Enhancement on asymmetric bandwidth configuration in 5g

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the enhancement of asymmetric bandwidth configuration in the 5G. According to example embodiments, a system may include a user equipment (UE). The UE may be configured to generate a message that includes a UE Capability Information and provide the message to a network node. The UE Capability Information may include a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth.

Description

ENHANCEMENT ON ASYMMETRIC BANDWIDTH CONFIGURATION IN 5GCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 574,424, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 4, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.63 / 645, 164, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 10, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to enhancement of asymmetric bandwidth configurations in a 5G network system.BACKGROUND

[0003] The information disclosed in this background section is only for the enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

[0004] Asymmetric bandwidths in telecommunication network systems may refer to the utilization of different channel frequency bandwidths for the uplink channel and the downlink channel. For instance, the downlink channel (i.e., where the data is sent from the network to the user device) may be allocated a higher bandwidth and the uplink channel (i.e., where the data is sent from the user device to the network) may be allocated a lower bandwidth, to match the typical traffic patterns where the demand for data transmission in the downlink channel is higher than the uplink channel.

[0005] The advent of the fifth generation (5G) technology has further expanded the capabilities for asymmetric bandwidth allocation, since 5G supports a wide range of frequency bands, such as sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies. Accordingly, the 5G network system may leverage asymmetric bandwidths for various use cases, such as network slicing, dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), and the like.SUMMARY

[0006] Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, apparatuses, methods, and the like, that enhance the asymmetric bandwidth configurations in a 5G network.

[0007] According to example embodiments, a system may include a user equipment (UE). The UE may be configured to generate a message that includes a UE Capability Information and provide the message to a network node. The UE Capability Information may include a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth.

[0008] According to example embodiments, a method may include: generating a message that includes a UE Capability Information associated with a UE and providing the message to a network node. The UE Capability Information may include a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes a UL bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth.

[0009] According to example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions executable by a to cause the UE to perform a method including: generating a message that includes a UE Capability Information associated with a UE and providing the message to a network node. The UE Capability Information may include aparameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes a UL bandwidth of 3 MHz and a DL bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth.

[0010] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description that follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be realized by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system architecture in which one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a method for provisioning a UE Capability Information to a network node, according to one or more example embodiments;

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example use case in which the generation and provisioning of the UE Capability Information message is initiated by the UE;

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example use case in which the generation and provisioning of the UE Capability Information message is initiated by the network node; and

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a device for implementing one or more example embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following detailed description of example embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise forms disclosed.Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations. Further, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). Additionally, the flowchart and description of operations provided below relate to one of the various embodiments. It should be noted that it is possible to make other embodiments that do not exactly match the flowchart and its description. It is understood that in other embodiments one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed simultaneously (at least in part).

[0018] It will be apparent that systems and / or methods, described herein, may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limited to the described implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0019] Even though particular combinations of features are disclosed in the claims and / or in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.

[0020] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” areintended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, expressions such as “at least one of [A] and [B]”, “[A] and / or [B]”, or “at least one of [A] or [B]”, are to be understood as including only A, only B, or both A and B.

[0021] It shall be noted that, descriptions of example embodiments of the present disclosure may include terms and names defined in one or more standard organizations, such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard organization, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standard organization, the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Alliance standard organization, and the like. For instance, the terms “UE Capability Enquiry”, “UE Capability Information”, “BandNR parameter”, “RRC”, and the like, as well as the associated features and operations, are to be interpreted as consistent with those specified in one or more technical specifications, unless being described otherwise.

[0022] As described above, a telecommunication system, such as a fifth-generation (5G) network system, may leverage the asymmetric bandwidth features to allocate different bandwidth capacities for the uplink (UL) channel and the downlink (DL) channel. Accordingly, the bandwidth allocation may align with the usage patterns, where the DL traffic (e.g., content streaming, downloading, etc.) is typically higher than the UL traffic (e.g., control signaling, uploading file, etc.), and the asymmetric bandwidth allocation or configuration may be beneficial for applications with distinct UL and DL data needs.

[0023] The asymmetric bandwidth configurations supported by the network system vary according to the development and evolution of the 5G technology. Recently, the concept ofallocating 3MHz for UL channel in the 5G system has been introduced in 3GPP Release 18 (Rel- 18), with the objective of further improving the efficiency of spectrum utilization, enhancing the network coverage, reducing the path loss, and providing more rooms for network planning and optimization. Such optimizations and configurations are applicable to the user equipment (UE) that complies with the asymmetric bandwidth features defined in Rel-18 (may be referred to as “Rel-18 capable UE” herein).

