Methods and apparatuses for on-demand synchronization signal block operations in wireless communication systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations in wireless communication systems are provided. The method includes receiving a first message including configurations of multiple Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations; setting a first BWP of the multiple DL BWPs as an active DL BWP in response to receiving the first message; receiving a second message indicating activation of an OD-SSB transmission; determining a second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs for receiving an OD-SSB from the BS; determining whether the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP; in response to determining that the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP, switching the active DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and receiving the OD-SSB based on an OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the second DL BWP.

Description

METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR ON-DEMAND SYNCHRONIZATION SIGNAL BLOCK OPERATIONS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

[0001] The present disclosure is related to wireless communication and, more specifically, to methods and apparatuses for On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations in wireless communication systems.

[0002] Various efforts have been made to improve different aspects of wireless communication for the cellular wireless communication systems, such as the 5thGeneration (5G) New Radio (NR) system, by improving data rate, latency, reliability, and mobility. The 5G NR system is designed to provide flexibility and configurability to optimize network services and types, accommodating various use cases, such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC). As the demand for radio access continues to increase, however, there exists a need for further improvements in the art.Summery of Invention

[0003] The present disclosure is related to methods and apparatuses for On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations in wireless communication systems.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a User Equipment (UE) is provided, the UE including at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to receive, from a Base Station (BS), a first message including configurations of multiple Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations; set a first BWP of the multiple DL BWPs as an active DL BWP in response to receiving the first message; receive, from the BS, a second message indicating activation of an OD-SSB transmission; determine, based on the first message, a second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs for receiving an OD-SSB from the BS; determine whether the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP; in response to determining that the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP, switch the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and receive, from the BS, the OD-SSB based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.

[0005] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, each DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs is associated with a corresponding OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations.

[0006] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the configurations of the multiple DL BWPs include a first DL BWP identifier (ID) of the first BWP and a second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.

[0007] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, setting the first BWP of the multiple DL BWPs as the active DL BWP includes setting an active DL BWP ID to the first DL BWP ID of the first BWP.

[0008] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP includes setting an active DL BWP ID to the second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.

[0009] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the configurations of the multiple DL BWPs indicate a frequency domain range of the first BWP, and the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the second DL BWP indicates a center frequency of the OD-SSB.

[0010] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, determining, based on the first message, the second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs for receiving the OD-SSB from the BS includes determining that the center frequency of the OD-SSB is within the frequency domain range of the second BWP.

[0011] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to start or restart a BWP inactivity timer in response to switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP.

[0012] In some implementations of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to, after switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP, receive, from the BS, a third message indicating deactivation of the OD-SSB transmission, and switch the active DL BWP from the second DL BWP to the first DL BWP in response to receiving the third message.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for handling On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations is provided, the method including receiving, from a Base Station (BS), a first message including configurations of multiple Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations; setting a first BWP of the multiple DL BWPs as an active DL BWP in response to receiving the first message; receiving, from the BS, a second message indicating activation of an OD-SSB transmission; determining, based on the first message, a second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs for receiving an OD-SSB from the BS; determining whether the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP; in response to determining that the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP, switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and receiving, from the BS, the OD-SSB based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a Base Station (BS) is provided, the BS including at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to transmit, to a User Equipment (UE), a first message including configurations of multiple Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations, where a first DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs is configured as an active DL BWP for the UE, and a second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs, which is different from the first DL BWP, is configured for an OD-SSB transmission; transmit, to the UE, a second message indicating activation of the OD-SSB transmission, where the second message causes the UE to switch the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and in response to transmitting the second message to the UE, transmit an OD-SSB to the UE based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.

[0015] In some implementations of the third aspect of the present disclosure, each DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs is associated with a corresponding OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations.

[0016] In some implementations of the third aspect of the present disclosure, the configurations of the multiple DL BWPs include a first DL BWP identifier (ID) of the first BWP and a second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.

[0017] In some implementations of the third aspect of the present disclosure, the configurations of the multiple DL BWPs indicate a frequency domain range of the first BWP, and the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the second DL BWP indicates a center frequency of the OD-SSB.

[0018] In some implementations of the third aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the BS to transmit, to the UE, a third message indicating deactivation of the OD-SSB transmission, where the third message causes the UE to switch the active DL BWP from the second DL BWP to the first DL BWP.

