User equipment, base station or method performed thereby

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. The present disclosure provides a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving first information related to indicating transmission of a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SSB) at a first time, receiving second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time; activating the secondary cell according to a third time, wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time, wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.

Description

USER EQUIPMENT, BASE STATION OR METHOD PERFORMED THEREBY

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication, and more particularly, to a method performed by a user equipment, a method performed by a base station, a user equipment, or a base station.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technologies define broad frequency bands such that high transmission rates and new services are possible, and can be implemented not only in "Sub 6GHz" bands such as 3.5GHz, but also in "Above 6GHz" bands referred to as mmWave including 28GHz and 39GHz. In addition, it has been considered to implement 6G mobile communication technologies (referred to as Beyond 5G systems) in terahertz bands (for example, 95GHz to 3THz bands) in order to accomplish transmission rates fifty times faster than 5G mobile communication technologies and ultra-low latencies one-tenth of 5G mobile communication technologies.

[0003] At the beginning of the development of 5G mobile communication technologies, in order to support services and to satisfy performance requirements in connection with enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), there has been ongoing standardization regarding beamforming and massive MIMO for mitigating radio-wave path loss and increasing radio-wave transmission distances in mmWave, supporting numerologies (for example, operating multiple subcarrier spacings) for efficiently utilizing mmWave resources and dynamic operation of slot formats, initial access technologies for supporting multi-beam transmission and broadbands, definition and operation of BWP (BandWidth Part), new channel coding methods such as a LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code for large amount of data transmission and a polar code for highly reliable transmission of control information, L2 pre-processing, and network slicing for providing a dedicated network specialized to a specific service.

[0004] Currently, there are ongoing discussions regarding improvement and performance enhancement of initial 5G mobile communication technologies in view of services to be supported by 5G mobile communication technologies, and there has been physical layer standardization regarding technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) for aiding driving determination by autonomous vehicles based on information regarding positions and states of vehicles transmitted by the vehicles and for enhancing user convenience, NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) aimed at system operations conforming to various regulation-related requirements in unlicensed bands, NR UE Power Saving, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) which is UE-satellite direct communication for providing coverage in an area in which communication with terrestrial networks is unavailable, and positioning.

[0005] Moreover, there has been ongoing standardization in air interface architecture / protocol regarding technologies such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through interworking and convergence with other industries, IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) for providing a node for network service area expansion by supporting a wireless backhaul link and an access link in an integrated manner, mobility enhancement including conditional handover and DAPS (Dual Active Protocol Stack) handover, and two-step random access for simplifying random access procedures (2-step RACH for NR). There also has been ongoing standardization in system architecture / service regarding a 5G baseline architecture (for example, service based architecture or service based interface) for combining Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) for receiving services based on UE positions.

[0006] As 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices that have been exponentially increasing will be connected to communication networks, and it is accordingly expected that enhanced functions and performances of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operations of connected devices will be necessary. To this end, new research is scheduled in connection with eXtended Reality (XR) for efficiently supporting AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR (Mixed Reality) and the like, 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction by utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), AI service support, metaverse service support, and drone communication.

[0007] Furthermore, such development of 5G mobile communication systems will serve as a basis for developing not only new waveforms for providing coverage in terahertz bands of 6G mobile communication technologies, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas and large-scale antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas for improving coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional space multiplexing technology using OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum), and RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface), but also full-duplex technology for increasing frequency efficiency of 6G mobile communication technologies and improving system networks, AI-based communication technology for implementing system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI (Artificial Intelligence) from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology for implementing services at levels of complexity exceeding the limit of UE operation capability by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources.

[0008] There is a need for a method to control the timing between the on-demand synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SSB) transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving first information related to indicating transmission of a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SSB) at a first time, receiving second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time;

[0010] activating the secondary cell according to a third time,

[0011] wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time,

[0012] wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.

[0013] In an implementation, in case that the first time is the same as the second time, the third time is the fifth time.

[0014] In an implementation, the third time is determined based on the fourth time and a third time offset.

[0015] In an implementation, the third time offset is determined based on at least one of: predefined time offset information, received first higher-layer signaling, capability information of the UE, configuration information of the SSB,

[0016] wherein, the first higher-layer signaling includes information associated with one or more of multiple time offsets.

[0017] In an implementation, the multiple time offsets are associated with capability information of the UE and / or configuration information of the SSB, and / or

[0018] wherein, the configuration information of the SSB includes at least one of: index information of the configuration information of the SSB, information related to the third time offset, and information related to periodicity of the SSB.

[0019] In an implementation, in case that the second time is later than the first time by at least a fifth time offset, the third time is the fourth time.

[0020] In an implementation, the second time offset is associated with a time interval between a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) related to the first information or the second information and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) time over which a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) of the PDSCH is transmitted, and a subcarrier spacing of the PUCCH.

[0021] In an implementation, the first time offset is related to a reception and / or processing time of the SSB.

[0022] In an implementation, if the first information is not received by the UE, receiving the SSB based on default configuration information,

[0023] wherein the default configuration information is predefined or determined through received second higher-layer signaling,

[0024] the second higher-layer signaling includes information related to the default configuration information.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method performed by a base station in a communication system, comprising:

[0026] transmitting first information related to indicating transmission of an SSB at a first time, transmitting second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time;

[0027] wherein the secondary cell is activated according to a third time,

[0028] wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time,

[0029] wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.

[0030] In an implementation, in case that the first time is the same as the second time, the third time is the fifth time.

[0031] In an implementation, the third time is determined based on the fourth time and a third time offset.

[0032] In an implementation, the third time offset is determined based on at least one of: predefined time offset information, first higher-layer signaling, capability information of the UE, configuration information of the SSB,

[0033] wherein, the first higher-layer signaling includes information associated with one or more of multiple time offsets.

[0034] In an implementation, the multiple time offsets are associated with capability information of the UE and / or configuration information of the SSB, and / or

[0035] wherein, the configuration information of the SSB includes at least one of: index information of the configuration information of the SSB, information related to the third time offset, and information related to periodicity of the SSB.

