PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-12137362-B2
Application Number: US-202017593456-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Network operations for independent measurement gap configuration

Abstract:
A network cell is connected to a user equipment (UE) that supports an independent measurement gap configuration. The cell establishes a connection to the UE, receives an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in an unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) and transmits measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information.

Claims:
What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 at a cell of a network:
 establishing a connection to a user equipment (UE); 
 receiving an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in an unlicensed spectrum (NR-U); 
 transmitting measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information; and 
 receiving a signal from the UE that corresponds to a random access procedure during the measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is dedicated for NR-U cell measurement and wherein the cell operates in a licensed band. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication is included in an information element (IE) that indicates whether the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for licensed band cells and an independent measurement gap configuration for NR-U cells. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the IE is associated with an advertised band combination. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell indicates that the measurement gap is to be used for i) NR-U cell measurement only, ii) licensed band cell measurement only or iii) both licensed band cell measurement and NR-U cell measurement. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell is a master node for the UE configured with dual connectivity that includes a licensed band cell and NR-U cell and wherein the cell configures the measurement gap for both licensed band cell measurement and NR-U cell measurement. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell is a master node for the UE configured with dual connectivity that includes a licensed band cell and NR-U cell and configures a first measurement gap for licensed band cell measurement and wherein a secondary node configures a second measurement gap for NR-U cell measurement. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a signal to the UE that corresponds to radio resource management during the measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is dedicated for NR-U cell measurement and wherein the cell operates in a licensed band. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell operates in a licensed band, and
 wherein the measurement gap configuration information indicates that the measurement gap is to be used for licensed band cell measurement and NR-U cell measurement. 
 
     
     
       9. A cell, comprising:
 a transceiver configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE); and 
 a processor configured to perform operations, the operations comprising: 
 establishing a connection to the UE;
 receiving an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in an unlicensed spectrum (NR-U), wherein the indication is included in an information element (IE) that indicates that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for licensed band cells and an independent measurement gap configuration for NR-U cells and wherein the UE supports i) licensed band cell measurement without gaps when the UE is configured with only one or more NR-U serving cells and ii) NR-U cell measurement without gaps when the UE is configured with only one or more licensed band serving cells; and 
 transmitting measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The cell of  claim 9 , wherein cell indicates that the measurement gap is to be used for i) NR-U cell measurement only, ii) licensed band cell measurement only or iii) both licensed band cell measurement and NR-U cell measurement. 
     
     
       11. The cell of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 transmitting a signal to the UE that corresponds to radio resource management during the measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is dedicated for NR-U cell measurement and wherein the cell operates in a licensed band. 
 
     
     
       12. The cell of  claim 9 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a signal from the UE that corresponds to a random access procedure during the measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is dedicated for NR-U cell measurement and wherein the cell operates in a licensed band. 
 
     
     
       13. The cell of  claim 9 , wherein the cell operates in a licensed band, and
 wherein the measurement gap configuration information indicates that the measurement gap is to be used for licensed band cell measurement and NR-U cell measurement. 
 
     
     
       14. An integrated circuit for use in a cell, comprising:
 circuitry configured to establish a connection to a user equipment (UE); 
 circuitry configured to receive an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in the unlicensed spectrum (NR-U), wherein the indication is included in an information element (IE) that indicates that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for licensed band cells and an independent measurement gap configuration for NR-U cells and wherein the UE supports i) licensed band cell measurement without gaps when the UE is configured with only one or more NR-U serving cells and ii) NR-U cell measurement without gaps when the UE is configured with only one or more licensed band serving cells; and 
 circuitry configured to transmit a measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information. 
 
     
     
       15. The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , wherein cell indicates that the measurement gap is to be used for i) NR-U cell measurement only, ii) licensed band cell measurement only or iii) both licensed band cell measurement and NR-U cell measurement. 
     
     
       16. The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 circuitry configured to transmit a signal to the UE that corresponds to radio resource management during the measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is dedicated for NR-U cell measurement and wherein the cell operates in a licensed band. 
 