[0024] For a UE to fully utilize the asymmetric bandwidth features and the associated benefits offered by the Rel-18, the UE is required to be a Rel-18 capable UE. Nevertheless, the mechanism for the network to determine which UE is Rel-18 capable UE and complies with the asymmetric bandwidth features defined in Rel-18 remains unclear and unspecified at the present time. Specifically, the current capability of 3MHz for DL and UL are coupled and hence the UE capability to support only 3MHz UL without supporting 3MHz UL in asymmetric bandwidth configuration cannot be indicated to the network. Accordingly, the UEs and the network equipment lack the necessary information and guidance to operate in the asymmetric bandwidth configuration, and the benefit of the features defined in Rel-18 cannot be fully leveraged.

[0025] Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system, a method, a device, and the like, that provide enhancement on the asymmetric bandwidth configurations in a 5G network system, particularly the 5G network system defined in Rel-18 (or any technical specification based on Rel-18). Specifically, example embodiments of the present disclosure introduce at least one new parameter that specifies the asymmetric bandwidth capabilities of a UE that support a UL bandwidth of 3MHz UL and a DL bandwidth wider than 3MHz (e.g., 5MHz, etc.) Further, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide the mechanisms for communicating and utilizing said parameter in the 5G network system, thereby enabling thenetwork system to effectively and efficiently determine the type of UE (e.g., a Rel-18 capable UE, a non-Rel-18 capable UE, etc.) and appropriately establish the UL and DL channels based thereon. Accordingly, the UEs and the network nodes in the network system may effectively and efficiently communicate the necessary information, and eventually, the network system may utilize the information to configure optimal UL and DL bandwidths for the UEs, thereby leveraging the benefit of the asymmetric bandwidth features defined in Rel-18 (or any technical specification based on Rel-18).

[0026] It is contemplated that features, advantages, and significances of example embodiments described hereinabove are merely a portion of the present disclosure, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further descriptions of the features, components, configuration, operation are provided in the following.Example System Architecture

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system architecture in which one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in FIG.1, the system architecture may include at least one user equipment (UE) 110 and at least one network node 120. In some example implementations, the system may include a plurality of UEs 110 and / or a plurality of network nodes 120.

[0028] The UE 110 may include one or more equipment or devices utilized by a user to access a network via the network node 120. For example, UE 110 may include a computing device (e g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld computer, a smart speaker, a server, etc.), a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone, a radiotelephone, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., a pair of smart glasses or a smart watch), a portable hotspot router, or a similar device.

[0029] The network node 120 may include one or more network elements that may receive(from the UE) and utilize information associated with the UE. For example, the network node 120 may include a base station (e.g., a gNodeB, an eNodeB, etc.), a network function (e.g., core network function like Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), etc.), and the like.

[0030] The UE 110 and the network node 120 may communicatively couple to each other via any suitable protocols and interfaces, such as the radio interface, physical layer protocols, medium access control (MAC) layer protocols, radio resource control (RRC) protocols, and the like defined in the 3 GPP technical specifications. In some example embodiments, the UE 110 and the network node 120 may communicate with each other by transmitting or signaling messages in the form of data packets.

[0031] According to example embodiments, the UE 110 may be configured to generate a message that includes at least one UE Capability Information associated with the capabilities supported by the UE 110. For instance, the UE Capability Information may include one or more UE Capability Parameters, such as one or more physical layer parameters, one or more service data adaption protocol (SDAP) parameters, one or more packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) parameters, one or more radio link control (RLC) parameters, one or more MAC parameters, and the like.

[0032] According to example embodiments, the UE Capability Information (e.g., or the physical layer parameter included therein) may include one or more Band New Radio (BandNR) parameters associated with the frequency bands that the UE capable of utilizing for communication. For instance, the BandNR parameter may include one or more parameters defining the asymmetric bandwidth capabilities of the UE 110, such as an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes an uplink (UL) bandwidth and a downlink (DL) bandwidth that the UE 1 10 capable toallocate or utilize. Several example parameters associated with the asymmetric bandwidth capabilities of the UE 110, according to one or more example embodiments, are defined in the following Table 1. It is contemplated that the parameters in Table 1 may be presented in any other suitable terms or labeling, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Table 1: BandNR Parameters

