WO2019109358A1

WO2019109358A1 - Reporting user equipment capabilities under multiple network connections

Info

Publication number: WO2019109358A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/115324
Authority: WO
Inventors: Qian Dai; He Huang
Original assignee: Zte Corporation
Priority date: 2017-12-08
Filing date: 2017-12-08
Publication date: 2019-06-13
Also published as: CN111264070A

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices related to related to digital wireless communication, and more specifically, to techniques related to reporting of user equipment (UE) capabilities when it is connected to multiple network nodes are disclosed. In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes receiving, at a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology. The method also includes transmitting, in response to the first message, from the wireless device to the communication node, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.

Description

REPORTING USER EQUIPMENT CAPABILITIES UNDER MULTIPLE NETWORK CONNECTIONS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document is directed generally to digital wireless communications.

BACKGROUND

Mobile communication technologies are moving the world toward an increasingly connected and networked society. The rapid growth of mobile communications and advances in technology have led to greater demand for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects, such as energy consumption, device cost, spectral efficiency, and latency are also important to meeting the needs of various communication scenarios. Various techniques, including new ways to provide higher quality of service, are being discussed.

SUMMARY OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

This document discloses methods, systems, and devices related to digital wireless communication, and more specifically, to techniques related to reporting of user equipment (UE) capabilities when it is connected to multiple network nodes.

In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology; and transmitting, in response to the first message, from the wireless device to the communication node, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.

In some embodiments, the first message is configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for a plurality of radio access technologies that includes at least the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology.

In some embodiments, the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is able to operate, and the frequency bands of the second radio access technology are configured to cooperate with frequency bands of the first radio access technology. In some embodiments, the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is able to operate, and each of the frequency band combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

In some embodiments, the first message includes one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology in which the communication node is able to operate. In some embodiments, the first message includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is able to operate, wherein each of one or more the frequency combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

In some embodiments, the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is able to operate, and the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology are configured to cooperate with the one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology indicated by the first message. In some embodiments, the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is able to operate, and each of the one or more frequency band combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology indicated by the first message.

In some embodiments, the first message includes one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology, and the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology as indicated in the first message. In some embodiments, the first message includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is able to operate, each of the one or more frequency combinations indicating a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology, and the capability information includes capabilities for the one or more frequency band combinations as indicated in the first message.

In another exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication is disclosed. The method includes transmitting, to a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology; and receiving, in response to the first message, at the communication node from the wireless device, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.

In another exemplary aspect, a wireless communications apparatus comprising a processor is disclosed. The processor is configured to implement a method described herein.

In yet another exemplary aspect, the various techniques described herein may be embodied as processor-executable code and stored on a computer-readable program medium.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying attachments, the drawings, and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary schematic diagram of a system architecture for Dual Connectivity (DC) .

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary signaling flow of a UE reporting its capabilities.

FIG. 3A shows an exemplary signaling process of a UE operating in the signal connection mode.

FIG. 3B shows an exemplary signaling process of a UE operating in a dual connection mode.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a wireless communication system where techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a radio station.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart representation of a method 600 for wireless communication.

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart representation of a method 700 for wireless communication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In most communication protocols, the parties participating in the communication exchange information about their respective capabilities such that the each party only requests capabilities that are supported by its counterpart. For example, the network may inform user equipment (UE) its capabilities via System Information Block (SIB) messages and UE may inform the network its capabilities via various Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

In Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, when a UE receives a first message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from an LTE Radio Access Network (RAN) node (e.g., an LTE evolved NodeB (eNB) ) , UE is required to report its capabilities back to the RAN node in a second message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) based on information provided in the first message.

The development of the new generation of wireless communication -5G New Radio (NR) communication -is a part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution process to meet the requirements of increasing network demand. NR will provide greater throughput to allow more users connected at the same time. Other aspects, such as energy consumption, device cost, spectral efficiency, and latency are also important to meeting the needs of various communication scenarios.

