WO2025091454A1

WO2025091454A1 - Technologies for dynamic configuration of user equipment type

Info

Publication number: WO2025091454A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/129569
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yuexia Song; Jie Cui; Xiang Chen; Yang Tang; Qiming Li; Dawei Zhang; Rolando E. BETTANCOURT ORTEGA; Manasa RAGHAVAN
Original assignee: Apple Inc
Current assignee: Apple Inc
Priority date: 2023-11-03
Filing date: 2023-11-03
Publication date: 2025-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-03

Abstract

The present application relates to devices and components, including apparatus, systems, and methods for dynamically configuring UE's type capabilities.

Description

TECHNOLOGIES FOR DYNAMIC CONFIGURATION OF USER EQUIPMENT TYPE

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to communication networks and, in particular, to technologies for configuration in collocated and non-collocated scenarios.

BACKGROUND

A transmission-reception point (TRP) may describe a point in a network topology from which signals are transmitted or at which signals are received. A TRP may be a set of antennas that are used to transmit and receive signals in a wireless communication system. For example, a base station (BS) in a cellular network may be a TRP.

A collocated transmission may refer to a scenario where multiple transmission points, e.g., TRPs, are located at the same physical locations, for example, a base station (e.g., an eNodeB in LTE) . On the other hand, non-collocated transmission may refer to a scenario where the transmission points, e.g., TRPs, are not at the same physical location.

The signals that are simultaneously transmitted from non-collocated transmission points may be received at different times at a receiver. Also, signals transmitted with the same power from non-collocated transmission points may have different powers at the receiver. Therefore, a receiver capable of receiving signals from non-collocated transmission points may need to be equipped with technologies to tolerate the power imbalance and timing misalignment among the received signals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a network environment in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates a network node in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, and/or techniques, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of some embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure that the various aspects of the various aspects may be practiced in other examples that depart from these specific details. In certain instances, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various aspects with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of the present document, the phrase “A or B” means (A) , (B) , or (A and B) , and the phrase “based on A” means “based at least in part on A, ” for example, it could be “based solely on A, ” or it could be “based in part on A. ”

The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure.

The term “circuitry” as used herein refers to, is part of, or includes hardware components, such as an electronic circuit, a logic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) , or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field-programmable device (FPD) (e.g., a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) , a programmable logic device (PLD) , a complex PLD (CPLD) , a high-capacity PLD (HCPLD) , a structured ASIC, or a programmable system-on-a-chip (SoC) ) , and/or digital signal processors (DSPs) , that are configured to provide the described functionality. In some aspects, the circuitry may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the described functionality. The term “circuitry” may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system) with the program code used to carry out the functionality of that program code. In these aspects, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuitry.

The term “processor circuitry” as used herein refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry capable of sequentially and automatically carrying out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations; or recording, storing, or transferring digital data. The term “processor circuitry” may refer to an application processor; baseband processor; a central processing unit (CPU) ; a graphics processing unit; a single-core processor; a dual-core processor; a triple-core processor; a quad-core processor; or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions, such as program code; software modules; or functional processes.

The term “interface circuitry, ” as used herein, refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term “interface circuitry” may refer to one or more hardware interfaces; for example, buses, I/O interfaces, peripheral component interfaces, network interface cards, or the like.

The term “user equipment” or “UE” as used herein refers to a device with radio communication capabilities and may describe a remote user of network resources in a communications network. The term “user equipment” or “UE” may be considered synonymous to and may be referred to as client, mobile, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, reconfigurable mobile device, etc. Furthermore, the term “user equipment” or “UE” may include any type of wireless/wired device or any computing device, including a wireless communications interface.

The term “computer system, ” as used herein, refers to any type of interconnected electronic devices, computer devices, or components thereof. Additionally, the term “computer system” or “system” may refer to various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled with one another. Furthermore, the term “computer system” or “system” may refer to multiple computer devices or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled with one another and configured to share computing or networking resources.

The term “resource” as used herein refers to a physical or virtual device, a physical or virtual component within a computing environment, or a physical or virtual component within a particular device, such as computer devices, mechanical devices, memory space, processor/CPU time, processor/CPU usage, processor and accelerator loads, hardware time or usage, electrical power, input/output operations, ports or network sockets, channel/link allocation, throughput, memory usage, storage, network, database and applications, workload units, or the like. A “hardware resource” may refer to a computer, storage, or network resources provided by physical hardware element (s) . A “virtualized resource” may refer to a computer, storage, or network resources provided by virtualization infrastructure to an application, device, system, etc. The term “network resource” or “communication resource” may refer to resources that are accessible by computer devices/systems via a communications network. The term “system resources” may refer to any kind of shared entities to provide services and may include computing or network resources. System resources may be considered as a set of coherent functions, network data objects, or services accessible through a server where such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

The term “channel, ” as used herein, refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium used to communicate data or a data stream. The term “channel” may be synonymous with or equivalent to “communications channel, ” “data communications channel, ” “transmission channel, ” “data transmission channel, ” “access channel, ” “data access channel, ” “link, ” “data link, ” “carrier, ” “radio-frequency carrier, ” or any other like term denoting a pathway or medium through which data is communicated. Additionally, the term “link, ” as used herein, refers to a connection between two devices for the purpose of transmitting and receiving information.

The terms “instantiate, ” “instantiation, ” and the like, as used herein, refer to the creation of an instance. An “instance” also refers to a concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

The term “connected” may mean that two or more elements at a common communication protocol layer have an established signaling relationship with one another over a communication channel, link, interface, or reference point.

The term “network element, ” as used herein, refers to physical or virtualized equipment or infrastructure used to provide wired or wireless communication network services. The term “network element” may be considered synonymous with or referred to as a networked computer, networking hardware, network equipment, network node, virtualized network function, or the like.

The term “information element” refers to a structural element containing one or more fields. The term “field” refers to individual contents of an information element or a data element that contains content. An information element may include one or more additional information elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment 100 in accordance with some embodiments. The network environment 100 may include a user equipment (UE) 104 communicatively coupled with a base station (BS) 108 of a radio access network (RAN) 110. In some embodiments, the base station 108 is a next-generation node B (gNB) that provides one or more 3GPP New Radio (NR) cells. In other embodiments, the base station 108 is an evolved node B (eNB) that provides one or more Long Term Evolution (LTE) cells. The air interface over which the UE 104 and the base station 108 communicate may be compatible with 3GPP technical specifications (TSs) , such as those that define Fifth Generation (5G) NR or later system standards (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G) standards) . The base station 108 may provide user plane and control plane protocol terminations toward the UE 104.

The UE 104 may provide information 120 to the BS 108. The information 120 may include features or functions supported by the UE. The BS 108 may use the information 120 to schedule or allocate resources according to the features and functions supported by the UE 104.

The BS 108 may send configuration 130 to the UE 104. The configuration 130 may allocate resources to the UE 104 or determine the parameters associated with transmission or reception at the UE 104.

