Patent Description:
A user equipment (UE) often uses a subscription to connect to a service network, which provides one or more services such as a voice call service or a data service. For example, a subscription used by the UE may be associated with a subscription module or device such as a subscription identification module (SIM) that the UE accesses to use the subscription. With development of the subscription based services, a UE that is capable of using two or more subscriptions are increasingly used. In one example, a UE may implement a dual SIM that allows the UE to connect to a service network using two different subscriptions respectively provided by two SIMs. Various Improvements for a UE configured to use multiple subscriptions are being studied.

<CIT> relates to an apparatus which may be configured to link user equipment contexts associated with same physical device. A network entity may determine a link between a first context and a second context of a user equipment, and may combine procedures related to the first and the second contexts when the first context and the second context are linked. The first context and the second context may be associated with a common international mobile equipment identity of the UE and different international mobile subscriber identities. A wireless device may maintain a first wireless communications link corresponding to a first subscription and a second wireless communications link corresponding to a second subscription. The wireless device may refrain from performing a first radio resource procedure in relation to the first subscription after performing a similar radio resource procedure in relation to the second subscription.

<CIT> is directed to user equipment (UE) which may determine a capability of the UE to support multiple subscriber identity modules (SIMs). The multiple SIMs may enable the UE to communicate with multiple network nodes. The UE may notify at least one network node of the multiple network nodes of the multiple SIM capability of the UE.

<CIT> relates to an apparatus which may be configured to establish a first call for a first subscription, and accept a second call for a second subscription while maintaining the first call. A single transmit chain may be used to transmit uplink traffic associated with the first call and uplink traffic associated with the second call. A timesharing schedule for the transmit chain may determine when the uplink traffic associated with the first call is transmitted and when the uplink traffic associated with the second call is transmitted on the transmit chain. Downlink traffic associated with the first and second calls may be received using different receive chain. Downlink traffic associated with the first and second calls may be received using the same receive chain.

<CIT> is directed to techniques that provide network assisted multi-subscription physical layer sharing at a user equipment (UE) by transmitting a multi-subscription capability indication to a network, establishing a link for a first subscription with the network based on the multi-subscription capability indication, and establishing a second subscription with the network using the link based on the multi-subscription capability indication, the first subscription is associated with the second subscription.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the sub-claims.

While aspects and embodiments are described in this application by illustration to some examples, those skilled in the art will understand that additional implementations and use cases may come about in many different arrangements and scenarios. Innovations described herein may be implemented across many differing platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, packaging arrangements. For example, embodiments and/or uses may come about via integrated chip embodiments and other non-module-component based devices (e.g., end-user devices, vehicles, communication devices, computing devices, industrial equipment, retail/purchasing devices, medical devices, AI-enabled devices, etc.). While some examples may or may not be specifically directed to use cases or applications, a wide assortment of applicability of described innovations may occur. Implementations may range a spectrum from chip-level or modular components to non-modular, non-chip-level implementations and further to aggregate, distributed, or OEM devices or systems incorporating one or more aspects of the described innovations. In some practical settings, devices incorporating described aspects and features may also necessarily include additional components and features for implementation and practice of claimed and described embodiments. For example, transmission and reception of wireless signals necessarily includes a number of components for analog and digital purposes (e.g., hardware components including antenna, RF-chains, power amplifiers, modulators, buffer, processor(s), interleaver, adders/summers, etc.). It is intended that innovations described herein may be practiced in a wide variety of devices, chip-level components, systems, distributed arrangements, end-user devices, etc. of varying sizes, shapes and constitution.

A UE capable of communicating using multiple subscriptions has been developed. For example, a UE may include multiple subscription identification modules (SIMs) that may be used to communicate using multiple subscriptions, respectively. The UE may use the multiple subscriptions to establish multiple communication links with one or more base stations. In a case where multiple communication links associated with multiple subscriptions are originating from the same UE, there may be areas for optimization when performing communication using one or more of the communication links.

According to aspects of the disclosure, when a base station determines that multiple communication links associated with multiple subscriptions are originating from the same UE, the base station may coordinate use of the multiple communication links based on a particular information to be communicated, in order to optimize communication of the particular information. In an aspect, depending on the information to be communicated, one of the communication links may be used without utilizing the other communication links, or multiple communication links may be used, to communicate the information. For example, a certain type of information may be substantially same across the multiple communication links/subscriptions, and thus may be communicated once using one of the multiple communication links. For example, another type of information may need to be transmitted using the multiple communication links, and may need to be transmitted at different times using the multiple communication links to avoid data collision.

The radio access network <NUM> is further illustrated supporting wireless communication for multiple mobile apparatuses. A mobile apparatus may be referred to as user equipment (UE) in 3GPP standards, but may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a mobile station (MS), a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communications device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal (AT), a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a terminal, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology. A UE may be an apparatus (e.g., a mobile apparatus) that provides a user with access to network services.

Within the present document, a "mobile" apparatus need not necessarily have a capability to move, and may be stationary. The term mobile apparatus or mobile device broadly refers to a diverse array of devices and technologies. UEs may include a number of hardware structural components sized, shaped, and arranged to help in communication; such components can include antennas, antenna arrays, RF chains, amplifiers, one or more processors, etc. electrically coupled to each other. For example, some non-limiting examples of a mobile apparatus include a mobile, a cellular (cell) phone, a smart phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal computer (PC), a notebook, a netbook, a smartbook, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a broad array of embedded systems, e.g., corresponding to an "Internet of things" (IoT). A mobile apparatus may additionally be an automotive or other transportation vehicle, a remote sensor or actuator, a robot or robotics device, a satellite radio, a global positioning system (GPS) device, an object tracking device, a drone, a multi-copter, a quad-copter, a remote control device, a consumer and/or wearable device, such as eyewear, a wearable camera, a virtual reality device, a smart watch, a health or fitness tracker, a digital audio player (e.g., MP3 player), a camera, a game console, etc. A mobile apparatus may additionally be a digital home or smart home device such as a home audio, video, and/or multimedia device, an appliance, a vending machine, intelligent lighting, a home security system, a smart meter, etc. A mobile apparatus may additionally be a smart energy device, a security device, a solar panel or solar array, a municipal infrastructure device controlling electric power (e.g., a smart grid), lighting, water, etc.; an industrial automation and enterprise device; a logistics controller; agricultural equipment; military defense equipment, vehicles, aircraft, ships, and weaponry, etc. Still further, a mobile apparatus may provide for connected medicine or telemedicine support, e.g., health care at a distance. Telehealth devices may include telehealth monitoring devices and telehealth administration devices, whose communication may be given preferential treatment or prioritized access over other types of information, e.g., in terms of prioritized access for transport of critical service data, and/or relevant QoS for transport of critical service data.

