System and method of air interface capability exchange

Abstract

Methods and Devices that provide mechanisms for an air interface capability exchange are disclosed. The air interface capability exchange enables a user equipment device to signal its air interface configuration capabilities to a network device to facilitate software configurable air interface (SoftAI) optimization. The air interface capability exchange involves a UE device signaling information regarding an air interface configuration capability type of the device's air interface. The air interface configuration capability type identifies whether the device supports multiple air interface configurations of the air interface. The UE device may also transmit information regarding air interface configuration options that it supports. The network device may determine a configuration for the UE device's air interface based at least in part on the information provided by the UE device.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a device that supports an air interface, information regarding an air interface configuration capability type of the device, the air interface configuration capability type identifying support for configuration of a plurality of air interface building blocks, the plurality of air interface building blocks comprising at least two of: a waveform building block, a frame structure building block, a multiple access scheme building block, a protocol building block, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) building block; and   receiving, by the device, information regarding a configuration of the air interface of the device, the configuration of the air interface comprising a configuration for the at least two of the plurality of air interface building blocks.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the waveform building block comprises a waveform option for at least one of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based waveform or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) waveform. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the waveform option further specifies at least one of a sub-carrier spacing parameter or a cyclic prefix (CP) parameter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure building block comprises a frame structure option specifying a length of a transmission time interval (TTI). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple access scheme building block comprises a multiple access scheme option for a contention based shared channel resource. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the protocol building block comprises a transmission and/or re-transmission mechanism option for specifying a signaling mechanism for the transmission and/or re-transmission. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MCS building block comprises a low peak-to-average power ration (PAPR) modulation option. 
     
     
         8 . A device comprising:
 a wireless interface that supports an air interface for the device;   a processor operatively coupled to the wireless interface; and   a computer readable storage medium operatively coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming comprising instructions to:   transmit, via the wireless interface, information regarding an air interface configuration capability type of the device, the air interface configuration capability type identifying support for configuration of a plurality of air interface building blocks, the plurality of air interface building blocks comprising at least two of: a waveform building block, a frame structure building block, a multiple access scheme building block, a protocol building block, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) building block; and   receive, via the wireless interface, information regarding a configuration of the air interface of the device, the configuration of the air interface comprising a configuration for the at least two of the plurality of air interface building blocks.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the waveform building block comprises a waveform option for at least one of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based waveform or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) waveform. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the waveform option further specifies at least one of a sub-carrier spacing parameter or a cyclic prefix (CP) parameter. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the frame structure building block comprises a frame structure option specifying a length of a transmission time interval (TTI). 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the multiple access scheme building block comprises a multiple access scheme option for a contention based shared channel resource. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the protocol building block comprises a transmission and/or re-transmission mechanism option for specifying a signaling mechanism for the transmission and/or re-transmission. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the MCS building block comprises a low peak-to-average power ration (PAPR) modulation option. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 receiving information regarding an air interface configuration capability type of a device that supports an air interface, the air interface configuration capability type identifying support for configuration of a plurality of air interface building blocks, the plurality of air interface building blocks comprising at least two of: a waveform building block, a frame structure building block, a multiple access scheme building block, a protocol building block, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) building block; and   determining a configuration of the air interface of the device based at least in part on the information regarding the air interface configuration capability type of the device, the configuration of the air interface comprising a configuration for the at least two of the air interface building blocks.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the waveform building block comprises a waveform option for at least one of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based waveform or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) waveform. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the waveform option further specifies at least one of a sub-carrier spacing parameter or a cyclic prefix (CP) parameter. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the frame structure building block comprises a frame structure option specifying a length of a transmission time interval (TTI). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the multiple access scheme building block comprises a multiple access scheme option for a contention based shared channel resource. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the protocol building block comprises a transmission and/or re-transmission mechanism option for specifying a signaling mechanism for the transmission and/or re-transmission. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the MCS building block comprises a low peak-to-average power ration (PAPR) modulation option. 
     
     
         22 . A device comprising:
 a wireless interface that supports an air interface for the device;   a processor operatively coupled to the wireless interface; and   a computer readable storage medium operatively coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming comprising instructions to:   receive, via the wireless interface, information regarding an air interface configuration capability type of another device that supports an air interface, the air interface configuration capability type identifying support for configuration of a plurality of air interface building blocks, the plurality of air interface building blocks comprising at least two of: a waveform building block, a frame structure building block, a multiple access scheme building block, a protocol building block, and a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) building block; and   determine a configuration of the air interface of the other device based at least in part on the information regarding the air interface configuration capability type of the other device, the configuration of the air interface comprising a configuration for the at least two of the air interface building blocks.   
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the waveform building block comprises a waveform option for at least one of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based waveform or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) waveform. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the waveform option further specifies at least one of a sub-carrier spacing parameter or a cyclic prefix (CP) parameter. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the frame structure building block comprises a frame structure option specifying a length of a transmission time interval (TTI). 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the multiple access scheme building block comprises a multiple access scheme option for a contention based shared channel resource. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the protocol building block comprises a transmission and/or re-transmission mechanism option for specifying a signaling mechanism for the transmission and/or re-transmission. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the MCS building block comprises a low peak-to-average power ration (PAPR) modulation option.