[0033] In Table 1, the column “Per” indicates the scope or level at which the associated parameter is applicable. The column “M” indicates whether or not the associated parameter is mandatory or optional. The column “FDD-TDD DIFF” indicates whether or not the associated parameter is applicable in Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode and / or Time Division Duplexing (TDD) mode. The column “FR1 -FR2 DIFF” indicates whether the associated parameter is applicable in Frequency Range 1 (FR1) which is typically under 6GHz (may also be referred to as “Sub-6 frequency range”) and / or Frequency Range 2 (FR2) which is typically above 24 GHz (may also be referred to as “millimeter-wave” or “mmWave”). In this regard, the parameters presented in Table 1 are all applicable “Per Band”, optional to be included in every UE Capability Information message, applicable to FDD mode, and applicable to FR1 only.

[0034] The parameter “support-3MHz-ChannelBW-Uplink-rl8” indicates the UE capability to support an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes a UL bandwidth of 3MHz UL bandwidth and a DL bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth, such as a DL bandwidth of 5MHz or higher than 5MHz. In addition, this parameter also specifies that the supported asymmetric capability (i.e., UL bandwidth of 3MHz and DL bandwidth wider than the ULbandwidth) is different or independent from the UE capability defined in the parameter “Support- 3MHz-ChannelBW-rl8” that indicates the UE capability in supporting 3MHz channel bandwidth.

[0035] The parameter “support-3MHz-Uplink-with-Asymetric-DownlinkChannelBW-rl 8” indicates the UE capability to support an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes a UL bandwidth of 3MHz UL bandwidth and a DL bandwidth of at least 5MHz. Further, this parameter also indicates the supported features under the asymmetric bandwidth combination set, such as the supported random access channel (RACH) preamble format and physical RACH (PRACH) format, the associated subcarrier spacing (SCS), and the supported reception of control resource set (CORESET) in terms of physical resource block (PRB).

[0036] The parameter “Support-3MHz-ChannelBW-rl8” indicates the UE capability to support a 3MHz channel bandwidth. Further, this parameter also indicates the supported features under the 3MHz channel bandwidth, such as the supported physical broadcast channel (PBCH) reception in terms of PRB, the supported RACH preamble format and PRACH format, the associated SCS, the supported reception of CORESET in terms of PRB, the applicable synchronization signal (SS) / PBCH block condition, and the supported configuration of the bandwidth part (BWP) in terms of PRB. In some example embodiments, the UE supporting this capability may also support 3MHz asymmetric uplink and downlink bandwidth operation when “asymmetricBandwidthCombinationSef” as per TS 38.101-1 is signaled.

[0037] The UE 110 may be configured to generate a message that includes the UE Capability Information (which may include one or more of the above described parameters associated with the UE’s asymmetric bandwidth capabilities) and then provide the message to the network node 120. For instance, the UE 110 may be configured to periodically generate and provide the message to the network node at a predefined time interval, thereby ensuring that thenetwork node 120 has the latest information of the UE’s capabilities. Alternatively or additionally, the UE 110 may be configured to generate and provide the message in response to an event (e.g., an event associated with UE such as the detection of changes in the UE’s hardware and / or software configuration, an event associated with the network such as the detection of network slicing changes, etc.) Furthermore, the UE 110 may be configured to generate and provide the message in response to receiving a request from the network node 120. Descriptions of the associated example use cases are provided below with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0038] Based on the message provided by the UE 110, the network node 120 can determine whether or not the UE 110 is a Rel-18 capable UE (e.g., by determining whether or not the UE Capability Information in the message includes a parameter that defines an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that involve 3MHz UL bandwidth, etc.) Accordingly, upon receiving the message from the UE 110, the network node 120 may establish, based on the received message, a UL channel and a DL channel according to the bandwidth supported by the UE 110. For instance, the network node 120 may determine the appropriate UL and DL bandwidth configurations (e.g., operating frequency band, UL bandwidth frequency, DL bandwidth frequency, bandwidth combination set (BCS), etc.), based on real-time (or near-real-time) information like the network conditions, the type of activities (e.g., content streaming, web browsing, downloading, etc.) in the UE 110 (or scheduled to be performed in the UE 110) and the like. In the case where the UE 110 supports an asymmetric bandwidth configuration of 3MHz UL bandwidth and DL bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth, the network node 120 may establish a UL channel with a bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL channel with a bandwidth wider than 3Mhz within the same frequency band.