[0019] Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed disclosure when read with the accompanying drawings. Various features are not drawn to scale. Dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating method / process for handling On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating method / process for handling OD-SSB operations, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating node for wireless communications, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] Some of the abbreviations in the present application are defined as follows and, unless otherwise specified, the abbreviations have the following meanings: Abbreviation　　　　　　　　Full name 3GPP　　　　　　　　3rd Generation Partnership Project 5G　　　　　　　　　　　　5th Generation 5GC　　　　　　　　　　　　5G Core ACK　　　　　　　　Acknowledgement AN-PDB　　　　　　　　Access Network Packet Delay Budget ARFCN　　　　　　　　Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number AS　　　　　　　　　　　　Access Stratum ASN.1　　　　　　　　Abstract Syntax Notation One BFRQ　　　　　　　　Beam Failure Recovery Request BS　　　　　　　　　　　　Base Station BSR　　　　　　　　　　　　Buffer Status Report BWP　　　　　　　　Bandwidth Part C-RNTI　　　　　　　　Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier CA　　　　　　　　　　　　Carrier Aggregation CAG　　　　　　　　Closed Access Group CB　　　　　　　　　　　　Codebook-Based CG　　　　　　　　　　　　Configured Grant CIF　　　　　　　　　　　　Carrier Indicator Field CJT　　　　　　　　　　　　Coherent Joint Transmission CN　　　　　　　　　　　　Core Network CN-PDB　　　　　　　　Core Network Packet Delay Budget CORESET　　　　Control Resource Set CPE　　　　　　　　　　　　Customer Premises Equipment CQI　　　　　　　　　　　　Channel Quality Indication CRC　　　　　　　　Cyclic Redundancy Check CSI　　　　　　　　　　　　Channel State Information CSI-RS　　　　　　　　Channel State Information Reference Signal CS-RNTI　　　　　　　　Configured Scheduling Radio Network Temporary Identifier CSS　　　　　　　　　　　　Common Search Space CU　　　　　　　　　　　　Central Unit DAPS　　　　　　　　Dual Active Protocol Stack DC　　　　　　　　　　　　Dual Connectivity DCI　　　　　　　　　　　　Downlink Control Information DG　　　　　　　　　　　　Dynamic Grant DI　　　　　　　　　　　　Delay Information DL　　　　　　　　　　　　Downlink DL-SCH　　　　　　　　Downlink Shared Channel DMRS　　　　　　　　Demodulation Reference Signal DR　　　　　　　　　　　　Delay Report DRB　　　　　　　　Data Radio Bearer DTCH　　　　　　　　Dedicated Traffic Channel DU　　　　　　　　　　　　Distributed Unit ETSI　　　　　　　　European Telecommunications Standards Institute E-UTRA　　　　　　　　Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access EN-DC　　　　　　　　E-UTRA NR Dual Connectivity EPC　　　　　　　　　　　　Evolved Packet Core eMBB　　　　　　　　Enhanced Mobile BroadBand eMTC　　　　　　　　Enhanced Machine Type Communication eNB　　　　　　　　　　　　Evolved Node B FDD　　　　　　　　Frequency Division Duplexing FDRA　　　　　　　　Frequency Domain Resource Allocation FR　　　　　　　　　　　　Frequency Range FR1　　　　　　　　　　　　Frequency Range 1 FR2　　　　　　　　　　　　Frequency Range 2 FWA　　　　　　　　Fixed Wireless Access GEO　　　　　　　　Geostationary Equatorial Orbit gNB　　　　　　　　　　　　Next Generation Node B GNSS　　　　　　　　Global Navigation Satellite System GPS　　　　　　　　　　　　Global Positioning System GW　　　　　　　　　　　　Gateway HARQ　　　　　　　　Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HO　　　　　　　　　　　　Handover FR　　　　　　　　　　　　Frequency Range IAB　　　　　　　　　　　　Integrated Access and Backhaul ID　　　　　　　　　　　　Identity IE　　　　　　　　　　　　Information Element IoT　　　　　　　　　　　　Internet of Things ITS　　　　　　　　　　　　Intelligent Transportation System ITU　　　　　　　　　　　　International Telecommunication Union L1　　　　　　　　　　　　Layer 1 L2　　　　　　　　　　　　Layer 2 L3　　　　　　　　　　　　Layer 3 LAN　　　　　　　　Local Area Network LCH　　　　　　　　Logical Channel LCID　　　　　　　　Logical Channel Identity LEO　　　　　　　　　　　　Low Earth Orbit LTE 　　　　　　　　Long Term Evolution LSB　　　　　　　　　　　　Least Significant Bit MAC　　　　　　　　Medium Access Control MAC CE　　　　　　　　MAC Control Element MCG　　　　　　　　Master Cell Group MCS　　　　　　　　Modulation and Coding Scheme MEO　　　　　　　　Medium Earth Orbit MIB　　　　　　　　　　　　Master Information Block MIMO　　　　　　　　Multi-Input Multi-Output mMTC　　　　　　　　Massive Machine Type Communications MN　　　　　　　　　　　　Master Node Msg　　　　　　　　　　　　Message MTC　　　　　　　　Machine Type Communication NACK　　　　　　　　Negative Acknowledgement NAS　　　　　　　　Non-Access Stratum NB-IoT　　　　　　　　Narrow Band Internet of Things NCB　　　　　　　　Non-Codebook-Based NDI　　　　　　　　　　　　New Data Indicator NES　　　　　　　　　　　　Network Energy Saving NPN　　　　　　　　Non-Public Network NR　　　　　　　　　　　　New Radio NR-U　　　　　　　　NR Unlicensed NTN　　　　　　　　Non-Terrestrial Network OD-SSB　　　　　　　　On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block PA　　　　　　　　　　　　Power Amplifier PBCH　　　　　　　　Physical Broadcast Channel PCell　　　　　　　　Primary Cell PCI　　　　　　　　　　　　Physical Cell Identity PDB　　　　　　　　　　　　Packet Delay Budget PDCCH　　　　　　　　Physical Downlink Control Channel PDCP　　　　　　　　Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDSCH　　　　　　　　Physical Downlink Shared Channel PDU　　　　　　　　Protocol Data Unit PHY　　　　　　　　Physical PLMN 　　　　　　　　Public Land Mobile Network PMI　　　　　　　　　　　　Precoding Matrix indicator PNI-NPN　　　　　　　　Public Network Integrated Non-Public Network PRACH　　　　　　　　Physical Random Access Channel PSDB　　　　　　　　PDU Set Delay Budget PUCCH　　　　　　　　Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH　　　　　　　　Physical Uplink Shared Channel QCL　　　　　　　　Quasi-CoLocation QoS　　　　　　　　　　　　Quality of Service RA　　　　　　　　　　　　Random Access RACH　　　　　　　　Random Access Channel RAN　　　　　　　　Radio Access Network RAR　　　　　　　　Random Access Response RAT　　　　　　　　　　　　Radio Access Technology RE　　　　　　　　　　　　Resource Element Rel-15　　　　　　　　Release 15 Rel-16　　　　　　　　Release 16 Rel-17 　　　　　　　　Release 17 Rel-18　　　　　　　　Release 18 RF　　　　　　　　　　　　Radio Frequency RLC　　　　　　　　　　　　Radio Link Control RS　　　　　　　　　　　　Reference Signal RLF　　　　　　　　　　　　Radio Link Failure RSTD　　　　　　　　Reference Signal Time Difference Measurement RNTI　　　　　　　　Radio Network Temporary Identifier RO　　　　　　　　　　　　RACH Occasion RRC　　　　　　　　Radio Resource Control RRM　　　　　　　　Radio Resource Management RS　　　　　　　　　　　　Reference Signal RSRP　　　　　　　　Reference Signal Received Power RSRQ　　　　　　　　Reference Signal Receiving Quality RV　　　　　　　　　　　　Redundancy Version RX　　　　　　　　　　　　Reception SCell　　　　　　　　Secondary Cell SCG　　　　　　　　　　　　Secondary Cell Group SDT　　　　　　　　　　　　Small Data Transmission SI　　　　　　　　　　　　System Information SIB　　　　　　　　　　　　System Information Block SL　　　　　　　　　　　　Sidelink SLIV　　　　　　　　Start and Length Indicator Value SN　　　　　　　　　　　　Secondary Node SNPN　　　　　　　　Stand-alone Non-Public Network SpCell　　　　　　　　Special Cell SR　　　　　　　　　　　　Scheduling Request SRB　　　　　　　　　　　　Signaling Radio Bearer SRS　　　　　　　　　　　　Sounding Reference Signal SRI　　　　　　　　　　　　SRS Resource Indicator SSB　　　　　　　　　　　　Synchronization Signal Block SSS　　　　　　　　　　　　Secondary Synchronization Signal SUL　　　　　　　　　　　　Supplementary Uplink TA　　　　　　　　　　　　Timing Advance TAG　　　　　　　　　　　　Timing Advance Group TAT 　　　　　　　　Time Alignment Timer TAU　　　　　　　　　　　　Tracking Area Update TB　　　　　　　　　　　　Transport Block TCI　　　　　　　　　　　　Transmission Configuration Indication TDD　　　　　　　　Time Division Duplexing TDRA　　　　　　　　Time Domain Resource Allocation TN　　　　　　　　　　　　Terrestrial Network TPC　　　　　　　　　　　　Transmission Power Control TPMI　　　　　　　　Transmit Precoder Matrix Indication TRP　　　　　　　　　　　　Transmission Reception Point TRS 　　　　　　　　Tracking Reference Signal TRX　　　　　　　　Transmission / Reception TS　　　　　　　　　　　　Technical Specification TX　　　　　　　　　　　　Transmission UCI　　　　　　　　　　　　Uplink Control Information UE　　　　　　　　　　　　User Equipment UL　　　　　　　　　　　　Uplink UL-CG　　　　　　　　Uplink-Configured Grant UPF　　　　　　　　　　　　User Plane Function URLLC　　　　　　　　Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications USIM　　　　　　　　Universal Subscriber Identity Module USS 　　　　　　　　UE-specific Search Space UTC　　　　　　　　Coordinated Universal Time V2X　　　　　　　　　　　　Vehicle-to-Everything VSAT　　　　　　　　Very Small Aperture Terminal XR　　　　　　　　　　　　Extended Reality

[0024] The following contains specific information related to implementations of the present disclosure. The drawings and their accompanying detailed disclosure are merely directed to implementations. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these implementations. Other variations and implementations of the present disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0025] Unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the drawings may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings and illustrations in the present disclosure are generally not to scale and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.

[0026] For consistency and ease of understanding, like features may be identified (although, in some examples, not illustrated) by the same numerals in the drawings. However, the features in different implementations may be different in other respects and shall not be narrowly confined to what is illustrated in the drawings.

[0027] References to “one implementation,” “an implementation,” “example implementation,” “various implementations,” “some implementations,” “implementations of the present application,” etc., may indicate that the implementation(s) of the present application so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every possible implementation of the present application necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one implementation,” or “in an example implementation,” “an implementation,” do not necessarily refer to the same implementation, although they may. Moreover, any use of phrases like “implementations” in connection with “the present application” are never meant to characterize that all implementations of the present application must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and should instead be understood to mean “at least some implementations of the present application” includes the stated particular feature, structure, or characteristic.

[0028] The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series, and the equivalent.

[0029] The expression “at least one of A, B and C” or “at least one of the following: A, B and C” means “only A, or only B, or only C, or any combination of A, B and C.” The terms “system” and “network” may be used interchangeably. The term “and / or” is only an association relationship for describing associated objects and represents that three relationships may exist such that A and / or B may indicate that A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, or B exists alone. The character “ / ” generally represents that the associated objects are in an “or” relationship.