Referring now to <FIG>, by way of example and without limitation, a block diagram illustrating an example of various components of a <NUM> wireless communication system (5GS) <NUM> is provided. In some examples, the 5GS <NUM> may be the same wireless communication system <NUM> described above and illustrated in <FIG>. The 5GS <NUM> includes a user equipment (UE) <NUM>, a NR RAN <NUM>, and a core network <NUM>. By virtue of the wireless communication system <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may be enabled to carry out data communication with an external data network <NUM>, such as (but not limited to) the Internet, Ethernet network, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network, or a local area network.

The core network <NUM> may include, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF) <NUM>, a session management function (SMF) <NUM>, and a user plane function (UPF) <NUM>. The AMF <NUM> and SMF <NUM> employ control plane (e.g., Non Access Stratum (NAS)) signaling to perform various functions related to mobility management and session management for the UE <NUM>. For example, the AMF <NUM> provides connectivity, mobility management and authentication of the UE <NUM>, while the SMF <NUM> provides session management of the UE <NUM> (e.g., processes signaling related to protocol data unit (PDU) sessions between the UE <NUM> and the external DN <NUM>). The UPF <NUM> provides user plane connectivity to route <NUM> (NR) packets to/from the UE <NUM> via the NR RAN <NUM>.

The core network <NUM> may further include other functions, such as a policy control function (PCF) <NUM>, authentication server function (AUSF) <NUM>, unified data management (UDM) <NUM>, network slice selection function (NSSF) <NUM>, and other functions (not illustrated, for simplicity). The PCF <NUM> provides policy information (e.g., rules) for control plane functions, such as network slicing, roaming, and mobility management. In addition, the PCF <NUM> supports <NUM> quality of service (QoS) policies, network slice policies, and other types of policies. The AUSF <NUM> performs authentication of UEs <NUM>. The UDM <NUM> facilitates generation of authentication and key agreement (AKA) credentials, performs user identification and manages subscription information and UE context. In some examples, the AMF <NUM> includes a co-located security anchor function (SEAF) that allows for re-authentication of a UE <NUM> when the UE moves between different NR RANs <NUM> without having to perform a complete authentication process with the AUSF <NUM>. The NSSF <NUM> redirects traffic to a network slice. Network slices may be defined, for example, for different classes of subscribers or use cases, such as smart home, Internet of Things (IoT), connected car, smart energy grid, etc. Each use case may receive a unique set of optimized resources and network topology (e.g., a network slice) to meet the connectivity, speed, power, and capacity requirements of the use case.

To establish a connection to the <NUM> core network <NUM> via the NR RAN <NUM>, the UE <NUM> may transmit a registration request and PDU session establishment request to the <NUM> core network <NUM> via the NR RAN <NUM>. The AMF <NUM> and SMF <NUM> may process the registration request and PDU session establishment request and establish a PDU session between the UE <NUM> and the external DN <NUM> via the UPF <NUM>. A PDU session may include one or more sessions (e.g., data sessions or data flows) and may be served by multiple UPFs <NUM> (only one of which is shown for convenience). Examples of data flows include, but are not limited to, IP flows, Ethernet flows and unstructured data flows.

Referring now to <FIG>, by way of example and without limitation, a schematic illustration of a RAN <NUM> is provided. In some examples, the RAN <NUM> may be the same as the RAN <NUM> described above and illustrated in <FIG> and/or the NR RAN <NUM> described above and illustrated in <FIG>. The geographic area covered by the RAN <NUM> may be divided into cellular regions (cells) that can be uniquely identified by a user equipment (UE) based on an identification broadcasted from one access point or base station. <FIG> illustrates macrocells <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, and a small cell <NUM>, each of which may include one or more sectors (not shown). A sector is a sub-area of a cell. All sectors within one cell are served by the same base station. A radio link within a sector can be identified by a single logical identification belonging to that sector. In a cell that is divided into sectors, the multiple sectors within a cell can be formed by groups of antennas with each antenna responsible for communication with UEs in a portion of the cell.

Within the RAN <NUM>, the cells may include UEs that may be in communication with one or more sectors of each cell. Further, each base station <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be configured to provide an access point to a core network <NUM> (see <FIG>) for all the UEs in the respective cells. For example, UEs <NUM> and <NUM> may be in communication with base station <NUM>; UEs <NUM> and <NUM> may be in communication with base station <NUM>; UEs <NUM> and <NUM> may be in communication with base station <NUM> by way of RRH <NUM>; UE <NUM> may be in communication with base station <NUM>; and UE <NUM> may be in communication with mobile base station <NUM>. In some examples, the UEs <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and/or <NUM> may be the same as the UE/scheduled entity <NUM> described above and illustrated in <FIG>.

In a further aspect of the RAN <NUM>, sidelink signals may be used between UEs without necessarily relying on scheduling or control information from a base station. For example, two or more UEs (e.g., UEs <NUM> and <NUM>) may communicate with each other using peer to peer (P2P) or sidelink signals <NUM> without relaying that communication through a base station (e.g., base station <NUM>). In a further example, UE <NUM> is illustrated communicating with UEs <NUM> and <NUM>. Here, the UE <NUM> may function as a scheduling entity or a primary sidelink device, and UEs <NUM> and <NUM> may function as a scheduled entity or a non-primary (e.g., secondary) sidelink device. In still another example, a UE may function as a scheduling entity in a device-to-device (D2D), peer-to-peer (P2P), or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) network, and/or in a mesh network. In a mesh network example, UEs <NUM> and <NUM> may optionally communicate directly with one another in addition to communicating with the scheduling entity <NUM>. Thus, in a wireless communication system with scheduled access to time-frequency resources and having a cellular configuration, a P<NUM>P configuration, or a mesh configuration, a scheduling entity and one or more scheduled entities may communicate utilizing the scheduled resources.

In the radio access network <NUM>, the ability for a UE to communicate while moving, independent of its location, is referred to as mobility. The various physical channels between the UE and the radio access network are generally set up, maintained, and released under the control of an access and mobility management function (AMF, not illustrated, part of the core network <NUM> in <FIG>), which may include a security context management function (SCMF) that manages the security context for both the control plane and the user plane functionality, and a security anchor function (SEAF) that performs authentication.