[0039] Upon establishing the UL and DL channels, the network node 120 may provide the information of the established channels to the UE 110. For example, the network node 120 mayinclude the information of the established UL and DL channels into an RRC message (e.g., RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, etc.), and then provide the RRC message to the UE. According to example embodiments, the RRC message may include updated configuration parameters, which may involve changing the asymmetric bandwidth configurations, adjusting the carrier frequency, and / or configuring other radio resource parameters.

[0040] The UE 110 may receive the message (e.g., RRC message, etc.) that includes the information associated with the established UL channel and the established DL channel, and then adjust a configuration of a UL bandwidth of the UE and a configuration of a DL bandwidth of the UE based on the received message. For instance, the UE may process the received message and apply the configuration settings defined in the message, such as configuring the transceiver configurations of the UE to match the asymmetric bandwidth allocated by the network node 120.

[0041] Accordingly, the UE 110 may transmit and receive data according to the configured bandwidths. Several examples of the operating frequency band and asymmetric channel bandwidth combination set that may be supported by the UE 110 in the FDD mode, according to some embodiments, are defined in the following Table 2.Table 2: FDD asymmetric UL and DL channel bandwidth combination

[0042] The “NR Band” column in Table 2 indicates the frequency bands supported by the UE 110. The “Channel bandwidths for UL (MHz)” column in Table 2 indicates the supported channel bandwidths for uplink within the associated frequency band, and the “Channel bandwidths for DL (MHz)” column in Table 2 indicates the supported channel bandwidths for downlink withinthe associated frequency band. Further, the “Asymmetric channel bandwidth combination sets” column indicates a specific set(s) of asymmetric combination(s) that are supported by the UE 110, while the values “0”, “1”, “2”, and the like represent different asymmetric channel bandwidth combination set (BCS) defined in the 3GPP technical specifications. By way of example, when the established UL channel has a bandwidth of 3MHz and the established DL channel has a bandwidth of 5MHz, the UE 110 may be configured to operate (e.g., transmit and receive data, etc.) in the frequency band n28.

[0043] According to example embodiments, for at least one of the frequency bands (e.g., n91, n92, n93, n94, nl09), the assignment of the paired UL and DL channels in Table 2 may be subjected to a transmission-reception (TX-RX) separation, as specified in one or more of the 3GPP technical specifications. Further, it may be mandatory for the UEs to support asymmetric channel bandwidth combination set 0 (BCS0) if there is an asymmetric BCS0 defined for the band (e.g., as indicated for “asymmetricBandwidthCombinationSef ’ in TS 38.306). Furthermore, for at least one of the frequency bands (e.g., n28), the BCS1 may be limited to uplink 715-718 MHz and downlink 768-773 MHz.

[0044] According to embodiments, upon adjusting the configurations of the UL and DL bandwidths of the UE to operate within the bandwidths of the established channels, the UE 110 may be configured to perform dynamic bandwidth adaptation to adjust the bandwidth usage based on current network conditions, data requirements, and / or other factors. Specifically, the UE 110 may monitor (continuously or periodically) a condition of the established UL channel and / or the established DL channel (e.g., signal strength, interference levels, traffic load, etc.) and monitor the UE data transmission and bandwidth requirements, thereby determining whether or not an adjustment of the bandwidth configurations (e g., UE bandwidths, bandwidths of the establishedchannels, etc.) is required. In this regard, based on determining that the adjustment is required, theUE 110 may send a message (e.g., an RRC Measurement Report, an RRC Request message, etc.) to the network node 120 thereby requesting the network node 120 to re-allocate the bandwidths and re-establish the UL / DL channel(s) as per requirements.

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, the dynamic bandwidth adaptation may also be initiated by the network node 120. Specifically, after establishing the UL and DL channels according to the asymmetric bandwidth configurations supported by the UE 110, the network node 120 may adjust the bandwidth configurations of the UL and / or DL channels according to, for example, real-time (or near-real-time) network conditions, updated network policies, priority of services, and the like. In this case, the network node 120 may adjust the established UL and / or DL channels (or re-establish new UL and / or DL channels) according to the requirements, and then send a message (e.g., an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message) that includes updated bandwidth parameters to the UE 110. Accordingly, the UE 110 may adjust the configurations of the associated UL and / or DL bandwidths, thereby adapting to the changes in the bandwidth requirements.