[0030] For the purposes of explanation and non-limitation, specific details, such as functional entities, techniques, protocols, and standards, are set forth for providing an understanding of the disclosed technology. In other examples, detailed disclosure of well-known methods, technologies, systems, and architectures are omitted so as not to obscure the present disclosure with unnecessary details.

[0031] Persons skilled in the art will immediately recognize that any network function(s) or algorithm(s) disclosed may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware. Disclosed functions may correspond to modules which may be software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0032] A software implementation may include computer executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, such as memory or other type of storage devices. One or more microprocessors or general-purpose computers with communication processing capability may be programmed with corresponding executable instructions and perform the disclosed network function(s) or algorithm(s).

[0033] The microprocessors or general-purpose computers may include Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, and / or one or more Digital Signal Processor (DSPs). Although some of the disclosed implementations are oriented to software installed and executing on computer hardware, alternative implementations implemented as firmware, as hardware, or as a combination of hardware and software are well within the scope of the present disclosure. The computer-readable medium includes but is not limited to Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory, Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or any other equivalent medium capable of storing computer-readable instructions.

[0034] A radio communication network architecture such as a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) system, an LTE-Advanced Pro system, or a 5G NR Radio Access Network (RAN) typically includes at least one base station (BS), at least one UE, and one or more optional network elements that provide connection within a network. The UE communicates with the network such as a Core Network (CN), an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network, an Evolved Universal Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN), a 5G Core (5GC), or an internet via a RAN established by one or more BSs.

[0035] A UE may include, but is not limited to, a mobile station, a mobile terminal or device, or a user communication radio terminal. The UE may be a portable radio equipment that includes, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable device, a sensor, a vehicle, or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with wireless communication capability. The UE is configured to receive and transmit signals over an air interface to one or more cells in a RAN.

[0036] The BS may be configured to provide communication services according to at least a Radio Access Technology (RAT) such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) that is often referred to as 2G, GSM Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) that is often referred to as 3G based on basic wideband-code division multiple access (W-CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPA), LTE, LTE-A, evolved LTE (eLTE) that is LTE connected to 5GC, NR (often referred to as 5G), and / or LTE-A Pro. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these protocols.

[0037] The BS may include, but is not limited to, a node B (NB) in the UMTS, an evolved node B (eNB) in LTE or LTE-A, a radio network controller (RNC) in UMTS, a BS controller (BSC) in the GSM / GERAN, an ng-eNB in an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) BS in connection with 5GC, a next generation Node B (gNB) in the 5G-RAN, or any other apparatus capable of controlling radio communication and managing radio resources within a cell. The BS may serve one or more UEs via a radio interface.

[0038] The BS may be operable to provide radio coverage to a specific geographical area using multiple cells forming the RAN. The BS may support the operations of the cells. Each cell may be operable to provide services to at least one UE within its radio coverage.

[0039] Each cell (often referred to as a serving cell) may provide services to serve one or more UEs within its radio coverage, such that each cell schedules the DL (and optionally UL resources) to at least one UE within its radio coverage for DL (and optionally UL packet transmissions from the UE). The BS may communicate with one or more UEs in the radio communication system via the plurality of cells.

[0040] A cell may allocate sidelink (SL) resources for supporting the Proximity Service (ProSe) or Vehicle to Everything (V2X) service. Each cell may have overlapped coverage areas with other cells.

[0041] In Multi-RAT Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) cases, the primary cell of a Master Cell Group (MCG) or a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) may be referred to as a Special Cell (SpCell). A Primary Cell (PCell) may include the SpCell of an MCG. A Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) may include the SpCell of an SCG. MCG may include a group of serving cells associated with the Master Node (MN), including the SpCell and optionally one or more Secondary Cells (SCells). An SCG may include a group of serving cells associated with the Secondary Node (SN), including the SpCell and optionally one or more SCells.

[0042] As described above, the frame structure for NR supports flexible configurations for accommodating various next generation (e.g., 5G) communication requirements, such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), while fulfilling high reliability, high data rate, and low latency requirements. The Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology in the 3GPP may serve as a baseline for an NR waveform. The scalable OFDM numerology, such as adaptive sub-carrier spacing, channel bandwidth, and Cyclic Prefix (CP), may also be used.

[0043] Two coding schemes may be considered for NR, specifically Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code and Polar Code. The coding scheme adaption may be configured based on channel conditions and / or service applications.

[0044] At least the DL transmission data, a guard period, and UL transmission data should be included in a transmission time interval (TTI) of a single NR frame. The respective portions of the DL transmission data, the guard period, and the UL transmission data should also be configurable based on, for example, the network dynamics of NR. SL resources may also be provided in an NR frame to support ProSe services or V2X services.

[0045] Any two or more of the following paragraphs, (sub)-bullets, points, actions, behaviors, terms, or claims described in the present disclosure may be combined logically, reasonably, and properly to form a specific method.

[0046] Any sentence, paragraph, (sub)-bullet, point, action, behaviors, terms, or claims described in the present disclosure may be implemented independently and separately to form a specific method.

[0047] Dependency, e.g., “based on”, “more specifically”, “preferably”, “in one embodiment”, “in some implementations”, etc., in the present disclosure is just one possible example which would not restrict the specific method.

[0048] “A and / or B” in the present disclosure may refer to either A or B, both A and B, or at least one of A and B.

[0049] In this disclosure, “X / Y” may encompass the meanings of “X or Y,” “X and Y,” and “X and / or Y,” as indicated by two or more of the sentences, paragraphs, sub-bullets, points, actions, behaviors, terms, alternatives, aspects, examples, embodiments, or claims described in the following invention(s).

[0050] One aspect of the present disclosure may be applied in various contexts, including communications, communication equipment (such as mobile telephone apparatus, base station apparatus, wireless LAN apparatus, and / or sensor devices), integrated circuits (such as communication chips), and software programs, among others.

[0051] The terms “an antenna port” and “antenna ports,” as discussed in the present disclosure, may refer to “an antenna port used for transmission of PUSCH(s) / PUCCH(s)” and “antenna ports used for transmission of PUSCH(s) / PUCCH(s),” respectively.

[0052] Some of the terms, definitions, and / or abbreviations included in the present disclosure may either be sourced from existing documents (such as those from ETSI, ITU, or other sources) or may be newly created by experts from the 3GPP whenever there was a need for a precise vocabulary.

[0053] Examples of some selected terms in the present disclosure are provided as follows.

[0054] Antenna Panel: A conceptual term for a UE antenna implementation. It may be assumed that a panel may be an operational unit for controlling a transmit spatial filter (beam). A panel may typically include multiple antenna elements. In some implementations, a beam may be formed by a panel, and in order to form two beams simultaneously, two panels may be needed. Such simultaneous beamforming by multiple panels may be subject to the UE capability. A similar definition for “panel” may be applicable by applying spatial receiving filtering characteristics.

[0055] Beam: A beam may include a spatial (domain) filtering. In one example, the spatial filtering may be applied in the analog domain by adjusting a phase and / or amplitude of the signal before being transmitted by a corresponding antenna element. In another example, the spatial filtering may be applied in the digital domain by the Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) technique in the wireless communication system. For example, “a UE made a PUSCH transmission by using a specific beam” may mean that the UE made the PUSCH transmission by using the specific spatial / digital domain filter. The “beam” may also be, but is not limited to be, represented as an antenna, an antenna port, an antenna element, a group of antennas, a group of antenna ports, or a group of antenna elements. The beam may also be formed by a certain reference signal resource. In short, the beam may be equivalent to a spatial domain filter through which the EM wave is radiated. Beam information may include details about the selected or utilized beam or spatial filter. In some implementations, the individual beams (e.g., spatial filters) may be used to transmit individual reference signals. Consequently, a beam or beam information may be represented by one or more reference signal resource indices.