In various aspects of the disclosure, a radio access network <NUM> may utilize DL-based mobility or UL-based mobility to enable mobility and handovers (i.e., the transfer of a UE's connection from one radio channel to another). In a network configured for DL-based mobility, during a call with a scheduling entity, or at any other time, a UE may monitor various parameters of the signal from its serving cell as well as various parameters of neighboring cells. Depending on the quality of these parameters, the UE may maintain communication with one or more of the neighboring cells. During this time, if the UE moves from one cell to another, or if signal quality from a neighboring cell exceeds that from the serving cell for a given amount of time, the UE may undertake a handoff or handover from the serving cell to the neighboring (target) cell. For example, UE <NUM> (illustrated as a vehicle, although any suitable form of UE may be used) may move from the geographic area corresponding to its serving cell <NUM> to the geographic area corresponding to a neighbor cell <NUM>. When the signal strength or quality from the neighbor cell <NUM> exceeds that of its serving cell <NUM> for a given amount of time, the UE <NUM> may transmit a reporting message to its serving base station <NUM> indicating this condition. In response, the UE <NUM> may receive a handover command, and the UE may undergo a handover to the cell <NUM>.

In a network configured for UL-based mobility, UL reference signals from each UE may be utilized by the network to select a serving cell for each UE. In some examples, the base stations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>/<NUM> may broadcast unified synchronization signals (e.g., unified Primary Synchronization Signals (PSSs), unified Secondary Synchronization Signals (SSSs) and unified Physical Broadcast Channels (PBCH)). The UEs <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may receive the unified synchronization signals, derive the carrier frequency and slot timing from the synchronization signals, and in response to deriving timing, transmit an uplink pilot or reference signal. The uplink pilot signal transmitted by a UE (e.g., UE <NUM>) may be concurrently received by two or more cells (e.g., base stations <NUM> and <NUM>/<NUM>) within the radio access network <NUM>. Each of the cells may measure a strength of the pilot signal, and the radio access network (e.g., one or more of the base stations <NUM> and <NUM>/<NUM> and/or a central node within the core network) may determine a serving cell for the UE <NUM>. As the UE <NUM> moves through the radio access network <NUM>, the network may continue to monitor the uplink pilot signal transmitted by the UE <NUM>. When the signal strength or quality of the pilot signal measured by a neighboring cell exceeds that of the signal strength or quality measured by the serving cell, the network <NUM> may handover the UE <NUM> from the serving cell to the neighboring cell, with or without informing the UE <NUM>.

The air interface in the radio access network <NUM> may utilize one or more duplexing algorithms. Duplex refers to a point-to-point communication link where both endpoints can communicate with one another in both directions. Full duplex means both endpoints can simultaneously communicate with one another. Half duplex means only one endpoint can send information to the other at a time. In a wireless link, a full duplex channel generally relies on physical isolation of a transmitter and receiver, and suitable interference cancellation technologies. Full duplex emulation is frequently implemented for wireless links by utilizing frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD). In FDD, transmissions in different directions operate at different carrier frequencies. In TDD, transmissions in different directions on a given channel are separated from one another using time division multiplexing. That is, at some times the channel is dedicated for transmissions in one direction, while at other times the channel is dedicated for transmissions in the other direction, where the direction may change very rapidly, e.g., several times per slot.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the scheduling entity and/or scheduled entity may be configured for beamforming and/or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. <FIG> illustrates an example of a wireless communication system <NUM> supporting MIMO. In a MIMO system, a transmitter <NUM> includes multiple transmit antennas <NUM> (e.g., N transmit antennas) and a receiver <NUM> includes multiple receive antennas <NUM> (e.g., M receive antennas). Thus, there are N × M signal paths <NUM> from the transmit antennas <NUM> to the receive antennas <NUM>. Each of the transmitter <NUM> and the receiver <NUM> may be implemented, for example, within a scheduling entity <NUM>, a scheduled entity <NUM>, or any other suitable wireless communication device.

The use of such multiple antenna technology enables the wireless communication system to exploit the spatial domain to support spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and transmit diversity. Spatial multiplexing may be used to transmit different streams of data, also referred to as layers, simultaneously on the same time-frequency resource. The data streams may be transmitted to a single UE to increase the data rate or to multiple UEs to increase the overall system capacity, the latter being referred to as multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). This is achieved by spatially precoding each data stream (i.e., multiplying the data streams with different weighting and phase shifting) and then transmitting each spatially precoded stream through multiple transmit antennas on the downlink. The spatially precoded data streams arrive at the UE(s) with different spatial signatures, which enables each of the UE(s) to recover the one or more data streams destined for that UE. On the uplink, each UE transmits a spatially precoded data stream, which enables the base station to identify the source of each spatially precoded data stream.

The number of data streams or layers corresponds to the rank of the transmission. In general, the rank of the MIMO system <NUM> is limited by the number of transmit or receive antennas <NUM> or <NUM>, whichever is lower. In addition, the channel conditions at the UE, as well as other considerations, such as the available resources at the base station, may also affect the transmission rank. For example, the rank (and therefore, the number of data streams) assigned to a particular UE on the downlink may be determined based on the rank indicator (RI) transmitted from the UE to the base station. The RI may be determined based on the antenna configuration (e.g., the number of transmit and receive antennas) and a measured signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) on each of the receive antennas. The RI may indicate, for example, the number of layers that may be supported under the current channel conditions. The base station may use the RI, along with resource information (e.g., the available resources and amount of data to be scheduled for the UE), to assign a transmission rank to the UE.

In Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, the UL and DL are reciprocal, in that each uses different time slots of the same frequency bandwidth. Therefore, in TDD systems, the base station may assign the rank for DL MIMO transmissions based on UL SINR measurements (e.g., based on a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) transmitted from the UE or other pilot signal). Based on the assigned rank, the base station may then transmit the CSI-RS with separate C-RS sequences for each layer to provide for multi-layer channel estimation. From the CSI-RS, the UE may measure the channel quality across layers and resource blocks and feed back the CQI and RI values to the base station for use in updating the rank and assigning REs for future downlink transmissions.

In the simplest case, as shown in <FIG>, a rank-<NUM> spatial multiplexing transmission on a 2x2 MIMO antenna configuration will transmit one data stream from each transmit antenna <NUM>. Each data stream reaches each receive antenna <NUM> along a different signal path <NUM>. The receiver <NUM> may then reconstruct the data streams using the received signals from each receive antenna <NUM>.