As NR emerges in the wireless domain, UEs will be capable of supporting both protocols at the same time. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary schematic diagram of a system architecture for Dual Connectivity (DC) . The current base station (referred to as the first network element 101) in the core network 103 may select a suitable base station for the UE 100 to function as the second network element 102. For example, the suitable based station can be selected by comparing the channel quality of the base station with a predetermined threshold. Both base stations can provide radio resources to the UE 100 for data transmission on the user plane. On the wired interface side, the first network element 101 and the core network 103 establish a control plane interface 104 for the UE 100. The second network element 102 and the core network 103 may establish a user plane interface 105 for the UE 100. An interface 106 (e.g., Xn interface) inter-connects the two network elements. On the wireless interface side, the first and the second network elements (101 and 102) may provide radio resources using the same or different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) . Each of the network element can schedule transmissions with the UE 100 independently. The network element that has a control plane connection to the core network is referred to as the master node (e.g., the first network element 101) , and the network element that has only a user plane connection with the core network is referred to as the secondary node (e.g., the second network element 102) . In some cases, the UE 100 can be connected to more than two nodes, with one node acting as the primary note and the remaining acting as the secondary nodes.

In some embodiments, a UE can support a LTE-NR dual connection (DC) . For example, one of the typical LTE-NR dual connectivity architectures can be set up as follows: the master node is an LTE RAN node (e.g., eNB) and the secondary node is an NR RAN node (e.g., gNB ) . The eNB and the gNB are simultaneously connected the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network (e.g., LTE core network) . The architecture shown in FIG. 1 can also be modified to include various master/secondary node configurations. For example, a NR RAN node can be the master node and the LTE RAN node can be the secondary node. In such case, the core network for the master NR RAN node is a Next Generation Converged Network (NG-CN) .

UE capabilities for the LTE protocol and the NR protocol in LTE-NR DC include two parts: common capabilities of the UE that are applicable to both LTE and NR protocols for single connectivity scenarios, and band combination capabilities of the UE that are relevant for dual connectivity scenarios. When the UE has multiple simultaneous connections with network nodes, the frequency bands used for different network nodes must cooperate with each other regardless of the RAT type (s) used. Here, the term “cooperate” means that the UE can operate in the frequency bands without any conflicts or substantial interference -that is, the frequency bands can co-exist. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Standards specify a set of band combinations that can cooperate with each other. If frequency band 1 and frequency band 2 are not specified as a valid band combination, the UE cannot use frequency band 1 in communication with node 1 and frequency band 2 in communication with node 2 and the same time.

Currently, the UE only reports its capabilities as requested in the request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquire) sent by the master node. Because the request message may not request the UE to report its capabilities related to other Radio Access Types (RATs) used by the secondary node, UE may not report such information, even though the information is ultimately necessary for transmission between the secondary node.

This patent document describes techniques that can be implemented on a UE to determine when and how to report its capabilities for other RAT types even when such information is not requested by the master node, thereby reducing signaling overhead in the future for communication between the UE and the core network.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary signaling flow of a UE reporting its capabilities. In this example, the UE 201 receives a request message 207 (e.g., UECapabilitiyEnquiry) from the master node 203 (e.g., eNB) to enquire about its capabilities. The UE 201 supports LTE-NR dual connection but may operate in a signal connection mode, or a dual connection mode. In some embodiments, the request message 209 only includes a single RAT type 207 of the master node. The UE 201 then includes its capabilities corresponding to the first RAT type 207. Additionally, the UE may include its capabilities for other supported RAT types. For example, the UE may report all frequency bands of all other RAT types that it supports in the response message 211 (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) . In some implementations, the UE may report all band combinations between other supported RAT types and the first RAT type 207 in the response message 211.

In some embodiments, the request message 209 further includes information indicating frequency bands of the master node corresponding to the RAT type 207. In such cases, the UE can choose to report only the frequency bands of other supported RAT types that can cooperate with the frequency bands of the RAT type 207. In some implementations, the UE may report only the supported band combinations that can operate with the frequency bands of the first RAT type 207. In other words, the UE may choose to report only the capabilities that can cooperate with the serving RAN node (i.e., the master node) .

In some embodiments, the request message 209 also includes other RAT types. The request message 209, however, does not include any information regarding the frequency bands that correspond to the RAT type 207 of the master node. The UE may choose to report all supported frequency bands of the other RAT types as indicated in the request message 209. In some implementations, the UE may report all supported band combinations between other RAT types as indicated in the request message 209 and the first RAT type 207.