[0046] In view of the above, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and mechanisms that effectively and efficiently provide enhancement of asymmetric bandwidth configurations in the 5G network. Specifically, the UEs may generate and provide, to the network node, a message that includes at least one novel parameter that clearly defines the supported asymmetric bandwidth combination set(s) that involve the 3MHz bandwidth frequency. Accordingly, the network node can effectively determine the asymmetric bandwidth capabilities of the UEs (e.g., whether or not a UE supports a 3MHz asymmetric bandwidth combination set, etc.) as well as the type of the UE (e g., whether or not the UE is a Rel-18 capable UE, etc.), andthen appropriately allocate bandwidth and establish the UL / DL channel(s) accordingly. Ultimately, the UEs and the network node can effectively and efficiently communicate the necessary information and guidance to operate in the supported asymmetric bandwidth configuration, thereby leveraging the benefit of the asymmetric bandwidth features defined in the Rel-18.Example Operations

[0047] Example methods and operations, as well as several example use cases associated therewith, that may be performed by the systems and devices of the example embodiments (described above with reference to FIG. 1), will be described in the following. For descriptive purposes, it may be assumed that the operations in the following descriptions may be performed by the UE 110 and / or the network node 120 in FIG. 1. For instance, the UE 110 and / or network node 120 may include a processor and a storage medium (e.g., a memory, a storage component, etc.) that store computer-readable instructions, and the processor may be configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform one or more operations described herein.

[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a method 200 for provisioning a UE Capability Information to the network node, according to one or more example embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 2, at operation S210, the UE (or the processor thereof) may be configured to generate a message that includes a UE Capability Information. The UE Capability Information may include a parameter that defines an asymmetric bandwidth combination set, while the asymmetric bandwidth combination set may include a UL bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth. In some example implementations, the DL bandwidth is at least 5MHz. Further, the message may be an RRC message (said RRC message may also be referred to as “UECapability Information message” herein) and the parameter may include any other suitable UECapability Parameters (e.g., BandNR parameters, SDAP parameters, PDCP parameters, RLC parameters, MAC parameters, etc.)

[0049] Upon generating the message, the method 200 may proceed to operation S220, at which the UE (or the processor thereof) may be configured to provide the message to the network node. For instance, according to example embodiments in which the network node includes a base station, the UE may provide the message to the network node via an NR-Uu interface.

[0050] According to example embodiments, the generation and provision of the message (i.e., operations S210 and S220) may be initiated by the UE. FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example use case in which the generation and provisioning of the UE Capability Information message is initiated by the UE.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 3, at step 1, the UE may be configured to generate the UE Capability Information message, which may be an RRC message that includes the UE Capability Information and the associated parameters (e.g., BandNR parameters, etc.) Subsequently, at step 2, the UE may be configured to provide the message to the network. In this regard, the UE may be configured to periodically (or continuously) generate and provide the message to the network node at a predefined time interval. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may be configured to detect an event that necessitates an update of the UE Capability Information (e.g., changes in UE’s hardware and / or software configuration, detection of network slicing changes, etc.), and then generate and provide the message to the network node based on detecting the event

[0052] At step 3, the network node may be configured to establish, based on the message provided by the UE, a UL channel and a DL channel. Specifically, the network node may determine and allocate appropriate UL bandwidth and DL bandwidth based on the UE Capability Information and appropriate factors like the network conditions and UE’s activities, and thenestablish the UL and DL channels based thereon. According to example embodiments in which the message provided by the UE includes parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set that includes a UL bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth (e.g., 5MHz or higher, etc.), the network node may be configured to establish a UL channel with a bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL channel with a bandwidth wider than 3MHz (e.g., 5MHz or higher, etc.) within the same frequency band (e.g., band n28, etc.)

[0053] Subsequently, at step 4, the network node may provide, to the UE, a message that includes the information of the established UL and DL channels. For instance, the network node may generate an RRC message (e.g., RRC Connection Reconfiguration, etc.) that includes the information associated with the established UL channel and the established DL channel (e.g., UL bandwidth allocation, DL bandwidth allocation, operating frequency band, UL channel information such as UL resource allocation and transmission parameters, DL channel information such as DL resource allocation and transmission parameters, etc.) Upon generating the message, the network node may be configured to provide the message to the UE (via NR-Uu interface, etc.)

[0054] According to embodiments, the generation and provision of the message (i.e., operations S210 and S220) may be initiated by the network node. FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example use case in which the generation and provisioning of the UE Capability Information message is initiated by the network node.

