CN111264070A

CN111264070A - Reporting user equipment capabilities under multiple network connections

Info

Publication number: CN111264070A
Application number: CN201780096192.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 戴谦; 黄河
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2017-12-08
Filing date: 2017-12-08
Publication date: 2020-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-08
Also published as: CN111264070B; WO2019109358A1

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed relating to digital wireless communications, and more particularly to techniques for reporting User Equipment (UE) capabilities when the UE is connected to multiple network nodes. In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes: a first message is received at a wireless device from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, the first message configured to query the wireless device for capabilities of the first radio access technology. The method also includes transmitting, from the wireless device to the communication node, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device in response to the first message, the capability information including a capability for the first radio access technology and an additional capability for the second radio access technology.

Description

Reporting user equipment capabilities under multiple network connections

Technical Field

This patent document relates generally to digital wireless communications.

Background

Mobile communication technology is pushing the world to an increasingly interconnected and networked society. The rapid development and technological advances in mobile communications have resulted in greater demands for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects such as energy consumption, equipment cost, spectral efficiency and latency are also important to meet the needs of various communication scenarios. Various techniques are being discussed, including new methods for providing higher quality of service.

Disclosure of Invention

This document discloses methods, systems, and devices related to digital wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques related to reporting capabilities of a User Equipment (UE) when it connects to multiple network nodes.

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

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

In some embodiments, the capability information of the wireless device includes a capability of a frequency band of a second radio access technology in which the wireless device is capable of operating, and the frequency band of the second radio access technology is configured to cooperate with the frequency band of the first radio access technology. In some embodiments, the capability information of the wireless device comprises capabilities of frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is operable, and each frequency band combination indicates a frequency band of a second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

In some embodiments, the first message comprises one or more frequency bands of a first radio access technology in which the communication node is capable of operating. In some embodiments, the first message comprises one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is operable, wherein each of the one or more frequency combinations indicates a frequency band of a second radio access technology 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 a second radio access technology in which the wireless device is capable of operating, 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 combinations of frequency bands in which the wireless device is capable of operating, and each of the one or more combinations of frequency bands indicates a frequency band of a second radio access technology configured to cooperate with the 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 of the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology indicated in the first message. In some embodiments, the first message comprises one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is operable, each of the one or more frequency combinations indicating a frequency band of a second radio access technology configured to cooperate with the frequency band of the first radio access technology, and the capability information comprises a capability of the one or more frequency band combinations indicated in the first message.

In another exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: transmitting a first message to a wireless device from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, the first message configured to interrogate the wireless device for capabilities of the first radio access technology; and receiving, at the communication node, a second message from the wireless device indicating capability information of the wireless device in response to the first message, the capability information comprising a capability for the first radio access technology and an additional capability for the second radio access technology.

In another exemplary aspect, a wireless communication device comprising a processor is disclosed. The processor is configured to implement the methods 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 drawings, the description, and the claims below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Drawings

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

Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary signaling flow for a UE reporting UE capabilities.

Fig. 3A illustrates an exemplary signaling procedure for a UE operating in a signal-connected mode.

Fig. 3B illustrates an exemplary signaling procedure for a UE operating in dual connectivity mode.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system in which techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology may be applied.

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

Fig. 6 shows a flowchart representation of a method 600 for wireless communication.

Fig. 7 shows a flowchart representation of a method 700 for wireless communication.

Detailed Description

In most communication protocols, the parties involved in the communication exchange information about their respective capabilities, such that each party requests only the capabilities that the other party supports. For example, the network may inform User Equipment (UE) of its capabilities via System Information Block (SIB) messages, and the UE may inform the network of its capabilities via various Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, when a UE receives a first message (e.g., a UE capability query, UE capability acquisition) from an LTE Radio Access Network (RAN) node (e.g., an LTE evolved nodeb (enb)), the UE needs to report its capabilities to the RAN node in a second message (e.g., UE capability information) based on information provided in the first message.

The development of a new generation of wireless communications (5G New Radio (NR) communications) is part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution process to meet the demands of ever-increasing network demands. NR will provide greater throughput to allow more users to connect simultaneously. Other aspects, such as energy consumption, equipment cost, spectral efficiency, and latency, are also important to meet the needs of various communication scenarios.

