US-12621115-B2 - Switching among multiple component carriers

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer readable mediums for configuring, based on capability of the user equipment (UE) in switching among multiple component carriers (CCs), the UEs for communications with multiple activated CCs. For example, the network may configure the UE with a number of activated CCs that exceeds a number of CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous connections, such that the UE quickly switches among the activated CCs. The UE can thus effectively utilize more operating bands than the number allowed for simultaneous connections using inter-band carrier aggregations.

Inventors

• Bo Chen
• Wei Guan
• Hao Xu

Assignees

• QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20200630

Claims (17)

1. 1 . A method for wireless communication by at a network entity, comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE), capability signaling indicating a capability of the UE in switching among multiple component carriers (CCs), wherein the capability signaling indicates at least one of a maximum number of downlink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous reception or a maximum number of uplink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous transmission; configuring the UE with a number of activated CCs that exceeds a number of CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous communications, wherein the configuring comprises at least one of: configuring the UE with a number of activated downlink CCs that exceeds the maximum number of downlink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous reception; or configuring the UE with a number of activated uplink CCs that exceeds the maximum number of uplink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous transmission; and scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs, based on the indicated capability of the UE to switch among CCs, wherein scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs comprises indicating, via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a first CC, one or more of the activated CCs for the UE to use for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs comprises indicating, via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a first CC, one or more of the activated CCs that will be used for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the network entity considers a switching gap, based on the capability signaling, when scheduling the PDSCH.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs comprises indicating, via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a first CC, one or more of the activated CCs for the UE to use for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
5. 5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising considering a switching gap, based on the capability signaling, when scheduling the PUSCH.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs comprises indicating, via at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), one or more of the activated CCs that will be used for at least one of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the RRC signaling or MAC CE is transmitted via a CC of a primary cell and indicates one or more secondary cell CCs on which the PDSCH or PUSCH is scheduled.
8. 8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the RRC signaling or MAC CE is transmitted via a CC of one or more secondary cells on which the PDSCH or PUSCH is scheduled.
9. 9 . A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting, to a network entity, capability signaling indicating a capability of the UE in switching among multiple component carriers (CCs), wherein the capability signaling indicates at least one of a maximum number of downlink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous reception or a maximum number of uplink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous transmission; receiving signaling configuring the UE with a number of activated CCs that exceeds a number of CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous communications, wherein the UE is configured with at least one of: a number of activated downlink CCs that exceeds the maximum number of downlink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous reception; or a number of activated uplink CCs that exceeds the maximum number of uplink CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous transmission; and switching among CCs for communications on the activated CCs, in accordance with the indicated capability of the UE to switch among CCs.
10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the UE is scheduled for communications on the activated CCs via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a first CC, one or more of the activated CCs that will be used for at least one of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the UE is scheduled for communications on the activated CCs via at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling or a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), one or more of the activated CCs that will be used for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
12. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the RRC signaling or MAC CE is transmitted via a CC of a primary cell and indicates one or more secondary cell CCs indicated as receiving or transmitting.
13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the UE only monitors the secondary cell CCs indicated as receiving or transmitting for the PDCCH.
14. 14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the RRC signaling or MAC CE is transmitted via a CC of one or more secondary cells on which the PDSCH or PUSCH is scheduled.
15. 15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising at least one of: performing channel state information (CSI) measurement and bean management for secondary cell CCs that are not indicated as receiving if a measurement gap is configured on the downlink; or transmitting sounding reference signals (SRS) via SRS carrier switching, if SRS carrier switching is configured.
16. 16 . A method for wireless communication at a network entity, comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE), capability signaling indicating a capability of the UE in switching among multiple component carriers (CCs); configuring the UE with a number of activated CCs that exceeds a number of CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous communications; and scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs, based on the indicated capability of the UE to switch among CCs, wherein scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs comprises indicating, via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a first CC, one or more of the activated CCs for the UE to use for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising considering a switching gap, based on the capability signaling, when scheduling the PUSCH.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCT/CN2020/099177, filed Jun. 30, 2020, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques of utilizing multiple operating bands. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, etc. These wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple-access systems include 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Advanced (LTE-A) systems, code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, to name a few. In some examples, a wireless multiple-access communication system may include a number of base stations (BSs), which are each capable of simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, otherwise known as user equipments (UEs). In an LTE or LTE-A network, a set of one or more base stations may define an eNodeB (eNB). In other examples (e.g., in a next generation, a new radio (NR), or 5G network), a wireless multiple access communication system may include a number of distributed units (DUs) (e.g., edge units (EUs), edge nodes (ENs), radio heads (RHs), smart radio heads (SRHs), transmission reception points (TRPs), etc.) in communication with a number of central units (CUs) (e.g., central nodes (CNs), access node controllers (ANCs), etc.), where a set of one or more DUs, in communication with a CU, may define an access node (e.g., which may be referred to as a BS, 5G NB, next generation NodeB (gNB or gNodeB), transmission reception point (TRP), etc.). A BS or DU may communicate with a set of UEs on downlink channels (e.g., for transmissions from a BS or DU to a UE) and uplink channels (e.g., for transmissions from a UE to BS or DU). These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. NR (e.g., new radio or 5G) is an example of an emerging telecommunication standard. NR is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by 3GPP. NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using OFDMA with a cyclic prefix (CP) on the downlink (DL) and on the uplink (UL). To these ends, NR supports beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in NR and LTE technology. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies. SUMMARY The systems, methods, and devices of the disclosure each have several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this disclosure as expressed by the claims which follow, some features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description” one will understand how the features of this disclosure provide advantages that include optimizing or maximizing bandwidth or data rates of a user equipment (UE) by configuring the UE to quickly switch among multiple component carriers (CCs). Certain aspects provide a method for wireless communication by a network entity. The method generally includes receiving, from a UE, capability signaling indicating a capability of the UE in switching among multiple component carriers (CCs), configuring the UE with a number of activated CCs that exceeds a number of CCs supported by the UE for simultaneous communications, and scheduling the UE for communications on the activated CCs, based on the indicated capability of the UE to switch among CCs. Certain aspects provide a method for wireless communication by a UE. The method generally includes transmitting, to a network entity, capability signaling indicating a capability of