Electronic device supporting dual connectivity and method of controlling power of electronic device

An electronic device comprises a first transceiver configured to transmit/receive data via a first communication network, a second transceiver configured to transmit/receive data via a second communication network, and at least one communication processor electrically connected with at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver, wherein the at least one communication processor is configured to identify transmission of transmission data via the first communication network, upon transmission of the transmission data via the first communication network, identify whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network from a PDCP buffer, and when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, perform control to transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via the first transceiver, based on second maximum transmission power larger than preset first maximum transmission power.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0059022, filed on 2019 May 20, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0066914, filed on 2019 Jun. 5, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of both of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to an electronic device supporting dual connectivity and a method of controlling the power of the electronic device.

2. Description of Related Art

As mobile communication technology evolves, multi-functional portable terminals are commonplace and, to meet increasing demand for radio traffic, vigorous efforts are underway to develop 5G communication systems. To achieve a higher data transmission rate, 5G communication systems are being implemented on ultra-high frequency bands as well as those used for 3G communication systems and long-term evolution (LTE) communication systems.

To implement 5G communication, stand-alone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) schemes are taken into consideration. The NSA scheme uses new radio (NR) systems together with legacy LTE systems. In the NSA scheme, user equipment (UE) may use not only eNBs of the LTE system but also gNBs of the NR system. Technology allowing UEs to use heterogeneous communication systems may be termed dual connectivity.

Dual connectivity has been first proposed in 3GPP release-12 where the 3.5 GHz frequency band other than that for LTE system is used for small cells. The 5G NSA scheme may be implemented to use the LTE system as a master node and the NR system as a secondary node in the dual connectivity proposed in 3GPP release-12.

Dual connectivity-supporting electronic devices may perform communication over heterogeneous communication networks as set forth above. Such an electronic device may include separate communication processors for processing signals from the communication networks. If data exchange between the two separate communication processors cannot be performed quickly, the maximum transmission power allowed for each UE may not be effectively used.

For example, dual connectivity-supporting electronic devices may limit the respective transmission power levels of the LTE communication network signal and NR communication network signal to specific values (e.g., 20 dBm) considering the maximum transmission power (e.g., 23 dBm) when the LTE communication network signal and the NR communication network signal are simultaneously transmitted. In such a case, although a specific communication network signal alone is transmitted, it may be impossible to secure sufficient transmission power and, thus, the base station may fail to normally receive data.

SUMMARY

According to various embodiments, there may be provided a dual connectivity-supporting electronic device that may maximally use the NR transmission power by determining whether there is LTE transmission data via a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) buffer even when dynamic power sharing (DPS) is difficult to apply and a method of controlling the power of the electronic device.

In accordance with various embodiments, an electronic device comprises a first transceiver configured to transmit/receive data via a first communication network, a second transceiver configured to transmit/receive data via a second communication network, and at least one communication processor electrically connected with at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver, wherein the at least one communication processor is configured to identify transmission of transmission data via the first communication network, upon transmission of the transmission data via the first communication network, identify whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network from a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) buffer, and when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, perform control to transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via the first transceiver, based on second maximum transmission power larger than preset first maximum transmission power.

In accordance with various embodiments, a method of controlling transmission power by an electronic device comprises identifying transmission of transmission data via a first communication network, upon transmission of the transmission data via the first communication network, identifying whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via a second communication network from a PDCP buffer, and when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, based on second maximum transmission power larger than preset first maximum transmission power.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The power management module188may manage power supplied to the electronic device101. According to one embodiment, the power management module388may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

FIG. 2Aillustrates a block diagram200of an electronic device101for supporting legacy network communication and 5G network communication according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 2A, the electronic device101may include a first communication processor212, a second communication processor214, a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)222, a second RFIC224, a third RFIC226, a fourth RFIC228, a first radio frequency front end (RFFE)232, a second RFFE234, a first antenna module242, a second antenna module244, and an antenna248. The electronic device101may further include a processor120and a memory130. The network199may include a first network292and a second network294. According to an embodiment, the electronic device101may further include at least one component among the components ofFIG. 1, and the network199may further include at least one other network. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor (CP)212, the second communication processor214, the first RFIC222, the second RFIC224, the fourth RFIC228, the first RFFE232, and the second RFFE234may form at least part of the wireless communication module192. According to an embodiment, the fourth RFIC228may be omitted or be included as part of the third RFIC226.

The first communication processor212may establish a communication channel of a band that is to be used for wireless communication with the first network292or may support legacy network communication via the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the first network may be a legacy network that includes second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), or long-term evolution (LTE) networks. The second communication processor214may establish a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., from about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among bands that are to be used for wireless communication with the second network294or may support fifth generation (5G) network communication via the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the second network294may be a 5G network defined by the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). Additionally, according to an embodiment, the first communication processor212or the second communication processor214may establish a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) among the bands that are to be used for wireless communication with the second network294or may support fifth generation (5G) network communication via the established communication channel.

The first communication processor212may perform data transmission/reception with the second communication processor214. For example, data classified as transmitted via the second cellular network294may be changed to be transmitted via the first cellular network292. In this case, the first communication processor212may receive transmission data from the second communication processor214. For example, the first communication processor212may transmit/receive data to/from the second communication processor214via an inter-processor interface213. The inter-processor interface213may be implemented as, e.g., universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) (e.g., high speed-UART (HS-UART)) or peripheral component interconnect bus express (PCIe) interface, but is not limited to a specific kind. The first communication processor212and the second communication processor214may exchange packet data information and control information using, e.g., a shared memory. The first communication processor212may transmit/receive various pieces of information, such as sensing information, output strength information, or resource block (RB) allocation information, to/from the second communication processor214.

According to implementation, the first communication processor212may not be directly connected with the second communication processor214. In this case, the first communication processor212may transmit/receive data to/from the second communication processor214via a processor120(e.g., an application processor). For example, the first communication processor212and the second communication processor214may transmit/receive data to/from the processor120(e.g., an application processor) via an US-UART interface or PCIe interface, but the kind of the interface is not limited thereto. The first communication processor212and the second communication processor214may exchange control information and packet data information with the processor120(e.g., an application processor) using a shared memory.

According to an embodiment, the first communication processor212and the second communication processor214may be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor212or the second communication processor214, along with the processor120, an assistance processor123, or communication module190, may be formed in a single chip or single package. For example, as shown inFIG. 2B, an integrated communication processor260may support all of the functions for communication with the first cellular network and the second cellular network.

Upon transmission, the first RFIC222may convert a baseband signal generated by the first communication processor212into a radio frequency (RF) signal with a frequency ranging from about 700 MHz to about 3 GHz which is used by the first network292(e.g., a legacy network). Upon receipt, the RF signal may be obtained from the first network292(e.g., a legacy network) through an antenna (e.g., the first antenna module242) and be pre-processed via an RFFE (e.g., the first RFFE232). The first RFIC222may convert the pre-processed RF signal into a baseband signal that may be processed by the first communication processor212.