[0055] One or more steps in the flow diagram of FIG. 4 may be similar to the flow diagram in FIG. 3. Specifically, steps 2-5 in FIG. 4 may be similar to steps 1-4 in FIG. 3, respectively. In this regard, the flow diagram in FIG. 4 may be different from the flow diagram in FIG. 3 in that, the generation and provisioning of the UE Capability Information message (steps 2-3) in FIG. 4 is performed by the UE in response to receiving a request message from the network node, insteadof initiated periodically and / or in response to detecting an event as described above with reference to FIG. 3.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 4, at step 1, the network node 120 may generate and provide a UE Capability Enquiry message (or any other suitable type of request message) to the UE. In this regard, the network node may request the UE to provide or update the associated UE Capability Information in various situations to ensure optimal network performance and seamless service delivery.

[0057] For instance, the network node may request, from the UE, the UE Capability Information during the handover procedure (e.g., intra-frequency handover, inter-frequency handover, etc.) to maintain service continuity and optimize resource allocation, during network updates (e.g., transitioning to a new 5G NR release, adapting to a new network feature, etc.) to ensure that the UE can support the updated network, during the assignment of network slices to ensure that the UE can support the slice parameter, during the initiation of emergency services to ensure that the UE can support the necessary emergency communication features and the associated protocols, and the like. In such case(s), the network node may generate the request message (e.g., UE Capability Enquiry message) and then provide the same to the UE.

[0058] In response to receiving the UE Capability Enquiry message (or any suitable type of request message) from the network node, the UE may be configured to generate a message that includes the UE Capability Information (at step 2) and to provide the message to the network node (at step 3). Accordingly, the network node may establish a UL channel and a DL channel based on the message provided by the UE (at step 4), and then provide a message that includes the information of the established channels to the UE (at step 5). Further detailed descriptionsassociated with steps 2-5 have been described above with reference at least to FIG. 3, thus redundant descriptions associated therewith may be omitted hereto for conciseness.

[0059] After providing the message that includes the UE Capability Information (e.g., after operation S220, after step 2 in FIG. 3, after step 3 in FIG. 4, etc.), the UE may monitor a response from the network node. For instance, according to example embodiments in which the network node has established the UL and DL channels and provided the message that includes the information of the established channels, the UE may receive the message (e.g., RRC message) from the network node. Accordingly, the UE may adjust or configure, based on the received message, a configuration of the UL bandwidth of the UE and / or a configuration of the DL bandwidth of the UE. For instance, the UE may configure the transceiver configurations of the UE to match the asymmetric bandwidth allocated by the network node and defined in the message provided by the network node, and the like. Subsequently, the UE may operate within the configured bandwidths, such as transmitting data within the configured UL bandwidth and receiving the configured DL bandwidth.Examples of Device Components

[0060] One or more components of the system of the example embodiments (e.g., UE 110, network node 120, etc ), as well as the operations associated therewith, may be implemented in one or more systems, devices, or hardware components. In the following, descriptions of a device in which the systems or components of the example embodiments may be implemented are provided. It is contemplated that one or more features, operations, and methods described above with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 may be performed by the device. For instance, the one or more operations or methods may be performed by at least one processor of the device upon executing machine-readable instructions or computer-readable instructions (e.g., instructions forimplementing the operations described herein, etc., etc.) stored in a memory or a storage component of the device.

[0061] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a device 500. As shown in FIG. 5, the device 500 may include a processor 510, a memory 520, a storage component 530, an input component 540, an output component 550, a communication interface 560, and a bus 570.

[0062] The processor 510, as used herein, means any type of computational circuit that may comprise hardware elements and software elements. The processor 510 may be embodied as a multi-core processor, a single core processor, or a combination of one or more multi-core processors and / or one or more single core processors, a distributed processing system, or the like. The processor 510 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component.

[0063] Memory 520 includes a non-transitory computer readable medium. Memory 520 includes a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., a flash memory, a magnetic memory, and / or an optical memory) that stores information and / or instructions for use by processor 510. The memory 520 comprises machine-readable instructions which are executable by the processor 510. These machine-readable instructions when executed by the processor 510 cause the processor 510 to perform one or more method steps of an embodiment described above.

[0064] Storage component 530 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of the device 500. For example, storage component 530 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optic disk, and / or a solid-state disk), a compact disc(CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, a magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable medium, along with a corresponding drive.

[0065] Input component 540 is configured to receive information, such as user input. For example, the input component 540 may include, but not be limited to, a touch screen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a button, a switch, and / or a microphone. Additionally, or alternatively, the input component 540 may include a sensor for sensing information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS), an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator).