[0056] DCI: DCI may include downlink control information, and there may be various DCI formats used in a PDCCH. The DCI format may be a predefined format in which the downlink control information may be packed / formed and transmitted in a PDCCH.

[0057] TCI state: a TCI state may include parameters for configuring a QCL relationship between one or more DL reference signals and a target reference signal set. For example, a target reference signal set may be the DMRS ports of a PDSCH or a PDCCH.

[0058] SSB: A cell may transmit or broadcast one or more SSBs. A UE may receive the one or more SSBs while operating in the RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE, or RRC_CONNECTED state. An SSB may include a PSS, an SSS, and a PBCH. The PBCH may include an 8-bit PHY PBCH payload and a 23-bit MIB.

[0059] The 23-bit MIB may include multiple parameters or fields, where the fields are listed in a predetermined order: the systemFrameNumber IE, the subCarrierSpacingCommon IE, the ssb-SubcarrierOffset IE, the dmrs-TypeA-Position IE, the pdcch-ConfigSIB1 IE, the cellBarred IE, the intraFreqReselection IE, and the spare IE.

[0060] The systemFrameNumber IE may include a bit string with six bits. The subCarrierSpacingCommon IE may be an enumerated data type having a value of either ‘scs15or60’ or ‘scs30or120’. The ssb-SubcarrierOffset IE may be a four-bit integer, which may have a value ranging from 0 to 15. The dmrs-TypeA-Position IE may be an enumerated data type, the value of which may be either ‘pos2’ or ‘pos3’. The pdcch-ConfigSIB1 IE may include eight bits, with the four most significant bits (MSBs) representing the controlResourceSetZero IE and the four least significant bits (LSBs) representing the searchSpaceZero IE. The controlResourceSetZero IE and the searchSpaceZero IE may each be four bits. The cellBarred IE may be an enumerated data type, the value of which may be either ‘barred’ or ‘notBarred’. The intraFreqReselection IE may be an enumerated data type, the value of which may be either ‘allowed’ or ‘notAllowed’. The spare IE may comprise a single bit as a spare bit.

[0061] The 8-bit PHY PBCH payload may include, in order, four bits that may indicate the four least significant bits of the SFN in which the SSB is transmitted. The payload may further include one half-frame bit, which may indicate whether the SSB is transmitted in the first half-frame (front half-frame) or the second half-frame (rear half-frame). For an SSB received by a UE operating in FR1, the payload may include one bit that, together with the ssb-SubcarrierOffset IE provided in the MIB, may allow the UE to determine the value of k_SSB, as described in further detail below, as well as two bits that may be reserved. For an SSB received by a UE operating in FR2, the payload may include three bits that may indicate the three MSBs of the SSB index corresponding to the SSB.

[0062] In some implementations, the value k_SSB may be determined based on information indicated by the PBCH. The k_SSB quantity may be defined as the subcarrier offset from subcarrier 0 in the common resource block to subcarrier 0 of the SS / PBCH block. In FR1 operation, the value of k_SSB may be determined based on the fifth bit of the PHY PBCH payload and the value of the ssb-SubcarrierOffset IE in the MIB. The value of k_SSB may range from 0 to 31, inclusive. In FR2 operation, the value of k_SSB may be determined based only on the ssb-SubcarrierOffset IE in the MIB, and the value of k_SSB may range from 0 to 15, inclusive.

[0063] In some implementations, when 0≦k_SSB≦23 in FR1 operation, or 0≦k_SSB≦11 in FR2 operation, the UE may determine that the SSB is a CD-SSB. In some implementations, a CD-SSB may always be transmitted on a frequency layer defined by a GSCN, and a UE may always receive a CD-SSB on a frequency layer defined by a GSCN. When 24≦k_SSB≦31 in FR1 operation or 12≦k_SSB≦15 in FR2 operation, the UE may determine that the SSB is not a CD-SSB, and the pdcch-ConfigSIB1 IE may indicate information regarding a location in the frequency domain where the UE may or may not find a CD-SSB.

[0064] In some implementations, an SSB may occupy 20 resource blocks (RBs) or 240 resource elements (REs) per subcarrier. The subcarrier spacing (SCS) of an SSB may be 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 120 kHz, or 240 kHz.

[0065] OD-SSB: In a legacy 5G NR system, an SSB may serve as the only always-on signal, meaning that one or more SSBs may be periodically transmitted or broadcast by a cell if the SSB is configured. Such an arrangement may be referred to as an always-on SSB. The ability to turn off an always-on SSB may intuitively allow for a reduction in network energy consumption. Presently, a gNB may configure an always-on SSB to be present or absent on an SCell, subject to certain restrictions. For example, in Release 15, an always-on SSB may be absent only if intra-band carrier aggregation (CA) is deployed for both the SCell and the SpCell. In Release 18, this restriction is relaxed such that an always-on SSB may also be absent in a scenario where inter-band CA, FR1, and co-location are present. However, such a configuration may still lack sufficient flexibility for an operator or network vendor to achieve desired energy savings in real-world deployments. For scenarios that are neither intra-band CA nor inter-band CA, FR1, and co-located, an on-demand SSB (OD-SSB) may be used to replace or reduce reliance on the always-on SSB for the SCell.

[0066] In some implementations, an OD-SSB may refer to an SSB that is transmitted or broadcast on an SCell only under certain conditions or in response to specific triggers, rather than being transmitted periodically as an always-on SSB. An OD-SSB that is transmitted on an SCell may be utilized for one or more purposes, including faster SCell activation, Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurement, Beam Management (BM), Beam Failure Detection (BFD), and Candidate Beam Detection (CBD).

[0067] Timer: A timer may be regarded as running from the moment the timer is started until the timer is stopped or until the timer expires; otherwise, the timer may be considered not running. A timer may be started if the timer is not running, or may be restarted if the timer is already running. In some implementations, a timer may always be started or restarted from an initial value. The duration of a timer may remain unchanged while the timer is running, and may not be updated until the timer is stopped or the timer expires, for example, as a result of bandwidth part (BWP) switching. In some implementations, when a MAC entity applies a zero value for a timer, the timer may be started and may immediately expire. In some implementations, when a UE applies a zero value for a timer, the timer may be started and may immediately expire.

[0068] HARQ: A functionality that ensures the delivery between peer entities at Layer 1 (e.g., Physical Layer). A single HARQ process may support one Transport Block (TB) when the physical layer is not configured for the downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, and when the physical layer is configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process may support one or more TBs. There may be one HARQ entity per serving cell. Each HARQ entity may support a parallel (number of) DL and UL HARQ process.

[0069] In the present disclosure, although the term “gNB” may have been used throughout the document, it should be understood that the term “gNB” may be replaced by any other type of BS (e.g., an eNB).

[0070] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating method / process 100 for handling On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. Although actions 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114 are illustrated, as separate actions, represented as independent blocks in FIG. 1, these separately illustrated actions should not be construed as to be necessarily order-dependent. The order in which the actions are performed in FIG. 1 is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the disclosed blocks may be combined in any order to implement the method, or an alternative method. Each of actions 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, and 114 may be performed independent of the other actions, and may be omitted in some implementations of the present disclosure. Moreover, method / process 100 may be combined with other procedures / methods described in the present disclosure. Process 100 may be performed by a UE, with each action of process 100 corresponding to an operation executed by the UE.

[0071] In action 102, process 100 may start by the UE receiving, from a BS, a first message including configurations of multiple DL BWPs and one or more OD-SSB configurations.

[0072] In action 104, the UE may set a first BWP of the multiple DL BWPs as an active DL BWP in response to receiving the first message.

[0073] In action 106, the UE may receive, from the BS, a second message indicating activation of an OD-SSB transmission.

[0074] In action 108, the UE may determine, based on the first message, a second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs for receiving an OD-SSB from the BS.

[0075] In action 110, the UE may determine whether the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP.

[0076] In action 112, in response to determining that the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP, the UE may switch the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP.

[0077] In action 114, the UE may receive, from the BS, the OD-SSB based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.

[0078] In some implementations, each DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs may be associated with a corresponding OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations.