The UE 104 may support carrier aggregation (CA) . With CA, the UE 104 may simultaneously use multiple carriers, also called component carriers (CCs) , for transmission or reception. The information 120 may indicate that the UE 104 supports (or does not support) carrier aggregation. The information 120 may also include information associated with supported component carriers, e.g., the carrier frequency.

The UE 104 may support multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) transmission or reception. In MIMO transmission, the UE 104 may use one or more antennas or antenna ports for transmission. Antenna port may be a logical definition that includes one or more physical antennas used for the transmission of information. In MIMO reception, the UE 104 may use one or more antennas or antenna ports for reception. The information 120 may include a field indicating whether the UE 104 supports MIMO transmission or reception. The information 120 may include information associated with the number of antennas (or antenna ports) supported by the UE 104 for uplink transmission or downlink reception.

The BS 108 may use MIMO for transmission or reception. In some instances, the BS 108 may use transmission reception points (TRPs) 116 and 118. TRPs 116 or 118 may be points in the network where signals are transmitted or received. The BS 108 may be associated with one or more TRPs, e.g., TRPs 116 and 118. The BS 108 may use multiple TRPs to improve reliability, coverage, or network capacity.

A transmitter, e.g., the UE 104 or the BS 108, may transmit different streams of data on different antenna ports. For example, a transmitter with two antenna ports may allocate a stream of data to an antenna port and another stream of data to the other antenna port. Each stream of data may be referred to as a MIMO layer or simply a layer.

In some embodiments, the BS 108 may combine carrier aggregation with multiple TRPs. For example, the BS 108 may transmit signals on a component carrier from one TRP and signals on another component carrier from a different TRP. Similarly, the UE 104 may receive signals on a component carrier from one TRP and signals on another component carrier from a different TRP.

In some instances, the UE 104 may only support reception when TRPs are collocated. In some instances, the UE 104 may support reception when TRPs are not collocated.

In some embodiments, the information 120 may include a UE type information. The UE type may indicate whether the UE supports non-collocated carrier aggregation, e.g., when different components are transmitted from different TRPs.

In some embodiments, the information 120 may indicate that the UE is capable of switching between a collocated carrier aggregation configuration and a non-collocated carrier aggregation configuration. In some instances, the UE 104 may dynamically switch its configuration based on determining a collocated, non-collocated condition or an indication from the BS 108. In some instances, the BS 108 may determine a collocated or non-collocated condition and configure the UE 104 accordingly.

FIG. 2 illustrates a network environment 200 in accordance with some embodiments. The UE 104 may support collocated and non-collocated carrier aggregations.

The UE 104 may be referred to as type 1 UE when it supports collocated carrier aggregation. In collocated carrier aggregation, the power imbalance of the signals received from different TRPs at the UE does not exceed a predefined threshold. Alternatively or additionally, the component carriers may be referred to as being collocated when the maximum received timing difference (MRTD) is smaller than a predefined timing threshold.

For example, a reference signal 220 transmitted from TRP 116 on component carrier C1 may have a received power P1 at the UE 104. Similarly, the reference signal 230 transmitted from TRP 118 on component carrier C2 may have a received power P2 at the UE 104. TRPs 116 and 118 are considered collocated if the absolute value of P1 minus P2 (|P1-P2|) is smaller than a predefined power threshold, e.g., 6 decibels (dB) .

The MRTD may be associated with the timing difference between the received signals at the UE 104. For example, consider that the reference signals 220 and 230 are simultaneously transmitted to the UE 104. Further, consider that the reference signal 220 is received on the component carrier C1 at the UE 104 at time T1, and the reference signal 230 is received on the component carrier C2 at the UE 104 at time T2. The MRTD may be defined as the absolute value of T1 minus T2 (|T1 -T2|) . The TRPs 116 and 118 may be considered collocated when the MRTD is smaller than a predefined timing threshold, e.g., 3 microseconds (us) .

The number of layers supported on each component carrier may be associated with whether or not the component carriers are collocated. In one example, in carrier aggregation, the maximum number of MIMO layers supported by each component carrier may not exceed a carrier threshold, e.g., 4 layers per component carrier, when the component carriers are collocated. In one example, the maximum number of layers in dual connectivity may not exceed a dual connectivity threshold. For example, the dual connectivity threshold may be 4 layers on NR component carriers. In another example, the dual connectivity threshold may be 2 layers on evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) component carriers.

The UE 104 may be referred to as type 2 UE when it supports non-collocated carrier aggregation. In non-collocated carrier aggregation, the power imbalance of the signals received from different TRPs at the UE does not exceed a predefined threshold. Alternatively, or additionally, the component carriers may be referred to as being non-collocated when the maximum received timing difference (MRTD) is smaller than a predefined timing threshold. In one example, the predefined power threshold may be 25 dB, and the predefined timing threshold may be 33 microseconds (us) . When component carriers are non-collocated, the maximum number of MIMO layers supported by each component carrier may not exceed a carrier threshold, e.g., 2 layers per component carrier for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity.

The number of layers, maximum supported power imbalance, or MRTD may be referred to as UE-type capabilities. For example, UE type 1 capabilities may include support for power imbalance up to 6 dB, MRTD of up to 3 us, up to 4 MIMO layers per component carrier for carrier aggregation, up to 4 MIMO layers on NR component carriers for dual connectivity, and up to 2 MIMO layers on E-UTRA component carriers for dual connectivity. Similarly, UE type 2 capabilities may include support for power imbalance up to 25 dB, MRTD of up to 33 us, and 2 MIMO layers per component carrier for carrier aggregation and dual connectivity.

In one example, an operator may allocate intra-band n77 or n78 for NR non-collocated carrier aggregation. In another example, an operator may allocate inter-band 42 (E-UTRA band) and n77 or n78 for E-UTRA and NR non-collocated dual connectivity (EN-DC, e.g., dual connectivity with one connectivity on an E-UTRA component carrier on band 42 and one connectivity through NR component carrier on band n77 or n78) . A UE type 2 or UE with the UE type 2 capabilities may utilize these allocated resources for these NR non-collocated carrier aggregation or non-collocated EN-DC.

In some instances, even when TRPs are not collocated, the received signals from the TRPs at the UE 104 may satisfy the collocated conditions, e.g., having power imbalance less than a threshold (e.g., 6 dB) or MRTD less than a threshold (e.g., 3 us) . It is desired that a type 2 UE be configured with type 1 capabilities, e.g., the number of MIMO layers for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity associated with a type 1 UE.

In one embodiment, the UE may report a UE type, e.g., type 1 UE or type 2 UE. For example, the UE capability information (UCI) may include a field associated with the UE type. The UE may report a UE capability associated with the UE type. For example, a type 2 UE may also report whether it supports type 1 capabilities, e.g., support of the number of layers for carrier aggregation and dual connectivity when the TRPs are determined to be collocated (e.g., the power imbalance smaller than a threshold, 6 dB, or the MRTD smaller than a threshold, 3 us) .