A UE may communicate with a service network using a subscription for a service (e.g., data service, voice service) provided by the service network. The UE may implement a subscription module such as a subscriber identification module (SIM) to connect to the service network. A UE may be configured to communicate using two or more subscriptions. For example, a UE implementing multiple SIMs respectively associated with multiple subscriptions may communicate using the multiple subscriptions via the multiple SIMs. The UE may establish communication links using the multiple subscriptions to perform communication using the multiple subscriptions. The communication links may be established with a common base station or with different base stations. For example, for a UE with two SIMs having a dual SIM, dual active (DSDA) capability, two SIMs may stay connected (or active) simultaneously with a network and thus may be used to perform communication simultaneously. In another example, for a UE with two SIMs having a dual SIM, dual standby (DSDS) capability, while one SIM is used to actively perform communication, the other SIM is placed on standby. The multiple SIMs may operate independently from one another. For example, each of the multiple SIMs may have its own connections for layer <NUM> (L1), layer <NUM> (L2), and layer <NUM> (L3) with a base station. Hence, the UE may treat the multiple communication links to be independent from one another.

When the multiple SIMs are implemented within the same UE, enhancements may be available to coordinate communications using the multiple communication links respectively associated with the multiple SIMs. For example, depending on a type of information to be communicated, optimal use of the communication links may differ. Therefore, optimizations may be made in utilizing multiple communication links originating from the same UE.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, for a UE configured to communicate using multiple subscriptions (e.g., via multiple SIMs), a base station and/or the UE may optimize coordination of the communication links respectively associated with the multiple subscriptions, when the communication links originate from the same UE. The coordination of the communication links may be performed based on information to be communicated between the base station and the UE. In an aspect, depending on a type of information to be communicated between the base station and the UE, more than one of the multiple communication links may be utilized to communicate the information or only one of the multiple communication links may be utilized to communicate the information. In an aspect, all of the communication links may be between the UE and the base station, or may be between the UE and multiple base stations.

<FIG> are example diagrams illustrating communication links respectively associated with multiple subscriptions of a UE, according to an aspect of the disclosure. In <FIG>, a UE <NUM> includes two SIMs, a first SIM <NUM> associated with a first subscription and a second SIM <NUM> associated with a second subscription, where the UE <NUM> establishes two communication links using the two SIMs, respectively. <FIG> is an example diagram <NUM> illustrating multiple communication links established between a UE and a single base station. In <FIG>, the UE <NUM> utilizes the first SIM <NUM> to establish a connection via a first communication link <NUM> with a first base station <NUM> using the first subscription. Further, the UE <NUM> utilizes the second SIM <NUM> to establish a connection via a second communication link <NUM> with the first base station <NUM> using the second subscription. Therefore, in <FIG>, the first communication link <NUM> and the second communication link <NUM> are connected with the same base station, and the first base station <NUM> may coordinate use of the first communication link <NUM> and the second communication link <NUM>. <FIG> is an example diagram <NUM> illustrating multiple communication links established between a UE and multiple base stations. The first communication link <NUM> in <FIG> may be the same as the first communication link <NUM> in <FIG>. Thus, in <FIG>, the UE <NUM> utilizes the first SIM <NUM> to establish a connection via the first communication link <NUM> with the first base station <NUM> using the first subscription. Unlike the example illustrated in <FIG>, in <FIG>, the UE <NUM> utilizes the second SIM <NUM> to establish a connection via a second communication link <NUM> with a second base station <NUM> using the second subscription. Therefore, in <FIG>, the first communication link <NUM> and the second communication link <NUM> are connected with different base stations. Therefore, in order to coordinate use of the first communication link <NUM> and the second communication link <NUM>, the first base station <NUM> and the second base station <NUM> may communicate with each other.

<FIG> are example diagrams illustrating communication links between protocol stacks for two subscriptions in a UE and one or more base stations, where the UE is configured to communicate using the two subscriptions, according to an aspect of the disclosure. <FIG> is an example diagram <NUM> illustrating a first communication link between a protocol stack of a first SIM of the UE and a protocol stack of a base station. In <FIG>, a first SIM protocol stack <NUM> of a first SIM may include a physical (PHY) layer <NUM>, a media access control (MAC) layer <NUM>, a radio link control (RLC) layer <NUM>, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer <NUM>, and an RRC layer <NUM>. The PHY layer <NUM> and the MAC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L1 layer, the RLC layer <NUM> and the PDCP layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L2 layer, and the RRC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L3 layer. The UE may use the first subscription of the first SIM to establish a first communication link <NUM> with a base station (e.g., base station A) that has a base station protocol stack <NUM>. The base station protocol stack <NUM> of a base station A may include a PHY layer <NUM>, a MAC layer <NUM>, an RLC layer <NUM>, a PDCP layer <NUM>, and an RRC layer <NUM>. The PHY layer <NUM> and the MAC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L1 layer, the RLC layer <NUM> and the PDCP layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L2 layer, and the RRC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L3 layer. As shown in <FIG>, each of the PHY layer <NUM>, the MAC layer <NUM>, the RLC layer <NUM>, the PDCP layer <NUM>, and the RRC layer <NUM> in the first SIM protocol stack <NUM> may separately communicate with a respective one of the PHY layer <NUM>, the MAC layer <NUM>, the RLC layer <NUM>, the PDCP layer <NUM>, and the RRC layer <NUM>, via a first communication link <NUM>.

<FIG> is an example diagram <NUM> illustrating a second communication link between a protocol stack of a second SIM of the UE and a protocol stack of a base station, which may be the same base station as the base station of <FIG> or a different base station. In <FIG>, a second SIM protocol stack <NUM> of a second SIM may include a PHY layer <NUM>, a MAC layer <NUM>, an RLC layer <NUM>, a PDCP layer <NUM>, and an RRC layer <NUM>. The PHY layer <NUM> and the MAC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L1 layer, the RLC layer <NUM> and the PDCP layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L2 layer, and the RRC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L3 layer. The second SIM may establish a second communication link <NUM> with a base station that is the same base station as the base station (e.g., base station A) in <FIG> or a different base station (e.g., base station B), where the base station has a base station protocol stack <NUM>. The base station protocol stack <NUM> of the base station A or the base station B may include a PHY layer <NUM>, a MAC layer <NUM>, an RLC layer <NUM>, a PDCP layer <NUM>, and an RRC layer <NUM>. The PHY layer <NUM> and the MAC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L1 layer, the RLC layer <NUM> and the PDCP layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L2 layer, and the RRC layer <NUM> may be referred to as an L3 layer. As shown in <FIG>, each of the PHY layer <NUM>, the MAC layer <NUM>, the RLC layer <NUM>, the PDCP layer <NUM>, and the RRC layer <NUM> in the second SIM protocol stack <NUM> may separately communicate with a respective one of the PHY layer <NUM>, the MAC layer <NUM>, the RLC layer <NUM>, the PDCP layer <NUM>, and the RRC layer <NUM>, via a second communication link <NUM>.

