Reporting of Multiple IF/RAT Layer Restrictions
In one aspect, the invention provides a multi-modal user equipment (UE) configuration method. In some embodiments, the method includes: configuring the UE so that it supports a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), wherein each of the plurality of RATs is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed by a network node to monitor simultaneously; configuring the UE so that it is operable to transmit to the network node RAT capability information identifying the plurality of RATs supported by the UE; and configuring the UE to monitor simultaneously not more than X layers associated with one of the plurality of RATs, wherein X is less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
1 . A method performed by abase station, comprising:
receiving capability information from a user equipment (UE), wherein said capability information comprises radio access technology (RAT) capability information identifying a set of RATs supported by the UE, wherein each RAT is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed to monitor, said predetermined maximum number of layers being a standardized value; and
for at least one of said RATs included in the set of RATs:
determining the number of layers associated with the RAT to instruct the UE to monitor, wherein the determined number of layers is less than said predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on at least some of the received capability information; and
after the determining step, transmitting to the UE RAT layer monitoring information, wherein the RAT layer monitoring information indicates the determined number of layers that the UE should monitor on the RAT.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing configuration information that, for each of a plurality of sets of RATs, associates a number with at least one RAT included in the set, wherein said number represents a number of layers associated with the RAT, wherein the determining step comprises accessing said configuration information and using said configuration information to determine the number of layers associated with the RAT to instruct the UE to monitor.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of using said configuration information comprises finding the set of RATs included in the configuration information that matches the set of RATs identified by the RAT capability information.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the capability information further comprises RAT layer capability information indicating that the UE is configured to monitor less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with at least one of the RATs included in the set of RATs.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the set of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for at least one of the RATs included in the set of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability and said number being less than the predetermined maximum number associated with the RAT.
7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the set of RATs, a single bit, wherein the value of the bit identifies whether or not the UE is configured to monitor the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
8 . A base station, comprising:
a receiver operable to receive capability information transmitted from a user equipment (UE), wherein said capability information comprises radio access technology (RAT) capability information identifying a plurality of RATs supported by the UE, wherein each RAT is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed to monitor;
a RAT layer determining module configured to determine the number of layers associated with a RAT to instruct the UE to monitor, wherein the determined number of layers may be (a) equal to said predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT or (b) less than said predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT, and wherein the RAT layer determining module is configured to make the determination based, at least in part, on at least some of the received capability information; and
a transmitter operable to transmit to the UE RAT layer monitoring information, wherein the RAT layer monitoring information indicates the number of layers associated with the RAT that the UE should monitor.
9 . The base station of claim 8 , further comprising
a data storage device for storing configuration information that, for each of a plurality of sets of RATs, associates a number with at least one RAT included in the set, wherein said number represents a number of layers associated with the RAT, wherein
the RAT layer determining module is configured to determine said number of layers by accessing said configuration information and using said configuration information to determine the number of layers associated with the RAT to instruct the UE to monitor.
10 . The base station of claim 9 , wherein RAT layer determining module is configured to use said configuration information by finding the set of RATs included in the configuration information that matches the plurality of RATs identified by the RAT capability information.
11 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein the capability information further comprises RAT layer capability information indicating that the UE is configured to monitor less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with at least one of the plurality of RATs.
12 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability.
13 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for at least one of the RATs included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability and said number being less than the predetermined maximum number associated with the RAT.
14 . The base station of claim 11 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a single bit, wherein the value of the bit identifies whether or not the UE is configured to monitor the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
15 . A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for informing a network node of the UE's radio access technology capabilities, comprising:
determining that capability information should be sent to the network node; and
transmitting capability information to the network node in response to determining that the capability information should be sent to the network node, said transmitted capability information comprising radio access technology (RAT) capability information identifying a plurality of RATs supported by the UE, wherein each of the plurality of RATs is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed by the network node to monitor,
characterized in that the capability information further comprises RAT layer capability information indicating that the UE is configured to monitor less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with at least one of the plurality of RATs.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for at least one of the RATs included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability and said number being less than the predetermined maximum number associated with the RAT.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a single bit, wherein the value of the bit identifies whether or not the UE is configured to monitor the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving from the network node RAT layer monitoring information, wherein the RAT layer monitoring information comprises information indicating the number of layers that the UE should monitor on a specified RAT; and
in response to receiving the RAT layer monitoring information, monitoring not more than the number of layers on the specified RAT, wherein the number of layers is less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the step of monitoring the layers on the specified RAT comprises identifying new cells belonging to the layers.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the step of monitoring the layers on the specified RAT further comprises:
performing one or more downlink measurements on the identified new cells; and/or
evaluating one or more events associated with one or more of the identified new cells.
22 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
a receiver operable to receive information transmitted from a network node;
a capability information module configured to create a message comprising capability information, said capability information comprising radio access technology (RAT) capability information identifying a plurality of RATs supported by the UE, wherein each of the plurality of RATs is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed by the network node to monitor; and
a transmitter operable to transmit the message to the network node,
characterized in that the capability information further comprises RAT layer capability information indicating that the UE is configured to monitor less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with at least one of the plurality of RATs.
23 . The UE of claim 22 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability.
24 . The UE of claim 22 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for at least one of the RATs included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability and said number being less than the predetermined maximum number associated with the RAT.
25 . The UE of claim 22 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a single bit, wherein the value of the bit identifies whether or not the UE is configured to monitor the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
26 . The UE of claim 22 , wherein the UE is configured to monitor layers associated with a RAT by identifying new cells belonging to the layers and performing one or more downlink measurements on the identified new cells and/or evaluating one or more events associated with one or more of the identified new cells.
27 . A multi-modal user equipment (UE) configuration method, comprising:
configuring the UE so that it supports a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), wherein each of the plurality of RATs is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed by a network node to monitor simultaneously;
configuring the UE so that it is operable to transmit to the network node capability information, said capability information comprising RAT capability information identifying the plurality of RATs supported by the UE; and
configuring the UE to monitor simultaneously not more than X layers associated with one of the plurality of RATs, wherein X is less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the capability information further comprises RAT layer capability information indicating that the UE is configured to monitor less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with at least one of the plurality of RATs.
29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a number associated with the RAT, said number representing a maximum layer monitoring capability.
30 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the RAT layer capability information comprises, for each RAT included in the plurality of RATs, a single bit, wherein the value of the bit identifies whether or not the UE is configured to monitor the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT.
31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the UE is configured to monitor layers associated with a RAT by identifying new cells belonging to the layers and performing one or more downlink measurements on the identified new cells and/or evaluating one or more events associated with one or more of the identified new cells.