Upon transmission, the second RFIC224may convert the baseband signal generated by the first communication processor212or the second communication processor214into a Sub6-band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) RF signal (hereinafter, “5G Sub6 RF signal”) that is used by the second network294(e.g., a 5G network). Upon receipt, the 5G Sub6 RF signal may be obtained from the second network294(e.g., a 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., the second antenna module244) and be pre-processed via an RFFE (e.g., the second RFFE234). The second RFIC224may convert the pre-processed 5G Sub6 RF signal into a baseband signal that may be processed by a corresponding processor of the first communication processor212and the second communication processor214.

The third RFIC226may convert the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor214into a 5G Above6 band (e.g., from about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) RF signal (hereinafter, “5G Above6 RF signal”) that is to be used by the second network294(e.g., a 5G network). Upon receipt, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be obtained from the second network294(e.g., a 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., the antenna248) and be pre-processed via the third RFFE236. The third RFIC226may convert the pre-processed 5G Above6 RF signal into a baseband signal that may be processed by the second communication processor214. According to an embodiment, the third RFFE236may be formed as part of the third RFIC226.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device101may include the fourth RFIC228separately from, or as at least part of, the third RFIC226. In this case, the fourth RFIC228may convert the baseband signal generated by the second communication processor214into an intermediate frequency band (e.g., from about 9 GHz to about 11 GHz) RF signal (hereinafter, “IF signal”) and transfer the IF signal to the third RFIC226. The third RFIC226may convert the IF signal into a 5G Above6 RF signal. Upon receipt, the 5G Above6 RF signal may be received from the second network294(e.g., a 5G network) through an antenna (e.g., the antenna248) and be converted into an IF signal by the third RFIC226. The fourth RFIC228may convert the IF signal into a baseband signal that may be processed by the second communication processor214.

According to an embodiment, the first RFIC222and the second RFIC224may be implemented as at least part of a single chip or single package. According to an embodiment, the first RFFE232and the second RFFE234may be implemented as at least part of a single chip or single package. According to an embodiment, at least one of the first antenna module242or the second antenna module244may be omitted or be combined with another antenna module to process multi-band RF signals.

According to an embodiment, the third RFIC226and the antenna248may be disposed on the same substrate to form the third antenna module246. For example, the wireless communication module192or the processor120may be disposed on a first substrate (e.g., a main painted circuit board (PCB)). In this case, the third RFIC226and the antenna248, respectively, may be disposed on one area (e.g., the bottom) and another (e.g., the top) of a second substrate (e.g., a sub PCB) which is provided separately from the first substrate, forming the third antenna module246. Placing the third RFIC226and the antenna248on the same substrate may shorten the length of the transmission line therebetween. This may reduce a loss (e.g., attenuation) of high-frequency band (e.g., from about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) signal used for 5G network communication due to the transmission line. Thus, the electronic device101may enhance the communication quality with the second network294(e.g., a 5G network).

According to an embodiment, the antenna248may be formed as an antenna array which includes a plurality of antenna elements available for beamforming. In this case, the third RFIC226may include a plurality of phase shifters238corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, as part of the third RFFE236. Upon transmission, the plurality of phase shifters238may change the phase of the 5G Above6 RF signal which is to be transmitted to the outside (e.g., a 5G network base station) of the electronic device101via their respective corresponding antenna elements. Upon receipt, the plurality of phase shifters238may change the phase of the 5G Above6 RF signal received from the outside to the same or substantially the same phase via their respective corresponding antenna elements. This enables transmission or reception via beamforming between the electronic device101and the outside.

The second network294(e.g., a 5G network) may be operated independently (e.g., as standalone (SA)) from, or in connection (e.g., as non-standalone (NSA)) with the first network292(e.g., a legacy network). For example, the 5G network may include access networks (e.g., 5G access networks (RANs)) but lack any core network (e.g., a next-generation core (NGC)). In this case, the electronic device101, after accessing a 5G network access network, may access an external network (e.g., the Internet) under the control of the core network (e.g., the evolved packet core (EPC)) of the legacy network. Protocol information (e.g., LTE protocol information) for communication with the legacy network or protocol information (e.g., New Radio (NR) protocol information) for communication with the 5G network may be stored in the memory230and be accessed by other components (e.g., the processor120, the first communication processor212, or the second communication processor214).

According to an embodiment, an electronic device comprises a first transceiver configured to transmit/receive data via a first communication network, a second transceiver configured to transmit/receive data via a second communication network, and at least one communication processor electrically connected with at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver, wherein the at least one communication processor is configured to identify transmission of transmission data via the first communication network, upon transmission of the transmission data via the first communication network, identify whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network from a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) buffer, and when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, perform control to transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via the first transceiver, based on second maximum transmission power larger than preset first maximum transmission power.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to, when it is identified that there is transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, perform control to transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via the first transceiver based on, at least, the preset first maximum transmission power.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to identify whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via a long term evolution (LTE) communication network from an LTE PDCP buffer and transmit a result of the identification to a new radio (NR) media access control (MAC) entity.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to, when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, transmit a flag indicating that there is no transmission data to the NR MAC entity.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to, when the NR MAC entity receives the flag indicating that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, perform control to transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via the first transceiver.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to apply the second maximum transmission power considering a time when data is processed from an LTE PDCP layer to a physical layer.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to apply the second maximum transmission power further considering a retransmission processing time of the transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to, when it is identified that there is transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, transmit a flag indicating that there is transmission data to the NR MAC entity.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to, when the NR MAC entity receives the flag indicating that there is transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, perform control to transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via the first transceiver based on the first maximum transmission power.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to apply the first maximum transmission power considering a time when data is processed from an LTE PDCP layer to a physical layer.

According to an embodiment, the at least one communication processor may be configured to identify a transmission time of transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network based on scheduling information for transmission data received from a base station and identify whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network at the identified transmission time.

FIG. 3illustrates a view of a wireless communication system providing a legacy communication network and/or a 5G communication network according to embodiments. Referring toFIG. 3, the network environment300amay include at least one of a legacy network and a 5G network. The legacy network, e.g., the network environment300a, may include, e.g., a 3GPP-standard 4G or LTE base station (e.g., an eNodeB (eNB)) that supports radio access with the electronic device101and an evolved packet core (EPC) that manages 4G communication. The 5G network may include, e.g., a new radio (NR) base station (e.g., a gNodeB (gNB)) that supports radio access with the electronic device101and a 5th generation core (5GC) that manages 5G communication for the electronic device101.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device101may transmit or receive control messages and user data via legacy communication and/or 5G communication. The control messages may include, e.g., messages related to at least one of security control, bearer setup, authentication, registration, or mobility management for the electronic device101. The user data may mean, e.g., user data except for control messages transmitted or received between the electronic device101and the core network330(e.g., the EPC).

Referring toFIG. 3, according to an embodiment, the electronic device101may transmit or receive at least one of a control message or user data to/from at least part (e.g., the NR base station or 5GC) of the 5G network via at least part (e.g., the LTE base station or EPC) of the legacy network.

According to an embodiment, the network environment300amay include a network environment that provides wireless communication dual connectivity (DC) to the LTE base station and the NR base station and transmits or receives control messages to/from the electronic device101via one core network330of the EPC or the 5GC.