In some embodiments, the request message 209 also includes other RAT types. The request message 209 further includes information indicating frequency bands of the master node corresponding to the RAT type 207. In such cases, the UE can choose to report only the frequency bands of the other RAT types as indicated in the request message 209 that can cooperate with the frequency bands of the RAT type 207. In some implementations, the UE may choose to report only the supported band combinations that can operate with the frequency bands of the first RAT type 207. In other words, the UE may again choose to report only the capabilities that can cooperate with the serving RAN node (i.e., the master node) .

In some embodiments, the request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) includes the following information:

-RAT type:

-first RAT type of the serving RAN node (e.g., EUTRA)

- (optional) second RAT type that is different from the first RAT type (e.g., NR, MR-DC, or MR-MC, etc. )

- (optional) third RAT type

- (optional) Frequency band indicators:

- (optional) Frequency bands of the first RAT type

- (optional) Frequency bands of the second RAT type

- (optional) Frequency bands of the third RAT type

…

- (optional) Band combination indicators

In some embodiments, the response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) includes the following information:

-Capabilities for the first RAT type

-Capabilities for a second RAT type

- (optional) Capabilities for a third RAT type

…

- (optional) Capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of second RAT type that can cooperate with the frequency bands of first RAT type indicated in the request message

- (optional) Capabilities corresponding to the frequency band combinations that are indicated in the request message, or capabilities corresponding to the frequency band combinations that can cooperate with the frequency bands of first RAT type indicated in the request message.

Details of the techniques are further described in the following embodiments. In each of the following embodiments, a UE that supports MultiRAT types (e.g., LTE-NR dual connection) may operate in a signal connection mode, a dual connection mode, or a multi-connection mode. FIG. 3A shows an exemplary signaling process of a UE operating in the signal connection mode. In FIG. 3A, the UE 301 is connected to an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) 303. The UE 301 receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) 305 from the RAN 303, asking it to report its capabilities. The UE then transmits a response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) 307 to the RAN 303. FIG. 3B shows an exemplary signaling process of a UE operating in a dual connection mode. In FIG. 3B, the UE 311 is connected to an LTE RAN 313 and a NR RAN 315. Both LTE RAN 313 and NR RAN 315 are connected to the EPC. The LTE RAN 313 is the master node, and the NR RAN is the secondary node. The UE 311 receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) 317 from the LTE RAN 313, asking it to report its capabilities. The UE then transmits a response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) 319 to the LTE RAN 313.

Example Embodiment 1

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

Step 101: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes the RAT type corresponding to the LTE RAN, i.e., EUTRA. The request message may also include other RAT types, such as NR, Multi-RAT-Dual-Connection (MRDC) , and/or Multi-RAT-Multi-Connection (MRMC) . In this specific example, the request message includes a second RAT type. The second RAT type can be either NR, MRDC, or MRMC. The request message, however, does not include any information regarding the frequency bands of the LTE RAN.

Step 102a: If the request message includes EUTRA and NR RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA, its capabilities for NR, and/or its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LTE RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for NR include the common NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the NR RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include unreported capabilities regarding all supported frequency bands that can cooperate using LTE and NR. In some implementations, the UE may report all supported band combinations between NR and LTE.

Step 102b: If the request message includes EUTRA and MR-DC RAT types, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for MR-DC include the capabilities for operating using dual RATs (e.g., EUTRA and NR) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC.

Step 102c: If the request message includes EUTRA and MR-RC RATE types, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for MR-MC include its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs (e.g., UTRA, EUTRA, and NR) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC.

Example Embodiment 2:

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

Step 201: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes the RAT type corresponding to the serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. The request message may also include other RAT types, such as NR, Multi-RAT-Dual-Connection (MRDC) , and/or Multi-RAT-Multi-Connection (MRMC) . In this specific example, the request message includes a second RAT type. The second RAT type can be either NR, MRDC, or MRMC. The request message also includes information regarding the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. For example, the request message may include indicators, such as index values, to indicate the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. Table 1 shows exemplary operating bands of EUTRA.

Table 1 EUTRA Frequency Bands

Step 202a: If the request message includes EUTRA and NR RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA, its capabilities for NR, and/or its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for NR include the common NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the NR RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the unreported capabilities regarding supported frequency bands of NR RAT that can cooperate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. The capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include unreported capabilities regarding supported frequency bands of certain RAT types, such as NR RAT or Narrow Band Internet Of Things (NBIOT) RAT, that can operate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band can operate with another frequency band. The NR frequency bands that cannot operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN do not need to be reported.