As discussed above, when the base station is aware that the multiple communication links associated with the multiple subscriptions originate from the same UE, the base station may determine to coordinate use of the multiple communication links to optimize the communications using the multiple communication links. The coordination of the multiple communication links associated with the multiple subscriptions may apply to a RAN, but may not apply to a core network. As such, for example, the core network may treat the multiple SIMs associated with the multiple subscriptions as separate devices, without being aware of the multiple SIMs residing in the same UE. Throughout the disclosure, a dual SIM UE with a first SIM (e.g., first SIM <NUM>) and a second SIM (e.g., second SIM <NUM>) respectively associated with a first subscription and a second subscription is used as an example, where the UE has established a first communication link (e.g., first communication link <NUM>) using the first subscription of the first SIM and a second communication link (e.g., second communication link <NUM> or <NUM>) using the second subscription of the second SIM. However, the disclosure is not limited to a case of a UE with two SIMs and may be applied to a case of a UE with three or more SIMs.

In an aspect, to enable the base station to determine whether the communication links originate from the same UE, the UE may transmit UE identification information associated with different communication links/subscriptions to base station(s) using one of the communication links. If the base station determines that multiple UE identification information associated with different communication links are received, then the base station may determine that these communication links are received from the same UE. For example, if a base station receives both first UE identification information associated with a first communication link/first subscription and second UE identification information associated with a second communication link/second subscription via one of the first and second communication links, the base station may determine that these two communication links originate from the same UE. In another aspect, each UE identification information associated with a respective communication link may be transmitted via the respective communication link, and/or via another communication link. Hence, for example, the UE may transmit the UE identification information associated with the first communication link via the first communication link using the first subscription and the UE identification information associated with the second communication link via the second communication link using the second subscription. In another example, the UE may utilize the first communication link using the first subscription to transmit both the UE identification information associated with the first communication link and the UE identification information associated with the second communication link.

Subsequently, the base station may determine that the first and second communication links originate from the same UE if the UE identification information associated with the first communication link matches the UE identification information associated with the second communication link. If the second communication link is used to transmit the UE identification information associated with the second communication link and the second communication link is with a different base station, the different base station may communicate the UE identification information associated with the second communication link to the base station, such that the base station may compare the UE identification information associated with the first communication link and the UE identification information associated with the second communication link.

In an aspect, the UE identification information may be transmitted to the base station using radio resource control (RRC) signaling. For example, when the UE initiates an RRC process such as an RRC connection setup, an RRC connection resume process, and an RRC connection re-establishment process, the UE may transmit, using the first communication link, a report to the base station including an RRC status and the UE identification information associated with the second communication link. As such, the base station may be aware of the second communication link, even if the second communication link may be idle and/or may be with another base station. In an aspect, the UE identification information may be a cell radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), such as a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) or an inactive radio network temporary identifier (I-RNTI). In an aspect, if the multiple communication links from the UE are connected to different base stations, the UE may also transmit cell IDs associated with the different base stations. For example, if the first communication link is connected to a first base station and the second communication link is connected to a second base station, the UE may transmit a cell ID of the second base station to the first base station via the first communication link.

In an aspect, the UE identification information may be a serving temporary mobile subscriber identity (S-TMSI). In some cases, one communication link may be active (e.g., in a connected mode) while another communication link may be idle. If the first communication link is active and the second communication link is idle, the UE may report an S-TMSI associated with the second subscription to the base station using the first communication (e.g., as long as there is no security issue). For example, if communication links using two subscriptions are in an idle mode and one of the communication links becomes connected, then the UE may report an S-TMSI associated with the second subscription via a first communication link to indicate to the base station that there is a second subscription. Subsequently, the base station may attempt to establish an active communication link with the UE using the second subscription. In this scenario, when the UE attempts to establish a communication link with the base station using the second subscription, the UE may not need for report the S-TMSI associated with the second subscription.

In an aspect, the UE may transmit UE RAN (e.g., baseband, RF) capability information to the base station(s) using one or more of the communication links. For example, the UE RAN capability information may include one or more of a MAC capability, a number of MIMO layers that can be supported, frequency bands that can be supported, and a carrier aggregation capability. For example, the UE may transmit the UE RAN capability information using both the first communication link and the second communication link. In another example, the UE may transmit the UE RAN capability information using only the first communication link. In this example, the base station that receives the UE RAN capability information via the first communication link may assume that the UE RAN capability information is shared among the first and the second communication links using the first and second subscriptions, respectively.

As the base station is aware of the multiple communication links belonging to the same UE, the base station may coordinate use of the multiple communication links to optimize communication, depending on the information to be communicated. For example, this may be advantageous in that the coordination of the multiple communication links may be easily implemented, especially at the base station, with no or minor modifications in the UE. The information to be communicated may include information related to scheduling for data communication, mobility decisions, status monitoring, etc..

In an aspect, if the information to be communicated is a radio link monitoring (RLM) signal, the base station may transmit the RLM signal via one of the communication links, and may not transmit the RLM signal via the other communication links. Especially in a case where the communication links are connected to the same primary cell (PCell) or different PCells that are correlated (e.g., operating at similar or same frequency bands), it may not be necessary to transmit the RLM signal via all of the communication links. This optimization may be made because the RLM signal may be the same or similar for different communication links of the communication links are connected to the same PCell (e.g., or same base station) or different PCells (e.g., different base stations) that are correlated, especially when the communication links are connected to the same UE. Thus, for example, the base station may transmit the RLM signal to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription, without using the second communication link to transmit the RLM signal.