With the advent of NR in the wireless domain, UEs will be able to support both protocols simultaneously. Fig. 1 shows an exemplary schematic diagram of a system architecture for Dual Connectivity (DC). A current base station in the core network 103, referred to as a first network element 101, may select a suitable base station for the UE100 to act as a second network element 102. For example, a suitable base station may be selected by comparing the channel quality of the base station to a predetermined threshold. Both base stations may provide radio resources to the UE100 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., an Xn interface) interconnects the two network elements. On the radio interface side, the first and second network elements (101 and 102) may use the same or different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to provide radio resources. Each network element may independently schedule transmissions with the UE 100. A network element having a control plane connection to the core network is referred to as a primary node (e.g., the first network element 101) and a network element having only a user plane connection to the core network is referred to as a secondary node (e.g., the second network element 102). In some cases, the UE100 may connect to more than two nodes, with one node acting as a primary node and the remaining nodes acting as secondary nodes.

In some embodiments, the UE may support LTE-NR Dual Connectivity (DC). For example, one of the typical LTE-NR dual connectivity architectures may be established as follows: the primary 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 to an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network (e.g., LTE core network). The architecture shown in fig. 1 may also be modified to include various primary/secondary node configurations. For example, the NR RAN node may be a primary node and the LTE RAN node may be a secondary node. In this case, the core network of the main NR RAN node is the next generation converged network (NG-CN).

In LTE-NR DC, the UE capability for LTE and NR protocols includes two parts: generic capabilities of the UE applicable to both LTE and NR protocols for single connection scenarios, and band combining capabilities of the UE related to dual connection scenarios. When a UE has multiple simultaneous connections with a network node, the frequency bands for the different network nodes must cooperate with each other regardless of the RAT type used. Here, the term "cooperative" means that the UE may operate in a frequency band without any collision or substantial interference — that is, the frequency bands may coexist. For example, the third generation partnership project (3GPP) standards specify a set of frequency band combinations that may cooperate with each other. If band 1 and band 2 are not designated as an active band combination, the UE cannot use band 1 communicating with node 1 and band 2 communicating with node 2 at the same time.

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

This patent document describes the following techniques: may be implemented on the UE to determine when and how to report its capabilities for other RAT types even when the primary node is not requesting such information, thereby reducing the signaling overhead for future communications between the UE and the core network.

Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary signaling flow for a UE reporting UE capabilities. In this example, the UE 201 receives a request message 207 (e.g., a UE capability inquiry) from the primary node 203 (e.g., eNB) to query its capabilities. The UE 201 supports LTE-NR dual connectivity, but may operate in either signal connected mode or dual connectivity mode. In some embodiments, the request message 209 includes only a single RAT type 207 of the primary node. The UE 201 then includes its capabilities corresponding to the first RAT type 207. Further, 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 a response message 211 (e.g., UECapabilityInformation). In some embodiments, 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 also includes information indicating the frequency band of the primary node corresponding to the RAT type 207. In this case, the UE may choose to report only other supported RAT types of frequency bands that can cooperate with RAT type 207 frequency bands. In some embodiments, the UE may report only supported combinations of frequency bands that may operate with the frequency bands of the first RAT type 207. In other words, the UE may choose to only report capabilities that can cooperate with the serving RAN node (i.e., the primary node).

In some embodiments, the request message 209 also includes other RAT types. However, the request message 209 does not include any information about the frequency band corresponding to the RAT type 207 of the primary node. The UE may select to report all supported frequency bands of other RAT types as indicated in the request message 209. In some embodiments, the UE may report all supported band combinations between the other RAT type and the first RAT type 207 as indicated in the request message 209.

In some embodiments, the request message 209 also includes other RAT types. The request message 209 also includes information indicating the frequency band of the primary node corresponding to the RAT type 207. In this case, the UE may choose to report only the frequency bands of other RAT types as indicated in the request message 209, which may cooperate with the frequency bands of RAT type 207. In some embodiments, the UE may select to report only supported combinations of frequency bands that are capable of operating 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., the UECapabilityEnquiry) includes the following information:

-RAT type:

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

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

- (optional) third RAT type

- (optional) band indicator:

- (optional) frequency band of the first RAT type

- (optional) frequency band of the second RAT type

(optional) frequency band of third RAT type

……

- (optional) band combination indicator

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

-capability of first RAT type

-capability of a second RAT type

- (optional) third RAT type capability

……

- (optional) capability corresponding to a frequency band of a second RAT type which may cooperate with a frequency band of the first RAT type indicated in the request message

- (optional) capabilities corresponding to a band combination indicated in the request message, or capabilities corresponding to a band combination that may cooperate with a band of the first RAT type indicated in the request message.

