Bandwidth Part Handover for NR Unlicensed Spectrum
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Solution Overview
Problem
In New Radio (NR) unlicensed spectrum, if the channel on an activated Bandwidth Part (BWP) is busy, user equipment (UE) cannot process services as BWP handover signaling cannot be sent, leading to reduced spectrum efficiency due to coincident activation of BWPs and varying active BWPs for each UE.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for UE to automatically hand over to another BWP with an idle channel when the activated BWP is busy, and a base station selects a candidate BWP with the highest priority to send data to the UE, ensuring continuous service processing by load balancing between BWPs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the UE uses a single activated BWP for communication, then power consumption is reduced and device complexity is lowered, but service processing reliability deteriorates when the channel becomes busy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple BWPs (first BWP and second BWP) into a unified BWP management system where the UE can switch between them. The base station configures both BWPs for the UE, and the UE maintains capability to use either BWP, merging the functionality of multiple separate BWP configurations into a coordinated system that provides both simplicity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic BWP switching where the UE transitions from a single activated BWP to multiple configurable BWPs based on channel conditions. When the channel on the activated BWP is detected as busy, the UE dynamically switches to the second BWP, making the BWP configuration adaptive rather than static, thereby maintaining reliability while managing complexity.
2Loss of time
If the UE automatically hands over to another BWP when the channel is busy, then service processing timeliness is improved, but device complexity and control signaling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs preliminary configuration of the second BWP for the UE in advance, before the channel becomes busy. This preliminary action ensures that when the UE needs to switch BWPs due to channel congestion, the target BWP is already configured and ready, reducing the time loss and control complexity during the actual handover process.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE autonomously detects channel busyness and automatically switches to the second BWP without requiring complex base station control signaling during the handover process. The UE serves itself by monitoring channel conditions and executing the BWP switch independently, reducing control complexity while improving service processing timeliness.
3Reliability
If multiple BWPs are configured for the UE, then service processing reliability is improved during channel congestion, but system complexity and configuration overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by configuring the second BWP with specific properties tailored for redundancy and reliability, while the first BWP maintains standard configuration. Each BWP has differentiated characteristics - the first BWP is the primary activated BWP with normal operation parameters, while the second BWP is configured as a fallback option with complementary properties, optimizing the overall system for reliability without uniformly increasing complexity across all BWPs.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods and apparatuses for triggering bandwidth part (BWP) handover, information configuring methods and apparatuses, user equipment (UE), base stations, and computer-readable storage media. The method of triggering a BWP handover includes that a UE detects that a channel on an activated BWP for the UE is busy and the UE automatically hands over to a BWP for the UE other than the activated BWP to receive data.