     
     
       17. The integrated circuit of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 circuitry configured to receive a signal from the UE that corresponds to a random access procedure during the measurement gap, wherein the measurement gap is dedicated for NR-U cell measurement and wherein the cell operates in a licensed band.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A user equipment (UE) may camp on a cell of a corresponding network to establish a network connection. When camped, the UE may be configured with a measurement gap pattern that includes a measurement gap and a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP). The measurement gap may represent a time window during which the UE may collect measurement data corresponding to cells other than currently configured serving cells. The MGRP may represent the time duration between two consecutive measurement gaps. 
     Fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) coverage may be extended to the unlicensed spectrum (5G NR-U). A 5G NR-U capable UE may be configured with one or more measurement gap patterns. In some scenarios, a measurement gap may be configured for multiple different types of measurements, e.g., inter-frequency, inter-radio access technology (inter-RAT), licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, etc. For example, the UE may be configured with a measurement gap that is to be used for both 5G NR cells and 5G NR-U cells. In other scenarios, a measurement gap may be configured for a particular type of measurement. For example, the UE may be configured with an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U cells. 
     SUMMARY 
     Some exemplary aspects are related to a method performed by a cell of a network. The method includes establishing a connection to a user equipment (UE), receiving an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in an unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) and transmitting measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information. 
     Other exemplary aspects are related to a cell having a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver is configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE). The processor is configured to perform operations that include establishing a connection to the UE, receiving an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in an unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) and transmitting measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information. 
     Still further exemplary aspects are related to an integrated circuit for use in a cell. Then integrated circuit includes circuitry configured to establish a connection to a user equipment (UE), circuitry configured to receive an indication that the UE supports an independent measurement gap configuration for new radio in the unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) and circuitry configured to transmit a measurement gap configuration information to the UE, wherein the UE configures a measurement gap pattern based on the measurement gap configuration information. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    shows an exemplary network arrangement according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  2    shows a table that describes various example scenarios for the deployment of a system that includes 5G New Radio in unlicensed spectrum (5G NR-U). 
         FIG.  3    shows an exemplary user equipment (UE) according to various exemplary embodiments. 
         FIG.  4    shows a signaling diagram for independent measurement gap configuration for 5G NR-U according to various exemplary embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The exemplary embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to implementing an independent measurement gap configuration for a fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) in the unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) capable user equipment (UE). The exemplary embodiments provide the network and UE with mechanisms to handle situations related to measurement gaps for 5G NR-U. 
     The exemplary embodiments are described with regard to a UE. However, reference to a UE is merely provided for illustrative purposes. The exemplary embodiments may be utilized with any electronic component that may establish a connection to a network and is configured with the hardware, software, and/or firmware to exchange information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any electronic component. 
     When camped on a cell of a network, the UE may be configured with a measurement gap pattern that includes a measurement gap and a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP). Those skilled in the art will understand that the term “measurement gap” generally refers to a time duration during which the UE may collect measurement data corresponding to cells other than a currently configured serving cell. For example, while camped on a first cell of a first network, the UE may be configured with a measurement gap during which the UE may scan various frequencies for signals broadcast by other cells, e.g., a second cell of the first network, a first cell of a second network, etc. The UE may collect measurement data based on the signals received during the measurement gap. The measurement data collected by the UE may then be used by the UE and/or the network for a variety of different purposes including, but not limited to, cell selection, cell reselection, handover, carrier aggregation, dual connectivity, radio resource management, etc. 