Details of the technique are further described in the following examples. In each of the following embodiments, a UE supporting a MultiRAT type (e.g., LTE-NR dual connectivity) may operate in a signal-connected mode, dual-connected mode, or multi-connected mode. Fig. 3A illustrates an exemplary signaling procedure for a UE operating in a signal-connected mode. In fig. 3A, a UE301 is connected to an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) 303. UE301 receives a request message (e.g., UE capability acquisition) 305 from RAN 303 requesting it to report its capabilities. The UE then transmits a response message (e.g., UE capability information)307 to the RAN 303. Fig. 3B illustrates an exemplary signaling procedure for a UE operating in dual connectivity mode. In fig. 3B, the UE 311 is connected to an LTE RAN 313 and an NR RAN 315. Both LTE RAN 313 and NR RAN 315 are connected to the EPC. The LTE RAN 313 is the primary node and the NR RAN is the secondary node. The UE 311 receives a request message (e.g., UE capability acquisition) 317 from the LTE RAN 313, requesting 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., UE capability acquisition) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes a 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 connectivity (MRDC), and/or multi-RAT-multi connectivity (MRMC). In this particular example, the request message includes the second RAT type. The second RAT type may be NR, MRDC, or MRMC. However, the request message does not include any information about the LTE RAN band.

Step 102 a: if the request message includes both EUTRA and NR RAT types, the UE includes its capability for EUTRA, capability for NR, and/or its capability for operating using multiple RATs. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connectivity mode with the LTE RAN) that it has not reported to the EPC. Capabilities for NR include generic NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single-connection mode with the NR RAN) that it has not yet reported to the EPC. Capabilities for operating with multiple RATs include unreported capabilities with respect to all supported bands that may cooperate using LTE and NR. In some embodiments, the UE may report all supported band combinations between NR and LTE.

Step 102 b: if the request message includes both EUTRA and MR-DC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC. The capabilities for MR-DC include the ability to operate using dual RATs (e.g., EUTRA and NR) that have not been reported to the EPC.

Step 102 c: if the request message includes both EUTRA and MR-RC RATE types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connectivity mode with the LET RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC. Capabilities for MR-MC include the ability to operate using multiple RATs (e.g., UTRA, EUTRA, and NR) that it has not 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., UE capability acquisition) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes a RAT type corresponding to a serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. The request message may also include other RAT types, such as NR, multi-RAT dual connectivity (MRDC), and/or multi-RAT multi connectivity (MRMC). In this particular example, the request message includes the second RAT type. The second RAT type may be NR, MRDC, or MRMC. The request message also includes information about a frequency band of the LTE RAN. For example, the request message may include an indicator, such as an index value, to indicate the frequency band of the LTE RAN. Table 1 shows exemplary operating bands for EUTRA.

TABLE 1 EUTRA frequency band

Step 202 a: if the request message includes both EUTRA and NR RAT types, the UE includes its capability for EUTRA, capability for NR, and/or its capability for operating using multiple RATs. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., the capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the LTE RAN band. Capabilities for NR include generic NR capabilities that have not been reported to the EPC (i.e., capabilities required for the NR RAN to operate in single connection mode), and unreported capabilities with respect to supported bands of NR RATs that may cooperate with bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. Capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include unreported capabilities with respect to supported bands of certain RAT types, such as NR RAT or narrowband internet of things (NBIOT) RAT, which may operate with bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band may operate with another band. There is no need to report NR bands that cannot operate with the bands of the LTE RAN.

Step 202 b: if the request message includes both EUTRA and MR-DC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., the capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the LTE RAN band. The capabilities for MR-DC include the unreported LTE-NR DC band, which can operate with the band of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. Table 2 shows an exemplary table of band combinations. There is no need to report the LTE-NR DC band that cannot operate with the band of the LTE RAN.

Table 2: inter-band dual connection operating band

Step 202 c: if the request message includes both EUTRA and MR-MC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., the capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the LTE RAN band. The capabilities for MR-MC include an unreported LTE-NR MC band, which may operate with the band of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. Note that table 2 applies to LTE-NR DC bands, but a similar table may be added to standardize which LTE-NR MC bands can operate with which EUTRA bands. There is no need to report LTE-NR MC bands that cannot operate with the bands of the LTE RAN.