Step 202b: If the request message includes EUTRA and MR-DC RAT types, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-DC includes unreported LTE-NR DC frequency bands that can operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. Table 2 shows an exemplary table of band combinations. The LTE-NR DC frequency bands that cannot operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN do not need to be reported.

Table 2: Inter-band Dual Connectivity Operating Bands

Step 202c: If the request message includes EUTRA and MR-MC RAT types, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-MC includes unreported LTE-NR MC frequency bands that can operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. It is noted that Table 2 is applicable to the LTE-NR DC frequency bands, but a similar table may be added to standardize which LTE-NR MC frequency bands can operate with which EUTRA frequency bands. The LTE-NR MC frequency bands that cannot operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN do not need to be reported.

Example Embodiment 3

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

Step 301: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes the RAT type corresponding to the serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. The request message may also include other RAT types, such as NR, Multi-RAT-Dual-Connection (MRDC) , and/or Multi-RAT-Multi-Connection (MRMC) . In this specific example, the request message includes a second RAT type. The second RAT type can be either NR, MRDC, or MRMC. The request message also includes information regarding the frequency bands of the LTE RAN, and information regarding the frequency bands of the second RAT type (NR, MRDC, or MRMC) . In some implementations, the request message includes information regarding the band combinations between the EUTRA and the second RAT type.

Step 302a: If the request message includes EUTRA and NR RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA, its capabilities for NR, and/or its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for NR include the common NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the NR RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the NR RAN. The capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include unreported frequency bands of NR that can operate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate the supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. The frequency bands that do not operate together do not need to be reported.

Step 302b: If the request message includes EUTRA and MR-DC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-DC includes unreported frequency bands of LTE-NR DC that can operate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. The frequency bands that do not operate together do not need to be reported.

Step 302c: If the request message includes EUTRA and MR-MC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-MC includes unreported frequency bands of LTE-NR MC that can operate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. The frequency bands that do not operate together do not need to be reported.

Example Embodiment 4

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

Step 401: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes only the RAT type corresponding to the serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. The request message does not include any information regarding frequency bands of the LTE RAN.

Because the UE supports multiple RAT types such as EUTRA, NR, MR-DC, and/or MR-MC, the UE may voluntarily reports capabilities for other RAT types that are not requested by the LTE RAN, considering that the UE is likely to switch to a NR node, or add a secondary NR node for dual connection or multi-connection in the future.

Step 402a: If UE supports NR RAT type, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA, its capabilities for NR, and/or its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for NR include the common NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the NR RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include unreported capabilities regarding all supported frequency bands that can cooperate using LTE and NR. In some implementations, the UE may report all supported band combinations between NR and LTE.

Step 402b: If UE supports MR-DC RAT type, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for MR-DC include its capabilities for operating using dual RATs (e.g., EUTRA and NR) that it hasn’t been reported to the EPC.

Step 402c: If UE supports MR-MC RAT type, UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC. The capabilities for MR-MC include its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs (e.g., UTRA, EUTRA, and NR) that it hasn’t been reported to the EPC.

Example Embodiment 5

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

Step 501: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes only the RAT type corresponding to the serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. The request message also includes information regarding the frequency bands of the LTE RAN.

Because the UE supports multiple RAT types such as EUTRA, NR, MR-DC, and/or MR-MC, the UE may voluntarily report capabilities for other RAT types that are not requested by the LTE RAN, considering that the UE is likely to switch to a NR node, or add a secondary NR node for dual connection or multi-connection in the future.

Step 502a: If UE supports NR RAT type, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA, its capabilities for NR, and/or its capabilities for operating using multiple RATs. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for NR include the common NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the NR RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC and the unreported capabilities regarding supported frequency bands of NR RAT that can cooperate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. The capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include unreported capabilities regarding supported frequency bands that can operate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. The NR frequency bands that cannot operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN do not need to be reported.

Step 502b: If UE supports MR-DC RAT type, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-DC includes unreported LTE-NR DC frequency bands that can operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type (such as shown in Table 2) . The LTE-NR DC frequency bands that cannot operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN do not need to be reported.

Step 502c: If UE supports MR-MC RAT type, the UE include its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC, and the capabilities corresponding to the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-MC includes unreported LTE-NR MC frequency bands that can operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include indicators, such as index values, in the response message to indicate such supported frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may use a table of allowed band combinations to determine if one frequency band for one RAT type can operate with another frequency band for another RAT type. The LTE-NR MC frequency bands that cannot operate with the frequency bands of the LTE RAN do not need to be reported.