     Those of skilled in the art will also understand that the term “MGRP” may generally refer to a time duration between two consecutive measurement gaps. For example, consider a scenario in which a measurement gap pattern is configured with a measurement gap length of (Y) seconds and a MGRP of (X) seconds. Initially, a first measurement gap is triggered. The UE may then tune its transceiver to one or more frequencies scanning for signals broadcast by one of more different types of target cells for (Y) seconds. After the expiration of the measurement gap, the UE may return tune back to its serving cell. A second measurement gap may be triggered (X) seconds after the first measurement gap. The UE may once again tune its transceiver to one or more frequencies scanning for signals broadcast by one of more different types of target cells for (Y) seconds. The above example is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments in any way. Instead, the above example is merely provided as a general example of the relationship between a measurement gap and a MGRP. 
     The UE may be capable of supporting multiple concurrent independent measurement gap patterns. In some scenarios, a measurement gap may be configured for multiple different types of measurements, e.g., inter-frequency, inter-radio access technology (inter-RAT), licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, etc. For example, the UE may be configured with a measurement gap that is to be used for both 5G NR cells and 5G NR-U cells. In other scenarios, a measurement gap may be configured for a particular type of measurement. For example, the UE may be configured with an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U cells. The exemplary embodiments provide the network and UE with mechanisms to handle situations related to measurement gaps configured for 5G NR-U. 
       FIG.  1    shows an exemplary network arrangement  100  according to various exemplary embodiments. The exemplary network arrangement  100  includes a UE  110 . Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE  110  may be any type of electronic component that is configured to communicate via a network, e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, smartphones, phablets, embedded devices, wearables, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc. It should also be understood that an actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs being used by any number of users. Thus, the example of a single UE  110  is merely provided for illustrative purposes. 
     The UE  110  may be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of the network configuration  100 , the network with which the UE  110  may wirelessly communicate is a 5G NR radio access network (RAN)  120 , a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN  122  and a WLAN  124 . However, it should be understood that the UE  110  may also communicate with other types of networks (e.g. 5G cloud RAN, legacy cellular network, etc.) and the UE  110  may also communicate with networks over a wired connection. With regard to the exemplary embodiments, the UE  110  may establish a connection with the 5G NR RAN  120 , the LTE RAN  122  and/or the WLAN  124 . Therefore, the UE  110  may have a 5G NR chipset to communicate with the NR RAN  120 , an LTE chipset to communicate with the LTE-RAN  122  and an ISM chipset to communicate with the WLAN  124 . 
     The 5G NR RAN  120  and the LTE-RAN  122  may be portions of a cellular network that may be deployed by a network carrier (e.g., Verizon, AT&amp;T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). The RANs  120 ,  122  may include, for example, cells or base stations (Node Bs, eNodeBs, HeNBs, eNBS, gNBs, gNodeBs, macrocells, microcells, small cells, femtocells, etc.) that are configured to send and receive traffic from UEs that are equipped with the appropriate cellular chip set. The WLAN  124  may include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, Hot Spot, IEEE 802.11x networks, etc.). 
     In network arrangement  100 , the 5G NR RAN  120  includes a first 5G NR cell  120 A, a second 5G NR cell  120 B, a first 5G NR-U cell  120 C and a second 5G NR-U cell  120 D. Further, the LTE-RAN  120  includes a first LTE cell  122 A and a second LTE cell  122 B. However, an actual network arrangement may include any number of cells being deployed by any number of RANs. Thus, the example of two 5G NR cells  120 A,  120 B, two 5G NR-U cells  120 C,  120 D and two LTE cells  122 A,  122 B is merely provided for illustrative purposes. 
     The cells (e.g.,  120 A- 120 D,  122 A,  122 B) may include one or more communication interfaces to exchange data and/or information with UEs, the corresponding RAN, the cellular core network  130 , the internet  140 , etc. Further, the cells may include a processor configured to perform various operations. For example, the processor of the cell may be configured to perform operations related to configuring a measurement gap for a currently camped UE and transmitting signals that may be used by a UE to derive measurement data during a configured measurement gap. However, reference to a processor is merely for illustrative purposes. The operations of the cell may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the base station or may be a modular component coupled to the base station, e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. In addition, in some base stations, the functionality of the processor is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a base station. 
     As will be described in more detail below with regard to  FIG.  2   , the exemplary embodiments relate to scenarios that may include carrier aggregation (CA) and/or dual connectivity (DC). Thus, in some embodiments, the UE  110  may be connected to both the 5G NR-RAN  120  and the LTE-RAN  122 . However, reference to separate 5G NR-RAN  120  and LTE-RAN  122  is merely provided for illustrative purposes. An actual network arrangement may include a radio access network that includes architecture that is capable of providing both 5G NR RAT and LTE RAT services. For example, a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) (not pictured) may include a next generation Node B (gNB) that provides 5G NR services and a next generation evolved Node B (ng-eNB) that provides LTE services. The NG-RAN may be connected to at least one of the evolved packet core (EPC) or the 5G core (5GC). Thus, in one exemplary configuration, the UE  110  may achieve DC by establishing a connection to at least one cell corresponding to the 5G NR-RAN  120  and at least one cell corresponding to the LTE-RAN  122 . In another exemplary configuration, the UE  110  may achieve DC by establishing a connection to at least two cells corresponding to the NG-RAN or other type of similar RAN. Further, the 5G NR-RAN  120  is shown as supporting both 5G NR cells and 5G NR-U cells. While these cells are shown as being connected to the same RAN, this is merely for illustrative purposes. In an actual network arrangement, 5G NR cells and 5G NR-U cells may each correspond to a different RAN. Accordingly, the example of the 5G NR-RAN  120  and the LTE-RAN  122  is merely provided for illustrative purposes. 