According to an embodiment, in the DC environment, one of the LTE base station or the NR base station may operate as a master node (MN)310, and the other as a secondary node (SN)320. The MN310may be connected with the core network330to transmit or receive control messages. The MN310and the SN320may be connected with each other via a network interface to transmit or receive messages related to radio resource (e.g., communication channel) management therebetween.

According to an embodiment, the MN310may include the LTE base station, the SN may include the NR base station, and the core network330may include the EPC. For example, control messages may be transmitted/received via the LTE base station and the EPC, and user data may be transmitted/received via at least one of the LTE base station or the NR base station.

According to an embodiment, the MN310may include the NR base station, the SN320may include the LTE base station, and the core network330may include the 5GC. For example, control messages may be transmitted/received via the NR base station and the 5GC, and user data may be transmitted/received via at least one of the LTE base station or the NR base station.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device101may be registered in at least one of the EPC or the 5GC to transmit or receive control messages.

According to an embodiment, the EPC or the 5GC may interwork with each other to manage communication for the electronic device101. For example, mobility information for the electronic device101may be transmitted or received via the interface between the EPC and the 5GC.

As set forth above, dual connectivity via the LTE base station and the NR base station may be referred to as E-UTRA new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC).

FIG. 4illustrates a view of a bearer in a UE according to an embodiment.

Bearers possible in the 5G non-standalone network environment (e.g., the network environment300aofFIG. 3) may include a master cell group (MCG) bearer, a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer, and a split bearer. An E-UTRA/NR PDCP entity401and NR PDCP entities402and430may be configured in a user equipment (UE)400. E-UTRA radio link control (RLC) entities411and412and NR RLC entities413and414may be configured in the UE400. An E-UTRA MAC entity421and an NR MAC entity422may be configured in the UE400. The UE may be a user device capable of communicating with base stations, and the UE may be interchangeably used with the electronic device101ofFIG. 1. For example, when the UE performs a specific operation according to an embodiment, this may mean that at least one component of the electronic device101performs the specific operation.

The MCG may correspond to, e.g., the main node (MN)310ofFIG. 3, and the SCG may correspond to the secondary node (SN)320ofFIG. 3. The UE400, if a node for communication is determined, may configure various entities as shown inFIG. 4for communication with the determined node (e.g., a base station). The PDCP layer entities401,402, and403may receive data (e.g., PDCP SDU corresponding to IP packet) and output converted data (e.g., PDCP protocol data unit (PDU)) to which additional information (e.g., header information) has been applied. RLC layer entities411,412,413, and414may receive the converted data (e.g., PDCP PDU) from the PDCP layer entities401,402, and403and output converted data (e.g., RLC PDU) to which additional information (e.g., header information) has been applied. MAC layer entities421and422may receive the converted data (e.g., RLC PDU) from the RLC layer entities411,412,413, and414and output converted data (e.g., MAC PDU) to which additional information (e.g., header information) has been applied and transfer to the physical layer (not shown).

The MCG bearer may be associated with a path (or data) through which data may be transmitted/received only using the entity or resources corresponding to the MN in dual connectivity (DC). The SCG bearer may be associated with a path (or data) through which data may be transmitted/received only using the entity or resources corresponding to the SN in dual connectivity. The split bearer may be associated with a path (or data) through which data may be transmitted/received using the entity or resources corresponding to the MN and the entity or resources corresponding to the SN in dual connectivity. Thus, as shown inFIG. 4, the split bearer may be associated with all of the E-UTRA RLC entity412and the NR RLC entity413and the E-UTRA MAC entity421and NR MAC entity422via the NR PDCD entity402.

Described below is a method of controlling power in an electronic device supporting dual connectivity (e.g., EN-DC). In the following description, the EN-DC is described as a specific example of dual connectivity. However, the disclosure is not limited to the EN-DC but may rather apply to other various types of dual connectivity.

In the EN-DC-supporting electronic device, a maximum transmission power (hereinafter, a first maximum transmission power) may be set for the power of transmission signals transmitted via each communication network. For example, in the EN-DC-supporting electronic device, the NR transmission power may be set to a maximum of 20 dBm, and the LTE transmission power may be set to a maximum of 20 dBm.

When the NR transmission signal and the LTE transmission signal are simultaneously transmitted, the sum of the transmission signals may be limited to the preset maximum transmission power (Pcmax). Unless the electronic device supports dynamic power sharing (DPS), the maximum power of each transmission signal may be limited considering the maximum transmission power (Pcmax) which is a limit imposed when the simultaneous transmission is performed. For example, if the maximum transmission power when the two transmission signals are simultaneously transmitted is set to 23 dBm, the maximum transmission power of each transmission signal (e.g., LTE transmission signal and NR transmission signal) may be set to PLTE=PNR=20 dBm. As such, since the maximum transmission power of each transmission signal is limited to 20 dBm, not 23 dBm, more problems may arise than in electronic devices using not dual connectivity but a single communication network. For example, due to failure to secure sufficient uplink transmission power, the ACK/NACK signal or scheduling request information transmitted from the electronic device to the base station may be lost, and the ACK signal transmitted from the electronic device may not be normally received by the base station, ending up causing the base station to re-request the data.

In various embodiments described below, the transmission power of transmission data transmitted via the first communication network is determined based on the presence or absence of transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network so that transmission data may be transmitted with second maximum transmission power (e.g., 23 dBm) which is larger than preset first maximum transmission power (e.g., 20 dBm). According to an embodiment, whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network may be identified through the presence or absence of data stored in the PDCP buffer.

FIG. 5illustrates a flowchart of a method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 5, in operation510, according to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device101ofFIG. 1, 2A, or2B) may identify transmission of data to be transmitted via a first communication network (e.g., an NR communication network). Whether transmission of transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network occurs may be identified via a variation in the data stored in the buffer that belongs to the MAC entity corresponding to the first communication network. According to an embodiment, the transmission of transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network may be identified at the time of transmission of uplink data in a time division duplex (TDD) system.

According to an embodiment, in operation520, if the electronic device101determines that transmission data is transmitted via the first communication network, the electronic device101may identify whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via a second communication network (e.g., an LTE communication network). The presence or absence of transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network may be identified via the PDCP buffer (e.g., an NR PDCP buffer) corresponding to the first communication network or the PDCP buffer (e.g., an LTE PDCP buffer) corresponding to the second communication network. According to an embodiment, the transmission of transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network may be identified at the time of transmission of transmission data via the first communication network. According to an embodiment, the transmission of transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network may be identified based on the time of transmission of transmission data (e.g., uplink data) to be transmitted via the first communication network which is identified from TDD scheduling information received from the base station, and its relevant embodiments are described below in connection withFIG. 8.

According to an embodiment, in operation530, if there is determined to be no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, the electronic device101may transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network based on second maximum transmission power (e.g., 23 dBm) larger than first maximum transmission power (e.g., 20 dBm) preset for the first communication network.

According to an embodiment, if there is determined to be transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, the electronic device101may transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network based on the first maximum transmission power (e.g., 20 dBm) preset for the first communication network. If transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network and transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network simultaneously occur, the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network and the transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network may influence each other. In this case, thus, transmission power may be set considering intermodulate distortion (IMD) or spurious.

