US-12621779-B2 - Inter-rat communication techniques

US12621779B2US 12621779 B2US12621779 B2US 12621779B2US-12621779-B2

Abstract

Enhanced inter-RAT communication operations are disclosed. In one aspect, a device may identify one or more trigger events for monitoring control signals of another network for inter-RAT procedures, such as monitoring for one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs). In another aspect, the device may perform a comparison of multiple SSBs. In another aspect, the device may identify one or more release conditions for releasing local settings data associated with a customized measurement gap. In another aspect, the device may send the local settings data to a server. In another aspect, the device may send an extended signaling message indicating a timing offset between network devices.

Inventors

Ling Xie
Udayan Bhawnani
Xianwei Zhu
Albert Kim
Prem Swaroop KADAVAKUDURU
Arvind Vardarajan Santhanam
Zhanyi Liu
Yongle WU
Yong Li
Jie Mao
Scott Hoover
Xuqiang ZHANG
Sumit Kumar Singh

Assignees

QUALCOMM INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20200108

Claims (20)

1 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); and receiving, during a particular communication mode of the UE device, one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) from a second network device that is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT, wherein a quantity of the one or more SSBs received during the particular communication mode from the second network device is based on a duration of operating in the particular communication mode.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular communication mode is a connected mode discontinuous reception off (CDRX OFF) mode of operation.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further including determining whether to perform multiple measurements associated with the one or more SSBs during the particular communication mode based on one or more of the duration of operating in the particular communication mode or a number of the multiple measurements to be performed.
4 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); and based on a tune-away event from a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE device to a second SIM of the UE device, and further based on expiration of a guard time interval after the tune-away event, receiving one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) from a second network device that is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT.
5 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); receiving a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) from a plurality of network devices including a second network device, wherein the second network device is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT; selecting the second network device from among the plurality of network devices based on a comparison of the plurality of SSBs; and receiving a signal from the second network device via a measurement gap, the measurement gap based on an SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window associated with the second network device.
6 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); and receiving, during a measurement gap, one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) from a second network device that is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT; and releasing local settings data associated with the measurement gap in response to expiration of a threshold time interval since receiving the one or more SSBs.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the releasing the local settings data is performed further in response to detecting an idle mode of the UE device.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the releasing the local settings data is performed further in response to terminating communication with the first network device.
9 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); and in response to detection of termination of a high priority event that is associated with disabling of reception of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) at the UE device, receiving one or more SSBs from a second network device that is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT.
10 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); sending a message to a server, the message indicating one or more parameters of local settings data, the local settings data indicating a customized measurement gap for receiving one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) from a second network device that is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT; and in response to detection of a failure to receive an SSB during a particular threshold time interval, tuning a receiver of the UE device to receive at least one SSB from the second network device based on parameters received from the server.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further including periodically sending one or more updates of the local settings data to the server.
12 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); and autonomously sending an extended signaling message to a particular network device, the extended signaling message indicating one or more of a synchronization difference between the first network device and a second network device or a timing offset between a measurement gap of the first network device and an SSB based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window of the second network device, the second network device associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further including receiving, in response to the extended signaling message and from the particular network device, one or more updated parameters for the measurement gap.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the UE device autonomously initiates sending the extended signaling message to the particular network device without receiving a request for the extended signaling message.