[0036] In an implementation, in case that the second time is later than the first time by at least a fifth time offset, the third time is the fourth time.

[0037] In an implementation, the second time offset is associated with a time interval between a PDSCH related to the first information or the second information and a PUCCH time over which a HARQ-ACK of the PDSCH is transmitted, and a subcarrier spacing of the PUCCH.

[0038] In an implementation, the first time offset is related to a reception and / or processing time of the SSB.

[0039] In an implementation, the method further comprises: transmitting information related to default configuration information through second higher-layer signaling.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a user equipment (UE), comprising:

[0041] a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals;

[0042] a controller configured to control the UE to perform a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a base station, comprising:

[0044] a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals;

[0045] a controller configured to control the base station to perform a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] The present application provides an efficient method for controlling the on-demand synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SSB) transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of various wireless networks according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] FIGs. 2a and 2b are schematic diagrams of wireless transmit and receive paths according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] FIG. 3a is a block diagram of the composition structure of a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] FIG. 3b is a block diagram of a constituent structure of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a serving cell of a user equipment (UE) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0052] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method performed by a UE in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0053] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of the timing relationship between receiving a secondary cell activation command and activating the secondary cell in the case of periodic SSB;

[0054] FIGs. 7, 8, and 9 illustrate schematic diagrams of the timing relationship between receiving SSB transmission indication signaling, receiving a secondary cell activation command and activating the secondary cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a user equipment (UE) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0058] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0059] It is to be understood that the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a component surface" includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

[0060] The term "include" or "may include" refers to the existence of a corresponding disclosed function, operation or component which can be used in various embodiments of the present disclosure and does not limit one or more additional functions, operations, or components. The terms such as "include" and / or "have" may be construed to denote a certain characteristic, number, step, operation, constituent element, component or a combination thereof, but may not be construed to exclude the existence of or a possibility of addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0061] The term "or" used in various embodiments of the present disclosure includes any or all of combinations of listed words. For example, the expression "A or B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0062] Unless defined differently, all terms used herein, which include technical terminologies or scientific terminologies, have the same meaning as that understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Such terms as those defined in a generally used dictionary are to be interpreted to have the meanings equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art, and are not to be interpreted to have ideal or excessively formal meanings unless clearly defined in the present disclosure.

[0063] The various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems, such as: global system for mobile communications (GSM) system, code division multiple access (CDMA) system, broadband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system, general packet radio service (GPRS), long term evolution (LTE) system Frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, time division duplex (TDD) systems, universal mobile telecommunications systems (UMTS), global interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth generation (5G) systems or new wireless (NR) systems, etc. In addition, the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to future oriented communication technologies.

[0064] FIG. 1 through FIG. 10, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0065] FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless network 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the wireless network 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] The wireless network 100 includes a gNodeB (gNB) 101, a gNB 102, and a gNB 103. gNB 101 communicates with gNB 102 and gNB 103. gNB 101 also communicates with at least one Internet Protocol (IP) network 130, such as the Internet, a private IP network, or other data networks.

[0067] Depending on a type of the network, other well-known terms such as "base station" or "access point" can be used instead of "gNodeB" or "gNB". For convenience, the terms "gNodeB" and "gNB" are used in this patent document to refer to network infrastructure components that provide wireless access for remote terminals. And, depending on the type of the network, other well-known terms such as "mobile station", "user station", "remote terminal", "wireless terminal" or "user apparatus" can be used instead of "user equipment" or "UE". For convenience, the terms "user equipment" and "UE" are used in this patent document to refer to remote wireless devices that wirelessly access the gNB, no matter whether the UE is a mobile device (such as a mobile phone or a smart phone) or a fixed device (such as a desktop computer or a vending machine).

[0068] gNB 102 provides wireless broadband access to the network 130 for a first plurality of User Equipments (UEs) within a coverage area 120 of gNB 102. The first plurality of UEs include a UE 111, which may be located in a Small Business (SB); a UE 112, which may be located in an enterprise (E); a UE 113, which may be located in a WiFi Hotspot (HS); a UE 114, which may be located in a first residence (R); a UE 115, which may be located in a second residence (R); a UE 116, which may be a mobile device (M), such as a cellular phone, a wireless laptop computer, a wireless PDA, etc. GNB 103 provides wireless broadband access to network 130 for a second plurality of UEs within a coverage area 125 of gNB 103. The second plurality of UEs include a UE 115 and a UE 116. In some embodiments, one or more of gNBs 101-103 can communicate with each other and with UEs 111-116 using 5G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A, WiMAX or other advanced wireless communication technologies.

[0069] The dashed lines show approximate ranges of the coverage areas 120 and 125, and the ranges are shown as approximate circles merely for illustration and explanation purposes. It should be clearly understood that the coverage areas associated with the gNBs, such as the coverage areas 120 and 125, may have other shapes, including irregular shapes, depending on configurations of the gNBs and changes in the radio environment associated with natural obstacles and man-made obstacles.

[0070] As will be described in more detail below, one or more of gNB 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103 include a 2D antenna array as described in embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more of gNB 101, gNB 102, and gNB 103 support codebook designs and structures for systems with 2D antenna arrays.

[0071] Although FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the wireless network 100, various changes can be made to FIG. 1. The wireless network 100 can include any number of gNBs and any number of UEs in any suitable arrangement, for example. Furthermore, gNB 101 can directly communicate with any number of UEs and provide wireless broadband access to the network 130 for those UEs. Similarly, each gNB 102-103 can directly communicate with the network 130 and provide direct wireless broadband access to the network 130 for the UEs. In addition, gNB 101, 102 and / or 103 can provide access to other or additional external networks, such as external telephone networks or other types of data networks.

