IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,192,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,192,925 · App. 17/496,194 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Electronic device for controlling dual connectivity and operating method thereof

Inventors: Hyeonsoo Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Keonyoung Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H04W56/001H04W24/10H04W76/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,192,925
App. No.
17/496,194
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to a device and a method for controlling dual connectivity (DC) in an electronic device. An electronic device may include: a first communication circuit configured to support a first cellular communication or a second cellular communication; and a second communication circuit configured to support the second cellular communication, wherein the first communication circuit may be configured to: perform first cellular communication with a first node; based on information related to measurement of a synchronization signal of the second cellular communication not being received from the first node, identify information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; configure an interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication based on the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; and perform measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication in the interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

Claims (40)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first communication circuit configured to support a first cellular communication or a second cellular communication; and

a second communication circuit configured to support the second cellular communication,

wherein the first communication circuit is configured to:

perform first cellular communication with a first node;

receive, from the first node, RRC (radio resource control) connection reconfiguration message;

when the received RRC connection reconfiguration message does not contain information related to measurement of a synchronization signal of the second cellular communication and contains information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication, configure an interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; and

perform measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication in the interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication circuit is configured to: receive the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication from the first node based on a control message related to radio resource control (RRC).

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication comprises information related to periodicity, subcarrier spacing, and/or duration regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication circuit is configured to:

identify a symbol regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication and a subframe interval regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; and

configure the measurement interval of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using the identified symbol and the identified subframe interval.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication circuit is configured to:

configure the measurement interval of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using the duration regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; and

update the measurement interval of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using a partial interval, in which the synchronization signal is detected, in the duration of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

6. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first communication circuit is configured to configure measurement periodicity of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication based on at least one of the periodicity of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication, scheduling request periodicity, or an operation state of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the operation state of the electronic device comprises at least one of a battery state of the electronic device, a charging state thereof, or a function being executed in the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication circuit is configured to stop the first cellular communication with the first node and perform measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication in the configured measurement interval.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second communication circuit is configured to remain in an inactive state while the first communication circuit measures the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first cellular communication comprises at least one of a long-term evolution (LTE) network or a new radio (NR) network, and

wherein the second cellular communication comprises an NR network or an LTE network.

11. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a first communication circuit supporting a first cellular communication or a second cellular communication and a second communication circuit supporting the second cellular communication, the method comprising:

performing first cellular communication with a first node using the first communication circuit;

receiving, from the first node, RRC (radio resource control) connection reconfiguration message;

when the received RRC connection reconfiguration message does not contain information related to measurement of a synchronization signal of the second cellular communication and contains information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication, configuring an interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; and

performing measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication in the interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication is received from the first node based on a control message related to radio resource control (RRC).

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the information related to transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication comprises information related to periodicity, subcarrier spacing, and/or duration regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the configuring the interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal comprises:

identifying a symbol regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication and a subframe interval regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication;

configuring the measurement interval of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using the identified symbol and the identified subframe interval.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the configuring the interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal comprises:

configuring the measurement interval of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using the duration regarding transmission of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication; and

updating the measurement interval of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication using a partial interval, in which the synchronization signal is detected, in the duration of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the configuring the interval related to measurement of the synchronization signal comprises: configuring measurement periodicity of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication based on at least one of the periodicity of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication, scheduling request periodicity, or an operation state of the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operation state of the electronic device comprises at least one of a battery state of the electronic device, a charging state thereof, or a function that is being executed in the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the performing measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication comprises: stopping the first cellular communication with the first node and performing measurement of the synchronization signal of the second cellular communication in the configured measurement interval.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first cellular communication comprises at least one of a long-term evolution (LTE) network or a new radio (NR) network, and

wherein the second cellular communication comprises an NR network or an LTE network.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2021
From: KIM, HYEONSOO; LEE, KEONYOUNG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 057730/0561 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0087935 · Jul 16, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2021008751 · Jul 8, 2021
Related Publication 20220030531A1 · Jan 27, 2022
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