According to an embodiment, a method of controlling transmission power by an electronic device comprises identifying transmission of transmission data via a first communication network, upon transmission of the transmission data via the first communication network, identifying whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via a second communication network from a PDCP buffer, and when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, transmit the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, based on second maximum transmission power larger than preset first maximum transmission power.

According to an embodiment, the method may comprise identifying whether there is transmission data to be transmitted via an LTE communication network from an LTE PDCP buffer and transmitting a result of the identification to an NR MAC entity.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise, when it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, transmitting a flag indicating that there is no transmission data to the NR MAC entity.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise, when the NR MAC entity receives the flag indicating that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, transmitting the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via a first transceiver based on the second maximum transmission power.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise applying the second maximum transmission power considering a time when data is processed from an LTE PDCP layer to a physical layer.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise applying the second maximum transmission power further considering a retransmission processing time of the transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise, when it is identified that there is transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, transmitting a flag indicating that there is transmission data to the NR MAC entity.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise, when the NR MAC entity receives the flag indicating that there is transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network, transmitting the transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network, via a first transceiver based on the first maximum transmission power.

According to an embodiment, the method may further comprise applying the first maximum transmission power considering a time when data is processed from an LTE PDCP layer to a physical layer.

FIG. 6Aillustrates a view of a processing time of an LTE communication processor according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 6A, an LTE communication processor610may include (or execute) an LTE PDCP entity611, an LTE RLC entity612, an LTE MAC entity613, and an LTE PHY entity614. The functions of each entity are described below in detail with reference toFIG. 9A. According to an embodiment, the processing time LTEp-t of the LTE communication processor may be defined as the time when packet data to be transmitted is processed via the LTE PDCP entity611, the LTE RLC entity612, the LTE MAC entity613, or the LTE PHY entity614.

FIG. 6Billustrates a view of a processing time of an NR communication processor according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 6B, an NR communication processor620may include (or execute) an NR PDCP entity621, an NR RLC entity622, an NR MAC entity623, and an NR PHY entity624. The functions of each entity are described below in detail with reference toFIG. 9B. According to an embodiment, the processing time NR_p-t of the NR communication processor may be defined as the time when packet data to be transmitted is processed via the NR PDCP entity621, the NR RLC entity622, the NR MAC entity623, or the NR PHY entity624.

FIGS. 7A and 7Billustrate a view of a power control procedure of an electronic device according to an embodiment. According to an embodiment,FIG. 7Aillustrates whether there is LTE transmission data over time, andFIG. 7Billustrates the transmission power of NR transmission data over time. Referring toFIGS. 7A and 7B, according to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device101ofFIG. 1, 2A, or2B) (e.g., a communication processor (e.g., the communication processor212,214, or260ofFIG. 2aor2b) of an electronic device) may perform control to increase the transmission power of NR transmission data within the processing time LTE_p_t required for actual transmission in the LTE PHY from the time of identifying an occurrence of LTE transmission data (or presence of LTE UE data) in the LTE PDCP buffer while the LTE PDCP buffer lacks transmission data). According to an embodiment, the communication processor may perform control to increase the transmission power of NR transmission data considering the LTE UL RLC retransmission time (marked “+α” inFIG. 7A) and/or the processing time LTE_p_t required for transmission of the remaining transmission data in the LTE PHY from the time (marked “identify absence of LTE UL data” inFIG. 7A) of sensing the absence of transmission data while the LTE PDCP buffer has transmission data. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may determine the time of increasing the transmission power of NR transmission data considering the maximum number of times of LTE UL RLC retransmission.

According to an embodiment, if no LTE transmission data is present at time T1(marked “LTE no UL data” inFIG. 7A), the electronic device may perform control to transmit transmission data with second maximum transmission power (e.g., 23 dBm) (marked “Pmax2” inFIG. 7B) which is larger than designated first maximum transmission power (e.g., 20 dBm) (marked “Pmax1” inFIG. 7B).

According to an embodiment, upon identifying that there is LTE transmission data at time T2via the PDCP buffer (e.g., LTE PDCP buffer or NR PDCP buffer, the electronic device—since, the LTE transmission data may be transmitted at least after the LTE processing time LTE_p_t elapses—may adjust the transmission power of NR transmission data from the second maximum transmission power Pmax2to the first maximum transmission power Pmax1at time T3to which the LTE processing time has been applied.

According to an embodiment, after adjusting the transmission power of NR transmission data at time T3, the electronic device may continue to identify the presence or absence of LTE transmission data via the PDCP buffer.

According to an embodiment, if it is identified that there is no LTE transmission data at time T4via the PDCP buffer (e.g., LTE PDCP buffer or NR PDCP buffer), no LTE transmission data which is transmitted via the actual antenna is present at least after the LTE processing time LTE_p_t considering the LTE processing time LTE_p_t. Thus, although not shown, the electronic device may adjust the transmission power of NR transmission data from the first maximum transmission power Pmax1to the second maximum transmission power Pmax2at time T5to which the LTE processing time has been applied.

According to an embodiment, since the lower layer (e.g., the RLC layer, MAC layer, or PHY layer) has a chance of processing the remaining data although the PDCP buffer lacks LTE transmission data, the electronic device may vary the transmission power of NR transmission data after processing the remaining data via the lower layer. According to an embodiment, since there may occur RLC retransmission of the LTE transmission data which has already been transmitted, even after all of the remaining data is processed via the higher layer, the electronic device may vary the transmission power of NR transmission data after a time (α) considered for the RLC retransmission elapses. For example, upon determining that there is no LTE transmission data at time T4, via the PDCP buffer, the electronic device may maintain the current transmission power until T5when the LTE processing time has elapsed, considering the processing of the remaining data, and the electronic device may then adjust the transmission power of NR transmission data from the first maximum transmission power Pmax1to the second maximum transmission power Pmax2at time T6considered for RLC retransmission.

According to an embodiment, the time (α) considered for RLC retransmission may be set via RLC retransmission-related data received from the base station. For example, the following RLC settings may be received from the base station.

According to an embodiment, the RLC settings reveal the maximum value of LTE UL RLC retransmission. According to an embodiment, the time (α) considered for RLC retransmission from the RLC settings may be determined by Equation 1 below.
α=t−PollRetransmit×max RetxThreshold  Equation 1

In Equation 1 above, “t-PollRetransmit” denotes the poll bit retransmission period, and “maxRetxThreshold” may denote the number of times of retransmission.

According to an embodiment, upon identifying that there is data to be transmitted via LTE, the electronic device may perform control to decrease the maximum transmission power of NR transmission data without applying the LTE processing time (e.g., LTE_p-t=0).

According to an embodiment, upon identifying that there is no data to be transmitted via LTE, the electronic device may perform control to increase the maximum transmission power of NR transmission data without applying the time considered for RLC retransmission (e.g., α=0)

FIG. 8illustrates a view of a transmission time of transmission data of an electronic device according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device101ofFIG. 1, 2A, or2B) (e.g., a communication processor (e.g., the communication processor212,214, or260ofFIG. 2aor2b) of an electronic device) may determine the time of operation for sensing whether there is actual LTE transmission data depending on whether NR transmission data is transmitted. For example, it may be efficient to identify the presence or absence of LTE transmission data only when there is NR transmission data. Thus, the electronic device may be configured to identify whether there is LTE transmission data only when the NR transmission data exists.

