IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,513,712
Granted Patent B2
US 12,513,712 · App. 17/754,542 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Enabling multiple cells to schedule a special cell

Inventors: Haitong Sun (Cupertino, CA); Chunxuan Ye (San Diego, CA); Dawei Zhang (Saratoga, CA); Hong He (San Jose, CA); Huaning Niu (San Jose, CA); Oghenekome Oteri (San Diego, CA); Seyed Ali Akbar Fakoorian (San Diego, CA); Wei Zeng (Saratoga, CA); Weidong Yang (San Diego, CA); Yushu Zhang (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W72/232H04L1/0038H04W72/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,513,712
App. No.
17/754,542
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A user equipment (UE) is connected to a special cell (SpCell) that is configured to schedule the SpCell and a secondary cell (SCell) that is configured to schedule the SpCell. The UE determines a number of blind decodes (BDs) and a number of control channel elements (CCEs) that may be configured for the SpCell and monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the SpCell that is transmitted by the SpCell and DCI scheduling the SpCell that is transmitted by the SCell.

Claims (36)

1 . A processor of a user equipment (UE) configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the UE is connected to a special cell (SpCell) that is configured to schedule the SpCell and a secondary cell (SCell) that is configured to schedule the SpCell;

determining a number of blind decodes (BDs) and a number of control channel elements (CCEs) that are capable of being configured for the SpCell;

identifying that a network has overbooked BDs or CCEs for a SpCell monitoring occasion;

applying a dropping rule to a UE specific search space (USS) that includes subtracting a number of BDs and CCEs configured in a common search space (CSS) in both the SpCell and the SCell from a maximum number of BDs and CCEs per SpCell monitoring occasion and then evaluating the USS; and

monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the SpCell that is transmitted by the SpCell and DCI scheduling the SpCell that is transmitted by the SCell, wherein monitoring the PDCCH includes utilizing the dropping rule.

2 . The processor of claim 1 , wherein a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponding to the SpCell and a second SCS corresponding to the SCell are the same SCS.

3 . The processor of claim 1 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs are based on a sum of i) a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SpCell monitoring occasion and ii) a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SCell monitoring occasion.

4 . The processor of claim 1 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs is based on i) a maximum number among a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SpCell monitoring occasion and a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SCell monitoring occasion, ii) only the number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to the SpCell monitoring occasion or iii) only the number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to the SCell monitoring occasion.

5 . The processor of claim 1 , wherein a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponding to the SpCell and a second SCS corresponding to the SCell are not the same SCS.

6 . The processor of claim 5 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs is based on a larger SCS between the first SCS and the second SCS.

7 . The processor of claim 5 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs based on a smaller SCS between the first SCS and the Second SCS.

8 . The processor of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

transmitting capability information to the network indicating a number of cells associated with the SpCell that is to be considered for a total number of BDs and CCEs the UE supports across all component carriers (CCs) when carrier aggregation (CA) is configured.

9 . The processor of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

determining a number of unicast downlink control information (DCI) per slot.

10 . The processor of claim 9 , wherein the number of unicast DCI is based on a combined maximum number of unicast DCI corresponding to the SpCell and the SCell.

11 . The processor of claim 9 , wherein the number of unicast DCI is based on one of a maximum number of unicast DCI corresponding to the SpCell and a maximum number of unicast DCI corresponding to the SCell.

12 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a network; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the UE is connected to a special cell (SpCell) that is configured to schedule the SpCell and a secondary cell (SCell) that is configured to schedule the SpCell;

determining a number of blind decodes (BDs) and a number of control channel elements (CCEs) that are capable of being configured for the SpCell;

identifying that a network has overbooked BDs or CCEs for a SpCell monitoring occasion;

applying a dropping rule to a UE specific search space (USS) that includes subtracting a number of BDs and CCEs configured in a common search space (CSS) in both the SpCell and the SCell from a maximum number of BDs and CCEs per SpCell monitoring occasion and then evaluating the USS; and

monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the SpCell that is transmitted by the SpCell and DCI scheduling the SpCell that is transmitted by the SCell, wherein monitoring the PDDCH includes utilizing the dropping rule.

13 . The UE of claim 12 , wherein a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponding to the SpCell and a second SCS corresponding to the SCell are the same SCS.

14 . The UE of claim 12 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs are based on a sum of i) a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SpCell monitoring occasion and ii) a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SCell monitoring occasion.

15 . The UE of claim 12 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs is based on i) a maximum number among a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SpCell monitoring occasion and a number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to a SCell monitoring occasion, ii) only the number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to the SpCell monitoring occasion or iii) only the number of BDs and CCEs corresponding to the SCell monitoring occasion.

16 . The UE of claim 12 , wherein a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) corresponding to the SpCell and a second SCS corresponding to the SCell are not the same SCS.

17 . The UE of claim 16 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs is based on a larger SCS between the first SCS and the second SCS.

18 . The UE of claim 16 , wherein the number of BDs and the number of CCEs based on a smaller SCS between the first SCS and the Second SCS.

19 . The UE of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:

transmitting capability information to the network indicating a number of cells associated with the SpCell that is to be considered for a total number of BDs and CCEs the UE supports across all component carriers (CCs) when carrier aggregation (CA) is configured.

20 . The UE of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:

determining a number of unicast downlink control information (DCI) per slot.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2022
From: SUN, HAITONG; ZHANG, YUSHU; YE, CHUNXUAN; ZHANG, DAWEI; HE, HONG; NIU, HUANING; OTERI, OGHENEKOME; FAKOORIAN, SEYED ALI AKBAR; ZENG, WEI; YANG, WEIDONG
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 059596/0385 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240064762A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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