     Returning to the exemplary network arrangement  100 , the UE  110  may connect to the 5G NR-RAN  120  via at least one of the cells  120 A- 120 D. The UE  110  may connect to the LTE-RAN  122  via at least one of the cells  122 A- 122 B. Those skilled in the art will understand that any association procedure may be performed for the UE  110  to connect to the 5G NR-RAN  120  or the LTE-RAN  122 . For example, as discussed above, the 5G NR-RAN  120  may be associated with a particular cellular provider where the UE  110  and/or the user thereof has a contract and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR-RAN  120 , the UE  110  may transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with the 5G NR-RAN  120 . More specifically, the UE  110  may associate with a specific cell (e.g., the cells  120 A- 120 D). Similarly, for access to LTE services, the UE  110  may associate with cell  122 A. However, as mentioned above, reference to the 5G NR-RAN  120  and the LTE-RAN  122  is merely for illustrative purposes and any appropriate type of RAN may be used. 
     In addition to the networks  120 - 124  the network arrangement  100  also includes a cellular core network  130 , the Internet  140 , an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)  150 , and a network services backbone  160 . The cellular core network  130  may be considered to be the interconnected set of components that manages the operation and traffic of the cellular network. The cellular core network  130  also manages the traffic that flows between the cellular network and the Internet  140 . The IMS  150  may be generally described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE  110  using the IP protocol. The IMS  150  may communicate with the cellular core network  130  and the Internet  140  to provide the multimedia services to the UE  110 . The network services backbone  160  is in communication either directly or indirectly with the Internet  140  and the cellular core network  130 . The network services backbone  160  may be generally described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a suite of services that may be used to extend the functionalities of the UE  110  in communication with the various networks. 
     As mentioned above, the exemplary embodiments provide the network and UE with mechanisms to handle situations related to measurement gaps for 5G NR-U.  FIG.  2    shows a table  200  that describes various example scenarios for the deployment of a system that includes 5G NR-U. The table  200  will be described with regard to the network arrangement  100  of  FIG.  1   . Throughout this description, some of the exemplary embodiments may reference the example scenarios of the table  200 . 
     Scenario A of the table  200  relates to CA with one or more 5G NR cells and one or more 5G NR-U cells. CA may include a primary component carrier (PCC) and at least one secondary component carrier (SCC) being used to facilitate communication with the network. The PCC may be used, in part, for control information such as scheduling requests, uplink grants, downlink grants, etc. CA functionality enables the network to use the PCC and at least one SCC to combine bandwidths to exchange data with the UE  110 . Thus, with CA, the PCC may provide a first portion of a total bandwidth for data to be exchanged while the SCC may provide a second portion of the total bandwidth. The combination of a PCC and a single SCC may be characterized as a CC combination that includes two carriers. To further increase the total available bandwidth for data to be exchanged with the UE  110 , additional SCCs may be incorporated. For example, there may be CC combinations that include, but are not limited to, two carriers, five carriers, ten carriers, twelve carriers, sixteen carriers, twenty carriers, twenty-five carriers, thirty-two carriers, sixty-four carriers, etc. 
     To provide an example of scenario A within the context of the network arrangement  100 , the UE  110  may be configured with a PCC to communicate with a primary cell (PCell) that operates in the licensed spectrum (e.g., 5G NR cell  120 A or 5G NR cell  120 B) and a SCC to communicate with a secondary cell (SCell) that operates in the unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5G NR-U cell  122 A or 5G NR-U cell  122 B). In this example, the 5G NR-U cell operating as the SCell may be used for both uplink and downlink communications or only downlink communications. This example is not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments and instead is used to demonstrate a general example in which 5G NR-U and 5G NR may be used to provide CA. 
     Scenario B of the table  200  relates to DC with one or more LTE cells and one or more 5G NR-U cells. Throughout this description, DC may generally refer to a UE  110  that is configured to transmit and receive on a plurality of CCs corresponding to cells associated with different RATs (e.g., 5G NR, 5G NR-U, LTE, etc.). The UE may achieve DC via one or more cells of a master cell group (MCG) and one or more cells of a secondary cell group (SCG). Like CA, DC may include various different types of CC combinations. 