Referring toFIG. 8, according to an embodiment, the electronic device may perform control to transmit NR transmission data at times allocated according to scheduling information received from the base station. For example, a resource800allocated by the base station for transmission/reception of NR data may include a plurality of slots810,820,830,840, and850as shown inFIG. 8. If NR data is transmitted in a TDD scheme, the electronic device may perform control to sequentially allocate downlink slots (marked ‘D” inFIGS. 8)810,820, and830, a flexible slot (marked “S” inFIG. 8)840, and an uplink slot (marked “U” inFIG. 8)850. Each slot may include a plurality of (e.g.,14) symbols. For example, each downlink slot810,820, and830may be assigned 14 downlink symbols, the flexible slot840may be assigned a combination of the downlink and uplink symbols among the 14 symbols, and the uplink slot850may be allocated 14 uplink symbols.

According to an embodiment, the first symbol assigned uplink data inFIG. 8is the 14th symbol of the flexible slot840, and the transmission time of the 14th symbol is denoted T1. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may sense whether there is LTE transmission data from time T1when NR transmission data is transmitted.

According to an embodiment, the uplink transmission data transmitted from the electronic device to the base station (e.g., an NR base station) may encounter a propagation delay depending on the distance between the electronic device and the base station. For example, far away from the base station, the electronic device may experience a relatively large propagation delay and, closer, a relatively small delay. Given the propagation delay, the base station may provide a timing advance offset to apply a timing advance (TA) to each electronic device. For example, the timing advance offset may be transmitted via the MAC control element (CE) of the DL-SCH channel transmitted from the base station. Each electronic device may transmit transmission data by the timing advance offset-applied timing advance time (tTA) earlier.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device may sense the presence or absence of LTE transmission data from the actual transmission time T2that results from applying the timing advance time (tTA) to the time T1of transmission of NR transmission data. The actual transmission tme T2may be calculated as T1−tTA.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device may generate a task which consumes relatively little power and monitor whether the NR PDCP buffer has NR transmission data in each uplink scheduling period ofFIG. 8. If, as a result of the monitoring, the NR PDCP buffer has NR transmission data, it may be identified whether LTE transmission data is present.

FIG. 9Aillustrates a view of a radio protocol structure in an LTE system.

Referring toFIG. 9A, according to an embodiment, an LTE system radio protocol stack may packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entities961aand961b, radio link control (RLC) entities962aand962b, medium access control (MAC) entities963aand963b, and physical (PHY) entities964aand964bin a UE960aand an LTE eNB960b, respectively.

According to an embodiment, the PDCP entities961aand961bmay be in charge of IP header compression/restoration. The major functions of the PDCP may be summarized as follows.header compression and decompression (ROHC only)transfer of user datain-sequence delivery of upper layer PDUs at PDCP re-establishment procedure for RLC AMfor split bearers in DC (only support for RLC AM), PDCP PDU routing for transmission and PDCP PDU reordering for receptionduplicate detection of lower layer SDUs at PDCP re-establishment procedure for RLC AMretransmission of PDCP SDUs at handover and, for split bearers in DC, of PDCP PDUs at PDCP data-recovery procedure, for RLC AMciphering and decipheringtimer-based SDU discard in uplink

According to an embodiment, radio link control (hereinafter, “RLC”)962aand962bmay reconstruct the PDCP packet data unit (PDU) into proper sizes and perform, e.g., ARQ operation. The major functions of the RLC may be summarized as follows.transfer of upper layer PDUserror correction through ARQ (only for AM data transfer)concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUs (only for UM and AM data transfer)re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs (only for AM data transfer)reordering of RLC data PDUs (only for UM and AM data transfer)duplicate detection (only for UM and AM data transfer)protocol error detection (only for AM data transfer)RLC SDU discard (only for UM and AM data transfer)RLC re-establishment

According to an embodiment, the MACs963aand963bare connected to several RLC layer devices configured in one UE and may multiplex RLC PDUs into a MAC PDU and demultiplex RCL PDUs from the MAC PDU. The major functions of the MAC may be summarized as follows.mapping between logical channels and transport channelsmultiplexing/demultiplexing of MAC SDUs belonging to one or different logical channels into/from transport blocks (TB) delivered to/from the physical layer on transport channelsscheduling information reportingerror correction through HARQpriority handling between logical channels of one UEpriority handling between UEs by means of dynamic schedulingMBMS service identificationtransport format selectionpadding

According to an embodiment, the PHYs964aand964bchannel-code and modulate higher layer data into OFDM symbols, transmit the OFDM symbols through a wireless channel or demodulate OFDM symbols received through a wireless channel, channel-decode and transfer the same to a higher layer.

FIG. 9Billustrates a view of a radio protocol structure of a next-generation mobile communication system according to an embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 9B, according to an embodiment, a radio protocol stack of a next-generation mobile communication system may include NR PDCPs971aand971b, NR RLCs972aand972b, NR MACs973aand973b, and NR PHYs974aand974bin a UE970aand an NR base station (gNB)970b, respectively. Although not shown, the radio protocol stack of the next-generation mobile communication system may further include a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) in each of the UE970aand the NR base station (gNB)970b. The SDAP may manage the allocation of radio bearers based on the quality-of-service (QoS) of user data.

According to an embodiment, the major functions of the NR PDCPs971aand971bmay include some of the following ones.header compression and decompression (ROHC only)transfer of user datain-sequence delivery of upper layer PDUsPDCP PDU reordering for receptionduplicate detection of lower layer SDUsretransmission of PDCP SDUsciphering and decipheringtimer-based SDU discard in uplink

According to an embodiment, the reordering by the NR PDCP refers to reordering PDCP PDUs received by the lower layer based on the PDCP sequence numbers (SNs) and may include transferring the data to the higher layer in the order reordered, recording PDCP PDUs missed by reordering, reporting the state of the missing PDCP PDUs to the transmit part, and requesting to retransmit the missing PDCP PDUs.

According to an embodiment, the major functions of the NR RLCs972aand972bmay include some of the following ones.transfer of upper layer PDUsin-sequence delivery of upper layer PDUsout-of-sequence delivery of upper layer PDUserror correction through ARQconcatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUsre-segmentation of RLC data PDUsreordering of RLC data PDUsduplicate detectionprotocol error detectionRLC SDU discardRLC re-establishment

According to an embodiment, the in-sequence delivery by the NR RLC refers to transferring the RLC SDUs received from the lower layer to the higher layer in order and, if one original RLC SDU is split into several RLC SDUs that are then received, the in-sequence delivery may include reassembling and transferring them, reordering the received RLC PDUs based on the RLC SNs or PDCP SNs, recording the RLC PDUs missed by reordering, reporting the state of the missing RLC PDUs to the transmit part, and requesting to retransmit the missing RLC PDUs and, if there are missing RLC SDUs, the in-sequence delivery may include transferring only RLC SDUs before the missing RLC SDUs to the higher layer in order. Although there are missing RLC SDUs, if a predetermined timer has expired, the in-sequence delivery may include transferring all of the RLC SDUs received before the timer starts to the higher layer in order. Or, although there are missing RLC SDUs, if the predetermined timer has expired, the in-sequence delivery may include transferring all of the RLC SDUs received thus far to the higher layer in order. The out-of-sequence delivery by the NR RLC refers to immediately transferring the RLC SDUs received from the lower layer to the higher layer regardless of order and, if one original RLC SDU is split into several RLC SDUs that are then received, the out-of-sequence delivery may include reassembling and transferring them and storing the RLC SNs or PDCP SNs of the received RLC PDUs, ordering them, and recording missing RLC PDUs.

