US-12627449-B2 - Systems, methods, and devices for dynamic adaption of different antenna configuration communications

Abstract

The techniques provide solutions for a user equipment (UE) and base station to switch between T1R4 and 2T4R for sounding reference signals (SRS). The UE and base station may communicate SRS using 2T4R. The UE and/or base station may detect and evaluate a signal quality trigger and/or condition relating to switching from T2R4 to T1R4. The trigger and/or condition may correspond to a channel or radio frequency (RF) quality, conflicting or problematic band combinations used in a non-standalone (NSA) scenario, whether dedicated data subscription (DDS) subscriber identity module (SIM) or non-DDS SIM is being used in a dual SIM dual active (DSDA) scenario, etc. The UE and base station may either continue using T2R4 communications or switch to T1R4 communications based on the trigger and/or evaluation.

Inventors

• Han Pu
• Lijie Zhang
• Lele Cui
• Kai Zhang

Assignees

• APPLE INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230919

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A base station, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the base station to: configure a user equipment (UE) for transmitting sounding reference signals (SRSs) via a first antenna configuration; determine a signal quality condition corresponding to the SRSs, the signal quality condition indicating degraded SRS quality meeting a threshold; and configure the UE to transmit the SRSs via a second antenna configuration in response to the signal quality condition, wherein for transmission of the SRSs, the second antenna configuration uses fewer active transmit antennas and a higher per-active-transmit-antenna SRS transmission power than the first antenna configuration.
2. 2 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna configuration comprises 2 transmission and 4 reception (2T4R) antenna configuration, and the second antenna configuration comprises 1 transmission and 4 reception (1T4R) antenna configuration.
3. 3 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein the signal quality condition comprises a signal to noise and interference ratio (SINR) of the SRSs being below an SRS SINR threshold.
4. 4 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein the signal quality condition comprises a sum of actual SRS transmission (Tx) power of all active transmit antennas exceeding a UE SRS Tx power threshold.
5. 5 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein, after determining a signal to noise and interference ratio (SINR) of the SRSs meeting an SRS SINR threshold, the base station is to enter into an evaluation period to evaluate RF condition or downlink performance meeting a threshold, and wherein the signal quality condition is satisfied based on the RF condition or the downlink performance.
6. 6 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein the signal quality condition comprises a poor radio frequency (RF) condition of the UE, the poor RF condition being determined based on at least one of a pathloss relative to a pathloss threshold or a reference signal received power (RSRP) relative to an RSRP threshold, and wherein the poor RF condition is optionally associated with a problematic non-standalone (NSA) band combination.
7. 7 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein the UE operates in a dual-SIM dual-active (DSDA) mode, and wherein the signal quality condition is satisfied based on detection that, via the first antenna configuration, at least one SRS transmit port is transmitted without transmission power based on a transmit antenna being occupied for a second subscriber identity module (SIM).
8. 8 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein causing the UE to transmit the SRSs via the second antenna configuration increases a SRS Tx power by 3 decibels (dB).
9. 9 . The base station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the base station to determine that the base station and the UE are capable of the first antenna configuration and the second antenna configuration.
10. 10 . A user equipment (UE), comprising: a memory; and one or more processors configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the UE to: transmit, to a base station, sounding reference signals (SRSs) via a first antenna configuration; and receive, from the base station, an instruction for switching from the first antenna configuration to a second antenna configuration, the instruction being based on a signal quality condition indicating degraded SRS quality meeting a threshold; and transmit, to the base station in response to the instruction, the SRSs via a the second antenna configuration, wherein for transmission of the SRSs, the second antenna configuration uses fewer active transmit antennas and a higher per-active-transmit-antenna SRS transmission power than the first antenna configuration.
11. 11 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the first antenna configuration comprises a 2 transmission and 4 reception (2T4R) antenna configuration, and the second antenna configuration comprises a 1 transmission and 4 reception (1T4R) antenna configuration.
12. 12 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are received in response to a signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) of the SRSs being below an SRS SINR threshold.
13. 13 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are received in response to a sum of actual SRS transmission (Tx) power of all active transmit antennas exceeding a UE Tx power threshold.
14. 14 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are received after an evaluation period during which the base station evaluates a poor radio frequency (RF) condition or downlink performance, in addition to being based on the signal quality condition.
15. 15 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to provide the base station with UE capability information, the UE capability information indicating an ability of the UE to switch between first antenna configuration communications and second antenna configuration communications.
16. 16 . A base station, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the base station to: determine that a band combination is problematic for a user equipment (UE) for sounding reference signals (SRSs) using 2 transmission and 4 reception (2T4R) communications; enter an evaluation period upon determining that the band combination is problematic for the SRSs using 2T4R communications; determine that a performance metric of the band combination is greater than a performance threshold; and switch to 1 transmission and 4 reception (1T4R) communications in response to the performance metric of the band combination being greater than the performance threshold, wherein for transmission of the SRSs, the 1T4R communications use fewer active transmit antennas and a higher per-active-transmit-antenna SRS transmission power than the 2T4R communications.
17. 17 . The base station of claim 16 , wherein the base station is configured to continue using 2T4R communications when a downlink (DL) slot performance is not impacted by the 2T4R communications, wherein the DL slot performance is impacted when meeting a DL slot performance threshold.
18. 18 . The base station of claim 16 , wherein the base station determines that the band combination is problematic for 2T4R communications based on locally stored information regarding a problematic non-standalone (NSA) band combination.
19. 19 . The base station of claim 18 , wherein the base station is configured to continue using 2T4R communications when the NSA band combination is not problematic for 2T4R communications.
20. 20 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the UE operates in a dual SIM dual active (DSDA) mode and skips transmission on at least one SRS transmit port via the first antenna configuration due to a transmit antenna being occupied for a second subscriber identity module (SIM), and wherein the instructions are received in response to the base station detecting that the at least one SRS transmit port is transmitted without transmission power.