Example embodiment 3

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

step 301: the UE receives a request message (e.g., UE capability inquiry) from the LTE RAN. The request message includes a RAT type corresponding to a serving RAN node, i.e., EUTRA. The request message may also include other RAT types, such as NR, multi-RAT dual connectivity (MRDC), and/or multi-RAT multi connectivity (MRMC). In this particular example, the request message includes the second RAT type. The second RAT type may be NR, MRDC, or MRMC. The request message further includes information on a band of the LTE RAN, and information on a band of a second RAT type (NR, MRDC, or MRMC). In some embodiments, the request message includes information regarding a combination of frequency bands between EUTRA and the second RAT type.

Step 302 a: if the request message includes both EUTRA and NR RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA, NR, and/or for operating with multiple RATs. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the LTE RAN. Capabilities for NR include generic NR capabilities that have not been reported to the EPC (i.e., capabilities required for the NR RAN to operate in single-connection mode) and capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the NR RAN. The capability to operate using multiple RATs includes an unreported NR band, which may operate with the band of EUTRA indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. There is no need to report frequency bands that cannot operate together.

Step 302 b: if the request message includes both EUTRA and MR-DC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities that have not been reported to the EPC (i.e., capabilities required for operation of LETRAN in single connection mode) and capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-DC include the unreported LTE-NR DC band, which may operate with the EUTRA band indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. There is no need to report frequency bands that cannot operate together.

Step 302 c: if the request message includes both EUTRA and MR-MC RAT types, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities that have not been reported to the EPC (i.e., capabilities required for operation of LETRAN in single connection mode) and capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-DC include the unreported LTE-NR MC band, which may operate with the EUTRA band as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. There is no need to report frequency bands that cannot operate together.

Example embodiment 4

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

step 401: the UE receives a request message (e.g., UE capability inquiry) 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 about the frequency band of the LTE RAN.

Since the UE supports multiple RAT types, such as EUTRA, NR, MR-DC, and/or MR-MC, the UE may actively report capabilities for other RAT types that are not required by the LTE RAN given that the UE may switch to an NR node in the future, or add a secondary NR node for dual or multi-connectivity.

Step 402 a: if the UE supports an NR RAT type, the UE includes its capability for EUTRA, capability for NR, and/or its capability for operating with multiple RATs. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC. Capabilities for NR include generic NR capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single-connection mode with the NR RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC. The capability to operate using multiple RATs includes an unreported capability for all supported bands that can cooperate using LTE and NR. In some embodiments, the UE may report all supported band combinations between NR and LTE.

Step 402 b: if the UE supports the MR-DC RAT type, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC. The capabilities for MR-DC include capabilities for operating using dual RATs (e.g., EUTRA and NR) that have not been reported to the EPC.

Step 402 c: if the UE supports the MR-MC RAT type, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC. Capabilities for MR-MC include capabilities for operating with multiple RATs (e.g., UTRA, EUTRA, and NR) that have not been reported to the EPC.

Example 5

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

step 501: the UE receives a request message (e.g., UE capability inquiry) 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 about a frequency band of the LTE RAN.

Since the UE supports multiple RAT types, such as EUTRA, NR, MR-DC and/or MR-MC, the UE may actively report capabilities for other RAT types that are not required by the LTE RAN, given that the UE may switch to an NR node in the future, or add a secondary NR node for dual or multi-connectivity.

Step 502 a: if the UE supports an NR RAT type, the UE includes its capability for EUTRA, capability for NR, and/or its capability for operating with multiple RATs. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the LTE RAN. Capabilities for NR include generic NR capabilities that have not been reported to the EPC (i.e., capabilities required for the NR RAN to operate in single connection mode) and unreported capabilities with respect to the frequency bands supported by the NR RAT, which may cooperate with the frequency bands of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. The capabilities for operating using multiple RATs include an unreported capability with respect to supported frequency bands that may operate with the frequency band of EUTRA as indicated in the request message. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. There is no need to report NR bands that cannot operate with the bands of the LTE RAN.

Step 502 b: if the UE supports the MR-DC RAT type, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-DC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-DC include the unreported LTE-NR DC band, which can operate with the band of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type (such as shown in table 2). There is no need to report the LTE-NR DC band that cannot operate with the band of the LTE RAN.