     To provide an example of scenario B within the context of the network arrangement  100 , the UE  110  may be configured with an MCG that includes one or more LTE cells (e.g., LTE cell  122 A,  122 B) and a SCG that includes one or more 5G NR-U cells (e.g., 5G NR-U cells  120 C,  120 D). From a protocol stack perspective, in some embodiments, the UE  110  may have a control plane and a user plane with the LTE-RAN  122  via the MCG and a control plane and a user plane with the 5G NR-RAN  120  via the SCG. In other embodiments, the UE  110  have a control plane with the LTE-RAN  122  via the MCG and a user plane with the 5G NR-RAN  120  via the SCG (or vice versa). This example is not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments and instead is used to demonstrate a general example in which LTE and 5G NR-U may be used to provide DC. 
     Scenario C of the table  200  relates to standalone 5G NR-U. In this type of scenario, the UE  110  may access network services from 5G NR-U cells (e.g., 5G NR-U cells  120 C,  120 D) without the use of any licensed carrier. The UE  110  may communicate with the 5G NR-U cells in both the uplink and the downlink. Standalone 5G NR-U may also encompass a CA scenario that includes multiple 5G NR-U cells. 
     Scenario D of the table  200  relates to standalone 5G NR-U with an uplink in the licensed spectrum. In this type of scenario, the UE  110  may access network services from 5G NR-U cells (e.g., 5G NR-U cells  120 C,  120 D). The UE  110  may also be configured to transmit information and/or data to the network using an uplink to a cell that operates in the licensed spectrum (e.g., 5G NR cell  120 A, 5G NR cell  120 B, LTE cell  122 A, LTE cell  122 B). The scope of the exemplary scenario D may overlap with the scope of exemplary scenario A and scenario B. 
     Scenario E of the table  200  relates to DC with one or more 5G NR cells and one or more 5G NR-U cells. For example, the UE  110  may be configured with an MCG that includes one or more 5G NR cells (e.g., 5G NR cells  120 A,  120 B) and a SCG that includes one or more 5G NR-U cells (e.g., 5G NR-U cells  120 C,  120   d ). From a protocol stack perspective, in some embodiments, the UE  110  may have a control plane and a user plane via the MCG and a control plane and a user plane with via SCG. In other embodiments, the UE  110  have a control plane with the via the MCG and a user plane via the SCG (or vice versa). This example is not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments and instead is used to demonstrate a general example in which 5G NR and 5G NR-U may be used to provide DC. 
       FIG.  3    shows an exemplary UE  110  according to various exemplary embodiments. The UE  110  will be described with regard to the network arrangement  100  of  FIG.  1   . The UE  110  may represent any electronic device and may include a processor  305 , a memory arrangement  310 , a display device  315 , an input/output (I/O) device  320 , a transceiver  325  and other components  330 . The other components  330  may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery that provides a limited power supply, a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the UE  110  to other electronic devices, etc. 
     The processor  305  may be configured to execute a plurality of engines of the UE  110 . For example, the engines may include a measurement gap configuration engine  335 . The measurement gap configuration engine  335  may perform operations associated with configuring a measurement gap and collecting measurement data in accordance with a corresponding measurement gap pattern. 
     The above referenced engine being an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor  305  is only exemplary. The functionality associated with the engines may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the UE  110  or may be a modular component coupled to the UE  110 , e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. The engines may also be embodied as one application or separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor  305  is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a UE. 
     The memory  310  may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE  110 . The display device  315  may be a hardware component configured to show data to a user while the I/O device  320  may be a hardware component that enables the user to enter inputs. The display device  315  and the I/O device  320  may be separate components or integrated together such as a touchscreen. The transceiver  325  may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN  120 , the LTE-RAN  122 , the WLAN  124 , etc. Accordingly, the transceiver  325  may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., set of consecutive frequencies). 
     The UE  110  may be equipped with multiple radio frequency (RF) chains. For example, the transceiver  325  may include one or more RF chains that may be used for receiving and/or transmitting an over the air (OTA) signal. In some embodiments, to facilitate concurrent independent measurement gap patterns, a first RF chain may be used for operations corresponding to a first measurement gap pattern and a second RF chain may be used for operations corresponding to a second measurement gap pattern. Those skilled in the art will understand the type of hardware, software and/or firmware components that may be used to operate an RF chain. The exemplary embodiments may apply to an RF chain that is implemented using any appropriate set of components. In addition, the use of one or two RF chains is only exemplary, the UE  110  may have any number of RF chains. 
       FIG.  4    shows a signaling diagram  400  for independent measurement gap configuration for 5G NR-U according to various exemplary embodiments. The signaling diagram  400  will be described with regard to the network arrangement  100  of  FIG.  1    and the UE  110  of  FIG.  2   . 
     The signaling diagram  400  includes the UE  110 , a first cell  402  and a second cell  404 . In this example, the first cell  402  represents a currently camped cell and the second cell  404  represents any type of neighbor cell, e.g., inter-frequency, inter-RAT, licensed access, unlicensed access, etc. The signaling diagram  400  provides a general overview of the type of signaling that may occur before and after the configuration of a measurement gap. However, throughout the description of the signaling diagram  400 , specific examples may reference the scenarios of the table  200 . Accordingly, in some examples, the first cell  402  and/or the second cell  404  may be characterized by specific properties. 