In one embodiment, a type 2 UE may include two sets of capabilities, e.g., type 2 capabilities and type 1 capabilities. For example, type 2 capabilities may include a maximum of 2 MIMO layers per component carrier in non-collocated conditions, e.g., power imbalance up to 25 dB or MRTD up to 33 us. Type 1 capabilities may include a maximum of 4 MIMO layers for NR component carriers and a maximum of 2 MIMO layers for E-UTRA component carriers in collocated conditions, e.g., power imbalance less than 6 dB or MRTD less than 3 us.

A type 1 UE may include only one set of capabilities, e.g., type 1 capabilities. For example, the type 1 UE may support a maximum of 4 MIMO layers for NR component carriers and 2 MIMO layers for E-UTRA component carriers in collocated conditions. A type 1 UE may not scheduled with non-collocated resources.

In one example, both type 1 UE and type 2 UE may report support for both type 1 capabilities and type 2 capabilities. The network, e.g., the BS 108, may consider such UE a type 2 UE supporting both type 1 and type 2 capabilities as described above.

The network may use time alignment error (TAE) to determine collocated or non-collocated conditions. The TAE may be associated with MRTD. The network may determine TAE via a random-access process. The TAE of a UE may be associated with the UE’s timing advance parameter.

In one embodiment, the UE may report a type 3 UE. A type 3 UE may indicate that the UE supports both type 1 capabilities and type 2 capabilities similar to those described above.

FIG. 3 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure 300 in accordance with some embodiments. Operational flow/algorithmic structure 300 is an example of the UE dynamically switching the UE type capabilities. The operation flow/algorithmic structure 300 may be implemented by a UE (for example, UE 104 or UE 800) or components therein, for example, processing circuitry 804.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 300 may include, at 310, sending a type indication. The UE may report its type to the base station. For example, the UE may report whether it is a type 1 UE or a type 2 UE. The report may indicate whether the UE supports both type 1 capabilities and type 2 capabilities.

The UE may determine a capability configuration. The capability configuration may include a number of transmit or receive antennas supported or a number of MIMO layers supported for carrier aggregation or dual connectivity, among other parameters. The UE transmitter radio frequency (RF) chain or receiver RF chain may be configured based on the capability configuration.

In some embodiments, the UE may send a capability report. The capability report may indicate whether the UE capability configuration is based on type 1 capabilities or is based on type 2 capabilities. The capability report may include a field that indicates an index of the type capabilities. The capability report may be a separate message or maybe in the same message that includes a type indication.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 300 may include, at 320, determining a configuration. The UE may be configured based on default capabilities, e.g., type 2 capabilities. The UE may report its current configuration to the base station. For example, the 310 reports may indicate the current UE type capabilities used for configuring the UE.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 300 may include, at 330, receiving a collocated indication. The UE may receive from the base station a message that indicates whether a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition is met.

Consider a UE that supports both type 1 capabilities and type 2 capabilities and is configured based on type 2 capabilities. Based on the TAE performance in the network, the BS may determine whether collocated conditions are met. If the collocated conditions are not met, e.g., the power imbalance is not less than 6 dB or MRTD is not less than 3 us, the base station may schedule the UE based on type 2 capabilities. However, if the collocated conditions are met, e.g., power imbalance less than 6 dB or MRTD less than 3 us, the network may send an indication to the UE that the collocated condition is met.

Consider a UE that supports both type 1 capabilities and type 2 capabilities and is configured based on type 1 capabilities. Based on the TAE performance in the network, the BS may determine whether collocated conditions are met. If the collocated conditions are met, e.g., power imbalance is less than 6 dB or MRTD is less than 3 us, the base station may schedule the UE based on type 1 capabilities. However, if the non-collocated conditions are met, e.g., the power imbalance is more than 6 dB and less than 25 dB or MRTD is more than 3 us and less than 33 us, the network may send an indication to the UE that the non-collocated condition is met.

The base station may use radio resource control (RRC) signaling to send the collocated condition information to the UE.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 300 may include, at 340, switching the configuration. The UE may change its configurations based on the collocated indication.

For example, a UE configured based on type 2 capabilities associated with a non-collocated condition may receive an indication from the base station that collocated conditions are met, e.g., power imbalance less than 6 dB or MRTD or TAE less than 3 us. The UE may perform hardware preparation and reconfiguration based on type 1 capabilities.

During the reconfiguration, the UE may not expect to receive downlink control information from the base station, e.g., downlink or uplink scheduling. The UE may suspend or stop monitoring the downlink control channel, e.g., the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) , for a predefined period of time. The predefined period of time may be configured by the network, specified by the 3GPP specifications, or be based on the UE category or UE capabilities. The UE may start a timer based on a reference time. For example, the UE may start the timer upon receiving the collocated indication from the base station at 330. The timer’s duration may be based on the predefined period of time, and while the timer has not expired, the UE may suspend monitoring the PDCCH.

FIG. 4 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure 400 in accordance with some embodiments. Operational flow/algorithmic structure 400 is an example of the UE dynamically switching the UE type capabilities. The operation flow/algorithmic structure 400 may be implemented by a UE (for example, UE 104 or UE 800) or components therein, for example, processing circuitry 804.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 400 may include, at 410, sending a type indication. The UE may send a type indication to the base station. The type indication may indicate the UE type, e.g., type 1 UE, type 2 UE, or type 3 UE. A type 3 UE may indicate that the UE is capable of dynamically switching between type 1 capabilities and type 2 capabilities.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 400 may include, at 420, receiving a trigger event. The UE may receive a configuration message from the base station. The configuration message may include an indication of a trigger event. The trigger event may be associated with a measurement and a threshold associated with the measurement. For example, the measurement may be associated with a measurement of the received timing difference (RTD) . The trigger event may also indicate an RTD threshold associated with the RTD measurement. The measurement may be associated with a measurement of a reference signal received power (RSRP) , and the trigger event may also indicate an RSRP threshold. The measurement may be associated with a measurement of channel state information (CSI) , and the trigger event may also indicate a CSI threshold.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 400 may include, at 430, detecting the trigger event. The UE may monitor the event consistently. For example, the UE may measure RTD and compare it against the RTD threshold. The UE may measure the relative RSRP between a primary serving cell (PCell) and a secondary serving cell (SCell) and compare it against the RSRP threshold, or the UE may measure the CSI and compare it against the CSI threshold. The UE may detect a trigger event when a measurement exceeds a threshold. The UE may detect a trigger event when a measurement is below a threshold. For example, the UE configured based on the type 2 capabilities may detect a trigger event when the RTD (or MRTD) is less than a threshold. In one example, the UE may evaluate RTD threshold = cyclic prefix -relative RTD to determine whether a trigger event is detected.