15 . A method of inter-radio access technology (IRAT) communication, the method comprising: communicating, by a user equipment (UE) device, with a first network device that is associated with a first radio access technology (RAT); and performing one or more of: in response to detection of a particular communication mode of the UE device, tuning a receiver of the UE device to receive one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) from a second network device that is associated with a second RAT different than the first RAT; tuning the receiver to receive the one or more SSBs based on a tune-away event from a first subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE device to a second SIM of the UE device; tuning the receiver to receive a plurality of SSBs from a plurality of network devices including the second network device and selecting the second network device from among the plurality of network devices based on a comparison of the plurality of SSBs; releasing local settings data upon detection of a release condition, the local settings data indicating a customized measurement gap for receiving the one or more SSBs; tuning the receiver to receive the one or more SSBs in response to detection of termination of a high priority event at the UE device; sending a message to a server, the message indicating one or more parameters of the local settings data; in response to detection of a failure to receive an SSB during a particular threshold time interval, tuning the receiver to receive at least one SSB from the second network device based on parameters received from the server; or autonomously sending an extended signaling message to a particular network device, the extended signaling message indicating one or more of a synchronization difference between the first network device and the second network device or a timing offset between a measurement gap of the first network device and an SSB based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window of the second network device.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the particular communication mode is a connected mode discontinuous reception off (CDRX OFF) mode of operation.
17 . The method of claim 15 , further including determining whether to perform multiple measurements during the particular communication mode based on one or more of a duration of operating in the particular communication mode or a number of the multiple measurements to be performed.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the tuning the receiver is performed in response to detection of expiration of a guard time interval after the tune-away event.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the releasing the local settings data is performed in response to detecting an idle mode of the UE device.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the releasing the local settings data is performed in response to detecting expiration of a threshold time interval since receiving the one or more SSBs.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Aspects of the technology discussed below relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to inter-radio access technologies. Some aspects and techniques can enable and provide increased reliability in cell addition for different wireless technologies and synchronizing different wireless technologies. INTRODUCTION Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and the like. These wireless networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. A wireless communication network may include a number of base stations or node Bs that can support communication for a number of user equipments (UEs). A UE may communicate with a base station via downlink and uplink. The downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the base station to the UE, and the uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the base station. A base station may transmit data and control information on the downlink to a UE and/or may receive data and control information on the uplink from the UE. On the downlink, a transmission from the base station may encounter interference due to transmissions from neighbor base stations or from other wireless radio frequency (RF) transmitters. On the uplink, a transmission from the UE may encounter interference from uplink transmissions of other UEs communicating with the neighbor base stations or from other wireless RF transmitters. This interference may degrade performance on both the downlink and uplink. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, the possibilities of interference and congested networks grows with more UEs accessing the long-range wireless communication networks and more short-range wireless systems being deployed in communities. Research and development continue to advance wireless technologies not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but to advance and enhance the user experience with mobile communications. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EMBODIMENTS The following summarizes some aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of the discussed technology. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure, and is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in summary form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. Various aspects and techniques discussed below are generally directed to improving communication system operations. Some described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support enhanced inter-radio access technology (inter-RAT) management procedures, including device based measurement gap configuration operations. For example, a user equipment (UE), may generate customized (e.g., local or device specific) measurement gap parameters and a customized measurement gap, extend measurement gap windows, or shift measurement gap windows to align particular control messages or windows of different radio technologies. To illustrate, a UE may “fake” a control window for a network or network device that does not support control windows or may be operating in a windowless mode by creating a local window to align control windows of different networks. For example, a UE may generate a customized or local LTE measurement gap to align a synchronization signal block (SSB) based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) window of a 5G cell and a measurement gap of an LTE cell. As another illustration, a UE may extend or shift a network control window. For example, a UE may extend or shift a network measurement gap to align an SMTC window of a 5G cell and the measurement gap of an LTE cell. Such enhanced inter-RAT and measurement gap operations may enable enhanced operation in dual wireless modes, such as improved reliability in cell addition. For example, a device may more quickly and more successfully join a secondary cell group or account for timing drift or time shifting while connected. Accordingly, such techniques may increase reliability and throughput. Alternatively or in addition to the foregoing examples, inter-RAT management procedures may include one or more other procedures that enhance operation of a communication system. In a first example, a UE can be configured to search for and/or measure one or more SSBs based on a communication mode of the UE, such as a connected mode discontinuous reception off (CDRX OFF) mode of operation of the UE. To illustrate, in som