     In  410 , the UE  110  is camped on the first cell  402 . To provide some examples, within the context of scenarios A and E of the table  200 , the first cell  402  may be an 5G NR cell (e.g., 5G NR cell  120 A,  120 B). Within the context of scenario B of the table  200 , the first cell  402  may be an LTE cell (e.g., LTE cells,  122 A,  122 B). Within the context of scenarios A-E of the table  200 , the first cell  402  may be a 5G NR-U cell (e.g., 5G NR-U cells  120 C,  120 D). Thus, the first cell  402  may be a 5G NR-U cell or a cell of a different RAT. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to the first cell  402  being any particular type of cell and may apply to the UE  110  being camped on any appropriate type of cell in  410 . 
     In  415 , the UE  110  may transmit an indication of one or more capabilities related to an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U. For example, capability information may be transmitted to the first cell  402  in response to a capability query during radio resource control (RRC) signaling. However, this example is merely provided for illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiments may transmit this indication at any appropriate time using any appropriate mechanism. Further, as will be described in more detail below, the network may configure the UE  110  with one or more measurement gaps based on the indication transmitted in  415 . 
     In some embodiments, the capability information may include an information element (IE) that may be used to indicate one or more UE  110  capabilities related to an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U. In this example, this IE (or field) may be referred to as “independentGapConfigCCA” where CCA stands for clear channel assessment. The independentGapConfigCCA IE may indicate whether the UE  110  supports two independent measurement gaps, one independent measurement gap for licensed band cell measurements and one independent measurement gap for NR-U cell measurements. The independentGapConfigCCA IE may also indicate whether the UE  110  supports licensed band cell measurements without gaps when the UE  110  is configured with only 5G NR-U serving cells. The independentGapConfigCCA IE may further indicate whether the UE  110  supports the 5G NR-U cell measurements without gaps when the UE  10  is configured with only licensed band serving cells. Thus, using one or more bits, the UE  110  may implicitly indicate to the network one or more capabilities related to an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U. 
     As mentioned above, the UE  110  may be equipped with multiple RF chains. The RF chains may enable the UE  110  to support two or more independent measurement gaps and gapless measurements. For example, a first RF chain may be used for collecting measurement data in accordance with one of the independent measurement gap configurations and a second RF chain may be used for collecting measurement data in accordance with the other independent measurement gap configuration. Further, since one RF chain may be used for licensed band cells and one RF chain may be used for 5G NR-U cells, the UE  110  may support measurements without gaps. For example, when the UE  110  is configured with only 5G NR-U serving cells, the UE  110  may implement measurement gaps to measure other 5G NR-U cells. However, since the UE  110  is not configured with any licensed band serving cells, there is no licensed band serving cell to tune away from during a measurement gap. Accordingly, the UE  110  may support measurements without gaps for licensed band cells when configured with only 5G NR-U serving cells or vice versa. 
     For CA and DC, the UE  110  may be configured to advertise supported band combinations. In some embodiments, the UE  110  may include an indication that is specific to one or more particular band combinations. Thus, the indication in  415  may represent one or more indications, each specific to one or more particular band combinations. 
     In  420 , the network configures one or more measurement gaps for the UE  110 . Although this operation is shown as being specific to the first cell  402  in the signaling diagram  400 , this operation may be performed by any appropriate set of one or more network components (e.g., the first cell  402 , the corresponding RAN, the core network  130 , a network function, a master node, a secondary node, a SCell, a PSCell, etc.). 
     If the UE  110  indicates that the UE  110  does not support an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U in  415 , the network may configure a legacy measurement gap that may be used for both licensed band cell measurements and 5G NR-U cell measurements. Alternatively, if the UE  110  indicates that the UE  110  is capable of supporting an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U in  415 , the network may configure i) a legacy measurement gap that may be used for both licensed band cell measurements and 5G NR-U cell measurements or ii) a legacy measurement gap that may be used for licensed band cell measurements and an independent measurement gap for 5G NR-U cell measurements. 
     Within the context of scenarios B and E of the table  200 , in some embodiments, a master node may configure one or more measurement gaps for both licensed band cell measurement and 5G NR-U cell measurement. In other embodiments, the master node may configure a measurement gap for licensed band cell measurement and a secondary node may configure a measurement gap for 5G NR-U cell measurement. 
     In  425 , the first cell  402  may transmit measurement gap configuration information to the UE  110 . Like the indication transmitted in  415 , the measurement gap configuration information may be transmitted during RRC signaling. However, this example is merely provided for illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiments may transmit this indication at any appropriate time using any appropriate mechanism. 