In another example, the UE may evaluate 6 dB minus the relative RSRP measurement between PCell and SCell (delta RSRP) , e.g., 6 dB -delta RSRP. If the evaluated value is positive, it may indicate that the power imbalance is less than 6 dB, e.g., the collocated condition may be satisfied. If the evaluated value is negative, it may indicate that the power imbalance is more than 6 dB, e.g., the non-collocated condition may be satisfied.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 400 may include, at 440, performing a reconfiguration procedure. There may be two options for implementing the reconfiguration operation.

In option 1, the UE may send a report to the UE. The report may indicate that the UE has detected a trigger event. The report may include detailed information about the trigger event, the parameter being measured, the threshold associated with the measurement, and the value associated with the evaluation at the UE. For example, the report may indicate the value of the relative RSRP or the value of the relative RTD. The UE may send the report on a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) message.

The network, e.g., the base station, may send a configuration message to configure the UE based on type 1 or type 2 capabilities. The base station may send the configuration message via RRC signaling.

The UE may configure its hardware, e.g., receiving radio frequency chain, according to the configuration message from the base station. During the reconfiguration, the UE may not expect to receive downlink control information from the base station, e.g., downlink or uplink scheduling. The UE may suspend or stop monitoring the downlink control channel, e.g., the PDCCH, for a predefined period of time. The predefined period of time may be configured by the network, specified by the 3GPP specifications, or be based on the UE category or UE capabilities. For example, the UE may start a timer upon receiving the configuration message from the base station. The duration of the timer may be based on the predefined period of time, and while the timer has not expired, the UE may suspend monitoring the PDCCH. After reconfiguration completion or timer expiration, the UE may expect the base station to schedule the UE according to the capabilities associated with the reconfiguration.

In option 2, the UE may perform the hardware preparation and reconfiguration according to the detected trigger event. For example, if the UE is currently configured based on type 1 capabilities and the UE detects a trigger event indicating that the non-collocated conditions are met, the UE may reconfigure its hardware according to type 2 capabilities associated with non-collocated carrier aggregation or dual connectivity. Similarly, if the UE is currently configured based on type 2 capabilities and the UE detects a trigger event indicating that the collocated conditions are met, the UE may reconfigure its hardware according to type 1 capabilities associated with collocated carrier aggregation or dual connectivity.

The UE may report to the network, e.g., the base station, the corresponding event. The report may include detailed information about the trigger event, the parameter being measured, the threshold associated with the measurement, and the value associated with the evaluation at the UE. For example, the report may indicate the value of the relative RSRP or the value of the relative RTD. The UE may send the report on a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) message.

During the reconfiguration, the UE may not expect to receive downlink control information from the base station, e.g., downlink or uplink scheduling. The UE may suspend or stop monitoring the downlink control channel, e.g., the PDCCH, for a predefined period of time. The predefined period of time may be configured by the network, specified by the 3GPP specifications, or be based on the UE category or UE capabilities. For example, the UE may start a timer upon receiving the configuration message from the base station. The duration of the timer may be based on the predefined period of time, and while the timer has not expired, the UE may suspend monitoring the PDCCH. After reconfiguration completion or the timer expiration, the UE may expect the base station to schedule the UE according to the capabilities associated with the reconfiguration.

FIG. 5 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic 500 structure in accordance with some embodiments. Operational flow/algorithmic structure 500 is an example of the operation of the base station 108. The operational flow/algorithmic structure 500 may be implemented by a network node, for example, the network node 900, or components therein, e.g., processors 904.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 500 may include, at 510, receiving a type indication. The base station may receive a type indication from the UE. The type indication may be associated with a type of UE, e.g., type 1 UE, type 2 UE, or type 3 UE. The type indication may indicate the type capability, e.g., type 1 capabilities or type 2 capabilities, by which the UE is configured. The type indication may be sent via uplink control elements (UCEs) , e.g., via MAC CE.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 500 may include, at 520, determining a collocated condition. The base station may monitor and evaluate whether the UE satisfies the collocated carrier aggregation or dual connectivity conditions, e.g., power imbalance less than 6 dB or TAE or MRTD less than 3 us. The base station may monitor and evaluate whether the UE satisfies the non-collocated carrier aggregation or dual connectivity conditions, e.g., power imbalance less than 25 dB or TAE or MRTD less than 33 us.

The base station may receive measurement reports from the UE or may perform measurements on signals, e.g., reference signals, received from the UE. For example, the base station may perform TAE or RTD measurements during the random access mechanism using the signals transmitted by the UE.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 500 may include, at 530, determining whether to send a collocated indication. The base station determines whether to send a collocated indication to the UE. For example, if the UE, via type indication at 530, indicates to the base station that it is configured based on collocated type capabilities, e.g., type 1 capabilities, and the base station determines that the UE meets the non-collocated conditions, the base station may determine to send an indication to the UE to indicate the non-collocated.

In another example, if the UE, via type indication at 530, indicates to the base station that it is configured based on non-collocated type capabilities, e.g., type 2 capabilities, and the base station determines that the UE meets the collocated conditions, the base station may determine to send an indication to the UE to indicate the collocated.

In one example, if the collocated condition determined by the base station is aligned with the UE configuration based on the type capabilities, e.g., type 1 or type 2 capabilities, associated with the type indication, the base station may schedule the UE according to UE’s type capabilities.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 500 may include, at 540, sending the collocated indication. The base station may send the collocated indication to the UE. The collocated indication may implicitly or explicitly instruct the UE to dynamically reconfigure its hardware or software settings according to the collocated condition associated with the collocated indication. The base station may send the collocated indication to the UE via RRC signaling.

Upon sending the collocated indication, the base station may expect the UE to perform a reconfiguration procedure. During reconfiguration, the base station may send downlink control information to the UE, e.g., downlink or uplink scheduling. The base station may suspend or stop transmission of the downlink control channel, e.g., the PDCCH, for a predefined period of time. The predefined period of time may be specified by the 3GPP specifications or be based on the UE category or UE capabilities. For example, the base station may start a timer upon sending the collocated indication to the UE. The timer’s duration may be based on the predefined period of time, and while the timer has not expired, the base station may suspend transmission of the PDCCH. After timer expiration, the base station may schedule the UE according to the capabilities associated with the collocated indication.

FIG. 6 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic 600 structure in accordance with some embodiments. Operational flow/algorithmic structure 600 is an example of the operation of the base station 108. The operational flow/algorithmic structure 600 may be implemented by a network node, for example, the network node 900, or components therein, e.g., processors 904.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 600 may include, at 610, receiving a type indication. The base station may receive a type indication from the UE. The type indication may be associated with a type of UE, e.g., type 1 UE, type 2 UE, or type 3 UE. The type indication may indicate type 3 UE. The type 3 UE may indicate that the UE can dynamically switch between type 1 and type 2 capabilities.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 600 may include, at 620, sending a configuration including a trigger event. The base station may send a configuration message to the UE that includes a trigger event. The trigger event may be associated with a collocated condition. The configuration message may configure the UE to monitor or evaluate the trigger event. The trigger event may include a measurement and a threshold associated with the measurement. The measurement may include a measurement of relative RSRP between a PCell and an SCell, a measurement of an RTD, or a measurement of a CSI.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 600 may include, at 630, receiving an event indication. The base station may receive an event indication from the UE. The event indication may be associated with detecting a trigger event at the UE. The event indication may include an identifier associated with the event. The event indicator may include detailed information about the trigger event. For example, the event indicator may include information related to the parameter being measured, the threshold associated with the measurement, or the value associated with the evaluation at the UE. For example, the event indication may indicate the value of the relative RSRP or the value of the relative RTD. The base station may receive the indication via a MAC CE.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 600 may include, at 640, determining that the UE detects the trigger event. Based on the event indication, the base station may determine that the UE detects the trigger event.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 600 may include, at 650, suspending scheduling the UE. Based on determining that the UE detects a trigger event, the base station may suspend scheduling the UE. For example, the trigger event detection may cause the UE to reconfigure its hardware or software based on different type capabilities. During the UE reconfiguration, the base station may suspend transmission of downlink control information to the UE.