Description

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/409,151, filed on Sep. 22, 2022, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety FIELD This disclosure relates to wireless communication networks and mobile device capabilities. BACKGROUND Wireless communication networks and wireless communication services are becoming increasingly dynamic, complex, and ubiquitous. For example, some wireless communication networks may be developed to implement fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) technology, sixth generation (6G) technology, and so on. Such technology may include solutions for enabling user equipment (UE) and network devices, such as base stations to communicate with one another using different resources and under different conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure will be readily understood and enabled by the detailed description and accompanying figures of the drawings. Like reference numerals may designate like features and structural elements. Figures and corresponding descriptions are provided as non-limiting examples of aspects, implementations, etc., of the present disclosure, and references to “an” or “one” aspect, implementation, etc., may not necessarily refer to the same aspect, implementation, etc., and may mean at least one, one or more, etc. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example overview according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example network according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example process for dynamic adaptation of 1 transmission and 4 reception antenna configuration (1T4R) communications and 2 transmission and 4 reception antenna configuration (2T4R) communications according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example process for dynamic adaptation of 1T4R and 2T4R communications based on a channel or signal quality according to one or more implementations described herein. FIGS. 5-6 are diagrams of example performance aspects relevant to 1T4R and 2T4R communications and channel or signal quality according to one or more implementations described herein. FIGS. 7-8 are diagrams of an example process for dynamic adaptation of 1T4R and 2T4R communications in a non-standalone (NSA) environment according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 9 is a diagram of an example of a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG) of a wireless communication network according to one or more implementations described herein. FIGS. 10-11 are diagrams of examples that represent a NSA band combination that adversely affects downlink (DL) performance according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 12 is a diagram of an example process 1200 for dynamic adaptation of 1T4R and 2T4R communications in an NSA environment according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 13 is a diagram of an example process for dynamic adaptation of 1T4R and 2T4R communications in a dual subscriber identity module (SIM) dual active (DSDA) scenario according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 14 is a diagram of an example performance aspects relevant to 1T4R and 2T4R communications in a DSDA scenario according to one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 15 is a diagram of an example of control plane protocol stack in accordance with one or more implementations described herein. FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating components, according to one or more implementations described herein, able to read instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar features, elements, operations, etc. Additionally, the present disclosure is not limited to the following description as other implementations may be utilized, and structural or logical changes made, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Telecommunication networks may include user equipment (UEs) capable of communicating with base stations and/or other network access nodes. UEs and base stations may implement various techniques and communication standards for enabling UEs and base stations to discover one another, establish and maintain connectivity, and exchange information in an ongoing manner. Objectives of such techniques may include connection reliability, seamless connectivity between devices, multiple points of connection, quality of service and throughput rates, and more. An aspect of enabling communications between UE and base station may include the use of sounding reference signals (SRS). An SRS, as described herein, may include a reference signal (RS) transmi