[0072] FIGs. 2a and 2b illustrate example wireless transmission and reception paths according to the present disclosure. In the following description, the transmission path 200 can be described as being implemented in a gNB, such as gNB 102, and the reception path 250 can be described as being implemented in a UE, such as UE 116. However, it should be understood that the reception path 250 can be implemented in a gNB and the transmission path 200 can be implemented in a UE. In some embodiments, the reception path 250 is configured to support codebook designs and structures for systems with 2D antenna arrays as described in embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0073] The transmission path 200 includes a channel coding and modulation block 205, a Serial-to-Parallel (S-to-P) block 210, a size N Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) block 215, a Parallel-to-Serial (P-to-S) block 220, a cyclic prefix addition block 225, and an up-converter (UC) 230. The reception path 250 includes a down-converter (DC) 255, a cyclic prefix removal block 260, a Serial-to-Parallel (S-to-P) block 265, a size N Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) block 270, a Parallel-to-Serial (P-to-S) block 275, and a channel decoding and demodulation block 280.

[0074] In the transmission path 200, the channel coding and modulation block 205 receives a set of information bits, applies coding (such as Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding), and modulates the input bits (such as using Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) or Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)) to generate a sequence of frequency-domain modulated symbols. The Serial-to-Parallel (S-to-P) block 210 converts (such as demultiplexes) serial modulated symbols into parallel data to generate N parallel symbol streams, where N is a size of the IFFT / FFT used in gNB 102 and UE 116. The size N IFFT block 215 performs IFFT operations on the N parallel symbol streams to generate a time-domain output signal. The Parallel-to-Serial block 220 converts (such as multiplexes) parallel time-domain output symbols from the Size N IFFT block 215 to generate a serial time-domain signal. The cyclic prefix addition block 225 inserts a cyclic prefix into the time-domain signal. The up-converter 230 modulates (such as up-converts) the output of the cyclic prefix addition block 225 to an RF frequency for transmission via a wireless channel. The signal can also be filtered at a baseband before switching to the RF frequency.

[0075] The RF signal transmitted from gNB 102 arrives at UE 116 after passing through the wireless channel, and operations in reverse to those at gNB 102 are performed at UE 116. The down-converter 255 down-converts the received signal to a baseband frequency, and the cyclic prefix removal block 260 removes the cyclic prefix to generate a serial time-domain baseband signal. The Serial-to-Parallel block 265 converts the time-domain baseband signal into a parallel time-domain signal. The Size N FFT block 270 performs an FFT algorithm to generate N parallel frequency-domain signals. The Parallel-to-Serial block 275 converts the parallel frequency-domain signal into a sequence of modulated data symbols. The channel decoding and demodulation block 280 demodulates and decodes the modulated symbols to recover the original input data stream.

[0076] Each of gNBs 101-103 may implement a transmission path 200 similar to that for transmitting to UEs 111-116 in the downlink, and may implement a reception path 250 similar to that for receiving from UEs 111-116 in the uplink. Similarly, each of UEs 111-116 may implement a transmission path 200 for transmitting to gNBs 101-103 in the uplink, and may implement a reception path 250 for receiving from gNBs 101-103 in the downlink.

[0077] Each of the components in FIGs. 2a and 2b can be implemented using only hardware, or using a combination of hardware and software / firmware. As a specific example, at least some of the components in FIGs. 2a and 2b may be implemented in software, while other components may be implemented in configurable hardware or a combination of software and configurable hardware. For example, the FFT block 270 and IFFT block 215 may be implemented as configurable software algorithms, in which the value of the size N may be modified according to the implementation.

[0078] Furthermore, although described as using FFT and IFFT, this is only illustrative and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Other types of transforms can be used, such as Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) functions. It should be understood that for DFT and IDFT functions, the value of variable N may be any integer (such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), while for FFT and IFFT functions, the value of variable N may be any integer which is a power of 2 (such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.)

[0079] Although FIGs. 2a and 2b illustrate examples of wireless transmission and reception paths, various changes may be made to FIGs. 2a and 2b. For example, various components in FIGs. 2a and 2b can be combined, further subdivided or omitted, and additional components can be added according to specific requirements. Furthermore, FIGs. 2a and 2b are intended to illustrate examples of types of transmission and reception paths that can be used in a wireless network. Any other suitable architecture can be used to support wireless communication in a wireless network.

[0080] FIG. 3a illustrates an example UE 116 according to the present disclosure. The embodiment of UE 116 shown in FIG. 3a is for illustration only, and UEs 111-115 of FIG. 1 can have the same or similar configuration. However, a UE has various configurations, and FIG. 3a does not limit the scope of the present disclosure to any specific implementation of the UE.

[0081] UE 116 includes an antenna 301, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 302, a transmission (TX) processing circuit 303, a microphone 304, and a reception (RX) processing circuit 305. UE 116 also includes a speaker 306, a controller / processor 307, an input / output (I / O) interface 308, an input device(s) 309, a display 310, and a memory 311. The memory 311 includes an operating system (OS) 312 and one or more applications 313.

[0082] The RF transceiver 302 receives an incoming RF signal transmitted by a gNB of the wireless network 100 from the antenna 301. The RF transceiver 302 down-converts the incoming RF signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is transmitted to the RX processing circuit 305, where the RX processing circuit 305 generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. The RX processing circuit 305 transmits the processed baseband signal to speaker 306 (such as for voice data) or to controller / processor 307 for further processing (such as for web browsing data).

[0083] The TX processing circuit 303 receives analog or digital voice data from microphone 304 or other outgoing baseband data (such as network data, email or interactive video game data) from controller / processor 307. The TX processing circuit 303 encodes, multiplexes, and / or digitizes the outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. The RF transceiver 302 receives the outgoing processed baseband or IF signal from the TX processing circuit 303 and up-converts the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via the antenna 301.

[0084] The controller / processor 307 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute an OS 312 stored in the memory 311 in order to control the overall operation of UE 116. For example, the controller / processor 307 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of backward channel signals through the RF transceiver 302, the RX processing circuit 305 and the TX processing circuit 303 according to well-known principles. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 307 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0085] The controller / processor 307 is also capable of executing other processes and programs residing in the memory 311, such as operations for channel quality measurement and reporting for systems with 2D antenna arrays as described in embodiments of the present disclosure. The controller / processor 307 can move data into or out of the memory 311 as required by an execution process. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 307 is configured to execute the application 313 based on the OS 312 or in response to signals received from the gNB or the operator. The controller / processor 307 is also coupled to an I / O interface 308, where the I / O interface 308 provides UE 116 with the ability to connect to other devices such as laptop computers and handheld computers. I / O interface 308 is a communication path between these accessories and the controller / processor 307.