     The measurement gap configuration information may include information such as, but not limited to, a measurement gap length, a MGRP, a timing offset, a gap pattern ID, subframe information, relevant CC, relevant target cells, etc. If the measurement gap configuration information is for both licensed band cell measurement and 5G NR-U cell measurement, the measurement gap configuration information will include an explicit or implicit indication. Similarly, if the measurement gap configuration information is for licensed band cell measurement only or 5G NR-U cell measurement only, the measurement gap configuration information will include an explicit or implicit indication. Based on the measurement gap configuration information, the UE  110  may be able to determine the timing of the assigned measurement gap pattern. At this time, both the UE  110  and the network are synchronized with regard to the measurement gap pattern, e.g., the UE  110  knows when to monitor for signals that may be used to derive measurement data for cells other than the cell  402 . 
     In  430 , a measurement gap is scheduled to occur. In  435 , the second cell  404  transmits a signal during the measurement gap in  430 . For example, in  435 , the second cell  404  may transmit a reference signal or any other appropriate signal. In response, the UE  110  may derive measurement data such as, reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), etc. As mentioned above, the measurement data collected by the UE  110  may then be used by the UE and/or the network for a variety of different purposes including, but not limited to, cell selection, cell reselection, handover, carrier aggregation, dual connectivity, radio resource management, etc. Thus, the measurement data may trigger subsequent operations at the UE  110  side and/or may be transmitted to the network for subsequent processing. However, the type of measurement data collected and the type of behavior that may be triggered by the measurement data is beyond the scope of the exemplary embodiments. Instead, the exemplary embodiments are directed towards UE  110  and network behavior with regard to configuring and implementing a measurement gap that may be used for 5G NR-U. Specific examples of UE  110  and network behavior during the measurement gap will be described in more detail below. 
     Initially, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  is currently configured with only one or more licensed band serving cells. For example, the cell  402  may be one of the 5G NR cells  120 A,  120 B, or the LTE cells  122 A,  122 B. If the network indicates that the measurement gap configuration information in  425  applies to both licensed band cell measurement and unlicensed band cell measurement, the measurement gap of  430  may be used for both licensed band cell measurement and unlicensed band cell measurement. In another example, if the network indicates that the measurement gap configuration information in  425  applies to only licensed band cell measurement, the measurement gap of  430  may be used for licensed band cell measurement. The UE  110  may then perform 5G NR-U cell measurements based on an effective MGRP of (X). For example, X may be equal to 40 milliseconds (ms) or any other appropriate time duration. Since there is no 5G NR-U serving cell, the corresponding RF chain does not need to tune away from a 5G NR-U serving cell. Thus, the UE  110  may attempt to collect measurement data from 5G NR-U cells based on the effective MGRP of (X), however, a measurement gap may not be utilized because there is no tuning away from a serving cell. 
     Next, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  is currently configured with both one or more licensed band serving cells and one or more 5G NR-U serving cell. If the network indicates that the measurement gap configuration information in  425  applies to both licensed band cell measurement and unlicensed band cell measurement, the measurement gap of  430  may be used for both licensed band cell measurement and unlicensed band cell measurement. 
     Further, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  is currently configured with one or more 5G NR-U serving cells and there is no currently configured licensed band serving cell. In some embodiments, regardless of whether an explicit legacy measurement gap is configured for licensed band 5G NR cells, a preconfigured effective MGRP may be used for collecting measurement data corresponding to licensed band 5G NR cells. For example, the UE  110  may implement a 20 ms effective MGRP for frequency range 2 (FR2) 5G NR measurements, a 40 ms effective MGRP for frequency range 1 (FR1) 5G NR measurements, a 40 ms effective MGRP for LTE measurements and/or a 40 ms effective MGRP FR1 5G NR measurements and LTE measurements. As indicated above, since there is no licensed band serving cell an actual measurement gap may not be utilized because there is no serving cell to tune away from. Further, reference to 20 ms and 40 ms is merely provided for illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiments may apply to any appropriate time duration for this effective MGRP. 
     The following examples describe the behavior of the UE  110  during the measurement gap  430  within the context of the exemplary scenarios of the table  200  when the measurement gap  430  is dedicated for 5G NR-U cell measurement. Within the context of scenario A of the table  200 , the UE  110  may not be required to perform reception from or transmission to 5G NR-U serving SCells during the measurement gap dedicated for 5G NR-U except for the reception of signals used for radio resource management measurements and signals used for a random access procedure. In other words, the UE  110  may tune away from 5G NR-U serving SCells for the reception of signals from 5G NR-U neighbor cells during the measurement gap. However, the UE  110  may omit tuning away from or may tune back to 5G NR-U serving SCells during the measurement gap for radio resource management or for a random access procedure corresponding to the 5G NR-U serving SCells. 