In some instances, the base station may determine a collocated or non-collocated condition. The base station may determine a UE type or type capabilities based on the determined collocated or non-collocated condition and send a message to the UE to configure the UE accordingly. In other instances, the trigger event may indicate that the UE has initiated a reconfiguration process.

Based on collocated conditions or type indication, the base station may determine UE configuration capability. The configuration capability may include the number of transmit or receive antennae, the number of MIMO layers supported for carrier aggregation, or the number of MIMO layers supported for dual connectivity. The base station may schedule the UE based on the configuration capability.

FIG. 7 illustrates an operational flow/algorithmic structure 700 in accordance with some embodiments. Operational flow/algorithmic structure 700 is an example of the UE dynamically switching the UE type capabilities. The operation flow/algorithmic structure 700 may be implemented by a UE (for example, UE 104 or UE 800) or components therein, for example, processing circuitry 804.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 700 may include, at 710, generating a message to indicate a UE type supporting a carrier aggregation operation or a dual connectivity operation under a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition.

The operation flow/algorithmic structure 700 may include, at 710, transmitting the message to the base station.

The UE may have a configuration based on collocated condition, e.g., the power imbalance of less than 6 dB or MRTD of less than 3 us. The UE may receive an indication from the network associated with a condition. The condition may be associated with a non-collocated condition. The UE may determine that the network indication is not associated with the configuration. The UE may switch its configuration to a configuration based on non-collocated capabilities, e.g., the power imbalance less than 25 dB or MRTD less than 33 us.

The UE may have a configuration based on the non-collocated condition, e.g., the power imbalance less than 25 dB or MRTD less than 33 us. The UE may receive an indication from the network associated with a condition. The condition may be associated with a collocated condition. The UE may determine that the network indication is not associated with the configuration. The UE may switch to a configuration based on the collocated capabilities, e.g., the power imbalance less than 6 dB or MRTD less than 3 us.

The reconfiguration may include changing transmission or reception parameters, including reconfiguring the hardware or software associated with the transmitter or reception operations. For example, the UE may reconfigure the radio frequency hardware associated with the transmitter or receiver circuitries.

While the UE is reconfiguring, the UE may not expect to receive downlink control information from the base station. The UE may suspend monitoring the downlink control channel. Monitoring the downlink control channel may refer to receiving or decoding the downlink control channel. The downlink control channel may be the PDCCH.

The base station may configure the UE with one or more trigger events associated with one or more collocation or non-collocation conditions. The UE may detect a trigger event.

For example, the UE may have a configuration based on a collocated condition. The configuration may include a maximum of 4 MIMO layers per component carrier, a maximum power imbalance of 6 dB, or a maximum MRTD of 3 us. The detection of a trigger event may indicate that a non-collocation condition exists. When the condition associated with the trigger event is not the same as that associated with the configuration, the UE may reconfigure to a configuration that matches the associated event. In the example above, the UE may reconfigure to a configuration associated with the non-collocation condition, e.g., a maximum of 2 MIMO layers per component carrier, a maximum power imbalance of 25 dB, or a maximum MRTD of 33 us.

In another example, the UE may have a configuration based on a non-collocated condition. The configuration may include a maximum of 2 MIMO layers per component carrier, a maximum power imbalance of 25 dB, or a maximum MRTD of 33 us. The detection of a trigger event may indicate that a collocation condition exists. When the condition associated with the trigger event is not the same as that associated with the configuration, the UE may reconfigure to a configuration that matches the associated event. In the example above, the UE may reconfigure to a configuration associated with the collocation condition, e.g., a maximum of 4 MIMO layers per component carrier, a maximum power imbalance of 6 dB, or a maximum MRTD of 3 us.

In some instances, the UE may receive a network indication. The network indication may be associated with a collocated condition. For example, the network, e.g., the base station, based on the measurement reports received from the UE or performing its own measurements, may determine that the carrier aggregation or dual connectivity at the UE satisfies the collocated conditions. Based on the determination that the measurements associated with the UE satisfy the collocated condition, the network may generate and send the network indication to the UE.

In other instances, The network indication may be associated with a non-collocated condition. For example, the network, e.g., the base station, based on the measurement reports received from the UE or performing its own measurements, may determine that the carrier aggregation or dual connectivity at the UE satisfies the non-collocated conditions (or does not satisfy the collocated condition, e.g., the power imbalance is not less than 6 dB or the MRTD is not less than 3 us) . Based on the determination that the measurements associated with the UE satisfy the non-collocated condition, the network may generate and send the network indication to the UE.

The UE may set its configuration based on the network indication. For example, when the network indication is associated with a collocated condition, the UE may use a configuration associated with a collocated condition, e.g., a maximum of 4 MIMO layers per component carriers, a maximum of 6 dB power imbalance between aggregated CCs, or a maximum 3 us MRTD between aggregated CCs. In another example, when the network indication is associated with a non-collocated condition, the UE may use a configuration associated with a non-collocated condition, e.g., a maximum of 2 MIMO layers per component carriers, a maximum of 25 dB power imbalance between aggregated CCs, or a maximum 33 us MRTD between aggregated CCs.

FIG. 8 illustrates a UE 800 in accordance with some embodiments. The UE 800 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with UE 104 of FIG. 1.

The UE 800 may be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, computer, tablet, XR device, glasses, industrial wireless sensor (for example, microphone, carbon dioxide sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, thermometer, motion sensor, accelerometer, laser scanner, fluid level sensor, inventory sensor, electric voltage/current meter, or actuator) , video surveillance/monitoring device (for example, camera or video camera) , wearable device (for example, a smartwatch) , or Internet-of-things device.

The UE 800 may include processors 804, RF interface circuitry 808, memory/storage 812, user interface 816, sensors 820, driver circuitry 822, power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 824, antenna structure 826, and battery 828. The components of the UE 800 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs) , portions thereof, discrete electronic devices, or other modules, logic, hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The block diagram of FIG. 8 is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of the UE 800. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other implementations.

