. Accordingly, the delay requirement on BWP switching, for DCI-based BWP switching, may be the minimum allowable slot offset between the downlink slot in which the UE

[0102] received BWP switching DCI and the first slot in which the UE

[0102] is able to receive the PDSCH for DL BWP switching or transmit PUSCH for UL BWP switching on the new BWP.

[0079] In an implementation of the present disclosure, the processing unit

[0304] may also execute, at the base station

[0502] , a BWP switching during the BWP switching period. The BWP switching may refer to deactivating the currently active BWP and activating another configured BWP, such as in time division duplex (TDD), downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) BWPs differ only by the transmission bandwidth and numerology and may be switched together. In further implementation of the present disclosure, for the BWP switching, the processing unit

[0304] may deactivate, at the base station

[0502] , a currently active BWP, and subsequently activate a different BWP.

[0080] In an implementation, the BWP switching refers to activating an inactive BWP and deactivating an active BWP at a time. The BWP switching may be controlled by the PDCCH indicating a downlink assignment or an uplink grant, by the bwp-Inactivity Timer, by RRC signalling, or by the MAC entity itself upon initiation of Random-Access procedure. Upon RRC (re-)configuration of firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id and / or firstActiveUplinkBWP-Id for SpCell or activation of an SCell, the DL BWP and / or UL BWP indicated by firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id and / or firstActiveUplinkBWP-Id respectively, is active without receiving PDCCH indicating a downlink assignment or an uplink grant. The active BWP for the UE is indicated by either RRC or PDCCH.

[0081] For the UE configured with the BWPs, the system

[0300] may be configured to check if a BWP is activated. If the BWP is activated, the system

[0300] may be configured to:■ transmit on UL-SCH on the BWP;■ transmit on RACH on the BWP, if PRACH occasions are configured;■ monitor the PDCCH on the BWP;■ transmit PUCCH on the BWP, if configured;■ report CSI for the BWP;■ transmit SRS on the BWP, if configured;■ receive DL-SCH on the BWP;■ (re-)initialize any suspended configured uplink grants of configured grant Type 1 on the active BWP according to the stored configuration.

[0082] However, if the system

[0300] determines that the BWP is deactivated, the system

[0300] may be configured to:■ not transmit on UL-SCH on the BWP;■ not transmit on RACH on the BWP;■ not monitor the PDCCH on the BWP;■ not transmit PUCCH on the BWP;■ not report CSI for the BWP;■ not transmit SRS on the BWP;■ not receive DL-SCH on the BWP;■ clear any configured downlink assignment and configured uplink grant of configured grant Type 2 on the BWP;■ suspend any configured uplink grant of configured grant Type 1 on the inactive BWP.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram

[0400] for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an implementation the method

[0400] is performed by the system

[0300] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the method

[0400] starts at step

[0402] ,

[0084] For managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, initially, at step

[0404] , the method

[0400] involves receiving, by a transceiver unit

[0302] , at a base station

[0502] , from a user equipment (UE)

[0102] , a trigger signal for switching of BWP.

[0085] Then, at step

[0406] , the method

[0400] leads to detecting, by a processing unit

[0304] connected to at least the transceiver unit

[0302] , at the base station

[0502] , an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR).

[0086] In certain implementations of the present disclosure, the CSI report may comprise at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI), and a Rank Indicator (RI).

[0087] In certain implementations of the present disclosure, the method

[0600] comprises assessing, by the processing unit

[0304] , at least one of a periodicity of the CSI report, and a periodicity of the SR, to determine the the instance of receipt of the CSI report, and the SR relative to the BWP switch delay period.

[0088] In certain other implementations of the present disclosure, the detection of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR is based on a timing information configuration. The timing information configuration comprises a periodicity of receipt of the corresponding CSI report, and SR.

[0089] On detection of first event, at step

[0408] , the method

[0400] comprises determining, by the processing unit

[0304] , at the base station

[0502] , a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period.

[0090] In response to the determination of the first event, at step

[0410] , the method

[0400] involves determining, by the processing unit

[0304] , at the base station

[0502] , a time period for switching the BWP for the UE

[0102] , based on completion of the first event. In an embodiment, the time period may be such that it occurs after completion of the receipt of the CSI report. In an embodiment, the time period may be an instance when the BWP switching may be performed.

[0091] In another implementation of the present disclosure, the BWP switching comprises deactivation, by the processing unit

[0304] at the base station

[0502] , of a currently active BWP, and a subsequent activation of a different BWP.

[0092] In one implementation of the present disclosure, the first BWP switch delay period is determined based on a predefined time interval required for transitioning between the currently active BWP, and the different BWP.