[0079] In some implementations, the configurations of the multiple DL BWPs may include a first DL BWP identifier (ID) of the first BWP and a second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.

[0080] In some implementations, setting the first BWP of the multiple DL BWPs as the active DL BWP in action 104 may include setting an active DL BWP ID to the first DL BWP ID of the first BWP.

[0081] In some implementations, switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP in action 112 may include setting an active DL BWP ID to the second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.

[0082] In some implementations, the configurations of the multiple DL BWPs may indicate a frequency domain range of the first BWP, and the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the second DL BWP may indicate a center frequency of the OD-SSB.

[0083] In some implementations, determining, based on the first message, the second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs for receiving the OD-SSB from the BS in action 108 may include determining that the center frequency of the OD-SSB is within the frequency domain range of the second BWP.

[0084] In some implementations, the UE may start or restart a BWP inactivity timer in response to switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP.

[0085] In some implementations, after switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP, the UE may receive, from the BS, a third message indicating deactivation of the OD-SSB transmission, and switch the active DL BWP from the second DL BWP to the first DL BWP in response to receiving the third message.

[0086] Process 100 may enable flexible and efficient handling of OD-SSB transmissions in a wireless communication system. By dynamically determining and switching between different DL BWPs based on received signaling from a BS, process 100 may allow a UE to efficiently align its reception resources with OD-SSB transmissions as network conditions and configurations change. This dynamic approach may reduce unnecessary power consumption and signaling overhead, as the UE can activate or switch DL BWPs only when necessary for OD-SSB reception, while also maintaining compatibility with various network deployment scenarios. Furthermore, process 100 may support improved synchronization performance and robust mobility management by ensuring that the OD-SSB is received in the most appropriate DL BWP, potentially enhancing overall user experience and system reliability. In some implementations, process 100 may facilitate flexible association between DL BWPs and OD-SSB configurations, supporting a wide range of deployment and operational scenarios in modern wireless networks.

[0087] It should also be noted that the BS may perform methods / actions corresponding to those performed by the UE. For example, the receiving actions performed by the UE may correspond to the transmitting / configuring actions of the BS; the transmitting actions performed by the UE may correspond to the receiving actions of the BS. That is, the BS and the UE may have reciprocally aligned roles in transmission and reception, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0088] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating method / process 200 for handling OD-SSB operations, according to an example implementation of the present disclosure. Although actions 202, 204, and 206 are illustrated, as separate actions, represented as independent blocks in FIG. 2, these separately illustrated actions should not be construed as to be necessarily order-dependent. The order in which the actions are performed in FIG. 2 is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the disclosed blocks may be combined in any order to implement the method, or an alternative method. Each of actions 202, 204, and 206 may be performed independent of the other actions, and may be omitted in some implementations of the present disclosure. Moreover, method / process 200 may be combined with other procedures / methods described in the present disclosure. Process 200 may be performed by a BS, with each action of process 200 corresponding to an operation executed by the BS.

[0089] In action 202, process 200 may start by the BS transmitting, to a UE, a first message including configurations of multiple DL BWPs and one or more OD-SSB configurations, where a first DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs may be configured as an active DL BWP for the UE, and a second DL BWP of the multiple DL BWPs, which is different from the first DL BWP, may be configured for an OD-SSB transmission.

[0090] In action 204, the BS may transmit, to the UE, a second message indicating activation of the OD-SSB transmission, where the second message causes the UE to switch the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP.

[0091] In action 206, in response to transmitting the second message to the UE, the BS may transmit an OD-SSB to the UE based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.

[0092] Further details regarding process 100 and process 200, including specific examples, variations, and alternative implementations, are described in the following sections.

[0093] Scenarios Where an OD-SSB May Be Applicable

[0094] There may exist multiple scenarios where an OD-SSB, triggered or activated by the network or a gNB (e.g., the OD-SSB transmission in action 206 of process 200), may be applicable. For example, an OD-SSB may be triggered or activated after an SCell has been added by an RRC reconfiguration message and before the SCell is activated. In another scenario, an OD-SSB may be triggered or activated concurrently with the SCell activation command, which may be transmitted in the form of a MAC MAC CE. In yet another scenario, an OD-SSB may be triggered or activated after a UE receives the SCell activation command but before the completion of SCell activation. In a further scenario, an OD-SSB may also be triggered or activated after the completion of SCell activation, that is, after the SCell has been activated.

[0095] The OD-SSB may be utilized for various purposes, including RLM, BM, and RRM measurement. By enabling the OD-SSB operation in these scenarios, the network may enhance flexibility and efficiency in SCell-related procedures.

[0096] Mechanisms for Triggering, Activating, Terminating, and Deactivating an OD-SSB

[0097] The mechanisms described in this section provide general approaches for triggering, activating, terminating, and deactivating OD-SSB transmission, which may be broadly applicable to various deployment scenarios and are not limited to any particular process flow. By way of example, these mechanisms may also serve as specific implementations for certain actions in process 100 and process 200. For instance, the signaling procedures described herein may correspond to or provide concrete realization options for actions such as the activation and deactivation messaging in actions 106, 112, and 114 of process 100, as well as actions 204 and 206 of process 200. In particular, the signaling mechanisms detailed below may be used by the network to instruct the UE to switch the active DL BWP, initiate OD-SSB reception, or return to a previous BWP, as illustrated by these respective actions.

[0098] In some implementations, the transmission of an OD-SSB may be triggered or activated by the network through various signaling mechanisms. For instance, the network may trigger or activate OD-SSB transmission via an RRC message. In some implementations, OD-SSB transmission may be triggered or activated after a UE receives an RRC Reconfiguration message that configures one or more SCells with an initial state set to activated, for example, by configuring an RRC parameter such as the sCellState-r16 IE to ‘activated’. In other implementations, OD-SSB transmission may be triggered or activated by the network via a MAC CE. The MAC CE may be a dedicated MAC CE for OD-SSB triggering or activating, meaning that the MAC CE may not activate or deactivate one or more SCells. In alternative implementations, the MAC CE may both trigger or activate OD-SSB transmission and activate or deactivate one or more SCells; for example, the MAC CE may be a Further Enhanced SCell Activation / Deactivation MAC CE. The MAC CE may only be transmitted by the network on the SpCell, which may be either the PCell or PSCell, of the UE.

[0099] In some implementations, OD-SSB transmission may be triggered or activated by the network via DCI. The DCI may be in the form of DCI format 0_1, 0_2, or 0_3, with the UL-SCH indicator field set to ‘0’ and all bits of the CSI request field set to zeros. When the DCI is in DCI format 0_3, and when the UL-SCH indicator field is set to ‘0’ with all bits of the CSI request field set to zeros, OD-SSB transmission may be triggered or activated on all scheduled cells as indicated by the Scheduled cells indicator field or the Frequency domain resource assignment field in the DCI format 0_3. The DCI may also be a group-common DCI format, such as DCI format 2_9. In some implementations, the DCI may be transmitted only by the network on the SpCell (e.g., the PCell or PSCell of the UE), such that the UE may monitor the DCI only on the SpCell.

[0100] Regarding OD-SSB termination or deactivation, in some implementations, the transmission of OD-SSB may be terminated or deactivated by the network via RRC messages transmitted by the serving RAN, for example, via SRB1 or SRB3. The network may also terminate or deactivate OD-SSB transmission via a MAC CE, which may be transmitted by the relevant serving cell or by another serving cell. In other implementations, OD-SSB transmission may be terminated or deactivated by the network through DCI. The network may also terminate or deactivate OD-SSB transmission at a specific time, for example, at a specific subframe, frame, or slot, where the subframe, frame, or slot may be indicated or configured in the corresponding OD-SSB configuration.