[0086] The controller / processor 307 is also coupled to the input device(s) 309 and the display 310. An operator of UE 116 can input data into UE 116 using the input device(s) 309. The display 310 may be a liquid crystal display or other display capable of presenting text and / or at least limited graphics (such as from a website). The memory 311 is coupled to the controller / processor 307. A part of the memory 311 can include a random access memory (RAM), while another part of the memory 311 can include a flash memory or other read-only memory (ROM).

[0087] Although FIG. 3a illustrates an example of UE 116, various changes can be made to FIG. 3a. For example, various components in FIG. 3a can be combined, further subdivided or omitted, and additional components can be added according to specific requirements. As a specific example, the controller / processor 307 can be divided into multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). Furthermore, although FIG. 3a illustrates that the UE 116 is configured as a mobile phone or a smart phone, UEs can be configured to operate as other types of mobile or fixed devices.

[0088] FIG. 3b illustrates an example gNB 102 according to the present disclosure. The embodiment of gNB 102 shown in FIG. 3b is for illustration only, and other gNBs of FIG. 1 can have the same or similar configuration. However, a gNB has various configurations, and FIG. 3b does not limit the scope of the present disclosure to any specific implementation of a gNB. It should be noted that gNB 101 and gNB 103 can include the same or similar structures as gNB 102.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 3b, gNB 102 includes multiple antennas 370a-370n, multiple RF transceivers 372a-372n, a transmission (TX) processing circuit 374, and a reception (RX) processing circuit 376. In certain embodiments, one or more of the multiple antennas 370a-370n include a 2D antenna array. gNB 102 also includes a controller / processor 378, a memory 380, and a backhaul or network interface 382.

[0090] RF transceivers 372a-372n receive an incoming RF signal from antennas 370a-370n, such as a signal transmitted by UEs or other gNBs. RF transceivers 372a-372n down-convert the incoming RF signal to generate an IF or baseband signal. The IF or baseband signal is transmitted to the RX processing circuit 376, where the RX processing circuit 376 generates a processed baseband signal by filtering, decoding and / or digitizing the baseband or IF signal. RX processing circuit 376 transmits the processed baseband signal to controller / processor 378 for further processing.

[0091] The TX processing circuit 374 receives analog or digital data (such as voice data, network data, email or interactive video game data) from the controller / processor 378. TX processing circuit 374 encodes, multiplexes and / or digitizes outgoing baseband data to generate a processed baseband or IF signal. RF transceivers 372a-372n receive the outgoing processed baseband or IF signal from TX processing circuit 374 and up-convert the baseband or IF signal into an RF signal transmitted via antennas 370a-370n.

[0092] The controller / processor 378 can include one or more processors or other processing devices that control the overall operation of gNB 102. For example, the controller / processor 378 can control the reception of forward channel signals and the transmission of backward channel signals through the RF transceivers 372a-372n, the RX processing circuit 376 and the TX processing circuit 374 according to well-known principles. The controller / processor 378 can also support additional functions, such as higher-level wireless communication functions. For example, the controller / processor 378 can perform a Blind Interference Sensing (BIS) process such as that performed through a BIS algorithm, and decode a received signal from which an interference signal is subtracted. A controller / processor 378 may support any of a variety of other functions in gNB 102. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 378 includes at least one microprocessor or microcontroller.

[0093] The controller / processor 378 is also capable of executing programs and other processes residing in the memory 380, such as a basic OS. The controller / processor 378 can also support channel quality measurement and reporting for systems with 2D antenna arrays as described in embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the controller / processor 378 supports communication between entities such as web RTCs. The controller / processor 378 can move data into or out of the memory 380 as required by an execution process.

[0094] The controller / processor 378 is also coupled to the backhaul or network interface 382. The backhaul or network interface 382 allows gNB 102 to communicate with other devices or systems through a backhaul connection or through a network. The backhaul or network interface 382 can support communication over any suitable wired or wireless connection(s). For example, when gNB 102 is implemented as a part of a cellular communication system, such as a cellular communication system supporting 5G or new radio access technology or NR, LTE or LTE-A, the backhaul or network interface 382 can allow gNB 102 to communicate with other gNBs through wired or wireless backhaul connections. When gNB 102 is implemented as an access point, the backhaul or network interface 382 can allow gNB 102 to communicate with a larger network, such as the Internet, through a wired or wireless local area network or through a wired or wireless connection. The backhaul or network interface 382 includes any suitable structure that supports communication through a wired or wireless connection, such as an Ethernet or an RF transceiver.

[0095] The memory 380 is coupled to the controller / processor 378. A part of the memory 380 can include an RAM, while another part of the memory 380 can include a flash memory or other ROMs. In certain embodiments, multiple instructions, such as the BIS algorithm, are stored in the memory. The multiple instructions are configured to cause the controller / processor 378 to execute the BIS process and decode the received signal after subtracting at least one interference signal determined by the BIS algorithm.

[0096] As will be described in more detail below, the transmission and reception paths of gNB 102 (implemented using RF transceivers 372a-372n, TX processing circuit 374 and / or RX processing circuit 376) support aggregated communication with FDD cells and TDD cells.

[0097] Although FIG. 3b illustrates an example of gNB 102, various changes may be made to FIG. 3b. For example, gNB 102 can include any number of each component shown in FIG. 3a. As a specific example, the access point can include many backhaul or network interfaces 382, and the controller / processor 378 can support routing functions to route data between different network addresses. As another specific example, although shown as including a single instance of the TX processing circuit 374 and a single instance of the RX processing circuit 376, gNB 102 can include multiple instances of each (such as one for each RF transceiver).