[0093] In an implementation of the present disclosure, the method comprises executing, by the processing unit

[0304] , at the base station

[0502] , the trigger signal to facilitate the BWP switching of the UE

[0102] ,

[0094] Thereafter, at step

[0412] , the method

[0400] is terminated.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 5, an exemplary signalling flow diagram for a method

[0500] for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure, is shown. In an implementation the method

[0500] may be performed by the system

[0300] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the method

[0500] may be performed between two entities, namely, the base station

[0502] and the UE

[0102] , As would be understood, the base station

[0502] may be a fixed transceiver that is the main communication point for one or more wireless client devices and serves as a central connection point for enabling communication between the wireless devices. For example, the base station

[0502] may be eNodeB, gNodeB, etc.

[0096] For managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, initially, at step 1, the method

[0500] involves receiving, at the base station

[0502] , a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The trigger signal may be received from a user equipment (UE)

[0102] ,

[0097] Then, at step 2, the method

[0500] includes checking if the CSI receipt occasion is falling within the BWP switch delay period. Checking may be done by detecting, at the base station

[0502] , the first event indicative of the instance of receipt of CSI report. Further, if the first event falls during the BWP switch delay period, then, in order to delay such occasions, BWP switching is postponed. The BWP switching may be postponed to an instance after the receipt of the CSI report.

[0098] Then at step 3, the method

[0500] involves receiving the CSI report. It may be noted that the delayed instance of BWP switching may be determined based on the instance of receipt of the CSI report, in such a way that the switch delay due to switching does not impact receipt of the CSI report.

[0099] Then at step 4, the method

[0500] involves executing the BWP switching during the BWP switching period after receipt of the CSI report. The BWP switching may be done by deactivating a currently active BWP, and, subsequently, activating a different BWP. In an embodiment, the time period for switching BWP may be such that it occurs after completion of the receipt of the CSI report. In an embodiment, the time period may be an instance when the BWP switching may be performed.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary signalling flow diagram for a method

[0600] for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure, is shown. In an implementation the method

[0600] may be performed by the system

[0300] , Further, in an implementation, the system

[0300] may be present in a server device to implement the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the method

[0600] may be performed between two entities, namely, the base station

[0602] and the UE

[0102] , The base station

[0602] is substantially to the base station

[0502] shown in FIG. 5.

[0101] For managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, initially, at step SI, the method

[0600] involves receiving, at the base station

[0602] , a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The trigger signal may be received from a user equipment (UE)

[0102] ,

[0102] Then, at step S2, the method

[0600] includes checking if the SR receipt occasion is falling within the BWP switch delay period. Checking may be done by detecting, at the base station

[0602] , the first event indicative of the instance of receipt of the SR. Further, if the first event falls during the BWP switch delay period, then, in order to delay such occasions, BWP switching is postponed. The BWP switching may be postponed to an instance after the receipt of the SR.

[0103] Then at step S3, the method

[0600] involves receiving the SR. It may be noted that the delayed instance of BWP switching may be determined based on the instance of receipt of the SR, in such a way that the switch delay due to switching does not impact receipt of the SR.

[0104] Then at step S4, the method

[0600] involves executing the BWP switching during the BWP switching period after receipt of the SR. The BWP switching may be done by deactivating a currently active BWP, and, subsequently, activating a different BWP. In an embodiment, the timeperiod for switching BWP may be such that it occurs after completion of the receipt of the SR. In an embodiment, the time period may be an instance when the BWP switching may be performed.

[0105] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more instructions for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, the one or more instructions include executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system

[0300] , causes the one or more units to perform certain functions. The one or more instructions when executed causes a transceiver unit

[0302] of the system

[0300] to receive, at a base station

[0502] , from a user equipment (UE)

[0102] , a trigger signal for switching of BWP. The one or more instructions when executed further causes a processing unit

[0304] of the system

[0300] to detect, at the base station

[0502] , an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR). The one or more instructions when executed further causes the processing unit

[0304] of the system

[0300] to determine, at the base station

[0502] , a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period. In response to the determination of the first event, the one or more instructions when executed further causes the processing unit

[0304] of the system

[0300] to determine, at the base station

[0502] , a time period for switching the BWP of the UE

[0102] , based on completion of the first event.

[0106] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically advanced solution for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in the wireless communication system. The present solution improves the user experience while promoting efficient resource utilization and load balancing and also focusing on enhancing network performance. Further, the present disclosure allows for postponing BWP switching based on the CSI report or SR to be transmitted from UEs during the interval of BWP switching. The present solution enables the delaying of the BWP switching in order to avoid the miss of information that is periodically transmitted by the UE. By delaying BWPs, the present disclosure helps balance network loads and prevents resource wastage, ultimately leading to improved network efficiency thereby providing optimized resource utilization. The present solution provides efficient resource allocation, coupled with control information updates, results in a better QoS for wireless communication services, resulting in fewer disruption in user experience, reduced latency, thereby providing overall improved Quality of Service (QoS).