According to an embodiment, the NR MACs973aand973bmay be connected to several NR RLC layers configured in one UE, and the major functions of the NR MAC may include some of the following functions.mapping between logical channels and transport channelsmultiplexing/demultiplexing of MAC SDUsscheduling information reportingerror correction through HARQpriority handling between logical channels of one UEpriority handling between UEs by means of dynamic schedulingMBMS service identificationtransport format selectionpadding

According to an embodiment, the NR PHYs974aand974bchannel-code and modulate higher layer data into OFDM symbols, transmit the OFDM symbols through a wireless channel or demodulate OFDM symbols received through a wireless channel, channel-decode and transfer the same to a higher layer.

According to an embodiment, information that may be included in the MAC header is described below with reference to Table 1.

TABLE 1VariablesPurposesLCIDLCID may refer to the identifier of the RLC entity that has generated the RLCPDU (or MAC SDU) received from the higher layer. Or, LCID may refer to theMAC control element (CE) or padding. For this, different definitions may be madedepending on channels. For example, different definitions may be made dependingon the DL-SCH, UL-SCH, and MCH.LThis refers to the length of MAC SDU and may denote the length of MAC CEwhich varies in length. For MAC CEs with a fixed length, the L-field may beomitted. For some reasons, the L-field may be left out. The reasons may includewhen the size of MAC SDU is fixed, when the transmit part notifies the receivepart of the size of MAC PDU, or when the length may be calculated on the receivepart.FThis refers to the size of the L-field. Absent the L-field, this may be omitted and,if the F-field exists, the size of the L-field may be limited to a predetermined size.F2This refers to the size of the L-field. Absent the L-field, this may be omitted and,if the F2-field exists, the size of the L-field may be limited to a size different thanthe size of the F-field. For example, the F2-field may indicate a size larger thanthe F-field.EThis refers to whether the MAC header includes other headers. For example, ifthis indicates 1, variables of another MAC header may come thereafter. However,if it is 0, it may be followed by the MAC SDU, MAC CE, or padding.RThis is a reserved bit.

Referring toFIG. 9C, according to an embodiment, a communication protocol stack900of an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device101) may include a PDCP entity901, an RLC entity902, a MAC entity903, and a PHY entity904. The PDCP entity901, the RLC entity902, the MAC entity903, and the PHY entity904may be entities based on the radio protocol of LTE system or entities based on the radio protocol of NR system. For example, if the electronic device transmits/receives data based on LTE, the PDCP entity901, RLC entity902, MAC entity903, and PHY entity904based on the radio protocol of LTE system may be configured. For example, if the electronic device transmits/receives data based on NR, the PDCP entity901, RLC entity902, MAC entity903, and PHY entity904based on the radio protocol of NR system may be configured. For example, packet data processed based on the PDCP entity901, RLC entity902, MAC entity903, and PHY entity904may be stored at least temporarily in some logical area or some physical area of the memory910(e.g., the volatile memory132ofFIG. 1or a memory in the communication processor212,214, or260) of the electronic device. According to an embodiment, the PDCP entity901may further include PDCP headers921,923, and925in PDCP SDUs914,915, and916which are based on data911,912, and913which are internet protocol (IP) packets and may transfer PDCP PDUs922,924, and926. The information about the PDCP header transferred by the LTE PDCP entity may differ from the information about the PDCP header transferred by the NR PDCP entity. According to an embodiment, the PDCP buffer920may be implemented in a designated logical or physical area inside the memory910. The PDCP buffer920may receive the PDCP SDUs914,915, and916based on the PDCP entity901and, at least temporarily, store them, and the PDCP buffer920may further include the PDCP headers921,923, and925in the PDCP SDUs914,915, and916and transfer the PDCP PDUs922,924, and926to the RLC layer.

According to an embodiment, the RLC entity902may add the RLC headers931and934to the first data932and second data935, respectively, which have been obtained by reconstructing the RLC SDUs922,924, and926and may transfer the RLC PDUs933and936. The LTE-based RLC header information may differ from the NR-based RLC header information.

According to an embodiment, the MAC entity902may add the MAC header941and padding942to, e.g., the MAC SDU933and transfer the MAC PDU943which, as the transport block951, may be processed in the physical layer904. The transport block951may be processed as slots952,953,954,955, and956.

According to an embodiment, although not shown inFIG. 9C, the memory910may include a buffer corresponding to each of the RLC layer and the MAC layer.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling power in a communication processor of an electronic device is described with reference toFIGS. 10 to 13.

FIG. 10illustrates a view of a power control method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 10illustrates an example in which two communication processors (CPs) which are implemented as chips are provided for their respective corresponding communication networks. For example, in the example illustrated inFIG. 10, data to be transmitted by the split bearer is processed.

According to an embodiment, a first CP1010, a communication processor for processing LTE communication signals, may include (or execute) an LTE PDCP1011a, an NR PDCP1011b, an LTE RLC1012, an LTE MAC1013, and an LTE PHY1014. A second CP1020, a communication processor for processing NR communication signals, may include (or execute) an NR PDCP1021, an NR RLC1022, an NR MAC1023, and an NR PHY1024.

According to an embodiment, the data to be transmitted by the split bearer may be transferred to the NR PDCP1021of the second CP1020. For example, the transferred data may be stored, at least temporarily, in the PDCP area (e.g., the PDCP buffer920ofFIG. 9C). The NR PDCP1021may receive the data to be transmitted via the split bearer, and the NR PDCP1021may transfer data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network to the LTE RLC1012of the first CP1010and the data to be transmitted via the NR communication network to the NR RLC1022. The transmission path of the split bearer may be identified by the LCID of the PDCP packet. LCID may refer to the identifier of the RLC entity that has generated the RLC PDU (or MAC SDU) received from the higher layer.

According to an embodiment, the NR PDCP1021of the second CP1020may receive the packet data to be transmitted via the split bearer and, if sensing the LTE transmission data via the LCID, determine that there is LTE transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network and, considering this, control the transmission power of NR transmission data. According to an embodiment, the NR PDCP1021, upon sensing the LTE transmission data, may notify the NR MAC1023of information for power control. The power control information provided from the NR PDCP1021to the NR MAC1023may include a flag indicating the presence or absence of the LTE transmission data. For example, the flag may be set to DPS_value as static variable. According to an embodiment, the NR PDCP1021, if the received packet data includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 1 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1023. The NR PDCP1021, unless the received packet data includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 0 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1023.

According to an embodiment, the NR MAC1023may identify the flag and adjust the transmission power considering whether there is LTE transmission data at a corresponding time. For example, the transmission power of NR transmission data may be adjusted according to the timings described above in connection withFIGS. 7A and 7B.