In an aspect, as discussed above, the communication links may be established with the same PCell (e.g., same base station) or may be established with different PCells (e.g., different base stations). For example, the first communication link may be established with a first base station associated with a first PCell and the second communication link may be established with a second base station associated with a second PCell. The first and second PCells may be correlated. In another aspect, the communication links may be established with different distribution units of the same base station. For example, the first communication link may be established with a first distribution unit of a base station and the second communication link may be established with a second distribution unit of the base station.

In an aspect, if the information to be communicated is radio resource management (RRM) information, the base station may transmit the RRM information via one of the communication links, and may not transmit the RRM information via other communication links. For example, when the communication links are connected to the same UE, RRM measurements made on one communication link may be used for another communication link. Because the RRM measurements are not made on all of the communication links but on one of the communication links, power consumption due to the RRM measurements may be reduced.

In an aspect, with regard to the UE mobility, handover commands for the multiple subscriptions may be transmitted to the UE substantially simultaneously via respective communication links. For example, a first handover command for a first subscription may be transmitted to the UE via the first communication link to trigger a first handover for the first subscription to a target base station, and a second handover command for the second subscription may be transmitted to the UE via the second communication link to trigger a second handover for the second subscription to the target base station. The first handover command and the second handover command may be transmitted to the UE substantially simultaneously. As such, for each communication link, a handover to the target station may be performed around the same time. The handover commands may be different for different communication links. In an aspect, the measurements to determine whether to handover to a target station may be performed (e.g., by the UE and/or the base station) on one or more of the communication links. In an example, the measurements to determine whether to handover to the target base station may be performed on one of the communication links, especially when the communication links are connected to the same UE. In an aspect, the handover command may be for a conditional handover, where a handover occurs when a certain condition is satisfied. In an aspect, at least one of the first handover or the second handover may be a dual active protocol stack (DAPS) handover. For example, a first handover for one communication link may be a DAPS handover and a second handover for another communication link may be a legacy handover.

In an aspect, if secondary cells (SCells) are used, different SCells are used for different communication links. The UE may be connected to one or more PCells and one or more SCells (e.g., for carrier aggregation). For example, if multiple communication links are connected to the same SCell, collision in communication may occur. Thus, for example, to avoid the collision, different communication links from the UE may be used to connect to different SCells. As discussed above, for example, the first and second communication links from the UE may be connected to the PCell of the same base station or may be connected to two different PCells that are correlated, while different communication links are established with different SCells.

In an aspect, the base station may schedule to perform data communication using the multiple communication links at different times at a full capacity, or may schedule data communication using the multiple communication links to be performed simultaneously at a reduced capacity. In some cases, for example, if the UE is scheduled to perform data communication on the first and second communication links simultaneously, data collision may occur. For example, when first data is to be communicated via the first communication link and second data is to be communicated via the second communication link, the base station may schedule the UE to communicate the first data via the first communication link during a first time period, and may schedule the UE to communicate the second data via the second communication link during a second time period different from the first time period, so as to avoid data collision between the first and second communication links. For example, the scheduled communication may be an uplink communication or a downlink communication by the UE, which may be scheduled via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmitted to the UE.

In an aspect, configured grants (CGs) may be transmitted to the UE using different communication links at different times, for communication at full capability. Further, in an aspect, a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration may be transmitted to the UE using different communication links at different times, for communication at full capability. Using different communication links at different times to transmit the CGs and/or the SPS may help the UE use full capability for communication of the CGs and/or the SPS. In another aspect, the CGs and/or the SPS configuration may be transmitted to the UE substantially simultaneously using different communication links, but the transmission may be performed at reduced capability.

In an aspect, physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) information may be transmitted to the UE using different communication links at different times, e.g., via time-division multiplexing (TDM). In an aspect, a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration may be transmitted to the UE using different communication links at different times, e.g., via TDM. In an aspect, if a PCell and an SCell are correlated, an SRS configuration may be transmitted using a single communication link.

In an aspect, if a same PCell is used for the communication links or if different PCells respectively associated with the communication links are in the same frequency band (and thus are likely correlated), RLM monitoring and/or beam monitoring may be performed using one of the communication links. In an example, the UE may receive an RLM signal via one of the communication links, and monitor a condition of the one of the communication links based on the RLM signal. In an example, the UE may receive reference signals associated with beams of a base station via one of the communication links, and may monitor the conditions of the beams of the base station based on the reference signals.

In an aspect, the base station may transmit system information (SI) associated with the base station to the UE using one of the multiple communication links. The base station and/or the UE may monitor a change in the SI on the one of the communication links. For example, if the communication links are connected to a common PCell or common SCell, the SI changes (e.g., changes in a system information block) may be monitored on one of the communication links. Any change in the SI may be applied to a PCell or a SCell common to the communication links.

In an aspect, a public warning system (PWS) message and/or an in-device coexistence (IDC) indication may be transmitted to the UE using one of the multiple communication links. In an aspect, the UE may monitor for the PWS message on one of the communication links, regardless of whether the communication links are connected to the same base station or two different base stations in the same area. Generally, a same PWS message is sent by base stations in the same area, and thus it may not be necessary to monitor for the PWS message on all of the communication links.

In an aspect, the UE may transmit a UE assistance information (UAI) using one of the multiple communication links. For example, the UAI may be transmitted on one of the communication links in certain cases where the UE experiences problems (e.g., the UE overheating). For example, when only one of the first and second communication links is used to transmit the UAI, the base station may be aware that the UAI is associated with both the first communication link and the second communication link.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a base station <NUM> employing a processing system <NUM>. For example, the base station <NUM> may be a base station as illustrated in any one or more of <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and/or <NUM>.

The base station <NUM> may be implemented with a processing system <NUM> that includes one or more processors <NUM>. Examples of processors <NUM> include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. In various examples, the base station <NUM> may be configured to perform any one or more of the functions described herein. That is, the processor <NUM>, as utilized in a base station <NUM>, may be used to implement any one or more of the processes and procedures described below and illustrated in <FIG>.