Example Embodiment 6

Step 601: A UE is connected to a source LTE RAN node in EPC1. The UE is also connected to an NR RAN node, forming an LTE-NR dual connection. The LTE RAN node is the master node, and the NR RAN node is the secondary node. The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the source LTE RAN node. The request message includes frequency bands indicators, e.g. 1, 2, and 3, to indicate the frequency bands of the source LTE RAN node (see Table 1) . The UE reports, in its response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) , its capabilities corresponding to the LTE frequency band 1, 2, and 3. The UE also reports NR frequency bands 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 that can cooperate with the LTE frequency bands 1, 2, and 3 (see Table 2) . Optionally the UE can further reports band combinations 0-9 (see Table 2) to indicate the corresponding LTE-NR interoperability. After the source LTE RAN node receives the response, it relays the capability information to EPC1.

Step 602: The UE is handed over from the source LTE RAN node to a target LTE RAN node in EPC1. The secondary NR node remains the same.

Step 603: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the target LTE RAN node. The request message includes frequency bands indicators, e.g., 3, 4, and 5, to indicate the frequency bands of the target LTE RAN node. Because the enquired frequency bands of the source and target LTE RAN nodes are different, UE includes, in its response message, its capabilities corresponding to the LTE frequency band 4 and 5. It is noted that UE doesn’t need to report its capabilities for frequency band 3 again because such capabilities have been reported to EPC1. The UE also reports NR frequency bands 12, 13, and 17 that can cooperate with the LTE frequency bands 4 and 5 (see Table 2) . Optionally The UE can further reports band combinations 10-16 (see Table 2) to indicate the corresponding LTE-NR interoperability.

Step 604: The UE is handed over from the target LTE RAN to a third LTE RAN in a different core network EPC2. The secondary NR node remains the same.

Step 605: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the third LTE RAN node. The request message includes frequency bands indicators, e.g., 3, 4, and 5, to indicate the frequency bands of the target LTE RAN node. Because there is a change of the core network, the UE needs to include, in its response message to the third LTE RAN node, its capabilities corresponding to the LTE frequency band 3, 4, and 5. The UE also reports NR frequency bands 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, and 17 (see Table 2) that can cooperate with the LTE frequency bands 3, 4, and 5. The UE further reports band combinations 7-16 (see Table 2) to indicate the corresponding LTE-NR interoperability.

Example Embodiment 7

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

Step 701: The UE receives a request message (e.g., UECapabilityEnquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes only the RAT type corresponding to the serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. In this particular example, the network side does not support dual connection mode (e.g., there is no support for MR-DC RAT type) . Therefore, the request message also includes an indicator indicating that UE does not need to report its capabilities for additional RAT types.

Step 702: The UE supports multiple RAT types such as EUTRA, NR, MR-DC, and/or MR-MC. However, because the request message indicates that no reporting of capabilities for other RAT types is necessary, the UE refrains from voluntarily reporting of such capabilities. The UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA in the response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation) . The capabilities for EUTRA include the common EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that it hasn’t reported to the EPC.

It is noted that, while the LTE RAN node is the master node in the above embodiments, the same principles can be applied to various DC and/or MC configurations. For example, the NR RAN node can be the master node and the LTE RAN node can be the secondary node. In such case, the core network for the master NR RAN node is a Next Generation Converged Network (NG-CN) .

FIG. 4 shows an example of a wireless communication system where techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology can be applied. A wireless communication system 400 can include one or more base stations (BSs) 405a, 405b, one or

more wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, and a core network 425. A base station 405a, 405b can provide wireless service to

wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c and 410d in one or more wireless sectors. In some implementations, a base station 405a, 405b includes directional antennas to produce two or more directional beams to provide wireless coverage in different sectors.

The core network 425 can communicate with one or more base stations 405a, 405b. The core network 425 provides connectivity with other wireless communication systems and wired communication systems. The core network may include one or more service subscription databases to store information related to the subscribed

wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d. A first base station 405a can provide wireless service based on a first radio access technology, whereas a second base station 405b can provide wireless service based on a second radio access technology. The base stations 405a and 405b may be co-located or may be separately installed in the field according to the deployment scenario. The

wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d can support multiple different radio access technologies.