The components of the UE 800 may be coupled with various other components over one or more interconnects 832, which may represent any type of interface circuitry (for example, processor interface or memory interface) , input/output, bus (local, system, or expansion) , transmission line, trace, or optical connection that allows various circuit components (on common or different chips or chipsets) to interact with one another.

The processors 804 may include processor circuitry such as, for example, baseband processor circuitry (BB) 804A, central processor unit circuitry (CPU) 804B, and graphics processor unit circuitry (GPU) 804C. The processors 804 may include any type of circuitry or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, or functional processes from memory/storage 812 to cause the UE 800 to perform operations as described herein.

In some embodiments, the baseband processor circuitry 804A may access a communication protocol stack 836 in the memory/storage 812 to communicate over a 3GPP-compatible network. In general, the baseband processor circuitry 804A may access the communication protocol stack 836 to: perform user plane functions at a PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC sublayer, PDCP sublayer, SDAP sublayer, and upper layer; and perform control plane functions at a PHY layer, MAC layer, RLC sublayer, PDCP sublayer, RRC layer, and a NAS layer. In some embodiments, the PHY layer operations may additionally/alternatively be performed by the components of the RF interface circuitry 808.

The baseband processor circuitry 804A may generate or process baseband signals or waveforms that carry information in 3GPP-compatible networks. In some embodiments, the waveforms for NR may be based on the cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) in the uplink or downlink and discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the uplink.

The memory/storage 812 may include one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media that includes instructions (for example, the communication protocol stack 836) that may be executed by one or more of the processors 804 to cause the UE 800 to perform various operations described herein. The memory/storage 812 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that may be distributed throughout the UE 800. In some embodiments, some of the memory/storage 812 may be located on the processors 804 themselves (for example, L1 and L2 cache) , while other memory/storage 812 is external to the processors 804 but accessible thereto via a memory interface. The memory/storage 812 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) , static random access memory (SRAM) , erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) , electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) , Flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

The RF interface circuitry 808 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front module (RFEM) that allows the UE 800 to communicate with other devices over a radio access network. The RF interface circuitry 808 may include various elements arranged in transmit or receive paths. These elements may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuitry, and control circuitry.

In the receive path, the RFEM may receive a radiated signal from an air interface via antenna structure 826 and proceed to filter and amplify (with a low-noise amplifier) the signal. The signal may be provided to a receiver of the transceiver that down-converts the RF signal into a baseband signal that is provided to the baseband processor of the processor 804.

In the transmit path, the transmitter of the transceiver up-converts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM may amplify the RF signal through a power amplifier prior to the signal being radiated across the air interface via the antenna 826.

In various embodiments, the RF interface circuitry 808 may be configured to transmit/receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technologies.

The antenna 826 may include antenna elements to convert electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and to convert received radio waves into electrical signals. The antenna elements may be arranged into one or more antenna panels. The antenna 826 may have antenna panels that are omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof to enable beamforming and multiple input, multiple output communications. The antenna 826 may include microstrip antennas, printed antennas fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, patch antennas, or phased array antennas. The antenna 826 may have one or more panels designed for specific frequency bands, including bands in FR1 or FR2.

The user interface circuitry 816 includes various input/output (I/O) devices designed to enable user interaction with the UE 800. The user interface 816 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for accepting an input, including, inter alia, one or more physical or virtual buttons (for example, a reset button) , a physical keyboard, keypad, mouse, touchpad, touchscreen, microphones, scanner, headset, or the like. The output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for showing information or otherwise conveying information, such as sensor readings, actuator position (s) , or other like information. Output device circuitry may include any number or combinations of audio or visual displays, including, inter alia, one or more simple visual outputs/indicators (for example, binary status indicators such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) , LED displays, quantum dot displays, and projectors) , with the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, and the like being generated or produced from the operation of the UE 800.

The sensors 820 may include devices, modules, or subsystems whose purpose is to detect events or changes in its environment and send the information (sensor data) about the detected events to some other device, module, or subsystem. Examples of such sensors include inertia measurement units comprising accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems or nanoelectromechanical systems comprising 3-axis accelerometers, 3-axis gyroscopes, or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (for example, thermistors) ; pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (for example, cameras or lensless apertures) ; light detection and ranging sensors; proximity sensors (for example, infrared radiation detector and the like) ; depth sensors; ambient light sensors; ultrasonic transceivers; and microphones or other like audio capture devices.

The driver circuitry 822 may include software and hardware elements that operate to control particular devices that are embedded in the UE 800, attached to the UE 800, or otherwise communicatively coupled with the UE 800. The driver circuitry 822 may include individual drivers allowing other components to interact with or control various I/O devices that may be present within or connected to the UE 800. For example, the driver circuitry 822 may include circuitry to facilitate the coupling of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) or a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) to the UE 800. For additional examples, driver circuitry 822 may include a display driver to control and allow access to a display device, a touchscreen driver to control and allow access to a touchscreen interface, sensor drivers to obtain sensor readings of sensor circuitry 820 and control and allow access to sensor circuitry 820, drivers to obtain actuator positions of electro-mechanic components or control and allow access to the electro-mechanic components, a camera driver to control and allow access to an embedded image capture device, audio drivers to control and allow access to one or more audio devices.

The PMIC 824 may manage the power provided to various components of the UE 800. In particular, with respect to the processors 804, the PMIC 824 may control power-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DC conversion.

In some embodiments, the PMIC 824 may control or otherwise be part of various power-saving mechanisms of the UE 800, including DRX, as discussed herein.

A battery 828 may power the UE 800, although in some examples, the UE 800 may be mounted and deployed in a fixed location and may have a power supply coupled to an electrical grid. The battery 828 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery, such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, and the like. In some implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, the battery 828 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

FIG. 9 illustrates a network node 900 in accordance with some embodiments. The network node 900 may be similar to and substantially interchangeable with base station 108, a device implementing one of the network hops, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a network-controlled repeater, or a server in a core network or external data network.

The network node 900 may include processors 904, RF interface circuitry 908 (if implemented as an access node) , the core node (CN) interface circuitry 912, memory/storage circuitry 916, and antenna structure 926.

The components of the network node 900 may be coupled with various other components over one or more interconnects 932.

The processors 904, RF interface circuitry 908, memory/storage circuitry 916 (including communication protocol stack 910) , antenna structure 926, and interconnects 932 may be similar to the like-named elements shown and described with respect to FIG. 8.

The CN interface circuitry 912 may provide connectivity to a core network, for example, a 5th Generation Core network (5GC) using a 5GC-compatible network interface protocol such as carrier Ethernet protocols or some other suitable protocol. Network connectivity may be provided to/from the network node 900 via a fiber optic or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuitry 912 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs to communicate using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuitry 912 may include multiple controllers to provide connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

In some embodiments, the network node 900 may be coupled with transmit-receive points (TRPs) using the antenna structure 926, CN interface circuitry, or other interface circuitry.