[0066] Output component 550 is configured to provide output information from the device 500. For example, the output component 550 may be, but not limited to, a display, a speaker, instructions to an external device, and / or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

[0067] Communication interface 560 is an interface that provides a communication connection to other devices, such as external devices and internal devices. The connection by the communication interface 560 can be a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections, and can be a direct connection or an indirect connection via a communication network that exists between the device 500 and other devices. In other words, the standard of the communication interface 560 is not limited.

[0068] The bus 570 acts as an interconnect between the processor 510, the memory 520, the storage component 530, the input component 540, the output component 550, and the communication interface 560 of the device 500. The bus 570 may include a wired interconnection or a wireless interconnection.

[0069] The number and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 5 are provided as an example. In practice, device 500 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in FIG. 5. Additionally, oralternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 500 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 500.Further, one or more method steps described in any of the embodiments may be performed utilizing a plurality of devices 500 in communication with one another.Various Aspects of Embodiments

[0070] It is contemplated that the example embodiments described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 are merely examples of possible embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] Specifically, the foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementations to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementations.

[0072] Some embodiments may relate to a device (e.g., network node, etc.), a system, a method, and / or a computer-readable medium at any possible technical detail level of integration. Further, one or more of the above components described above may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). The computer-readable medium may include a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium (or media) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out operations.

[0073] The computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storagedevice, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer-readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

[0074] Computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer-readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and / or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0075] Computer-readable program code / instructions for carrying out operations may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0076] The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer- readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects or operations.

[0077] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computer- readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other devices to function ina particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0078] The computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0079] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer- readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). The method, computer system, and computer-readable medium may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in the Figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

[0080] It will be apparent that systems and / or methods, described herein, may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limited to the implementations. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods were described herein without reference to specific software code — it is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0081] In view of the above, various further respective aspects and features of embodiments of the present disclosure may be defined by the following items:Item [1]: A system includes: a user equipment (UE) configured to: generate a message that may include a UE Capability Information, wherein the UE Capability Information may include a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set, wherein the asymmetric bandwidth combination set may include an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth; and provide the message to a network node.Item [2]: The system according to item [1], wherein the DL bandwidth may be at least 5MHz.Item [3]: The system according to any one of items [l]-[2], wherein the UE may be configured to periodically generate and provide the message at a predefined time interval.Item [4]: The system according to any one of items [l]-[3], wherein the UE may be configured to generate and provide the message by: detecting an event that necessitates anupdate of the UE Capability Information; and based on detecting the event, generating and providing the message to the network node.Item [5]: The system according to any one of items [l]-[4], wherein the UE may be configured to generate and provide the message by: receiving, from the network node, a UE Capability Enquiry message; and in response to receiving the UE Capability Enquiry message, generating and providing the message to the network node.Item [6]: The system according to any one of items [l]-[5], wherein the message may include a radio resource control (RRC) message.Item [7]: The system according to any one of items [l]-[6], wherein the system may further include the network node, and wherein the network node may be configured to: establish, based on the message provided by the UE, a UL channel with a bandwidth of 3 MHz and a DL channel with a bandwidth wider than 3MHz within the same frequency band; generate an RRC message that includes the information associated with the established UL channel and the established DL channel; and provide, to the UE, the RRC message.Item [8]: The system according to item [7], wherein the UE may be further configured to: receive, from the network node, the RRC message; configure, based on the RRC message, a configuration of a UL bandwidth of the UE and a configuration of a DL bandwidth of the UE; and transmit data within the configured UL bandwidth and receive data within the configured DL bandwidth.Item [9]: A method including: generating a message that may include a user equipment (UE) Capability Information associated with a UE, wherein the UE Capability Information may include a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set,wherein the asymmetric bandwidth combination set may include an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth; and providing the message to a network node.Item

[0010] : The method according to item [9], wherein the DL bandwidth may be at least 5MHz.Item

[0011] : The method according to any one of items [9]-

[0010] , wherein the generating the message and the providing the message may include: periodically generating and providing the message at a predefined time interval.Item

[0012] : The method according to any one of items [9]-[l 1], wherein the generating the message and the providing the message may include: detecting an event that necessitates an update of the UE Capability Information; and based on detecting the event, generating and providing the message to the network node.Item

[0013] : The method according to any one of items [9]-

[0012] , wherein the generating the message and the providing the message may include: receiving, from the network node, a UE Capability Enquiry message; and in response to receiving the UE Capability Enquiry message, generating and providing the message to the network node.Item

[0014] : The method according to any one of items [9]-

[0013] , wherein the message may include a radio resource control (RRC) message.Item