In some implementations, a wireless communication system can include multiple networks using different wireless technologies. A dual-mode or multi-mode wireless device includes two or more wireless technologies that could be used to connect to different wireless networks.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram representation of a portion of a radio station. A radio station 505 such as a base station or a wireless device (or UE) can include processor electronics 510 such as a microprocessor that implements one or more of the wireless techniques presented in this document. The radio station 505 can include transceiver electronics 515 to send and/or receive wireless signals over one or more communication interfaces such as antenna 520. The radio station 505 can include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. Radio station 505 can include one or more memories (not explicitly shown) configured to store information such as data and/or instructions. In some implementations, the processor electronics 510 can include at least a portion of the transceiver electronics 515. In some embodiments, at least some of the disclosed techniques, modules or functions are implemented using the radio station 505.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart representation of a method 600 for wireless communication. The method 600 includes, at 602, receiving, at a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology. The method also includes, at 604, transmitting, in response to the first message, from the wireless device to the communication node, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device. In some embodiments, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart representation of a method 700 for wireless communication. The method 700 includes transmitting, to a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology. The method also includes, at 704,

receiving, in response to the first message, at the communication node from the wireless device, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device. In some embodiments, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.

It is thus evident that techniques are disclosed for reporting capabilities of a UE operating in a dual connectivity. Using the techniques described herein, the UE with dual connections to a master node and a secondary node may voluntarily report capabilities for RAT types that are not requested by the master node, thereby reducing future signaling overhead when the UE is handed over to a different master node or changes its secondary node.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the presently disclosed technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the presently disclosed technology is not limited except as by the appended claims.

The disclosed and other embodiments, modules and the functional operations described in this document can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this document and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The computer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document) , in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code) . A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this document can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) .

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

While this patent document contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described in this patent document should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

Only a few implementations and examples are described and other implementations, enhancements and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, at a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology; and

transmitting, in response to the first message, from the wireless device to the communication node, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for a plurality of radio access technologies that includes at least the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein the frequency bands of the second radio access technology are configured to cooperate with frequency bands of the first radio access technology.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein each of the frequency band combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology in which the communication node is able to operate.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is able to operate, wherein each of one or more the frequency combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.
The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology are configured to cooperate with the one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology indicated by the first message.
The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein each of the one or more frequency band combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology indicated by the first message.
The method of claim 2, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology, and wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology as indicated in the first message.
The method of claim 2, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is able to operate, each of the one or more frequency combinations indicating a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology, and wherein the capability information includes capabilities for the one or more frequency band combinations as indicated in the first message.
The method of claim 1, wherein the second message indicates capability information that selectively includes the additional capabilities for the second radio access technology based on an indicator included in the first message.
The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is operable in one of a single-connection mode, a dual-connection mode, or a multi-connection mode.
A method for wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting, to a wireless device, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for the first radio access technology; and

receiving, in response to the first message, at the communication node from the wireless device, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device, the capability information including capabilities for the first radio access technology and additional capabilities for a second radio access technology.
The method of claim 13, wherein the first message is configured to inquire about capabilities of the wireless device for a plurality of radio access technologies that includes at least the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology.
The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein the frequency bands of the second radio access technology are configured to cooperate with frequency bands of the first radio access technology.
The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein each of the frequency band combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.
The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology in which the communication node is able to operate.
The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is able to operate, wherein each of one or more the frequency combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.
The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology are configured to cooperate with the one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology indicated by the first message.
The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is able to operate, and wherein each of the one or more frequency band combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology indicated by the first message.
The method of claim 14, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology, and wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes capabilities for the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology as indicated in the first message.
The method of claim 14, wherein the first message includes one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is able to operate, each of the one or more frequency combinations indicating a frequency band of the second radio access technology that is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology, and wherein the capability information includes capabilities for the one or more frequency band combinations as indicated in the first message.
The method of claim 13, wherein the second message indicates capability information that selectively includes the additional capabilities for the second radio access technology based on an indicator included in the first message.
The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless device is operable in one of a single-connection mode, a dual-connection mode, or a multi-connection mode.
An apparatus for wireless communication comprising a processor that is configured to carry out the method of any of claims 1 to 24.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having code stored thereon, the code when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a method recited in any of claims 1 to 24.