[0101] In some implementations, the OD-SSB transmission may be terminated or deactivated after the OD-SSB has been transmitted a configured number of times, for example, after being transmitted N times, where N may be indicated or configured in the corresponding OD-SSB configuration. OD-SSB transmission may also be terminated or deactivated when a timer expires, where the timer may be configured in the corresponding OD-SSB configuration. Additionally, OD-SSB transmission may be terminated or deactivated when one or more OD-SSB transmissions are re-configured, for example, when a UE receives an RRC reconfiguration message that modifies or re-configures the corresponding OD-SSB configuration.

[0102] In some implementations, the frequency-domain resources of an OD-SSB may not necessarily be within the active DL BWP. Therefore, in such circumstances, and particularly in the scenario where the OD-SSB is triggered or activated by the network after the SCell has been activated and there may be no always-on SSB transmissions from the network, some mechanisms may need to be introduced to ensure that the UE can receive the OD-SSB.

[0103] For example, in some implementations, the UE may be configured by the network such that, upon receiving signaling that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may switch the active DL BWP to a DL BWP containing the frequency resources of the OD-SSB. This solution is referred to as Solution #1 in this disclosure. Alternatively, the UE may be configured such that, upon receiving signaling triggering or activating OD-SSB transmission, the UE may use the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the active DL BWP or to a particular BWP. This solution is referred to as Solution #2 in this disclosure. In some cases, when the UE is configured with a particular parameter by the network, the UE may, upon receiving the relevant signaling, switch the active DL BWP to one that contains the frequency resources of the OD-SSB (Solution #1). Conversely, when the UE is not configured with the parameter, the UE may use the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the active DL BWP or to a particular BWP (Solution #2).

[0104] In some implementations, when the UE is configured with a parameter by the network, the UE may use the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the active DL BWP or to a particular BWP (Solution #2), while in cases where the UE is not configured with the parameter, the UE may switch the active DL BWP to one that contains the frequency resources of the OD-SSB (Solution #1).

[0105] Solution #1: OD-SSB Triggering / Activating With BWP Switching

[0106] In some implementations, a UE may be configured with one or more SCells by a network. The network may provide the UE with an OD-SSB configuration for an SCell. In some implementations, an OD-SSB configuration may include one or more of the following items (1) to (3) for an SSB:

[0107] (1) an absolute frequency location of a center frequency of the OD-SSB (e.g., the absoluteFrequencySSB IE), which may be represented by an NR Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN);

[0108] (2) a time-domain pattern configuration, which may further include one or more of the following: the periodicity of the OD-SSB in milliseconds, as specified by the ssb-periodicityServingCell IE; and a bitmap indicating the OD-SSB or OD-SSBs that are transmitted, as specified by the ssb-PositionsInBurst IE.

[0109] (3) an SMTC for the OD-SSB, which may further include the periodicity and the starting offset of a timing window where the UE may receive the OD-SSB, and / or the duration of the timing window where the UE may receive the OD-SSB.

[0110] In some implementations, when the UE receives signaling that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, if an active DL BWP does not entirely contain the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB, the UE may perform BWP switching. The UE may also perform BWP switching when OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. In some implementations, there may be a delay between a time instance where OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and a time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP. The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may be started or restarted after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching, in order to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, which may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0111] In some implementations, if the UE receives a MAC CE in a DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell and the UE transmits an acknowledgement or HARQ-ACK information in response to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE in a UL slot m, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to an initial DL BWP, such as indicated by the initialDownlinkBWP IE, which may be the DL BWP with a BWP ID equivalent to 0, on the SCell. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n or the UL slot m, or whichever occurs earlier or later, as determined in various implementations.

[0112] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of OD-SSB transmission, when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0113] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may be started or restarted after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, which may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0114] In some implementations, if the UE receives a MAC CE in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell and the UE transmits the acknowledgement or HARQ-ACK information in response to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE in the UL slot m, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to a first active DL BWP, for example as indicated by the firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id IE, which may be the first active DL BWP after the SCell is activated. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n or the UL slot m, or whichever occurs earlier or later.

[0115] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. The UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission, when OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. In some implementations, there may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0116] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may be started or restarted after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, which may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0117] In some implementations, if the UE receives a MAC CE in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell and the UE transmits the acknowledgement or HARQ-ACK information in response to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE in the UL slot m, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to a default DL BWP, such as indicated by the defaultDownlinkBWP-Id IE, which may be the DL BWP to be used upon expiry of the BWP inactivity timer. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n or the UL slot m, or whichever occurs earlier or later.

[0118] Following BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. The UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission, when OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0119] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may be started or restarted after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, which may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0120] In some implementations, if the UE receives a MAC CE in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell and the UE transmits the acknowledgement or HARQ-ACK information in response to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE in the UL slot m, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to a specific BWP, which may be indicated by a parameter different from the initialDownlinkBWP IE, the firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id IE, and the defaultDownlinkBWP-Id IE. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n or the UL slot m, or whichever occurs earlier or later.

[0121] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. The UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission, when OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0122] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may be started or restarted after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, which may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0123] In some implementations, if the UE receives a MAC CE in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell and the UE transmits the acknowledgement or HARQ-ACK information in response to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE in the UL slot m, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to a DL BWP that entirely contains the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB on the SCell. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n or the UL slot m, or whichever occurs earlier or later.

[0124] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. The UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission, when OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0125] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may be started or restarted after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, which may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0126] In some implementations, if the UE receives a MAC CE in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell and the UE transmits the acknowledgement or HARQ-ACK information in response to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE in the UL slot m, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP with the lowest BWP ID among the DL BWPs that entirely contain the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB on the SCell, if there is more than one DL BWP entirely containing the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB on the SCell. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n or the UL slot m, or whichever occurs earlier or later.

[0127] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0128] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0129] In some implementations, if the UE receives DCI in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the initial DL BWP, for example as indicated by the initialDownlinkBWP parameter, which may be the DL BWP with a BWP ID equal to 0 on the SCell. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n.

[0130] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0131] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0132] In some implementations, if the UE receives a DCI in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the first active DL BWP, for example as indicated by the firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id parameter, which may be the first active DL BWP after the SCell is activated. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n.

[0133] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0134] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0135] In some implementations, if the UE receives DCI in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the default DL BWP, for example as indicated by the defaultDownlinkBWP-Id parameter, which may be the DL BWP to be used upon expiry of the BWP inactivity timer. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n.

[0136] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0137] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0138] In some implementations, if the UE receives a DCI in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to a specific BWP, for example as indicated by a parameter different from the initialDownlinkBWP, the firstActiveDownlinkBWP-Id, and the defaultDownlinkBWP-Id parameters. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n.

[0139] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0140] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0141] In some implementations, if the UE receives a DCI in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that entirely contains the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB on the SCell. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n.

[0142] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0143] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0144] In some implementations, if the UE receives a DCI in the DL slot n that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP with the lowest BWP ID among the DL BWPs that entirely contain the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB on the SCell, if there is more than one DL BWP entirely containing the frequency-domain resources of the OD-SSB on the SCell. The BWP switch delay may be counted from the DL slot n.

[0145] After performing BWP switching, the UE may receive and / or measure the OD-SSB starting from the earliest OD-SSB transmission occasion within the active DL BWP, where the OD-SSB transmission occasions may be determined by the UE based on the OD-SSB configuration for the SCell. In some implementations, the UE may switch the active DL BWP on the SCell to the DL BWP that was the active DL BWP before the UE switched the active DL BWP due to the triggering or activation of the OD-SSB transmission when the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated. There may be a delay between the time instance where the OD-SSB transmission is terminated or deactivated and the time instance where the UE switches the active DL BWP.

[0146] The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated, and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0147] The mechanisms described in Solution #1 provide general techniques for OD-SSB triggering and BWP switching that may be applied in a variety of deployment scenarios. For example, Solution #1 may serve not only as a concrete implementation for certain actions in process 100 and process 200, such as receiving signaling to activate or deactivate OD-SSB transmission (including actions 106, 112, and 114 in process 100, and actions 204 and 206 in process 200), or switching the active DL BWP in response to network instructions (including actions 108 and 112 of process 100), but may also function as an alternative solution or option for realizing these actions. Accordingly, Solution #1 as disclosed herein can flexibly supplement or replace the detailed steps illustrated in process 100 and process 200, enabling adaptation to various network configurations and requirements.