In this example, the processing system <NUM> may be implemented with a bus architecture, represented generally by the bus <NUM>. The bus <NUM> may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on the specific application of the processing system <NUM> and the overall design constraints. The bus <NUM> communicatively couples together various circuits including one or more processors (represented generally by the processor <NUM>), a memory <NUM>, and processor-readable storage media (represented generally by the processor-readable storage medium <NUM>). The bus <NUM> may also link various other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further. A bus interface <NUM> provides an interface between the bus <NUM> and a transceiver <NUM>. The transceiver <NUM> provides a communication interface or means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium. Depending upon the nature of the apparatus, a user interface <NUM> (e.g., keypad, display, speaker, microphone, joystick) may also be provided. Of course, such a user interface <NUM> is optional, and may be omitted in some examples, such as a base station.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor <NUM> may include communication link management circuitry <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, determining that a first communication link and a second communication link are established with a UE using a first subscription and a second subscription of the UE, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station. For example, the communication link management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor <NUM> may include communication management circuitry <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of information comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link. For example, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information with the UE via the selected first communication link and/or second communication link. For example, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> is responsible for managing the bus <NUM> and general processing, including the execution of software stored on the processor-readable storage medium <NUM>. The processor-readable storage medium <NUM> and the memory <NUM> may also be used for storing data that is manipulated by the processor <NUM> when executing software.

One or more processors <NUM> in the processing system may execute software. The software may reside on a processor-readable storage medium <NUM>. The processor-readable storage medium <NUM> may be a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium includes, by way of example, a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD)), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, or a key drive), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a register, a removable disk, and any other suitable medium for storing software and/or instructions that may be accessed and read by a computer. The processor-readable storage medium <NUM> may reside in the processing system <NUM>, external to the processing system <NUM>, or distributed across multiple entities including the processing system <NUM>. The processor-readable storage medium <NUM> may be embodied in a computer program product. By way of example, a computer program product may include a processor-readable storage medium in packaging materials. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the described functionality presented throughout this disclosure depending on the particular application and the overall design constraints imposed on the overall system.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium <NUM> may include communication link management software/instructions <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, determining that a first communication link and a second communication link are established with a UE using a first subscription and a second subscription of the UE, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station. For example, the communication link management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium <NUM> may include communication management software/instructions <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of information comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link. For example, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information with the UE via the selected first communication link and/or second communication link. For example, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process <NUM> for wireless communication by a base station, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features may be omitted in a particular implementation within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, the process <NUM> may be carried out by the base station <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. In some examples, the process <NUM> may be carried out by any suitable apparatus or means for carrying out the functions or algorithm described below.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes determining that a first communication link and a second communication link are established with a user equipment (UE) using a first subscription and a second subscription of the UE, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station. In an aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and the base station and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the base station and a second base station. In an aspect, the base station may be associated with a first PCell and the second base station may be associated with a second PCell. In an aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and a first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the first distribution unit and a second distribution unit of the base station. In an aspect, the first communication link may be established using a first protocol stack of the base station, the first protocol stack including a first layer <NUM>, a first layer <NUM>, and a first layer <NUM>, and the second communication link may be established using a second protocol stack of the base station that is different from the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack including a second layer <NUM>, a second layer <NUM>, and a second layer <NUM>.

In an aspect, the determining at block <NUM> that the first communication link and the second communication link are established with the UE may include: receiving first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first communication link and the second communication link, and determining that the first and second communication links are associated with the UE in response to determining that the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information are received via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link. In an aspect, the first UE identification information includes at least one of a first RNTI or a first S-TMSI associated with the first subscription and the second UE identification information includes at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription. In an aspect, the first RNTI may be a first C-RNTI and the second RNTI is a second C-RNTI.

In an aspect, the first communication link may be connected to a first SCell using the first subscription, and the second communication link may be connected to a second SCell different from the first SCell using the second subscription.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of information comprises selecting, based on the information, one of: (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include first data to be scheduled for the first communication link and second data to be scheduled for the second communication link. In this aspect, the coordinating at block <NUM> may include: scheduling the UE to communicate the first data via the first communication link during a first time period, and scheduling the UE to communicate the second data via the second communication link during a second time period different from the first time period.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes communicating the information to the UE via the selected first communication link and/or second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include at least one of an RLM signal or RRM information used for the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting at least one of the RLM signal or the RRM information to the UE via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include a first handover command and a second handover command, the first handover command requesting the UE to perform a first handover from the base station to a target base station using the first subscription, and the second handover command requesting the UE to perform a second handover from the base station to the target base station using the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include: transmitting the first handover command to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription during a first time period, and transmitting the second handover command to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription during a second time period which substantially overlaps with the first time period. In an aspect, at least one of the first handover or the second handover may be a dual active protocol stack (DAPS) handover. In an aspect, the first handover command and the second handover command may be for a conditional handover to the target base station.

In an aspect, the information may include at least one of a first CG or a first SPS configuration associated with the first subscription and at least one of a second CG or a second SPS configuration associated with the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include: transmitting the at least one of the first CG or the first SPS configuration to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription during a first time period, and transmitting the at least one of the second CG or the SPS configuration to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription during a second time period different from the first time period.

In an aspect, the information may include at least one of a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) information or a first sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription and at least one of a second PUCCH information or a second SRS configuration associated with the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include: transmitting the at least one of the first PUCCH or the first SRS configuration to the UE via the first communication link using the first subscription based on time division multiplexing, and transmitting the at least one of the second PUCCH or the second SRS configuration to the UE via the second communication link using the second subscription based on the time division multiplexing.

In an aspect, the information may include a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the SRS configuration to the UE via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include system information associated with the base station. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the system information via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include at least one of a public warning system (PWS) message or an in-device coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the at least one of the PWS message or the IDC indication to the UE via one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In one configuration, the base station <NUM> includes means for determining that a first communication link and a second communication link are established with a UE using a first subscription and a second subscription of the UE, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station, means for coordinating communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of information comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link, and means for transmitting the information to the UE via the selected first communication link and/or second communication link. In one aspect, the aforementioned means may be the processor(s) <NUM> shown in <FIG> configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. In another aspect, the aforementioned means may be a circuit or any apparatus configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means.

Of course, in the above examples, the circuitry included in the processor <NUM> is merely provided as an example, and other means for carrying out the described functions may be included within various aspects of the present disclosure, including but not limited to the instructions stored in the processor-readable storage medium <NUM>, or any other suitable apparatus or means described in any one of the <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, and utilizing, for example, the processes and/or algorithms described herein in relation to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for a UE <NUM> employing a processing system <NUM>. For example, the UE <NUM> may be a UE as illustrated in any one or more of <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and/or <NUM>.

The UE <NUM> may be implemented with a processing system <NUM> that includes one or more processors <NUM>. Examples of processors <NUM> include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. In various examples, the UE <NUM> may be configured to perform any one or more of the functions described herein. That is, the processor <NUM>, as utilized in a UE <NUM>, may be used to implement any one or more of the processes and procedures described below and illustrated in <FIG>.