[0015] : The method according to any one of items [9]-

[0014] , wherein the method may further include: establishing a UL channel with a bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL channel with a bandwidth wider than 3MHz within the same frequency band; generating an RRC message that includes the information associated with the established UL channel and the established DL channel; and providing, to the UE, the RRC message.Item

[0016] : The method according to item

[0015] , wherein the method may further include: configuring, based on the RRC message, a configuration of a UL bandwidth of the UE and a configuration of a DL bandwidth of the UE; and transmitting data within the configured UL bandwidth and receiving data within the configured DL bandwidth.Item

[0017] : A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions executable by a user equipment (UE) to cause the UE to perform a method including: generating a message that may include a user equipment (UE) Capability Information associated with a UE, wherein the UE Capability Information may include a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set, wherein the asymmetric bandwidth combination set may include an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth; and providing the message to a network node.Item

[0018] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to item

[0017] , wherein the DL bandwidth may be at least 5MHz.Item

[0019] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to any one of items

[0017] -

[0018] , wherein the generating the message and the providing the message may include: periodically generating and providing the message at a predefined time interval.Item

[0020] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to any one of items

[0017] -

[0019] , wherein the generating the message and the providing the message may include: detecting an event that necessitates an update of the UE Capability Information; and based on detecting the event, generating and providing the message to the network node.

[0082] It can be understood that numerous modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It will be apparent that within the scope of the appended clauses, the present disclosures may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising: a user equipment (UE) configured to: generate a message that comprises a UE Capability Information, wherein the UE Capability Information comprises a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set, wherein the asymmetric bandwidth combination set comprises an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth; and provide the message to a network node.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the DL bandwidth is at least 5MHz.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to periodically generate and provide the message at a predefined time interval.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to generate and provide the message by: detecting an event that necessitates an update of the UE Capability Information; and based on detecting the event, generating and providing the message to the network node.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to generate and provide the message by: receiving, from the network node, a UE Capability Enquiry message; and in response to receiving the UE Capability Enquiry message, generating and providing the message to the network node.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a radio resource control (RRC) message.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the network node, wherein the network node is configured to: establish, based on the message provided by the UE, a UL channel with a bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL channel with a bandwidth wider than 3MHz within the same frequency band; generate an RRC message that comprises the information associated with the established UL channel and the established DL channel; and provide, to the UE, the RRC message.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the UE is further configured to: receive, from the network node, the RRC message; configure, based on the RRC message, a configuration of a UL bandwidth of theUE and a configuration of a DL bandwidth of the UE; andtransmit data within the configured UL bandwidth and receive data within the configured DL bandwidth.

9. A method comprising: generating a message that comprises a user equipment (UE) Capability Information associated with a UE, wherein the UE Capability Information comprises a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set, wherein the asymmetric bandwidth combination set comprises an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth; and providing the message to a network node.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the DL bandwidth is at least 5MHz.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the generating the message and the providing the message comprises: periodically generating and providing the message at a predefined time interval.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the generating the message and the providing the message comprises: detecting an event that necessitates an update of the UE Capability Information; and based on detecting the event, generating and providing the message to the network node.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the generating the message and the providing the message comprises: receiving, from the network node, a UE Capability Enquiry message; and in response to receiving the EE Capability Enquiry message, generating and providing the message to the network node14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the message comprises a radio resource control (RRC) message.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprises: establishing a UL channel with a bandwidth of 3MHz and a DL channel with a bandwidth wider than 3MHz within the same frequency band; generating an RRC message that comprises the information associated with the established UL channel and the established DL channel; and providing, to the UE, the RRC message.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprises: configuring, based on the RRC message, a configuration of a UL bandwidth of theUE and a configuration of a DL bandwidth of the UE; and transmitting data within the configured UL bandwidth and receiving data within the configured DL bandwidth.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon instructions executable by a user equipment (UE) to cause the UE to perform a method comprising: generating a message that comprises UE Capability Information, wherein the UE Capability Information comprises a parameter defining an asymmetric bandwidth combination set, wherein the asymmetric bandwidth combination set comprises an uplink (UL) bandwidth of 3MHz and a downlink (DL) bandwidth wider than the UL bandwidth; and providing the message to a network node.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the DL bandwidth is at least 5MHz.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the generating the message and the providing the message comprises: periodically generating and providing the message at a predefined time interval.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the generating the message and the providing the message comprises: detecting an event that necessitates an update of the UE Capability Information; and based on detecting the event, generating and providing the message to the network node.

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