[0148] Solution #2: BWP-Specific OD-SSB Configuration

[0149] In some implementations, the UE may be configured with one or more SCells by the NW, and the UE may be provided with an OD-SSB configuration for each DL BWP on an SCell by the NW.

[0150] In some implementations, an OD-SSB configuration may include one or more of the following items (1) to (3) for the SSB:

[0151] (1) an absolute frequency location of the center frequency of the OD-SSB, represented by the NR ARFCN;

[0152] (2) a frequency; a time-domain pattern configuration, which may further include one or more of the following: the periodicity of the OD-SSB in milliseconds, as specified by the ssb-periodicityServingCell IE, and a bitmap indicating the OD-SSB or OD-SSBs that are transmitted, as specified by the ssb-PositionsInBurst IE;

[0153] (3) an SMTC for the OD-SSB, which may further include the periodicity and the starting offset of the timing window where the UE may receive the OD-SSB, and / or the duration of the timing window where the UE may receive the OD-SSB.

[0154] In some implementations, after the UE receives signaling that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may perform measurement on the OD-SSB based on the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the active DL BWP on the SCell. The BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0155] In some implementations, the UE may be configured with a first DL BWP and a second DL BWP, and the current active DL BWP may be the first DL BWP. After the UE receives a DCI that indicates a BWP switch to the second BWP and triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission on the SCell, the UE may not perform measurement on the OD-SSB within the first DL BWP and / or may perform measurement on the OD-SSB within the second DL BWP after the BWP switch delay. In some implementations, the BWP inactivity timer associated with the SCell may start or re-start after OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated and the UE performs BWP switching, to avoid the UE switching to a BWP without OD-SSB transmission. The BWP inactivity timer may be reset to a value, and the value may be at least longer than 80 ms, if OD-SSB transmission is triggered or activated.

[0156] The mechanisms described in Solution #2 provide general approaches for configuring and operating OD-SSB on a BWP-specific basis, which may be utilized in a variety of deployment scenarios. For instance, Solution #2 may serve as a concrete implementation example or an alternative option for certain actions in process 100 and process 200. Specifically, these mechanisms may be used to realize, for example, the selection and application of an OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the active DL BWP when the UE receives signaling to trigger or activate OD-SSB transmission. Thus, Solution #2 as disclosed herein can supplement, replace, or provide flexible alternatives to the detailed actions set forth in process 100 and process 200, allowing adaptation to different network configurations and operational requirements.

[0157] Time-Domain Window for Receiving OD-SSB

[0158] The UE may be configured with one or more OD-SSB configurations (e.g., the OD-SSB configuration(s) provided in action 102 of process 100 or action 202 of process 200) for an SCell as described in this disclosure. The UE may be configured to monitor the PDCCH periodically on the SCell or for the SCell on another cell.

[0159] In some implementations, in FR1, after the UE receives a MAC CE or DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, if the numerology of the OD-SSB and the numerology of the PDCCH are different and the UE does not indicate to the NW support of receiving DL data and SSB with different numerologies (as indicated by the simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology IE via UE capability reporting), the UE may receive the OD-SSB and may not monitor the PDCCH during the symbols occupied by the OD-SSB or during the time-domain window, for example as determined by the SMTC, provided by the corresponding OD-SSB configuration.

[0160] In some implementations, in FR2, after the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may receive the OD-SSB and may not monitor the PDCCH during the symbols occupied by the OD-SSB or during the time-domain window, for example as determined by the SMTC, provided by the corresponding OD-SSB configuration.

[0161] In some implementations, the UE may be scheduled or configured to receive one or more PDSCHs from the SCell. In FR1, after the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, if the numerology of the OD-SSB and the numerology of the PDSCH are different and the UE does not indicate to the NW support of receiving DL data and SSB with different numerologies (as indicated by the simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology IE via UE capability reporting), the UE may receive the OD-SSB and may not receive the PDSCH during the symbols occupied by the OD-SSB or during the time-domain window, for example as determined by the SMTC, provided by the corresponding OD-SSB configuration.

[0162] In some implementations, in FR2, after the UE receives a MAC CE or DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may receive the OD-SSB and may not receive the PDSCH during the symbols occupied by the OD-SSB or during the time-domain window, for example as determined by the SMTC, provided by the corresponding OD-SSB configuration.

[0163] The UE may be configured or indicated to receive the CSI-RS for tracking and / or CSI-RS for CQI from the SCell. In some implementations, in FR1, after the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, if the numerology of the OD-SSB and the numerology of the PDCCH are different and the UE does not indicate to the NW support of receiving DL data and SSB with different numerologies (as indicated by the simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology field via UE capability reporting), the UE may receive the OD-SSB and may not receive the CSI-RS for tracking and / or CSI-RS for CQI during the time-domain window, for example as determined by the SMTC, provided by the corresponding OD-SSB configuration, or during the symbols occupied by the OD-SSB. In some implementations, in FR1, after the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may receive the OD-SSB and may not receive the CSI-RS for tracking and / or CSI-RS for CQI during the time-domain window, for example as determined by the SMTC, provided by the corresponding OD-SSB configuration, or during the symbols occupied by the OD-SSB.

[0164] Implicit Triggering of L1-RSRP Report Upon Triggering / Activating OD-SSB

[0165] As described above, the UE may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration (e.g., the OD-SSB configuration(s) provided in action 102 of process 100 or action 202 of process 200) for an SCell. When the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, if the OD-SSB is within the active DL BWP, the UE may perform the L1-RSRP measurement on the OD-SSB, and / or may transmit the L1-RSRP measurement results on the OD-SSB to the NW via a CSI report if the active DL BWP is not the dormant BWP.

[0166] In some implementations, the UE may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for each DL BWP for an SCell, or may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for an SCell. When the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may transmit the L1-RSRP measurement result on the OD-SSB using the earliest or first available PUCCH resource after the UE receives all of the OD-SSB transmissions triggered or activated by the MAC CE or the DCI, provided that the active DL BWP is not the dormant BWP.

[0167] The PUCCH resource may be indicated by the MAC CE or the DCI. The MAC CE or the DCI may indicate a slot offset between the earliest slot after the end of the SMTC and the PUCCH to be transmitted. The PUCCH resource may be indicated by the OD-SSB configuration. In some implementations, the OD-SSB configuration may further include a CSI report configuration or a CSI report configuration ID.

[0168] The carrier IE in the CSI report configuration to which the CSI report configuration ID refers may be the serving cell index of the SCell for which the OD-SSB configuration is configured. In some implementations, if an OD-SSB configuration is configured for each DL BWP, the BWP-Id IE (which indicates a BWP ID) configured in the CSI report configuration to which the CSI report configuration ID refers may be the same as the BWP ID of the active DL BWP. If a single OD-SSB configuration is configured in an SCell across all DL BWPs, the BWP-Id IE configured in the CSI report configuration to which the CSI report configuration ID refers may be the same as the BWP ID of the DL BWP that entirely contains the frequency resources of the OD-SSB associated with the OD-SSB configuration.

[0169] The PUCCH resource may be indicated by a CSI report configuration with the reportQuantity IE set to a value of 'ssb-Index-RSRP', 'ssb-Index-SINR', 'ssb-Index-RSRP-Index', or 'ssb-Index-SINR-Index'. The CSI report configuration may be the CSI report configuration in which the BWP-Id IE indicates the BWP ID of the active DL BWP. The carrier IE in the CSI report configuration to which the CSI report configuration ID refers may be the serving cell index of the SCell for which the OD-SSB configuration is configured. The reportType IE in the CSI report configuration may be set to a value of 'periodic' or 'semi-persistent'.