It is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining users’ privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

For one or more aspects, at least one of the components set forth in one or more of the preceding figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods as set forth in the example section below. For example, the baseband circuitry, as described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures, may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth below. For another example, circuitry associated with a UE, base station, network element, etc., as described above in connection with one or more of the preceding figures, may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth below in the example section.

Examples

In the following sections, further exemplary aspects are provided.

Example 1 includes a method to be implemented by a user equipment (UE) , the method including: generating a message to indicate a user equipment (UE) type that supports a carrier aggregation operation or a dual connectivity operation under a collocated condition and a non-collocated condition; and transmitting the message to a base station.

Example 2 includes the method of example 1 or other examples herein, wherein the UE type having a first capability and a second capability, and the method further includes: determining a configuration corresponding to the first capability; receiving, from a base station (BS) , a network indication associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and switching the configuration corresponding to the second capability.

Example 3 includes the method of examples 1 or 2 or other examples herein, the method further including: suspending monitoring a downlink control channel for a period of time from a reference time associated with said receiving the network indication.

Example 4 includes the method of any of examples 1-3 or other examples herein, wherein the first capability is based on a collocated condition, the second capability is based on a non-collocated condition, and the network indication is associated with the non-collocated condition.

Example 5 includes the method of any of examples 1-4 or other examples herein, wherein the first capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 25 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 33 microseconds (us) .

Example 6 includes the method of any of examples 1-5 or other examples herein, wherein the second capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 2 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 6 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 3 microseconds (us) between the first and the second CC.

Example 7 includes the method of any of examples 1-6 or other examples herein, wherein the collocated condition includes a power imbalance between a first aggregated component carrier (CC) and a second aggregated CC being smaller than a first power threshold or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a first time threshold; and the non-collocated condition includes the power imbalance between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second power threshold or the MRTD between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second time threshold.

Example 8 includes the method of any of examples 1-7 or other examples herein, whereinthe first power threshold is 6 decibels (dB) , the first time threshold is 3 microseconds (us) , the second power threshold is 25 dB, and the second time threshold is 33 us.

Example 9 includes the method of any of examples 1-8 or other examples herein, wherein the first capability is based on a non-collocated condition, the second capability is based on a collocated condition, and the network indication is associated with the collocated condition.

Example 10 includes the method of any of examples 1-9 or other examples herein, wherein the first capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 2 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 6 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 3 microseconds (us) between the first and the second CC.

Example 11 includes the method of any of examples 1-10 or other examples herein, wherein the second capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 25 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 33 microseconds (us) .

Example 12 includes the method of any of examples 1-11 or other examples herein, wherein the collocated condition includes a power imbalance between a first aggregated component carrier (CC) and a second aggregated CC being smaller than a first power threshold or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a first time threshold; and the non-collocated condition includes the power imbalance between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second power threshold or the MRTD between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second time threshold.

Example 13 includes the method of any of examples 1-12 or other examples herein, wherein the first power threshold is 6 decibels (dB) , the first time threshold is 3 microseconds (us) , the second power threshold is 25 dB, and the second time threshold is 33 us.

Example 14 includes the method of any of examples 1-13 or other examples herein, the method further includes: determining a configuration corresponding to a first capability; receiving, from a BS, a configuration including a trigger event; detecting the trigger event; and performing a reconfiguration procedure associated with a second capability.

Example 15 includes the method of any of examples 1-14 or other examples herein, wherein the reconfiguration procedure includes: sending, to the BS, an event indication associated with said detecting the trigger event; receiving, from the BS, a network indication associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and reconfiguring based on the network indication.

Example 16 includes the method of any of examples 1-15 or other examples herein, wherein the reconfiguration procedure includes: reconfiguring based on the trigger event; and sending, to the BS, an event indication associated with said detecting the trigger event.

Example 17 includes the method of any of examples 1-16 or other examples herein, the method further includes: suspending monitoring a downlink control channel for a period of time from a reference time associated with the reconfiguration procedure.

Example 18 includes the method of any of examples 1-17 or other examples herein, wherein the trigger event includes a measurement and a corresponding threshold.

Example 19 includes the method of any of examples 1-18 or other examples herein, wherein the measurement includes a received timing difference (RTD) measurement, a relative reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, or a channel state information (CSI) measurement.

Example 20 includes the method of any of examples 1-19 or other examples herein, wherein the UE type having a first capability associated with collocated condition and a second capability associated with non-collocated condition, and the method further includes: receiving, from a base station (BS) , a network indication associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and associating a configuration with: the first capability based on the network indication being associated with a collocated condition; or the second capability based on the network indication being associated with a non-collocated condition.

Example 21 includes a method including: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) , a message including a UE type, the UE type indicating that the UE supports carrier aggregation operation or dual connectivity operation under a collocated condition and a non-collocated condition; determining a condition associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and determining, based on the condition or the UE type, to send a network indication to the UE.

Example 22 includes the method of example 21 or other examples herein, further including: determining a time alignment error (TAE) associated with the UE.

Example 23 includes the method of examples 21 or 22 or other examples herein, wherein said determining the condition is based on the TAE.

Example 24 includes the method of any of examples 21-23 or other examples herein, further including: determining a capability of the UE based on the message; determining a transmission parameter based on the capability of the UE; and scheduling the UE based on the capability of the UE or the transmission parameter.

Example 25 includes the method of any of examples 21-24 or other examples herein, wherein the transmission parameter includes a number of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported on a component carrier, a maximum power imbalance between a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, or a maximum relative received time difference (MRTD) between a first CC and a second CC.

Example 26 includes the method of any of examples 21-25 or other examples herein, the method further including: determining a capability of the UE based on the UE type; determining that the condition is not associated with the capability of the UE; sending, to the UE, a network indication; and suspending scheduling the UE for a period of time.

Example 27 includes the method of any of examples 21-26 or other examples herein, wherein the network indication is included in a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

Example 28 includes a method including: receiving, from a user equipment (UE) , a message including a UE type, the UE type indicating that the UE supports carrier aggregation operation or dual connectivity operation under a collocated condition and a non-collocated condition; sending, to the UE, a configuration including a trigger event associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and receiving, from the UE, an event indication.

Example 29 includes the method of example 28 or other examples herein, further including: determining, based on the event indication, that the trigger event is detected by the UE; and suspending scheduling the UE for a period of time.

Example 30 includes the method of examples 28 or 29 or other examples herein, the method further includes determining, based on the event indication, a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition.

Example 31 includes the method of any of examples 28-30 or other examples herein, wherein the trigger event includes a measurement or a threshold associated with the measurement.

Example 32 includes the method of any of examples 28-31 or other examples herein, wherein the measurement includes a received timing difference (RTD) measurement, a relative reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, or a channel state information (CSI) measurement.

Another example may include an apparatus comprising logic, modules, or circuitry to perform one or more elements of a method described in or related to any of examples 1-31, or any other method or process described herein.

Another example may include a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions or parts thereof.

Another example may include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions thereof.

Another example includes a signal as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions or parts thereof.

