BWP Activation Timer and PRB Index Offset Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies for New Radio (NR) wideband operation face challenges in efficiently managing bandwidth parts (BWP) and physical resource block (PRB) indexing, leading to higher idling power consumption and suboptimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves timer-based activation and deactivation of BWPs, common PRB index offset signaling for secondary cells without synchronization signal blocks, and efficient BWP on-off operations to optimize bandwidth usage and reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If wideband operation capability is implemented to improve peak data rate, then user experience and data rate are improved, but idling power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wideband carrier is segmented into multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs), each representing a subset of the total bandwidth. The UE can be configured with multiple BWPs and activate only the necessary portions, rather than continuously operating across the entire wideband carrier. This segmentation allows the UE to reduce its active bandwidth during idle periods, thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining the capability to access the full bandwidth when needed for high data rate operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple bandwidth parts are configured to provide flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic BWP configuration where BWPs can be activated, deactivated, and switched based on current network conditions and UE requirements. The network can dynamically allocate different BWPs to different UEs or the same UE at different times, allowing flexible adaptation to varying traffic demands while managing complexity through standardized procedures for BWP configuration and switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces periodic BWP switching mechanisms where UEs can autonomously switch between active and inactive states based on timer-based configurations. This periodic action allows the system to maintain flexibility in bandwidth allocation while reducing the complexity of continuous BWP management by using predetermined switching patterns and timers.
3Productivity
If timer-based autonomous BWP switching is implemented, then productivity is improved, but control precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The UE is empowered to autonomously manage its own BWP activation and deactivation based on timer-based configurations provided by the network. Instead of requiring continuous network control for each BWP state change, the UE independently monitors timers and switches BWPs autonomously when conditions are met. This self-service approach improves productivity by reducing signaling overhead and enabling faster BWP transitions, while the network retains control precision through carefully configured timer values and BWP parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure describes configuration schemes for secondary cell (SCell), bandwidth part (BWP) and physical resource block (PRB) indexing. An apparatus of user equipment (UE) for BWP activation and deactivation operation is disclosed. The apparatus includes baseband circuitry that includes a radio frequency (RF) interface, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are to receive radio resource control (RRC) data via the RF interface, configure a timer for a BWP according to the RRC data, and trigger the timer for the BWP in response to detection of an event associated with an access node after the BWP has been activated.