[0170] In some implementations, the UE may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for each DL BWP for an SCell, or may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for an SCell. When the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may transmit the L1-RSRP measurement result on the OD-SSB using the earliest or first available PUCCH resource after the UE completely receives an SSB burst of the OD-SSB transmission triggered or activated by the MAC CE or the DCI. The MAC CE or the DCI may indicate a slot offset between the earliest slot after the end of the SMTC and the PUCCH to be transmitted.

[0171] In some implementations, the UE may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for each DL BWP for an SCell, or may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for an SCell. When the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may transmit the L1-RSRP measurement result on the OD-SSB using the earliest or first available PUCCH resource after the first SMTC ends, where during the SMTC(s), the UE may receive the OD-SSB triggered or activated by the MAC CE or the DCI. The SMTC may be part of the OD-SSB configuration as described in this disclosure. In some implementations, the MAC CE or the DCI may indicate a slot offset between the earliest slot after the end of the SMTC and the PUCCH to be transmitted.

[0172] In some implementations, the UE may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for each DL BWP for an SCell, or may be configured with an OD-SSB configuration for an SCell. When the UE receives a MAC CE or a DCI that triggers or activates OD-SSB transmission, the UE may transmit the L1-RSRP measurement result on the OD-SSB using the PUSCH resource indicated by the MAC CE or the DCI, where the slot for the PUSCH resource may be after the end of the SMTC corresponding to the OD-SSB. The MAC CE or the DCI may indicate a slot offset between the earliest slot after the end of the SMTC and the PUSCH to be transmitted.

[0173] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating node 300 for wireless communications, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 3, node 300 may include transceiver 320, processor 328, memory 334, one or more presentation components 338, and at least one antenna 336. Node 300 may also include a radio frequency (RF) spectrum band module, a BS communications module, a network communications module, and a system communications management module, Input / Output (I / O) ports, I / O components, and a power supply (not illustrated in FIG. 3).

[0174] Each of the components may directly or indirectly communicate with each other over one or more buses 340. Node 300 may be a UE or a BS that performs various functions disclosed with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0175] Transceiver 320 has transmitter 322 (e.g., transmitting / transmission circuitry) and receiver 324 (e.g., receiving / reception circuitry) and may be configured to transmit and / or receive time and / or frequency resource partitioning information. Transceiver 320 may be configured to transmit in different types of subframes and slots including, but not limited to, usable, non-usable, and flexibly usable subframes and slot formats. Transceiver 320 may be configured to receive data and control channels.

[0176] Node 300 may include a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media may be any available media that may be accessed by node 300 and include volatile (and / or non-volatile) media and removable (and / or non-removable) media.

[0177] The computer-readable media may include computer-storage media and communication media. Computer-storage media may include both volatile (and / or non-volatile media), and removable (and / or non-removable) media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or data.

[0178] Computer-storage media may include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory (or other memory technology), CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disks (DVD) (or other optical disk storage), magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage (or other magnetic storage devices), etc. Computer-storage media may not include a propagated data signal. Communication media may typically embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or other transport mechanisms and include any information delivery media.

[0179] The term “modulated data signal” may mean a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Communication media may include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the aforementioned listed components should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0180] Memory 334 may include computer-storage media in the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory. Memory 334 may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof. Example memory may include solid-state memory, hard drives, optical-disc drives, etc. As illustrated in FIG. 3, memory 334 may store a computer-readable and / or computer-executable instructions 332 (e.g., software codes) that are configured to, when executed, cause processor 328 to perform various functions disclosed herein, for example, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Alternatively, instructions 332 may not be directly executable by processor 328 but may be configured to cause node 300 (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform various functions disclosed herein.

[0181] Processor 328 (e.g., having processing circuitry) may include an intelligent hardware device, e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, etc. Processor 328 may include memory. Processor 328 may process data 330 and instructions 332 received from memory 334, and information transmitted and received via transceiver 320, the baseband communications module, and / or the network communications module. Processor 328 may also process information to send to transceiver 320 for transmission via antenna 336 to the network communications module for transmission to a CN.

[0182] One or more presentation components 338 may present data indications to a person or another device. Examples of presentation components 338 may include a display device, a speaker, a printing component, a vibrating component, etc.

[0183] In view of the present disclosure, it is obvious that various techniques may be used for implementing the disclosed concepts without departing from the scope of those concepts. Moreover, while the concepts have been disclosed with specific reference to certain implementations, a person of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of those concepts. As such, the disclosed implementations are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. It should also be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular implementations disclosed and many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

A User Equipment (UE), the UE comprising:　　　　at least one processor; and　　　　at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to:　　　　receive, from a Base Station (BS), a first message comprising configurations of a plurality of Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations;　　　　set a first BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs as an active DL BWP in response to receiving the first message;　　　　receive, from the BS, a second message indicating activation of an OD-SSB transmission;　　　　determine, based on the first message, a second DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs for receiving an OD-SSB from the BS;　　　　determine whether the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP;　　　　in response to determining that the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP, switch the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and　　　　receive, from the BS, the OD-SSB based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.The UE of claim 1, wherein each DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs is associated with a corresponding OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations.The UE of claim 1, wherein the configurations of the plurality of DL BWPs comprise a first DL BWP identifier (ID) of the first BWP and a second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.The UE of claim 3, wherein setting the first BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs as the active DL BWP comprises:　　　　setting an active DL BWP ID to the first DL BWP ID of the first BWP.The UE of claim 3, wherein switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP comprises:　　　　setting an active DL BWP ID to the second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.The UE of claim 1, wherein the configurations of the plurality of DL BWPs indicate a frequency domain range of the first BWP, and the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the second DL BWP indicates a center frequency of the OD-SSB.The UE of claim 6, wherein determining, based on the first message, the second DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs for receiving the OD-SSB from the BS comprises:　　　　determining that the center frequency of the OD-SSB is within the frequency domain range of the second BWP.The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to:　　　　start or restart a BWP inactivity timer in response to switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP.The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to:　　　　after switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP, receive, from the BS, a third message indicating deactivation of the OD-SSB transmission; and　　　　switch the active DL BWP from the second DL BWP to the first DL BWP in response to receiving the third message.A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for handling On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) operations, the method comprising:　　　　receiving, from a Base Station (BS), a first message comprising configurations of a plurality of Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations;　　　　setting a first BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs as an active DL BWP in response to receiving the first message;　　　　receiving, from the BS, a second message indicating activation of an OD-SSB transmission;　　　　determining, based on the first message, a second DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs for receiving an OD-SSB from the BS;　　　　determining whether the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP;　　　　in response to determining that the second DL BWP is different from the first DL BWP, switching the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and　　　　receiving, from the BS, the OD-SSB based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.A Base Station (BS), the BS comprising:　　　　at least one processor; and　　　　at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to:　　　　transmit, to a User Equipment (UE), a first message comprising configurations of a plurality of Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) and one or more On-Demand Synchronization Signal Block (OD-SSB) configurations, wherein a first DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs is configured as an active DL BWP for the UE, and a second DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs, which is different from the first DL BWP, is configured for an OD-SSB transmission;　　　　transmit, to the UE, a second message indicating activation of the OD-SSB transmission, wherein the second message causes the UE to switch the active DL BWP from the first DL BWP to the second DL BWP; and　　　　in response to transmitting the second message to the UE, transmit an OD-SSB to the UE based on an OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations corresponding to the second DL BWP.The BS of claim 11, wherein each DL BWP of the plurality of DL BWPs is associated with a corresponding OD-SSB configuration of the one or more OD-SSB configurations.The BS of claim 11, wherein the configurations of the plurality of DL BWPs comprise a first DL BWP identifier (ID) of the first BWP and a second DL BWP ID of the second BWP.The BS of claim 11, wherein the configurations of the plurality of DL BWPs indicate a frequency domain range of the first BWP, and the OD-SSB configuration corresponding to the second DL BWP indicates a center frequency of the OD-SSB.The BS of claim 11, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the BS to:　　　　transmit, to the UE, a third message indicating deactivation of the OD-SSB transmission, wherein the third message causes the UE to switch the active DL BWP from the second DL BWP to the first DL BWP.

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