FIG. 11illustrates a view of a power control method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 11illustrates an example in which an integrated communication processor (CP) which is implemented as a single chip is provided. For example, in the example illustrated inFIG. 11, data to be transmitted by the split bearer is processed.

According to an embodiment, the CP1110, as a communication processor for comprehensively processing LTE communication signals and NR communication signals and may include (or execute) an LTE PDCP1111a, an LTE RLC1112a, an LTE MAC1113a, an LTE PHY1114a, an NR PDCP1111b, an NR RLC1112b, an NR MAC1113b, and an NR PHY1114b.

According to an embodiment, the data to be transmitted by the split bearer may be transferred to the NR PDCP1111bof the CP1110. The NR PDCP1111bmay receive the data to be transmitted via the split bearer, and the NR PDCP1111bmay transfer data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network to the LTE RLC1112aand the data to be transmitted via the NR communication network to the NR RLC1112b. The transmission path of the split bearer may be identified by the LCD of the PDCP packet. LCD may refer to the identifier of the RLC entity that has generated the RLC PDU (or MAC SDU) received from the higher layer.

According to an embodiment, the NR PDCP1111bmay receive the packet data to be transmitted via the split bearer and, if sensing the LTE transmission data via the LCD, determine that there is LTE transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network and, considering this, control the transmission power of NR transmission data. According to an embodiment, the NR PDCP1111b, upon sensing the LTE transmission data, may notify the NR MAC1113bof information for power control. The power control information provided from the NR PDCP1111bto the NR MAC1113bmay include a flag indicating the presence or absence of the LTE transmission data. For example, the flag may be set to DPS_value as static variable. According to an embodiment, the NR PDCP1021, if the received packet data includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 1 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1113b. The NR PDCP1111b, unless the received packet data includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 0 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1113b.

According to an embodiment, the NR MAC1113bmay identify the flag and adjust the transmission power of NR transmission data considering whether there is LTE transmission data at a corresponding time, according to the above-described timings ofFIGS. 7A and 7B.

An example in which LTE transmission data is transmitted by the LTE bearer is described with reference toFIGS. 12 and 13. For example, voice over LTE (VoLTE) may transmit voice or video packets using the LTE PDCP. The MO/Call connected state may be always sensed by the electronic device and, if a VoLTE call transmission packet is sensed by the LTE PDCP, the NR MAC may be notified of this.

FIG. 12illustrates a view of a power control method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 12illustrates an example in which two communication processors (CPs) which are implemented as chips are provided for their respective corresponding communication networks. For example, in the example illustrated inFIG. 12, data to be transmitted by the LTE bearer is processed.

According to an embodiment, a first CP1210, a communication processor for processing LTE communication signals, may include (or execute) an LTE PDCP1211, an LTE RLC1212, an LTE MAC1213, and an LTE PHY1214. A second CP1220, a communication processor for processing NR communication signals, may include (or execute) an NR PDCP1221, an NR RLC1222, an NR MAC1223, and an NR PHY1224.

According to an embodiment, the data to be transmitted by the LTE bearer may be transferred to the LTE PDCP1211of the first CP1210. The LTE PDCP1211may receive the data to be transmitted via the LTE bearer and transmit to the LTE RLC1212.

According to an embodiment, the LTE PDCP1211of the first CP1210, if sensing the packet data to be transmitted via the LTE bearer, may determine that there is LTE transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network and, considering this, control the transmission power of NR transmission data. According to an embodiment, the LTE PDCP1211, upon sensing the LTE transmission data, may notify the NR MAC1223of the second CP1220of information for power control. The power control information provided from the LTE PDCP1211to the NR MAC1223may include a flag indicating the presence or absence of the LTE transmission data. For example, the flag may be set to DPS_value as static variable. According to an embodiment, the LTE PDCP1211, if the LTE PDCP buffer includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 1 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1223. The LTE PDCP1211, unless the LTE PDCP buffer includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 0 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1223.

According to an embodiment, the NR MAC1223may identify the flag and adjust the transmission power of NR transmission data considering whether there is LTE transmission data at a corresponding time, according to the above-described timings ofFIGS. 7A and 7B.

According to an embodiment, if two communication processor (CP) chips1210and1220are implemented per communication network as shown inFIG. 12, the flag indicating whether there is LTE transmission data may be transmitted from the first CP1210to the second CP1220. According to an embodiment, the flag may be transmitted by direct communication between the CPs1210and1220. According to an embodiment, the flag may be transmitted from the first CP1210through a processor (e.g., an application processor (e.g., the processor120ofFIGS. 1 and 2)) connected with the first CP1210to the second CP1220. According to an embodiment, communication between the first CP1210and the second CP1220may be performed via a PCIE interface but is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the first CP1210or the second CP1220may communicate with the processor (e.g., the processor120ofFIGS. 1 and 2) via a PCIE interface but is not limited thereto.

FIG. 13illustrates a view of a power control method of an electronic device according to an embodiment.FIG. 13illustrates an example in which an integrated communication processor (CP) which is implemented as a single chip is provided. For example, in the example illustrated inFIG. 13, data to be transmitted by the LTE bearer is processed.

According to an embodiment, the CP1310, as a communication processor for comprehensively processing LTE communication signals and NR communication signals, may include (or execute) an LTE PDCP1311a, an LTE RLC1312a, an LTE MAC1313a, an LTE PHY1314a, an NR PDCP1311b, an NR RLC1312b, an NR MAC1313b, and an NR PHY1314b.

According to an embodiment, the data to be transmitted by the LTE bearer may be transferred to the LTE PDCP1313aof the CP1310. The LTE PDCP1313amay receive the data to be transmitted via the LTE bearer and transmit to the LTE RLC1312a.

According to an embodiment, the LTE PDCP1313aof the CP1310, if sensing the packet data to be transmitted via the LTE bearer, may determine that there is LTE transmission data to be transmitted via the LTE communication network and, considering this, control the transmission power of NR transmission data. According to an embodiment, the LTE PDCP1313a, upon sensing the LTE transmission data, may notify the NR MAC1313bof information for power control. The power control information provided from the LTE PDCP1313ato the NR MAC1313bmay include a flag indicating the presence or absence of the LTE transmission data. For example, the flag may be set to DPS_value as static variable. According to an embodiment, the LTE PDCP1313a, if the LTE PDCP buffer includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 1 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1313b. The LTE PDCP1313a, unless the LTE PDCP buffer includes LTE transmission data, may set PDS_value to 0 and transfer the flag to the NR MAC1313b.

According to an embodiment, the NR MAC1313bmay identify the flag and adjust the transmission power of NR transmission data considering whether there is LTE transmission data at a corresponding time, according to the above-described timings ofFIGS. 7A and 7B.