Step 502 c: if the UE supports the MR-MC RAT type, the UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA and its capabilities for MR-MC in its response message. Capabilities for EUTRA include generic EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate with the LET RAN in single connection mode) that have not been reported to the EPC, as well as capabilities corresponding to the frequency band of the LTE RAN. The capabilities for MR-MC include an unreported LTE-NR MC band, which may operate with the band of the LTE RAN. For example, the UE may include an indicator, such as an index value, 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 whether one band for one RAT type may operate with another band for another RAT type. There is no need to report LTE-NR MC bands that cannot operate with the bands of the LTE RAN.

Example 6

Step 601: the UE connects to the source LTE RAN node in EPC 1. The UE is also connected to a NR RAN node, forming an LTE-NR dual connection. The LTE RAN node is the primary node and the NR RAN node is the secondary node. The UE receives a request message (e.g., a UE capability inquiry) from a source LTE RAN node. The request message includes band indicators, e.g., 1, 2, and 3, to indicate the band of the source LTERAN node (see table 1). The UE reports its capabilities corresponding to LTE bands 1, 2, and 3 in its response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation). The UE also reports NR bands 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, which may cooperate with LTE bands 1, 2 and 3 (see table 2). Optionally, the UE may further report band combinations 0-9 (see table 2) to indicate corresponding LTE-NR interoperability. The source LTE RAN node, upon receiving the response, relays the capability information to the EPC 1.

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

Step 603: the UE receives a request message (e.g., a UE capability inquiry) from a target LTE RAN node. The request message includes band indicators, e.g., 3, 4, and 5, to indicate the band of the target LTE RAN node. Since the queried bands of the source and target LTE RAN nodes are different, the UE includes its capabilities corresponding to LTE bands 4 and 5 in its response message. Note that the UE does not need to report its capabilities for band 3 again, as such capabilities have already been reported to the EPC 1. The UE also reports NR bands 12, 13 and 17 (see table 2) that can cooperate with LTE bands 4 and 5. Optionally, the UE may also report band combinations 10-16 (see table 2) to indicate corresponding LTE-NR interoperability.

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

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

Exemplary embodiment 7

In this example, the UE performs the following steps:

step 701: the UE receives a request message (e.g., UE capability inquiry) 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 connectivity mode (e.g., does not support MR-DC RAT type). Thus, the request message also includes an indicator indicating that the 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, since the request message indicates that no capability for other RAT types needs to be reported, the UE rejects actively reporting such capability. The UE includes its capabilities for EUTRA in a response message (e.g., UECapabilityInformation). Capabilities for EUTRA include general EUTRA capabilities (i.e., capabilities required to operate in single connection mode with the LET RAN) that have not been reported to the EPC.

Note that although the LTE RAN node is the primary node in the above embodiments, the same principles may be applied to various DC and/or MC configurations. For example, the NR RAN node may be a primary node and the LTE RAN node may be a secondary node. In this case, the core network of the main NR RAN node is the next generation converged network (NG-CN).

Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a wireless communication system in which techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technology may be applied. The wireless communication system 400 may include one or more Base Stations (BSs) 405a, 405b, one or

more wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, 410d, and a core network 425. Base stations 405a, 405b may provide wireless service to

wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d in one or more wireless sectors. In some embodiments, the base stations 405a, 405b include directional antennas to generate two or more directional beams to provide wireless coverage in different sectors.

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

wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, and 410 d. The first base station 405a may provide wireless services based on a first radio access technology, while the second base station 405b may provide wireless services based on a second radio access technology. Depending on the deployment scenario, the base stations 405a and 405b may be quasi co-located or may be installed separately in the field. The

wireless devices

410a, 410b, 410c, and 410d may support a plurality of different radio access technologies.

In some embodiments, a wireless communication system may include multiple networks using different wireless technologies. A dual-mode or multi-mode wireless device includes two or more wireless technologies that can be used to connect 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 wireless device (or UE), may include processor electronics 510, such as a microprocessor, that implements one or more of the radio technologies set forth in this document. The radio station 505 may include transceiver electronics 515 to transmit and/or receive wireless signals over one or more communication interfaces, such as antenna 520. The radio station 505 may include other communication interfaces for transmitting and receiving data. The radio station 505 may 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 a radio station 505.

Fig. 6 shows a flowchart representation of a method 600 for wireless communication. The method 600 comprises: at 602, a first message is received at a wireless device from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, the first message configured to query the wireless device for capabilities of the first radio access technology. The method further comprises the following steps: at 604, a second message is transmitted from the wireless device to the communication node indicating capability information of the wireless device in response to the first message. In some embodiments, the capability information includes a capability for the first radio access technology and an additional capability for the second radio access technology.