[0098] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0099] The text and drawings are provided as examples only to help readers understand the present disclosure. They are not intended and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Although certain embodiments and examples have been provided, based on the content disclosed herein, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications to the illustrated embodiments and examples can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0100] When a UE needs to access the system, it may achieve downlink synchronization or perform access by detecting the SSB (Synchronization Signal / PBCH Block) broadcast by the base station. SSB may include PSS (Primary Synchronization Signal), SSS (Secondary Synchronization Signal) and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel), and PBCH may include DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) for PBCH demodulation.

[0101] If the base station always transmits SSB for the UE to access the system or detect SSB during time-frequency synchronization, the base station may need to consume excess power. Therefore, it may be considered that the base station determines when to transmit SSB according to the situation, and indicates information related to transmission of SSB to the UE through SSB-related signaling. The UE accesses the system or performs time-frequency synchronization according to the indication of the received SSB-related signaling. In this way, the base station and the UE may save excess power consumption, and the UE may be ensured to access the system or perform time-frequency synchronization. The SSB transmitted in the above manner may be referred to as on-demand SSB or aperiodically transmitted SSB or non-always-on SSB.

[0102] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a UE may be configured with at least one serving cell, one of which is called a primary cell (Pcell) and the remaining serving cells are called secondary cells (Scells). The serving cell may also be called a component carrier (CC). Please refer to FIG. 4, which illustrates a schematic diagram of serving cells of a user equipment (UE) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the UE is configured with three serving cells, namely serving cell 1, serving cell 2 and serving cell 3. Among them, serving cell 1 is Pcell, and serving cell 2 and serving cell 3 are Scells. It should be understood that the number of serving cells configured with the UE as 3 or the number of secondary cells as 2 shown in FIG. 4 is only exemplary, and the UE may also be configured with other numbers of serving cells or other numbers of secondary cells.

[0103] The secondary cell may be in a state of activation or deactivation, and the UE may change the activation / deactivation state by receiving signaling (the signaling may be a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), the signaling may also be higher-layer signaling or physical layer signaling). For example, the UE activates / deactivates the secondary cell by receiving a MAC CE activation / deactivation command. For example, in case the UE is able to receive periodically transmitted SSBs, if the UE receives a MAC CE activation command related to a secondary cell at time unit n, the UE activates / deactivates the corresponding secondary cell no earlier than time unit n+k, e.g., the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions (these actions after the activation of the secondary cell include, for example, the UE starts monitoring the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the activated secondary cell, and some other UE actions). The timing relationship between the time when the activation / deactivation command related to the secondary cell is received and the time when the UE activates / deactivates the corresponding secondary cell is determined based on the situation where the SSB is always transmitted periodically, as shown in FIG. 6. The method for determining k is described below.

[0104] Scell activation / deactivation timing

[0105] The following description takes a slot as an example of a time unit. The technical solution of the present disclosure may also be applied to other cases of a time unit. For example, using the slot where the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) is transmitted as the reference time unit, when the UE receives the Scell activation command in the PDSCH in slot n, the UE activates the corresponding Scell no earlier than the time unit n+k, for example, the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions. Where the value of k is equal to 1, k1is the time interval (for example, the number of slots) between the PUCCH transmitting HARQ-ACK of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and the PDSCH, which is indicated by the information related to HARQ feedback timing (for example, the field PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator) in the downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the PDSCH, is the number of slots included in one subframe when the PUCCH subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponds to .

[0106] When the SSB is not transmitted all the time, but is transmitted after receiving signaling, for example, for the case of on-demand SSB or aperiodic SSB or non-always-on SSB, how to determine the timing relationship for secondary cell activation is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0107] According to the method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, by determining a reasonable timing relationship, not only the secondary cell may be activated in time, but also energy waste at the UE due to activation of the secondary cell too early may be avoided as much as possible.

[0108] Please refer to FIG. 5, which illustrates a flowchart of a method performed by a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The method performed by a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more of steps S501 to S504.

[0109] At step 501, the UE receives configuration information related to on-demand SSB transmission.

[0110] At step 502, the UE receives first information related to transmission of on-demand SSB (e.g., signaling to indicate on-demand SSB transmission) and second information related to secondary cell activation or deactivation (e.g., Scell activation / deactivation command). The time when the UE receives the first information is a first time, and the time when the UE receives the second information is a second time, where the first time may be the same as the second time (for example, when the first information and the second information are received through the same signal or channel (for example, PDSCH)), or the first time may be different from the second time (e.g., when the first information and the second information are received through different signals or channels). In the following, for ease of understanding and description, the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling will be used as an example of the first information related to the transmission of the on-demand SSB, and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command will be used as an example of the second information related to the secondary cell activation or deactivation for description, which is not intended to be limiting.

[0111] At step 503, the UE determines the timing for Scell activation / deactivation according to the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the Scell activation / deactivation command. For example, according to the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling, the UE starts receiving the on-demand SSB and performs SSB related processing operations after a certain time offset (for example, it may be the above k, or other values) after the first time; according to the received secondary cell activation / deactivation command, the UE may activate the secondary cell at a third time. The third time may be related to the first time, the second time, at least one time offset. For example, in an implementation, the third time may be different depending on different relationships between the first time and the second time (e.g., the first time is the same as the second time, the first time is earlier than the second time, or the first time is later than the second time). In an implementation, the setting of the third time may enable the UE to activate the secondary cell after completing the reception and / or processing of the SSB, thereby avoiding activation of the secondary cell too early.

[0112] At step 504, the UE activates / deactivates the secondary cell according to the secondary cell activation / deactivation timing (e.g., the third time).

[0113] The method shown in FIG. 5 is described in detail below.

[0114] According to an embodiment, when describing a wireless communication system and in the present disclosure described below, a delivery method (or configuration method) of higher-layer signaling or higher-layer signal may be for delivering information from a base station to a terminal through a downlink data channel at a physical layer, and examples of the signal delivery method may include signal delivery methods for delivering information through radio resource control (RRC) signaling, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) signaling, or medium access control (MAC) control element (CE).

[0115] In the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the higher-layer signaling may be signaling corresponding to at least one or a combination of one or more of the following signaling:

[0116] -MIB (Master Information Block)

[0117] -SIB (System Information Block) or SIB X (X = 1, 2,...)

