Novel Algorithms for Efficient Design and Operation of Multi-SIM UE in 5G and Beyond

Abstract

Multi Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) in user equipment (UE) is designed using System on Chip (SoC) and Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) with more than one Receive (Rx) and Transmit (Tx) paths to communicate with the multiple network operators at the same time by a UE. Generally, Rx and Tx paths in a UE is less than number of SIMs to reduce the area of SoC, cost, and power consumption. Hence, SIMs connected to different operators share Rx or Tx paths to receive or transmit data. The above sharing of Rx or Tx paths between SIMs leads to wastage of Physical Channel Resource (PCR) allocated by Operator-l to SIM-l, due to tune away of Rx or Tx path to SIM-2 of Operator-2. The PCR wastage degrades the performance of the network as well as of the UE. Thus, the choice of the number of Rx and Tx paths becomes a complex design challenge for meeting the power, performance, area, and cost (PP AC), not solved optimally in the available literature. We present a novel algorithm (DesignAlgo) for the optimal choice of the number of Rx and Tx paths for a multi-SIM UE in the 5G network. In addition to above, we also propose a new algorithm (OperateAlgo) for scenario-specific dynamic power optimization by selectively enabling required Rx and Tx paths. Through extensive simulations derived from mathematical modeling, the results reveal that the proposed algorithms can save up to 22 % area/cost in the SoC and RFIC component and over 33% in dynamic power consumption, over available literature, while meeting the performance targets for the PCR wastage.