RedCap UE Idle/Inactive Procedures With Minimal BWP Switching

Solution Overview

Problem

Challenges exist in managing bandwidth part (BWP) switching for reduced capability (RedCap) user equipment (UEs), which can lead to increased latency and power consumption during procedures like cell selection and re-selection due to the need to retune radios for signal detection, particularly when synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) are not transmitted in the initial DL BWP.

Innovation Solution

Implementing signaling mechanisms that enhance the flexibility of RedCap UE procedures by limiting or avoiding BWP switching, thereby reducing latency and power consumption during idle or inactive mode operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If BWP switching is performed for signal detection during idle/inactive mode procedures, then signal detection capability is improved, but latency and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal detection capabilityVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network entity pre-configures multiple BWPs including a first BWP for idle/inactive mode procedures and a second BWP for active mode procedures. The UE is pre-synchronized to the first BWP before needing to perform idle/inactive mode procedures, eliminating the need for retuning and BWP switching at the moment of procedure execution. This preliminary configuration and synchronization approach allows the UE to directly use the pre-configured BWP without switching overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If BWP switching is performed for signal detection during idle/inactive mode procedures, then signal detection capability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal detection capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The network entity pre-configures multiple BWPs including a first BWP for idle/inactive mode procedures and a second BWP for active mode procedures. The UE is pre-synchronized to the first BWP before needing to perform idle/inactive mode procedures, eliminating the need for retuning and BWP switching at the moment of procedure execution. This preliminary configuration and synchronization approach allows the UE to directly use the pre-configured BWP without switching overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple BWPs are configured for different modes, then procedure flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedure flexibilityVSAvoidconfiguration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the BWP configuration into distinct functional parts: a first BWP specifically for idle/inactive mode procedures and a second BWP for active mode procedures. Each BWP is independently configured with specific parameters (frequency location, bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, cyclic prefix length) optimized for its intended mode. This segmentation allows the UE to have separate, optimized configurations for different operational states without requiring complex dynamic switching logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The network entity pre-configures multiple BWPs including a first BWP for idle/inactive mode procedures and a second BWP for active mode procedures. The UE is pre-synchronized to the first BWP before needing to perform idle/inactive mode procedures, eliminating the need for retuning and BWP switching at the moment of procedure execution. This preliminary configuration and synchronization approach allows the UE to directly use the pre-configured BWP without switching overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12426126B2Idle/inactive mode procedures for reduced capability user equipment

Publication Date: 2025.09.23 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), generally including receiving, from a network entity, a configuration for a first downlink (DL) bandwidth part (BWP), a first control resource set (CORESET) configured on the first DL BWP, and one or more first search space (SS) sets within the first CORESET, receiving, from the network entity, a configuration for a second downlink BWP, a second CORESET configured on the second DL BWP, and one or more second SS sets within the second CORESET, receiving signaling configuring the UE for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring adaptation, and monitoring for PDCCHs, subject to the PDCCH monitoring adaptation, when performing one or more idle mode or inactive mode procedures on at least one of the first DL BWP or the second DL BWP.