[0118] -RRC Signaling

[0119] -MAC CE.

[0120] Physical layer (Layer 1 (L1)) signaling may be signaling corresponding to at least one or a combination of one or more of the following signaling:

[0121] -PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel)

[0122] -DCI (Downlink Control Information)

[0123] -UE specific DCI

[0124] -Group common DCI

[0125] -Common DCI (e.g., multicast DCI)

[0126] -Scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI for scheduling downlink or uplink data)

[0127] -Non-scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI other than DCI for scheduling downlink or uplink data)

[0128] -PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel)

[0129] -UCI (Uplink Control Information)

[0130] -Paging

[0131] -PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel)

[0132] -RAR (Random Access Response).

[0133] According to an embodiment, in step 501, the configuration information received by the UE may include one or more of the following information:

[0134] -Information related to serving cells configured with SSB transmission;

[0135] -Information related to downlink BWP configured with SSB transmission;

[0136] -Information related to the time-frequency configuration of SSB transmission;

[0137] -Information related to the periodicity of SSB transmission;

[0138] -Information related to the index of the configuration information of the SSB, such as the index corresponding to the SSB configuration information;

[0139] -Information related to time offset, for example, the information is related to the reception and / or processing time of the SSB, and / or the information may be used to determine the above-mentioned third time;

[0140] -Information related to the transmission duration of SSB transmission;

[0141] -Information related to the type of SSB transmission; Types of SSB may be, for example, CD (Cell defined)-SSB and NCD (Non-cell Defined)-SSB.

[0142] The method of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below through several exemplary embodiments.

[0143] Embodiment 1:

[0144] When the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command are the same command, this may include multiple cases, for example, the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command are received at the same time, or are received through the same signal or channel, or the same information element carries the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command at the same time, etc. Wherein the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling indicates that the on-demand SSB is transmitted on the secondary cell and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command indicates activation of the secondary cell. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, at least the following methods may be adopted to determine the timing relationship between receiving the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command and activating the secondary cell.

[0145] Method 1:

[0146] If the UE receives the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the Scell activation / deactivation command in time unit n (e.g., slot n), the UE activates the secondary cell no earlier than time unit n+k+m, e.g., the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions, as shown in FIG. 7, where the value of k is equal to , k1is the time interval (e.g., the number of slots) between the PUCCH transmitting HARQ-ACK of the PDSCH and the PDSCH, the interval is indicated by the information related to HARQ feedback timing (e.g., the field PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator) in the DCI scheduling the PDSCH, is the number of slots included in one subframe when the PUCCH subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponds to .

[0147] Regarding the value of m in the above timing relationship, at least one of the following methods may be included:

[0148] - the value of m is preset by the protocol.

[0149] - alternatively, the value of m is configured by higher-layer signaling, and the configurable values are preset by the protocol. For example, the configurable values of m are s_1, s_2, and the UE may receive signaling configuring m to be equal to s_1 or s_2.

[0150] - alternatively, the configurable values of m are preset by the protocol or configured by signaling. For example, the configurable values of m are s_1, s_2, and the UE determines that m is equal to s_1 or s_2 according to the capability of the UE. For example, if the capability reported by the UE to the base station is a level 1 capability, m is s_1, and if the capability reported by the UE to the base station is a level 2 capability, m is s_2.

[0151] In an implementation, the value of m is related to the reception and / or processing time of the SSB.

[0152] Adopting the above method may enable the secondary cell of the UE for useful corresponding operations as soon as possible after activation, or avoid activating the secondary cell too early, thereby reducing the energy waste of the UE from performing useless corresponding operations after activation.

[0153] Method 2:

[0154] The UE receives the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the Scell activation / deactivation command in time unit n (e.g., slot n), the UE activates the secondary cell no earlier than time unit n+k+m, e.g., the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions.

[0155] Where the value of k is equal to , k1is the time interval (e.g., the number of slots) between the PUCCH transmitting HARQ-ACK of the PDSCH and the PDSCH, the interval is indicated by the information related to HARQ feedback timing (e.g., the field PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator) in the DCI scheduling the PDSCH, is the number of slots included in one subframe when the PUCCH subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponds to .

[0156] The value of m in the above timing relationship may be determined by the configuration information of the SSB. For example, the value of m may be such that the UE completes reception of on-demand SSB and / or corresponding processing (for example, obtains necessary information, completes synchronization operations, etc.) before activating the secondary cell.

[0157] The SSB configuration information received by the UE may include one or more of the following information:

[0158] - Information related to serving cells configured with SSB transmission;

[0159] - Information related to downlink BWP configured with SSB transmission;

[0160] - Information related to the time-frequency configuration of SSB transmission;

[0161] - Information related to the periodicity of SSB transmission;

[0162] - Information related to the index of the configuration information of the SSB, such as the index corresponding to the SSB configuration information;

[0163] - Information related to time offset, for example, the information is related to the reception and / or processing time of the SSB, and / or the information may be used to determine the above-mentioned third time;

[0164] - Information related to the transmission duration of SSB transmission;

[0165] - Information related to the type of SSB transmission; Types of SSB may be, for example, CD (Cell defined)-SSB and NCD (Non-cell Defined)-SSB.

[0166] In an implementation, the value of m or k+m may be determined based on the information related to the periodicity of SSB transmission included in the configuration information of the SSB. For example, if the SSB transmission periodicity is T, then m or k+m is a * T; Alternatively, there is a corresponding / mapping relationship between the transmission periodicity of the SSB and m or k+m, and the corresponding relationship may be predefined or configured through higher-layer signaling.

[0167] In an implementation, the value of m or k+m may be determined from information related to the index included in the configuration information of the SSB (e.g., the index of SSB configuration). For example, there is a corresponding / mapping relationship between different SSB configuration indexes and m or k+m, and the corresponding relationship may be predefined or configured through higher-layer signaling.

[0168] In an implementation, the configuration information of the SSB may include information related to m or k+m.