Fig. 7 shows a flowchart representation of a method 700 for wireless communication. The method 700 includes transmitting, from a communication node operating using a first radio access technology, a first message to a wireless device, the first message configured to query the wireless device for capabilities of the first radio access technology. The method further comprises the following steps: at 704, a second message is received at the communications node from the wireless device indicating capability information of the wireless device in response to the first message. In some embodiments, the capability information includes a capability for the first radio access technology and an additional capability for the second radio access technology.

Thus, it is apparent that techniques for reporting the capability of a UE operating under dual connectivity are disclosed. Using the techniques described herein, a UE with dual connectivity to a primary node and a secondary node may proactively report the capabilities of RAT types not requested by the primary node, thereby reducing future signaling overhead when the UE is handed off to a different primary node or changes its secondary node.

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

The disclosed and other embodiments, modules, and functional operations described in this document may be implemented in the following: digital electronic circuitry, or computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this document and their structural equivalents, or combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments may 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 of 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 application, script, or code) can be written in the form of a 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 executing 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, magnetized optical disk, or optical disk. However, a computer need not have such a device. 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, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magnetizing the optical disc; CD ROM and DVD ROM disks. The processor and the memory may 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. Furthermore, 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, although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that: such operations are performed in the particular order shown, or sequential order, or all illustrated operations are 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 embodiments and examples are described and other embodiments, enhancements and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

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

Transmitting, from the wireless device to the communication node, a second message indicating capability information of the wireless device in response to the first message, the capability information comprising a capability for the first radio access technology and an additional capability for a second radio access technology.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is configured to: querying the wireless device for capabilities of a plurality of radio access technologies including at least the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the capability information of the wireless device comprises a capability for a frequency band of a second radio access technology in which the wireless device is operable, and wherein the frequency band of the second radio access technology is configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the capability information of the wireless device comprises capabilities for frequency band combinations in which the wireless device is operable, and wherein each frequency band combination indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

5. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first message comprises one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology in which the communication node is operable.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first message comprises one or more frequency band combinations in which the communication node is operable, wherein each of the one or more frequency combinations indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the capability information of the wireless device comprises one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is capable of operating, 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.

8. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more combinations of frequency bands in which the wireless device is operable, and wherein each of the one or more combinations of frequency bands 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.

9. 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 of the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology as indicated in the first message.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first message includes one or more combinations of frequency bands in which the communication node is operable, each of the one or more combinations of frequency indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology, and wherein the capability information includes capabilities of the one or more combinations of frequency bands as indicated in the first message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message indicates capability information that selectively includes additional capabilities for the second radio access technology based on an indicator included in the first message.

12. 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.

13. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

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

Receiving, at the communication node, a second message from the wireless device in response to the first message indicating capability information of the wireless device, the capability information comprising a capability for the first radio access technology and an additional capability for a second radio access technology.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first message is configured to query the wireless device for capabilities of a plurality of radio access technologies including at least the first radio access technology and the second radio access technology.

15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the capability information of the wireless device comprises a capability for a frequency band of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is operable, and wherein the frequency band of the second radio access technology is configured to cooperate with the frequency band of the first radio access technology.

16. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the capability information of the wireless device comprises capabilities for combinations of frequency bands in which the wireless device is operable, and wherein each of the combinations of frequency bands indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

17. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the first message comprises one or more frequency bands of the first radio access technology in which the communication node is operable.

18. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein the first message comprises one or more combinations of frequency bands in which the communication node is operable, wherein each of the one or more combinations of frequency bands indicates a frequency band of the second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology.

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein the capability information of the wireless device comprises one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology in which the wireless device is capable of operating, 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.

20. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein the capability information of the wireless device includes one or more combinations of frequency bands in which the wireless device is operable, and wherein each of the one or more combinations of frequency bands 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.

21. 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 of the one or more frequency bands of the second radio access technology as indicated in the first message.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the first message includes one or more combinations of frequency bands in which the communication node is operable, each of the one or more combinations of frequency bands indicating a frequency band of the second radio access technology configured to cooperate with a frequency band of the first radio access technology, and wherein the capability information includes capabilities of the one or more combinations of frequency bands as indicated in the first message.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the second message indicates capability information that selectively includes additional capabilities for the second radio access technology based on an indicator included in the first message.

24. 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.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a processor configured to perform the method of any of claims 1-24.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1-24.