FIG. 14illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device providing dual connectivity according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 14, according to an embodiment, an electronic device1400may include a processor1410(e.g., the processor120ofFIG. 1), a first communication processor1420a(e.g., the first communication processor212ofFIG. 2), a second communication processor1420b(e.g., the second communication processor214ofFIG. 2), a first transceiver1430a(e.g., the first RFIC222or first RFEE232ofFIG. 2), a second transceiver1430b(e.g., the second RFIC224or second RFEE234ofFIG. 2), a first power amplifier1440a, a second power amplifier1440b, a first duplexer1450a, a second duplexer1450b, a first coupler1460a, a second coupler1460b, a first antenna1470a(e.g., the first antenna module242ofFIG. 2or the first RFEE232), and a second antenna1470b(e.g., the second antenna module244ofFIG. 2). The electronic device1400ofFIG. 14may be identical or similar to the electronic device101ofFIG. 1, 2A, or2B.

According to an embodiment, the processor1410may include a controller (or control circuitry) and a shared memory (a memory shared by the first communication processor1420aand the second communication processor1420b).

According to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420amay establish a communication channel of a band that is to be used for wireless communication with the first communication network or may support network communication via the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the first communication network may be a legacy network that includes second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), or long-term evolution (LTE) networks. The second communication processor1420bmay establish a communication channel corresponding to a designated band (e.g., from about 450 MHz to about 6 GHz or from about 6 GHz to about 60 GHz) among bands that are to be used for wireless communication with the second communication network and may support fifth generation (5G) network communication via the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the second communication network may be a 5G network defined by the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). Additionally, according to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420aor the second communication processor1420bmay establish a communication channel corresponding to another designated band (e.g., about 6 GHz or less) among the bands that are to be used for wireless communication with the second communication network or may support fifth generation (5G) network communication via the established communication channel.

According to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420amay perform data transmission/reception with the second communication processor1420b. For example, the first communication processor1420amay transmit/receive data to/from the second communication processor1420bvia a PCIE interface. The first communication processor1420amay transmit/receive various pieces of information, such as sensing information, output strength information, or resource block (RB) allocation information, to/from the second communication processor1420b.

According to implementation, the first communication processor1420amay not be directly connected with the second communication processor1420b. In this case, the first communication processor1420amay transmit/receive data to/from the second communication processor1420bvia a processor1410(e.g., an application processor).

According to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420aand the second communication processor1420bmay be implemented in a single chip or a single package. According to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420aor the second communication processor1420b, along with the processor120, an assistance processor123, or communication module190, may be formed in a single chip or single package. For example, as shown inFIG. 2B, an integrated communication processor260may support all of the functions for communication with the first communication network and the second communication network.

According to an embodiment, the first transceiver1430aand the second transceiver1430bmay receive frequency signals from a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) and output a first signal TX1and a second signal TX2, respectively. The first transceiver1430amay synthesize the PLL_1signal with the signal provided from the first communication processor1420aby a mixer and output a radio frequency (RF) signal that fits the frequency of the first communication network. The second transceiver1430bmay synthesize the PLL_2signal with the signal provided from the second communication processor1420bby a mixer and output a radio frequency (RF) signal that fits the frequency of the second communication network.

According to an embodiment, the first power amplifier1440apositioned at a terminal of the first transceiver1430amay amplify the RF signal and may include an amplifier that may minimize the distortion of output signal and maintain high-efficiency properties. The second power amplifier1440bpositioned at a terminal of the second transceiver1430bmay amplify the RF signal and may include an amplifier that may minimize the distortion of output signal and maintain high-efficiency properties.

According to an embodiment, the first duplexer may receive a first signal from the first power amplifier1440a, provide it to the first antenna1470a, receive a downlink signal received via the first antenna1470a, and provide it to the first transceiver1430a. The second duplexer may receive a second signal from the second power amplifier1440b, provide it to the second antenna1470b, receive a downlink signal received via the second antenna1470b, and provide it to the second transceiver1430b.

According to an embodiment, the first power amplifier1440amay amplify the first signal TX1received from the first transceiver1430aby a designated gain under the control of the first communication processor1420aand may provide it to the first antenna1470avia the first coupler1460a. The second power amplifier1440bmay amplify the second signal TX2received from the second transceiver1430bby a designated gain under the control of the second communication processor1420band may provide it to the second antenna1470bvia the second coupler1460b.

According to an embodiment, the first signal transmitted via the first coupler1460amay be fed back to the first transceiver1430a, and the second signal transmitted via the second coupler1460bmay be fed back to the second transceiver1430b.

According to an embodiment, the first transceiver1430aand the second transceiver1430bmay use the transmission feedback signals fed back from the first coupler1460aand the second coupler1460b, respectively, to change the frequency using the internal local oscillator (LO) of the first communication processor1420aor the second communication processor1420b, thereby allowing them to be processed as baseband signals. According to an embodiment, the first transceiver1430aand the second transceiver1430beach may convert the transmission power signals into digital signals and transfer them to the first communication processor1420aor the second communication processor1420b. The couplers1460aand1460bmay attenuate the signals amplified by their respective connected power amplifiers1440aand1440binto small signals that may be processed by the first transceiver1430aand the second transceiver1430band feed them back.

According to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420amay control the gain of the first signal transmitted via the first transceiver1430aby a control signal and may control the bias of the first power amplifier1440a. The second communication processor1420bmay control the gain of the second signal transmitted via the second transceiver1430bby a control signal and may control the bias of the second power amplifier1440b.

According to an embodiment, in the electronic device providing dual connectivity as shown inFIG. 14, the transceivers1430aand1430bmay convert sensing signals input via the FBRX port into baseband signals and transmit the digital sensing signals to their respective connected communication processors1420aand1420bvia the analog/digital converter (ADC). The communication processors1420aand1420bmay monitor, e.g., resource block (RB) allocation information and the magnitude of power of signals currently output from the power amplifiers1440aand1440busing the sensing information transferred via the transceivers1430aand1430b, respectively, and they may adjust each transmission signal to fit for the communication context.

According to an embodiment, information exchange between the communication processors1420aand1420bmay be performed via the processor1410and communication information (e.g., activated band or channel) which varies relatively less may be shared therebetween.

According to an embodiment, the first communication processor1420amay identify transmission of transmission data (e.g., NR transmission data) to be transmitted via the first communication network by the first transceiver1430aand, upon transmission of transmission data of the first communication network, identify the presence or absence of transmission data (e.g., LTE transmission data) to be transmitted via the second communication network by the second transceiver1430bfrom the PDCP buffer included in the first communication processor1420aor the second communication processor1420b.

According to an embodiment, if it is identified that there is no transmission data to be transmitted via the second communication network, the first communication processor1420amay control the transmission power of transmission data to be transmitted via the first communication network based on second maximum transmission power Pmax2which is larger than preset first maximum transmission power Pmax1. For example, the first communication processor1420amay control the gain of transmission data transmitted via the first transceiver1430abased on the second maximum transmission power Pmax2which is larger than the preset first maximum transmission power Pmax1and may control the bias of the first power amplifier1440a.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, according to various embodiments, the optimal real-time uplink power distribution may be achieved even in the dual connectivity structure that has difficulty in adopting dynamic power sharing.

According to various embodiments, the dual connectivity-supporting electronic device may maximally use NR transmission power by determining whether there is LTE transmission data via a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) buffer even when dynamic power sharing is difficult to apply.

For example, there is provided an interval where the NR uplink transmission power up to 23 dBm is available in the dual connectivity-supporting electronic device. Thus, various issues with shortage of transmission power may be addressed.