     Within the context of scenario B and E of the table  200 , the UE  110  may not be required to perform reception from or transmission to 5G NR-U cells of the SCG (e.g., a primary secondary cell (PSCell), one or more SCells, etc.) during the measurement gap dedicated for 5G NR-U except for the reception of signals used for radio resource management measurements and signals used for a random access procedure. In other words, the UE  110  may tune away from 5G NR-U cells of the SCG for the reception of signals from 5G NR-U neighbor cells during the measurement gap. However, the UE  110  may omit tuning away from or may tune back to 5G NR-U cells of the SCG during the measurement gap for radio resource management or for a random access procedure corresponding to the 5G NR-U cells of the SCG. 
     Within the context of scenarios C and D of the table  200 , the UE  110  may not be required to perform reception from or transmission to 5G NR-U serving cells during the measurement gap dedicated for 5G NR-U except for the reception of signals used for radio resource management measurements and signals used for a random access procedure. In other words, the UE  110  may tune away from 5G NR-U serving cells for the reception of signals from 5G NR-U neighbor cells during the measurement gap. However, the UE  110  may omit tuning away from or may tune back to 5G NR-U serving cells during the measurement gap for radio resource management or for a random access procedure corresponding to the 5G NR-U serving cells. 
     The following examples describe situations related to 5G NR-U measurement during which interruptions to one of licensed band cells or 5G NR-U cells may occur. Generally, in this context, an interruption may refer to an interruption to the data or control channel connection or an interruption to reference signal transmission/reception. 
     In a first example, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  does not support an independent measurement gap configuration for 5G NR-U. In this example, interruptions to licensed band serving cells may be caused by UE  110  activities on its 5G NR-U cells such as, but not limited to, 5G NR-U SCell addition, 5G NR-U SCell release, 5G NR-U SCell activation, 5G NR-U SCell deactivation and 5G NR-U bandwidth part (BWP) switching. 
     In a second example, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  is not configured with an independent measurement gap configuration for 5G NR-U. In this example, interruptions to 5G NR-U serving cells may be caused by UE  110  activities on its licensed band cells such as, but not limited to, 5G NR SCell addition, 5G NR SCell release, 5G NR SCell activation, 5G NR SCell deactivation and 5G NR BWP switching. 
     In a third example, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  does support an independent measurement gap configuration for 5G NR-U. In this example, interruptions to licensed band serving cells may only be caused by UE  110  activities on its licensed band serving cells such as, but not limited to, 5G NR SCell addition, 5G NR SCell release, 5G NR SCell activation, 5G NR SCell deactivation and 5G NR BWP switching. 
     In a fourth example, consider a scenario in which the UE  110  does support an independent measurement gap configuration for 5G NR-U. In this example, interruptions to 5G NR-U serving cells may only be caused by UE  110  activities on its 5G NR-U serving cells such as, but not limited to, 5G NR-U SCell addition, 5G NR-U SCell release, 5G NR-U SCell activation, 5G NR-U SCell deactivation and 5G NR-U BWP switching. 
     Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. An exemplary hardware platform for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, an Intel x86 based platform with compatible operating system, a Windows OS, a Mac platform and MAC OS, a mobile device having an operating system such as iOS, Android, etc. The exemplary embodiments of the above described method may be embodied as a program containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that, when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor. 
     Although this application described various embodiments each having different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any of the features of one embodiment may be combined with the features of the other embodiments in any manner not specifically disclaimed or which is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the stated functions of the disclosed embodiments. 
     It is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present disclosure, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20200804
Publication Date: 20241105
Grant Date: 20241105
Priority Date: 20200804
Inventors: CUI, JIE
ZHANG, DAWEI
SUN, HAITONG
HE, HONG
RAGHAVAN, Manasa
ZHANG, Wenshu
TANG, YANG
ZHANG, YUSHU
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04W74/0833", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W36/00698", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W48/18", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06N20/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W48/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W74/0833", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/15", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W16/14", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/15", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W24/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W24/10", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W48/16", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W48/18", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W48/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06N20/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W76/15", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W74/0833", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W24/10", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 80118711