[0169] According to the received on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and according to the above-mentioned SSB configuration information, the UE performs on-demand SSB reception and corresponding processing, and the above-mentioned timing relationship setting of n+k+m may enable the UE to activate the secondary cell after receiving the on-demand SSB after receiving the on-demand SSB and / or performing necessary processing. In this way, activation of the secondary cell too early by the UE may be avoided.

[0170] In addition, using this method may enable the secondary cell of the UE for useful corresponding operations as soon as possible after activation, thereby reducing the energy waste of the UE from performing useless corresponding operations after activation.

[0171] Method 3:

[0172] If the UE receives the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the Scell activation / deactivation command in time unit n (e.g., slot n), the UE activates the secondary cell no earlier than time unit n+k+m, e.g., the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions, as shown in FIG. 7. Where the value of k is equal to , k1is the time interval (e.g., the number of slots) between the PUCCH transmitting HARQ-ACK of the PDSCH and the PDSCH, the interval is indicated by the information related to HARQ feedback timing (e.g., the field PDSCH-to-HARQ_feedback timing indicator) in the DCI scheduling the PDSCH, is the number of slots included in one subframe when the PUCCH subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponds to μ. Wherein, the value of m or k+m is jointly determined by at least two of the configuration of SSB, UE capability and signaling. For example, the UE may receive signaling (e.g., higher-layer signaling) including information related to m or k+m or information related to the timing or time offset for activating the secondary cell. Based on the received signaling, the UE determines the value of m or k+m further according to the configuration information of the on-demand SSB. For example, for the value 1 or the value set {1, 2} indicated by the information related to m or k+m configured by the signaling, different configuration information of the on-demand SSB corresponds to different values of m or k+m. Alternatively, for the value or value set indicated by the information related to m or k+m configured by the signaling, the value of m or k+m is determined further according to the configuration of the SSB and / or the UE capability. Alternatively, different SSB configurations and / or different UE capabilities correspond to multiple possible values of m or k+m, and the value of m or k+m is further determined through received higher-layer signaling.

[0173] For example, each set of configuration information of SSB (for example, each SSB configuration index) may correspond to multiple values of m or m+k, and the UE may determine one of the multiple values by receiving higher-layer signaling; Alternatively, each UE capability may correspond to multiple values of m or m+k, and the UE may determine one of the multiple values by receiving higher-layer signaling; Alternatively, each SSB configuration index corresponds to multiple values of m or m+k, and different UE capabilities also correspond to multiple values of m or m+k, respectively, higher-layer signaling may indicate one or multiple values of m or m+k, so that the value of m or m+k may be jointly determined based on UE capability information, SSB configuration information, and higher-layer signaling.

[0174] Embodiment 2:

[0175] When the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command are not the same command, this may include multiple cases, for example, the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command are received at different times, or received through different signals or channels, etc. For example, the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling is the first signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command is the second command.

[0176] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, at least the following methods may be adopted to determine the timing relationship between receiving on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling, receiving secondary cell activation / deactivation commands, and activating the secondary cell.

[0177] Method 1:

[0178] The timing relationship for secondary cell activation / deactivation is determined in terms of the secondary cell activation / deactivation command, e.g. the UE receives the secondary cell activation / deactivation command (e.g. MAC CE activation command) at time unit n, the UE activates the secondary cell no earlier than time unit n+k, e.g. the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions, while the UE receives the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling no later than time unit n-L, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0179] L may be determined and preset by the protocol, may also be obtained by UE receiving signaling, or may also be obtained by other implicit signaling. The value of L is such that at time unit n+k, the UE has completed the reception and / or necessary processing of the on-demand SSB, or has made corresponding preparations well for activating the secondary cell.

[0180] Alternatively, the value of L may be determined based on at least one of UE capability, SSB configuration information, and higher-layer signaling as described in Embodiment 1. For the determination method, please refer to the previous description, which will not be described again here.

[0181] Using this method, the timing relationship for the activation of the secondary cell and the timing relationship when the SSB is always transmitted periodically may be kept unchanged, by adjusting the transmitting or receiving timing of the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling.

[0182] Method 2:

[0183] The timing relationship for secondary cell activation / deactivation is determined in terms of the secondary cell activation / deactivation command and on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling. For example, when the UE receives a secondary cell activation / deactivation command (for example, a MAC CE activation command) in time unit n, according to the transmitting time of the secondary cell activation / deactivation command, the UE may or is expected to activate the secondary cell (for example, the UE starts to apply some corresponding actions) no earlier than time unit n+k, and the value of k is as described above and will not be described again here; If the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling for the UE is received in time unit n1, the UE may or is expected to start receiving the on-demand SSB in time unit n1+N, for example, N may be equal to k, or may also be other values, the UE may or is expected to activate the secondary cell no earlier than time unit n1+N+P (for example, the UE starts applying some corresponding action), then the UE activates the secondary cell no earlier than time unit max{n+k, n1+N+P} (e.g., the UE starts applying some corresponding actions), as shown in FIG. 9. Among them, one or more of N, P, and N+P may be preset by the protocol, or determined based on the capability of the UE and / or the configuration information of the on-demand SSB. For example, the value of N may be such that the UE that receives the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling in time unit n1 can receive or expect to receive the on-demand SSB at time unit n1+N, and the value of P or N+P may enable the UE to complete the reception and / or necessary processing of SSB at time unit n1+N+P, or be well prepared for activating the secondary cell.

[0184] Alternatively, the values of one or more of N, P, and N+P may be determined based on at least one of UE capability, configuration information of SSB, and higher-layer signaling as described in Embodiment 1, and for the determination method, please refer to the previous description, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] Adopting this method enables the secondary cell of the UE for useful corresponding operations as soon as possible after activation, thereby reducing the energy waste of the UE from performing useless corresponding operations after activation.

[0186] Embodiment 3:

[0187] When the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command are not the same command, this may include multiple cases, for example, the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling and the secondary cell activation / deactivation command are received at different times, or received through different signals or channels, etc. For example, the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling is the first signaling, the UE is configured with multiple SSB configurations (for example, multiple sets of configuration information of SSB) by receiving higher-layer signaling, and the UE receives MAC CE signaling (for example, SSB transmission indication signaling) to determine one SSB configuration from multiple SSB configurations. The Scell activation / deactivation command is the second command.