In this example, the processing system <NUM> may be implemented with a bus architecture, represented generally by the bus <NUM>. The bus <NUM> may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on the specific application of the processing system <NUM> and the overall design constraints. The bus <NUM> communicatively couples together various circuits including one or more processors (represented generally by the processor <NUM>), a memory <NUM>, and processor-readable storage media (represented generally by the processor-readable storage medium <NUM>). The bus <NUM> may also link various other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further. A bus interface <NUM> provides an interface between the bus <NUM> and a transceiver <NUM>. The transceiver <NUM> provides a communication interface or means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium. In an aspect, the UE <NUM> may include a subscription module <NUM> that may be used to register with a service network. In such an aspect, the bus interface <NUM> may provide an interface between the bus <NUM>, the transceiver <NUM>, and the subscription module <NUM>. In an aspect, the subscription module <NUM> may enable the UE <NUM> to use multiple subscriptions, such as a first subscription and a second subscription, to provide a service. The subscription module <NUM> may include multiple subscription modules respectively for the multiple subscriptions. Depending upon the nature of the apparatus, a user interface <NUM> (e.g., keypad, display, speaker, microphone, joystick) may also be provided. Of course, such a user interface <NUM> is optional, and may be omitted in some examples, such as a base station.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor <NUM> may include communication link management circuitry <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription. For example, the communication link management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication link management circuitry <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a second communication link with one of the base station or a second base station using a second subscription. For example, the communication link management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor <NUM> may include communication management circuitry <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein the coordinating the communication comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link. For example, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information via at least one of the first communication or the second communication based on the coordinating. For example, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first communication link and the second communication link. For example, the communication management circuitry <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium <NUM> include communication link management software/instructions <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription. For example, the communication link management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication link management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, establishing a second communication link with one of the base station or a second base station using a second subscription. For example, the communication link management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the processor-readable storage medium <NUM> may include communication management software/instructions <NUM> configured for various functions, including, for example, coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein the coordinating the communication comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link. For example, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, communicating the information via at least one of the first communication or the second communication based on the coordinating. For example, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured for various functions, including, for example, transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first communication link and the second communication link. For example, the communication management software/instructions <NUM> may be configured to implement one or more of the functions described below in relation to <FIG>, including, e.g., block <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process <NUM> for wireless communication by a UE, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all illustrated features may be omitted in a particular implementation within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be required for implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, the process <NUM> may be carried out by the UE <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>. In some examples, the process <NUM> may be carried out by any suitable apparatus or means for carrying out the functions or algorithm described below.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes establishing a second communication link with one of the base station or a second base station using a second subscription. In an aspect, the base station may be associated with a first primary cell (PCell) and the second base station may be associated with a second PCell. In an aspect, the first communication link may be established between the UE and a first distribution unit of the base station, and the second communication link may be established between the UE and one of the first distribution unit and a second distribution unit of the base station. In an aspect, the first communication link may be established using a first protocol stack of the UE, the first protocol stack including a first layer <NUM>, a first layer <NUM>, and a first layer <NUM>, and the second communication link may be established using a second protocol stack of the UE that is different from the first protocol stack, the second protocol stack including a second layer <NUM>, a second layer <NUM>, and a second layer <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> may include transmitting first UE identification information associated with the first communication link and second UE identification information associated with the second communication link via one of the first communication link and the second communication link. In an aspect, the first UE identification information may include at least one of a first RNTI or a first S-TMSI associated with the first subscription and the second UE identification information includes at least one of a second RNTI or a second S-TMSI associated with the second subscription. In an aspect, the first RNTI may be a first C-RNTI and the second RNTI is a second C-RNTI.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein the coordinating the communication comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link.

In an aspect, the coordinating the communication at block <NUM> may be in response to transmitting the first UE identification information and the second UE identification information via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link at block <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, the process <NUM> includes communicating the information via at least one of the first communication or the second communication based on the coordinating.

In an aspect, the information may include a cell identification information associated with the second base station. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the cell identification information to the base station via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include an RRC status report associated with at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the RRC status report via one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include UE RAN capability information associated with the UE. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the UE RAN capability information via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include at least one of RLM signal for monitoring a link quality or one or more reference signals associated with one or more beams. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include receiving the at least one of the RLM signal or the one or more reference signals via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may further include performing at least one of: monitoring a condition of at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the RLM signal, or monitoring a condition of the one or more beams based on the one or more reference signals.

In an aspect, the information may include at least one of a public warning system (PWS) message, system information (SI) associated with the base station, or an in-device coexistence (IDC) indication associated with the first subscription and the second subscription. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include receiving the at least one of the PWS message, the SI, or the IDC indication to the UE via one of the first communication link and the second communication link. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may further include monitoring for at least one of a change in the system information or the PWS message on one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In an aspect, the information may include UAI associated with the UE. In this aspect, the communicating the information at block <NUM> may include transmitting the UAI via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.

In one configuration, the UE <NUM> includes means for establishing a first communication link with a base station using a first subscription, means for establishing a second communication link with one of the base station or a second base station using a second subscription, means for coordinating communication of information via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link, wherein the coordinating the communication comprises selecting, based on the information, one of (a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or (b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link, and means for communicating the information via at least one of the first communication or the second communication based on the coordinating. In one aspect, the aforementioned means may be the processor(s) <NUM> shown in <FIG> configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. In another aspect, the aforementioned means may be a circuit or any apparatus configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means.

Claim 1:
A method (<NUM>) of wireless communication by a base station (<NUM>), comprising:
determining (<NUM>) that a first communication link and a second communication link are established with a user equipment, UE, using a first subscription and a second subscription of the UE, respectively, wherein at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link is established between the UE and the base station;
coordinating (<NUM>) communication of information with the UE via at least one of the first communication link or the second communication link based on the determination, wherein coordinating the communication of information comprises selecting, based on the information, one of
(a) the first communication link and the second communication link for communicating the information, or
(b) the first communication link or the second communication link for communicating the information without utilizing the other communication link; and
communicating (<NUM>) the information with the UE via the selected first communication link and/or second communication link;
wherein the information includes at least one of a radio link monitoring, RLM, signal or radio resource management, RRM, information used for the first subscription and the second subscription, and wherein the communicating the information comprises:
transmitting at least one of the RLM signal or the RRM information to the UE via the one of the first communication link and the second communication link.