[0107] Further, the present disclosure contributes to load balancing within the network by avoiding switching of BWPs when the CSI report or SR are scheduled to be transmitted during BWP switch delay period ensuring fair resource distribution. Further, by dynamically considering the control information before switching the BWPs, the present disclosure provides optimization of the utilization of available resources which may further lead to cost savings for network operators and a more sustainable wireless infrastructure. With reduced transmission interruptions and enhanced QoS, users benefit from an overall improved wireless communication experience. This is especially valuable in densely populated urban areas and during network congestion and results in improved user experience. The present disclosure also provides a scalable solution which can accommodate the evolving needs of wireless communication networks, including the transition to 5G and beyond and is also able to adapt to changing network conditions and requirements. Accordingly, it may be understood that the method of postponing BWP switching in accordance with the current disclosure provides an improved user experience, better resource utilization, and enhanced QoS within wireless communication systems.

[0108] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative and non-limiting.

[0109] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged that the functionality described for the various components / units can be implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:- receiving, by a transceiver unit [302], at a base station [502], from a user equipment (UE) [102], a trigger signal for switching of BWP;- detecting, by a processing unit [304] connected to at least the transceiver unit [302], at the base station [502], an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR); and- determining, by the processing unit [304], at the base station [502], a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period, wherein, in response to determination of the first event, the method comprises:- determining, by the processing unit [304], at the base station [502], a time period for switching the BWP for the UE [102], based on completion of the first event.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises executing, by the processing unit [304], at the base station [502], the trigger signal at least one of during the determined time period, and at the determined time period, to facilitate switching the BWP for the UE [102],3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the BWP switching comprises deactivation, by the processing unit [304] at the base station [502], of a currently active BWP, and a subsequent activation of a different BWP.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first BWP switch delay period is determined based on a predefined time interval required for transitioning between the currently active BWP, and the different BWP.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises assessing, by the processing unit [304], at least one of a periodicity of the CSI report, and a periodicity of the SR, to determine the instance of receipt of the CSI report, and the SR, relative to the first BWP switch delay period.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the CSI report comprises at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI), and a Rank Indicator (RI).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report and the SR is based on a timing information configuration, wherein the timing information configuration comprises a periodicity of receipt of the corresponding CSI report, and SR.

8. A system [300] for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, the system [300] comprising:- a transceiver unit [302] configured to receive, at a base station [502], from a user equipment (UE) [102], a trigger signal for switching of BWP; and- a processing unit [304] connected at least to the transceiver unit [302], the processing unit [304] configured to:- detect, at the base station [502], an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR); and- determine, at the base station [502], a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period, wherein, in response to determination of the first event, the processing unit [304] is configured to:- determine, at the base station [502], a time period for switching the BWP for the UE [102], based on completion of the first event.

9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit [304] is configured to execute, at the base station [502], the trigger signal at least one of during the determined time period ,and at the determined time period, to facilitate switching the BWP for the UE [102],10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein for the BWP switching, the processing unit [304] is configured to deactivate, at the base station [502], a currently active BWP, and subsequently activate a different BWP.

11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first BWP switch delay period is determined based on a predefined time interval required for transitioning between the currently active BWP, and the different BWP.

12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing unit [304] is configured to assess at least one of a periodicity of the CSI report, and a periodicity of the SR, to determine the instance of receipt of the CSI report, and the SR, relative to the first BWP switch delay period.

13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the CSI report comprises at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), a Precoding Matrix Index (PMI), and a Rank Indicator (RI).

14. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detection of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report and the SR is based on a timing information configuration, wherein the timing information configuration comprises a periodicity of receipt of the corresponding CSI report, and SR.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for managing bandwidth parts (BWP) switching in a wireless communication system, the storage medium comprising executable code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes:- a transceiver unit [302] to receive, at a base station [502], from a user equipment (UE) [102], a trigger signal for switching of BWP; and- a processing unit [304] to:- detect, at the base station [502], an instance of receipt of at least one of a Channel Status Information (CSI) report, and a Scheduling Request (SR); and- determine, at the base station [502], a first event indicative of the instance of receipt of at least one of the CSI report, and the SR falling within a first BWP switch delay period; and- in response to determination of the first event, to determine, at the base station [502], a time period for switching the BWP for the UE [102], based on completion of the first event.

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