[0188] When the UE only receives the Scell activation / deactivation command and the UE does not receive the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling, the UE performs UE time-frequency synchronization according to the default SSB configuration preset by the protocol or determined by receiving signaling configuration. For example, the SSB configuration with the smallest index, with the largest index, is the default SSB configuration, or the UE receives higher-layer signaling and determines that the SSB configuration with index 2 is the default SSB configuration. This method ensures that the UE can perform time-frequency synchronization even when the on-demand SSB transmission indication signaling is miss detected.

[0189] In this disclosure, "time interval", "time offset", and "latency / delay" are used interchangeably to mean a period of time.

[0190] In the present disclosure, the time unit is described taking a slot as an example, but it may be understood that the time unit is not limited to a slot, but may include a slot, a sub-slot or a symbol (such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) symbol).

[0191] FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a user equipment 1000 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 10, the user equipment 1000 includes a transceiver 1001 and a controller 1002. The transceiver 1001 is configured to transmit data or signals and to receive data or signals. The controller 1002 is coupled with the transceiver 1001 and is configured to perform control such that the user equipment 1000 performs a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the user equipment 1000 may also include a memory (not shown) on which computer-executable instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed by the controller 1002, the user equipment 1000 may perform at least one method corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0192] FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of a base station 1100 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 11, the base station 1100 includes a transceiver 1101 and a controller 1102. The transceiver 1101 is configured to transmit data or signals and to receive data or signals. The controller 1102 is coupled with the transceiver 1101 and configured to perform control such that the base station 1100 performs a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an implementation, the base station 1100 may also include a memory (not shown), and computer-executable instructions are stored on the memory. When the instructions are executed by the controller 1102, the base station 1100 may execute at least one method corresponding to the above embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0193] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention includes reference to devices for performing one or more of the operations described herein. These devices may be specially designed and manufactured for the required purposes, or they may comprise known devices found in general purpose computers. These devices have computer programs stored therein that are selectively activated or reconfigured. Such a computer program may be stored in a device (e.g., computer) readable medium including, but not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magnetic-optical disks, ROM (Read-Only Memory, Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, magnetic card or optical card. That is, a readable medium includes any medium that stores or transmits information in a form readable by a device (e.g., a computer).

[0194] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that each block of the structural diagrams and / or block diagrams and / or flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the structural diagrams and / or block diagrams and / or flow diagrams, may be implemented by computer program instructions. Those skilled in the art may understand that these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing method for implementation, so that the solution specified in the structural diagrams and / or block diagrams and / or flow diagrams disclosed in the present invention may be executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing method.

[0195] Those skilled in the art may understand that the steps, measures, and solutions in the various operations, methods, and processes that have been discussed in the present invention may be alternated, changed, combined, or deleted. Furthermore, other steps, measures, and solutions in the various operations, methods, and processes that have been discussed in the present invention may also be alternated, changed, rearranged, decomposed, combined, or deleted. Furthermore, the steps, measures, and solutions in the various operations, methods, and processes disclosed in the present invention in the prior art may also be alternated, changed, rearranged, decomposed, combined, or deleted.

[0196] The above are only some of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art may also make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also It should be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, comprising:receiving first information related to indicating transmission of a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SSB) at a first time, receiving second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time; andactivating the secondary cell according to a third time,wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time,wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.The method of claim 1, wherein in case that the first time is the same as the second time, the third time is the fifth time.The method of claim 2, wherein the third time is determined based on the fourth time and a third time offset.The method of claim 3, wherein the third time offset is determined based on at least one of: predefined time offset information, received first higher-layer signaling, capability information of the UE, configuration information of the SSB,wherein, the first higher-layer signaling includes information associated with one or more of multiple time offsets.The method of claim 4, wherein the multiple time offsets are associated with capability information of the UE or configuration information of the SSB, and / orwherein, the configuration information of the SSB includes at least one of: index information of the configuration information of the SSB, information related to the third time offset, and information related to periodicity of the SSB.The method of claim 1, wherein in case that the second time is later than the first time by at least a fifth time offset, the third time is the fourth time.The method of claim 1, wherein the second time offset is associated with a time interval between a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) related to the first information or the second information and a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) time over which a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) of the PDSCH is transmitted, and a subcarrier spacing of the PUCCH.The method of claim 1, wherein the first time offset is related to a reception and / or processing time of the SSB.The method of claim 1, wherein if the first information is not received by the UE, receiving the SSB based on default configuration information,wherein the default configuration information is predefined or determined through received second higher-layer signaling,the second higher-layer signaling includes information related to the default configuration information.A method performed by a base station in a communication system, comprising:transmitting first information related to indicating transmission of an SSB at a first time; andtransmitting second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time,wherein the secondary cell is activated according to a third time,wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time,wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.The method of claim 10, wherein in case that the first time is the same as the second time, the third time is the fifth time.The method of claim 11, wherein the third time is determined based on the fourth time and a third time offset.The method of claim 12, wherein the third time offset is determined based on at least one of: predefined time offset information, first higher-layer signaling, capability information of the UE, configuration information of the SSB,wherein, the first higher-layer signaling includes information associated with one or more of multiple time offsets.A user equipment (UE) comprising:a transceiver; anda controller configured to control the UE to perform:receiving first information related to indicating transmission of a synchronization signal physical broadcast channel block (SSB) at a first time, receiving second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time; andactivating the secondary cell according to a third time,wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time,wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.A base station comprising:a transceiver; anda controller configured to control the base station to perform:transmitting first information related to indicating transmission of an SSB at a first time; andtransmitting second information related to secondary cell activation at a second time,wherein the secondary cell is activated according to a third time,wherein the third time is the later one of a fourth time and a fifth time,wherein the fourth time is determined based on the second time and a second time offset, and the fifth time is determined based on the first time and a first time offset.

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