Another example may include a datagram, information element, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

Another example may include a signal encoded with data as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

Another example may include a signal encoded with a datagram, IE, packet, frame, segment, PDU, or message as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions or parts thereof, or otherwise described in the present disclosure.

Another example may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors is to cause the one or more processors to perform the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions thereof.

Another example may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element is to cause the processing element to carry out the method, techniques, or process as described in or related to any of examples 1-32, or portions thereof.

Another example may include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

Another example may include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

Another example may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

Another example may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

Any of the above-described examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples) , unless explicitly stated otherwise. The foregoing description of one or more implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of aspects to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various aspects.

Although the aspects above have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

A method comprising:

generating a message to indicate a user equipment (UE) type supports a carrier aggregation operation or a dual connectivity operation under a collocated condition and a non-collocated condition; and

transmitting the message to a base station.
The method of claim 1, wherein the UE type having a first capability associated with the collocated condition and a second capability associated with the non-collocated condition, and the method further comprises:

receiving, from a base station (BS) , a network indication associated with the collocated condition or the non-collocated condition; and

associating a configuration with:

the first capability based on the network indication being associated with a collocated condition; or

the second capability based on the network indication being associated with a non-collocated condition.
The method of claim 2, further comprising:

suspending a monitoring of a downlink control channel for a period of time from a reference time associated with said receiving the network indication.
The method of claim 2, wherein the first capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 6 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 3 microseconds (us) .
The method of claim 2, wherein the second capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 2 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 25 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 33 microseconds (us) between the first and the second CC.
The method of claim 2, wherein:

the collocated condition includes a power imbalance between a first aggregated component carrier (CC) and a second aggregated CC being smaller than a first power threshold or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a first time threshold; and

the non-collocated condition includes the power imbalance between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second power threshold or the MRTD between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second time threshold.
The method of claim 1, wherein the UE type having a first capability and a second capability, and the method further comprises:

determining a configuration corresponding to the first capability;

receiving, from a base station (BS) , a network indication associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and

switching the configuration corresponding to the second capability.
The method of claim 7, further comprising:

suspending a monitoring of a downlink control channel for a period of time from a reference time associated with said receiving the network indication.
The method of claim 7, wherein the first capability is based on a collocated condition, the second capability is based on a non-collocated condition, and the network indication is associated with the non-collocated condition.
The method of claim 9, wherein the first capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 6 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 3 microseconds (us) .
The method of claim 9, wherein the second capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 2 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 25 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 33 microseconds (us) between the first and the second CC.
The method of claim 9, wherein:

the collocated condition includes a power imbalance between a first aggregated component carrier (CC) and a second aggregated CC being smaller than a first power threshold or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a first time threshold; and

the non-collocated condition includes the power imbalance between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second power threshold or the MRTD between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second time threshold.
The method of claim 12, wherein the first power threshold is 6 decibels (dB) , the first time threshold is 3 microseconds (us) , the second power threshold is 25 dB, and the second time threshold is 33 us.
The method of claim 7, wherein the first capability is based on a non-collocated condition, the second capability is based on a collocated condition, and the network indication is associated with the collocated condition.
The method of claim 14, wherein the first capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 2 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 25 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 33 microseconds (us) between the first and the second CC.
The method of claim 14, wherein the second capability is associated with supporting of a maximum of 4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers for a first component carrier (CC) , a power imbalance less than or equal to 6 decibels (dB) between the first CC and a second CC, or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) less than or equal to 3 microseconds (us) .
The method of claim 14, wherein:

the collocated condition includes a power imbalance between a first aggregated component carrier (CC) and a second aggregated CC being smaller than a first power threshold or a maximum relative receive timing difference (MRTD) between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a first time threshold; and

the non-collocated condition includes the power imbalance between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second power threshold or the MRTD between the first aggregated CC and the second aggregated CC being smaller than a second time threshold.
The method of claim 17, wherein the first power threshold is 6 decibels (dB) , the first time threshold is 3 microseconds (us) , the second power threshold is 25 dB, and the second time threshold is 33 us.
The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a configuration corresponding to a first capability;

receiving, from a BS, a configuration including a trigger event;

detecting the trigger event; and

performing a reconfiguration procedure associated with a second capability.
The method of claim 19, wherein the reconfiguration procedure comprises:

sending, to the BS, an event indication associated with said detecting the trigger event;

receiving, from the BS, a network indication associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and

reconfiguring based on the network indication.
The method of claim 19, wherein the reconfiguration procedure comprises:

reconfiguring based on the trigger event; and

sending, to the BS, an event indication associated with said detecting the trigger event.
The method of claim 19, further comprising:

suspending a monitoring of a downlink control channel for a period of time from a reference time associated with the reconfiguration procedure.
The method of claim 19, wherein the trigger event includes a measurement and a corresponding threshold.
The method of claim 23, wherein the measurement includes a received timing difference (RTD) measurement, a relative reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, or a channel state information (CSI) measurement.
A network element comprising:

memory to store information associated with a collocation condition and a non-collocated condition; and

processing circuitry coupled with the memory to:

receive, from a user equipment (UE) , a message including a UE type, the UE type indicating that the UE supports a carrier aggregation operation or a dual connectivity operation under the collocated condition and the non-collocated condition;

determine a condition associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and

determine, based on the condition or the UE type, to send a network indication to the UE.
The network element of claim 25, wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

determine a time alignment error (TAE) associated with the UE.
The network element of claim 26, wherein said determine the condition is based on the TAE.
The network element of claim 25, wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

determine a capability of the UE based on the message;

determine a transmission parameter based on the capability of the UE; and

schedule the UE based on the capability of the UE or the transmission parameter.
The network element of claim 28, wherein the transmission parameter includes a number of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported on a component carrier, a maximum power imbalance between a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, or a maximum relative received time difference (MRTD) between a first CC and a second CC.
The network element of claim 25, wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

determine a capability of the UE based on the UE type;

determine that the condition is not associated with the capability of the UE;

send, to the UE, a network indication; and

suspend scheduling the UE for a period of time.
The network element of claim 30, wherein the network indication is included in a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.
One or more computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a network element to:

receive, from a user equipment (UE) , a message including a UE type, the UE type indicating that the UE supports carrier aggregation operation or dual connectivity operation under a collocated condition and a non-collocated condition;

send, to the UE, a configuration including a trigger event associated with a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition; and

receive, from the UE, an event indication.
The one or more computer-readable media of claim 32, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the network element to:

determine, based on the event indication, that the trigger event is detected by the UE; and

suspend a scheduling of the UE for a period of time.
The one or more computer-readable media of claim 32, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the network element to:

determine, based on the event indication, a collocated condition or a non-collocated condition.
The one or more computer-readable media claim 32, wherein the trigger event includes a measurement or a threshold associated with the measurement.
The one or more computer-readable media of claim 35, wherein the measurement includes a received timing difference (RTD) measurement, a relative reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement, or a channel state information (CSI) measurement.